Dear Colleagues,



As our Learning Development/ Effective Learning resource is only me at 0.75 FTE, I've significantly increased my visibility this year by working within other University projects.  As this is a model that others might wish to copy, I'll give some more details.



Since one third of our 7,000 campus-based students come from outside the UK, this year our university built a website especially for our new international students http://www.hw.ac.uk/new-students.htm



Various services contributed: http://www.hw.ac.uk/new-students/uk.htm



In the 'Preparing for Study' section, I liaised closely with my Subject Librarian and International Student Adviser colleagues, realising that 'Learn Higher' http://www.hw.ac.uk/new-students/uk.htm  was a natural follow-on to 'Prepare for Success' http://www.prepareforsuccess.org.uk/ a site created for international students by the University of Southampton and recommended (so I'm told) by International Student Advisers across the country.



On to Welcome Week itself:  My International Student Advisers colleagues had organised a wide range of induction events, most of which I won't describe here.  However, building on the 'Preparing for Study' section of the website, an International Student Adviser, a Subject Librarian and I delivered presentations on 'Studying in the UK' to new international students.  These sessions were over-subscribed time and again.



Sticking with Welcome Week and looking at Induction events for all students, as part of the team in the Library, I offered to deliver some of the Library Induction Sessions.  That meant that my Effective Learning Service was advertised in the presentation we all used.  



The other seven presenters were professional librarians and so knew the library inside out.  I know how to present and can learn quickly so I borrowed the crib sheet written by a Subject Librarian colleague and went in with confidence.  Of course I couldn't flick backwards and forwards through the Library website with the fluency of my Subject Librarian colleagues - so I gave the students those tasks as homework.  ("For homework, go online, find the Library Catalogue and type in your subject plus the author of one of the books on your reading list.  Make a note of the catalogue number, then go to the third floor of the Library and using the range guides on the ends of the shelves, find that book...")



As this was only a 30-minute orientation session, I deflected any in-depth questions by using humour.  ("In Scotland we have a joke that runs: My Subject Librarian colleagues and I can answer any questions you might ask about this Library.  <pause to let the students think>  So whatever question you plan to ask next, my Subject Librarian colleagues know the answer...")



Finally, at each presentation my Subject Librarian colleagues and I delivered during Welcome Week, we advertised each other's Services plus our exciting, innovative Library Workshop Programme http://www.hw.ac.uk/library/workshops.html, that would continue through the semester, building on the Welcome Week events.



So, in summary, despite the very modest resource, I promoted considerable awareness among new students of the Effective Learning Service.



Best wishes,



Isabelle



----------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Isabelle Pottinger

Effective Learning Adviser/ Academic Counsellor

Library

Heriot-Watt University

Edinburgh



+44 (0)131 451 3062

[log in to unmask]



Effective Learning Service:  http://www.hw.ac.uk/library/effective-learning-service.html



Library Workshops:  http://www.hw.ac.uk/library/workshops.html



LearnHigher:  http://www.learnhigher.ac.uk/





-----Original Message-----

From: learning development in higher education network [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Christine Keenan

Sent: 03 October 2011 20:50

To: [log in to unmask]

Subject: New first years!



Dear everyone,

I know a lot of us have been busy and engrossed with freshers and  

other new first year work over the last few weeks.



I wondered, whilst it's all still fresh in the mind, whether we could  

share examples of what went well, what might not have gone so well and  

what we've learnt!



I was responsible for a relatively small group of students (about 90)  

this year. We had the usual mix of induction talks and the students  

worked together to prepare and give presentations last Friday.



The students who engaged have bonded really well and seem to have made  

friends and settled in well. Some  did not come in at all, when I  

phoned them they said "no offense but" they had chosen not to bother  

until classes started this week.



I'd be really interested to hear what others have done in terms of  

transition support - induction/freshers week at your institutions?



Do you think that there has been more focus on transition to HE with  

OFFA access agreements in place?



How has it all gone this year?



Look forward to hearing ......



Best wishes

Chris 

    



 

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