Dear All,
Some time ago I asked for your opinion and experiences on behaviour
management with regard to mature students. I am sending a digest of
views and a schema for listing the type of challenges presented by
mature students in different age ranges. Please bear in mind that this
is a very simple schema which is an attempt to characterise the TYPES of
challenges which arise with SOME mature students. I am very grateful for
the input of those who responded to my question as it has helped us to
think about suitable responses within our service offer here at Lewisham
College.
Kind regards,
Jacqueline
Extent
I had nine people reply to my question who recognised the issue.
1 from a Sixth Form College
4 from Further Education colleges
4 from universities (3 of which are post-1992)
Reports of the extent ranged from occasional problems to significant
behaviour problems.
Operational impact
Counter staff
Circulation operations
IT help
Academic support
Approaches
* approach them quietly (i.e not with "hackles up"!").
* eye contact and giving them a big smile
* If they are sitting I'll bob down next to them
* in a quiet voice
* They sometimes respond well to clear statements like "Please do
not talk to me like that I am trying to help you".
* Sometimes an acknowledgement that they have more on their plate
than the average 19 year old does help.
* Getting backup from a colleague can also help.
* If you then have to tick them off for something it can be done
on the basis of a conversation between equals/friends and they don't
feel like they've gone back to school!
* ask them if they realised there was a no drinking/eating/phones
policy.
* Even if they DO know what the policies are it gives them a
chance to pretend they've made a mistake and gives you a
non-confrontational way into a friendly conversation.
* if you can learn repeat offenders names and take an opportunity
to introduce yourself at some stage it helps.
Sanctions
can ask them to leave the building
get security
stop them coming back (if you have controls on the door)
stop them coming back in for a specified period, as above
remove some privileges e.g. access to group study rooms
remove some services e.g. computing access
Solutions
* stakeholder group with student services, students union,
security and Learning Centre staff to try and get a grip on the problem.
* specifically targeted leaflet including information such as
opening hours etc, but also our code of conduct.
* Our code is also plastered up in the Library all over the
place, (and we don't put anything else on the actual walls) and is to be
seen in Student diaries, on the website etc.
* Offering training sessions with Evening and Adult Teaching
Staff, delivering a session on available resources. Approach member of
our Senior Management Team who has responsibility for Adult/ Community
Education with proposals to improve our service to these Students.
Getting into the classrooms at Induction time in order to market the
service.
* Go round all the classes during their first week and briefly
talk about our services - Library, Study Support and General College
help/ rules. Get a champion who is in a position to just lead in and
interrupt each class! They tend to a lot of admin-type things during
that first session anyway, so we weren't causing a big problem.
* Try to keep it up and do it each year.
* If they don't want you doing that, perhaps you could at least
send out leaflets/ info to the relevant class Teachers to distribute at
this time.
* It definitely seems to be a case of doing it by proxy through
the Teachers - get 'em on your side and they'll often come down harder
anyway.
* Plenty of marketing benefits here too for the Library.
* At every induction you start by saying "have you used a
computer before"? and at every step during the induction you say "have
you done this before"?
* Where people need basic skills training, I would make sure they
also get basic library skills training, and I wouldn't mix adults with
teenagers for basic skills.
* Nominate someone who will be a full time students' union
officer from next year to discuss this issue.
Age ranges
Age ranges of mature students can be broken down into 6 groups
Age ranges
18-20
20+
30+
40 - 50 previously employed
40 - 50 not previously employed
50 - 60
Quick Name
Re-takers.
Returners
30 somethings
Retrainers/redundany
Late Bloomers
Long life learners
Characteristics
Taking courses for another time following disappointing results.
Back into education after life experiences; travelling; children.
High levels of stress can lead to problems when waiting for services or
requesting help.
Explaining or demonstrating the differences and distinction between good
customer care and academic independence and self-development.
Needing confidence of a group to learn together, social groups drift
into and out of study activities within the library.
Require more support with computer applications, searching for
information and academic issues.
Challenge
Underlying misconception of what library staff are here to do (police)
and how we can help them with studies.
Unused to having to queue up for enquiries, wait their turn, wait whilst
staff find out information or locate reserved books.
Unable to take advantage of the standard library induction sessions,
because they didn't understand the starting points.
Response
Library induction sessions, follow up information- pack.
Library induction sessions, follow up information- pack.
Library induction sessions, follow up information- pack.
Challenge
As education-consumers, unwilling to accept bureaucratic systems and
rules. Unwillingness to accept fines or additional charges: "I paid
already".
Unused to culture of learning and surprised by changes in education
sector since their last educational experience.
Response
Library induction sessions, follow up information- pack.
Library induction sessions, follow up information- pack.
Challenge
Used to a certain amount of preferential treatment/ higher levels of
customer-care in their workplaces and want instant service from us.
Response
Library induction sessions, follow up information- pack.
Challenge
Have many things to take care of in life; home/family/job. Informed
consumers.
Need group study facilities more than others.
Response
Recognition of other commitments.
Recognition of need - priority booking?
Challenge
Commitment levels may be low so, following through on study skills and
organising time can be problematic.
Anxiety about achieving adequate performance to justify the expense and
time spent.
Might be retraining following redundancy/change of work situation.
Unconfident adults , sometimes been out of work for some years, with no
experience at all of computers, and of college library services such as
e-journals.
Low level of computer skills means that this groups ability to use
computers to organise, time work and concepts, is diminished.
Response
Study skills - time management
Study skills - proof reading; essay writing.
Study skills
Study skills - IT
Study skills - IT
Challenge
Use personal circumstances e.g. children and child care as a reason for
not paying fines.
Frustrated by their IT phobias. Appreciative of kindnesses.
Response
Study skills - time management
Study skills - IT
Continuing IT support.
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