Intro Week Induction and Inquiry-based Learning: Varying Approaches

Intro Week Induction and Inquiry-based Learning: Varying Approaches L Gray, A Rossiter, J Rowson, M Freeman, M Morley UNIVERSITY OF SHEFFIELD

Background Influences on initial plans:
Frameworks for learning
Entwistle et al. 2002
First Year Experience
Lim, 2005;
Yorke & Langden, 2006;
Harvey, 2006
Enabling students to cope with complexity
Gamache, 2002;
Keenan, 2005
The changing concept of induction
Edward, 2003;
Laing et al, 2005;
Wingate, 2007
Our ‘local’ experience
Student feedback
‘ too much information’
‘ lost in a crowd’
‘ Need to find my way around’

Framework for learning Entwistle et al. (2002)

The First Year Experience Lost, lonely, confused Don’t know what to expect of university life Unsure of standards expected Don’t understand lectures, language, terminology Want to learn and develop new skills but don’t know how… Financial realities: student loans, part time work Transition difficulties From families with no previous HE experience Independence and responsibility can be frightening Expect more support and guidance Information overload http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/events/media/Helena_Lim_Presentation.ppt#259,3,Research Findings

‘ Traditional’ Induction
Information delivered ‘intensively’ & out of context
Information overload
‘ boring’ (Edward, 2003)
Induction did not meet student needs
did not understand course expectations
felt unprepared for learning
students seek support from each other
many did not approach personal tutors
felt lonely/isolated and considered leaving
Positive experiences of induction impacted on retention
Edward (2003); Lim (2005); Yorke & Langdon ( 2006)

Organisational cogs for first year engagement (Duff, A. et al., 2007*) * Cited by Johnson, H et al. (2007) Cutting the cloth to fit new needs and communication preferences. Journal of Academic Language and Learning,

HCS -CILASS IBL (2006) project planned to:
facilitate social interaction and orientation
supported by current students (’guides’)
based on treasure hunt theme (Edward, 2003)
‘ wind round’ course meetings & SU activity
(To emphasise work life balance)
encourage discussions about learning, from the start & provide experience of IBL
Include intro to resources (Libraries, IT, WebCT, etc)

What HCS did, 2006 & 2007
ONGOING INDUCTION, 2007
Scheduled sessions, Semester 1 and some, in Semester 2
ONGOING INDUCTION, 2006
Personal tutors…PDP etc
ORGANISATION 2007
Students volunteered
Facebook and social activities
Librarians and IT techs bookable
ORGANISATION 2006
Student ‘Guides’ paid by the hour!
Organised ‘tours’
Provided induction to ALL resources
2007 TASK
Use PC software to measure voice
Compare with normative data
Display as poster, compare with peers
2006 TASK
Video clips as trigger,
Explore aspects of Male/Female communication behaviour
Feedback: ‘Task= bit naff’/‘too subject specific/ not inclusive’

HCS Student Feedback
There was always the worry of ‘information overload!’
However the gentle pace and support of current students meant that we were eased into the course, able to absorb the information, and all this without any stress or worry!
All of the students agreed that having second year students act as ‘guides’ was a very useful aspect of induction week.
It allowed us to experience campus tours from a fellow student’s perspective…as well as ask any burning questions in an informal and relaxed way.
However, above all this, it gave us comfort knowing that these were people, like us, who had been through this last year and survived!
Induction week was an extremely positive and informative experience, one which we all wished we had, when starting our undergrad degrees and an experience that we will be happy to share with the new students in 2008.
http://cilass-student-journal.group.shef.ac.uk/reviews/reviews_issue2_1.html

ACSE: Positive triggers for change
Students : High failure rate in level 1, poor attendance at lectures, labs and tutorials, Students not knowing about/not using resources provided, …
Shared good practice : Several University department initiatives to improve induction disseminated.
Focus on IBL : IBL profile in the UoS raised by CILASS, IBL approach implicit in engineering processes, CILASS funding/support.

What ACSE did before and after
BEFORE
HODs welcome
1 st year tutor talk
Talk from library
Talk on H&S,…
Session on VLE.
Meet tutor for tea+biscuits
NO SOCIALISATION
MOSTLY DIDACTIC
AFTER
HODs welcome
Session on VLE and group formation
Learning trail in groups
Design and build
Learning trail solutions and meet tutors.
LOTS SOCIALISATION and IBL.
Pre-arrival task

Learning Trail: Questions Process
People and places in UoS and in ACSE
Getting involved
Personal Development
Things to do with academic work and with rules and regulations
The Library
Safety
Staff/Student Committee
A group exercise
Prizes
Tues lunch to Friday am
Resources made available:
Staff and students act as guides/experts
Pointers given on information location.
Marked pub quiz style

ACSE: Student feedback positive
Fun
Learning Trail helped students find their way around (e.g. IC, MUSE, MOLE)
Teamwork helped with building relationships
Robot Project was a good taster for future lab work
They felt that the intro week activities required independent, unguided effort
As a result of Intro Week, they felt more confident about finding resources and learning for themselves

MechEng: Review of Intro Week
There are too many welcome meetings
One general welcome to engineering
Learning trail - interactive style information getting, could be set up on
Meet the tutors is important
Compulsory maths test
Students do not know what to expect
Expectations of the course - contact time/self study/play time life balance.
Session on how to take notes, read supporting textbooks and generally approach lectures etc.
Intro week schedule looks very formal, full and complicated to work out what is compulsory and what isn’t

MechEng: Intro Week
2006
Pre-entry information pack
Registration and intropack
Maths test
Departmental administration
HODs welcome
Meet the tutor
Introduction to the department:
Labs, Notetaking, Engineering skills, Safety, Independent study,
Plagiarism and collusion
Learning Trail
All day design problem - design and build task. Within task students meet their tutor
2007
Pre-entry information pack
Registration and intropack
Maths test
Departmental administration
HODs welcome
Meet the tutor
Introduction to the department:
Labs, Notetaking, Engineering skills, Safety, Independent study,
Plagiarism and collusion
Learning Trail
All day design problem - design and build task.

Design and build Task
Details
All day design problem in tutor groups
Chance to meet tutor informally
Start thinking about solving problems
Drivers
To set up the rules of the learning style
Start the process of independent learning
Fun task that got students talking to each other
Meet the tutor was too formal
Start the competition!

MechEng: Reflection and Feedback
Keep what worked last year (simplicity, learning trail and design task)
Maths test completely removed
Better integration of 2 nd year and MSc students
Improve induction process (again)
‘ The group activity was fantastic, a lot of fun and a great way to get to know people’

References
Edward, N (2003) “First impressions last: an innovative approach to induction”, Active Learning in Higher Education , Vol. 4 No. 3, pp. 226-41
Entwistle, N., McCune, V. & Hounsell, J. (2002) Approaches to Studying and Perceptions of University Teaching-Learning Environments: Concepts, Measures and Preliminary Findings.
http://www.tlrparchive.org/cgibin/search_oai_all.pl?pn=11&no_menu=1&short_menu=1
Johnson, H et al. (2007) Cutting the cloth to fit new needs and communication preferences. Journal of Academic Language and Learning (available via Google)
Lim. H (2005) Innovations in the First Year Experience @ SSU
http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/events/media/Helena_Lim_Presentation.ppt#
Yorke, M., Longdon, B (2007) The first-year experience in higher education in the UK. HEA Report
http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/assets/York/documents/ourwork/research/FYE/web0573_the_first_year_experience.pdf

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Intro Week Induction and Inquiry-based Learning: Varying Approaches

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