Dear Helen, Christine et al,
Local research at London Met (in aviation) indicated that there was no
correlation between attendance and engagement where students' part time
work was in the industry in which they wanted to work. However, as
Christine indicates, there is much moral panic, typically in senior
management, that focusses on attendance as an indicator of retention.
My own little beef with this debate is different - I worry that the giving
of lecture power point slides is 'telling' students that they need not
make notes - and hence they are missing out on a very active and powerful
part of their own learning.
If they then also fail to read the slides, they can leave a lecture with
very little indeed. Especially, as typically students have over long
reading lists to contend with, they are very likely not to read those
slides.
I really see the generosity of putting slides up - and where they are put
up in advance they can be downloaded and hopefully annotated - but I would
argue this needs to work alongside teaching students active and empowering
notemaking strategies (and setting manageable reading targets).
Best,
Sandra Sinfield
> Hi Christine,
>
> my sentiments exactly! Which is precisely why I am interested to know
> whether, as you say, attendence and non-attendence have more to do with
> student perceptions of the usefulness of a (any) lecture rather than
> whether they have been able to download the notes beforehand. My instinct
> (and experience) tell me that the majority of students will attend
> lectures wherever possibe and that having the opportunity to read the
> notes prior to hearing the 'real' thing can only enrich/enhance the
> opportunity for learning to take place ... However, this is still a thorny
> issue among lecturers and it is quite hard to get past the fear (I think
> it is fear) among many academics that these kinds of practices constitute
> some kind of threat.
>
> Helen
>
> ________________________________________
> From: Christine Keenan [[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: 22 May 2009 13:02
> To: Helen Bowstead; [log in to unmask]
> Subject: RE: Making lecture notes available
>
> Dear Helen
>
> If this email was from me, the subtext would be a frustration that some
> people refuse to put lecture notes on VLEs prior to lectures because they
> make assumptions that this encourages students not to attend their
> lectures.
>
> However, generally speaking this could well be indicative of a lack of
> understanding of the distinction between engagement and attendance.
>
> I find the issue of engagement and attendance really interesting. I know
> some places have quite punitive systems for checking and monitoring
> attendance etc, and I know that some people have heartfelt belief that
> attendance improves performance.
>
> If indeed it does improve performance, I think that it would be
> particularly interesting to see what it *is* about attendance that
> improves performance, is it to do with social interactions, opportunities
> for social learning, something about shared experience and community?
>
> I guess there is also the expectation that an enthusing and inspriational
> lecturer will always attract a good crowd with the added value that coming
> to lectures will bring even if s/he has put up notes beforehand. I
> believe strongly that it is all about getting engagement and enthusiasm
> early on particularly in the first term of the first year and expressing
> expectations.
>
> I hear the argument a lot from people who do not want to put their notes
> up prior to interaction with students as well .... but, personally my
> view is always to provide the notes beforehand which can be annotated
> later by the students. It would be interesting to know if anyone does
> have any evidence of a cause and effect?
>
> Chris
> Christine Keenan
>
> Learning and Teaching Fellow
> School of Design, Engineering & Computing
> Bournemouth University
> Poole House
> Fern Barrow
> Poole Dorset
> BH12 5BB
>
>
>
> Tel: 01202 965307
>
>
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: learning development in higher education network
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Helen Bowstead
> Sent: 22 May 2009 12:41
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Making lecture notes available
>
>
> Does anyone have any evidence/research/anything that indicates whether
> lecturers who make their notes available beforehand do in fact experience
> greater levels of non-attendence at the actual lecture?
>
> Thanks
>
> Helen
>
> Helen Bowstead
> Study Skills Coordinator
> UCP Marjon
>
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