Enhancing student engagement, with a culture of learning

excellence

Pauline Knealepauline.kneale@plymouth.ac.uk

If all your students attend all classes, and complete 120 hours real work

for every 10 cr module and get first class degrees

....

you don’t need to be here!

Most students settle in and are fine

Could they do better?

Changing HE Environment

• A level curriculum and FE Foundation learning - serious contrasts with university styles

• Background knowledge can be highly variable• Disability legislation - support materials are

on the web site 2-10 days ahead of lecture slots

• NSS• £9000 plus cost of living

KISKey Information Set

HEFCE, Universities UK and GuildHE 2011 Provision of information about higher education http://www.hefce.ac.uk/pubs/hefce/2011/11_18/

How do we inculcate excellence?

• I have paid £9000, you teach me

• I want you to enjoy researchAnd that means doing your own thinking

Managing expectations Setting standardsStudent Quotes

• No one really explained how university is different to school

• They tell you it is different but not really how to manage

• I have always been a good student, but this is not like what we know. We expect to listen, copy stuff out and write it back

We expect 10 hours of follow up work per session.

Can we drive it more effectively? • Reading Lists give options But

But But

But But

Imagine you are in a one hour teaching slot. Can we have multiple tasks running all the time?

In groups tackle one topic, posters with post it notes:

1 Increasing the challenge to build more independent working

2 Tactics for success3 Increasing the research challenges from level

1 / Level 4

TASK 1What are the words, phrases and

activities that persuade students to be involved?

• This session will get you started ... Your task is to pursue your own chosen route

• There is so much we could cover I can only introduce you to ...

• Reading lists are big so that many people can explore many different topics and sub-topics as suit their interests

TASK 2 Can we help students to focus on

processes more effectively?

• Tactics – Knowing what to do to get something done

• Create a set of tactics that will help to

motivate you:– Students – Lecturers

Task 3Inter-year research and learning

Evolving capstone projectsCan we get students from all years working

together?

What will you do to follow this up?

• I will type up the posters and email them to you

• • • • •

What makes students feel secure?

• Safe environment• to get to know each other quickly• Time throughout the course to make

introductions• first day of class – student-student

introductions• Safe space to share what is intimidating /

difficult - writing, team work / sharing thoughts and ideas / group writing

Models for Framing Teaching

• Facilitators• Coaching: person centred; needs effective

dialogue; empathy with positive attitude to the student; student does most of the talking; coach asks the questions that lead to reflection and action

Good coaches are good at listening!• Mentors

Style of delivery

• University teaching .. What is it• Never the research seminar model• People can / should do different things in the

same classroom• Chaos is ok because that's what research is

like• Start in level 1. Be consistent with students