Dear All,
We mixed socialisation with core induction issues and created a
student-generated approach to induction and to transition. We had the
students generate question options from their concerns by working in
groups. We then had them vote using clickers and interactive
whiteboards. That created a visual of their group-specific issues
which created a shape for tutors and mentors to respond. We did it for
groups of up to 350 students in a single session.
We ran it for faculty and course induction and for transition. We also
did it for new and ancient universities. In big groups we had groups
texting from their handsets to the screen with their options. They
then voted with the same handsets. In small groups we used clickers to
vote.
We found there were mental well-being benefits as well as helping to
address course issues. We call the approach Shared Thinking and the
web site is at http://sharedthinking.info
Best Wishes,
Nick
On 4 October 2011 09:41, Sandra Sinfield <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> Dear All,
> We are piloting new ways of working with the Faculties at the moment - so we
> have contributed variously to the different induction activities. for 'my'
> Faculty I was invited in to several events - in fact there were so many that
> we could not manage them all.
> Popular sessions included:
> * an interactive Academic Writing workshop - about 160 students - and went
> down really well
> * Six steps to success - an interactive session with successful study
> approaches fed into a large cohort divided into discussion groups - again
> about 160 students and it went down very well
> * A textmapping session with about 30 new students (and we did it last year
> with about 80): information on active notemaking; enlarged text scrolls
> given to student groups for annotation; an essay question fed in; students
> informed that they would have to give a two-minute presentation answering
> the question, using the article... A challenging session that really seems
> to engage students ... that allows for reflection on the study process - as
> well as for the supported practising of some really challenging
> approaches/attributes... and that they actually enjoy.
>
> We're really happy to share resources... And is anyone collating these
> responses?
> Best,
> Sandra
>
>
> On 4 October 2011 09:07, Christine Keenan <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>>
>> Thanks for this Kim. Whilst it may feel like more work preparing
>> different sessions etc etc, I imagine that it goes a long way towards a more
>> personal experience for the groups that you have worked with.
>>
>> I'm also interested to see that the induction sessions will go forwards
>> into the term to work with different groups and departments. It must be a
>> monumental job. How does this link with the departments, do you work in
>> partnership with the subject academics? How is it timetabled, etc.
>>
>> Chris
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: learning development in higher education network
>> [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Kim Shahabudin
>> Sent: 04 October 2011 09:00
>> To: [log in to unmask]
>> Subject: Re: New first years!
>>
>>
>> We've just started our Freshers week at Reading with sessions for mature
>> students and postgraduates. We've already held a dedicated pre-sessional day
>> for mature students and taught sessions for education students, and over the
>> next few weeks, we'll end up doing lots more separate induction sessions for
>> different groups and departments.
>>
>> On the one hand, it's much more engaging than generic sessions, as Helen
>> suggested, because we can target the sessions and include subject-specific
>> elements. On the other, it's a lot more work preparing several different
>> sessions and liaising with subject tutors! But we've been building up our
>> resources, so there aren't too many new ones to do each year.
>>
>> Kim
>>
>> ________________________________
>> Dr Kim Shahabudin, FHEA, Study Adviser, Study Advice & Maths Support 1st
>> floor The Library, Whiteknights, University of Reading, RG6 6AE . 0118 378
>> 4645 . www.reading.ac.uk/studyadvice Chair, LearnHigher Working Group
>> (ALDinHE), . www.aldinhe.ac.uk Winner of Student Nominated Award for
>> Outstanding Contribution to Teaching and Learning, 2010 Please note that I
>> now work part-time and am not usually on campus on Mondays and Tuesdays
>>
>> ________________________________________
>> From: learning development in higher education network
>> [[log in to unmask]] on behalf of Helen Heywood [[log in to unmask]]
>> Sent: 04 October 2011 08:22
>> To: [log in to unmask]
>> Subject: Re: New first years!
>>
>> Did the traditional standing in front of very large cohorts of new
>> students- potentially all first years and top up students. This would have
>> totalled about 1000-saw them in groups which ranged from 200+ to about 20.
>> It I'd billed as Academic Skills and the students are given 3 x 15
>> presentations, with the opportunity for questions at the end, from a member
>> of staff from Academic Skills, the Library and eLearning. The presentations
>> are uploaded onto the VLE for future reference. The feedback is usually
>> positive as the students get to see a person in the flesh, so to speak, the
>> presentations are short and the information considered 'crucial to
>> successful study'. There has been some attempt at evaluation using clicker
>> handsets, but not sure how seriously the students took the session- more
>> fascinated by the technology. Personally, we-the Academic Skills Team-would
>> prefer embedded induction sessions, but the academics don't seem too keen.
>> Helen Heywood Academic Skills Coordinator UCP Marjon
>>
>>
>> On 3 Oct 2011, at 20:44, "Christine Keenan" <[log in to unmask]>
>> wrote:
>>
>> > 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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>
>
>
> --
> Sandra Sinfield
> University Teaching Fellow
> _______________________________________________________________________
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> Association of Learning Development in HE
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--
--------------------------------------
Nicholas Bowskill,
Faculty of Education,
University of Glasgow
Shared Thinking - a Collectivist Pedagogy
Web Site: http://www.sharedthinking.info
|
