Off to a flying start - Helen Howard

Off to a Flying Start!

Supporting student transition

Helen Howard

Skills@Library Team Leader

University of Leeds

What is Flying Start?What have we found out about student transition?

What are the key findings for all of us supporting transition?

Flying Start

Aims to raise undergraduate student awareness of the importance of building a foundation of academic skills to enhance their studies and improve their grades and employability

An online interactive resource for students making the transition to University, available prior to their arrival, with general content and School-specific information

Content divided into:o General (for

everyone)o School-specific

2011

Pilot year: 11 schools

2,417 visits

1,513 unique visitors

2012Rolled-out: 34

schools

12,552 visits


2013

Repeated: 34 schools

7,808 visits


Our findings about student transition to University

• Pre-development researchoSurvey and focus groups with year 12/13 studentsoSurvey of first year undergraduate students

• Feedback from users

What is your biggest concern about going to university?

Finance “not having enough money” 44%

Meeting new people / fitting in

“not getting along with people I’m living with”

15%

Not doing well “failing”, “it being too hard” 15%

Lack of ability / not coping

“struggling academically” 34%

Meeting new people / fitting in

“being able to find myself comfortable there”

27%

Financial worries “my finances and expenses” 7%

Year 12 /13 students

UG students with no FS

What is the biggest difference between study at school & university?

Independent learning “I will be expected to organise myself” 53%

Greater volume of work

“the amount of work required outside lessons / lectures”

15%

Style of teaching “the amount of contact time & how it is used” 15%

Independent learning “the expectation to know where and how to find relevant info and resources”

34%

Self-motivation and time management

“lots of free time for me to manage” 14%

Writing, reading and critical thinking skills

“the need for strong essay responses, nuanced arguments, originality, referencing”

10%



What 3 things would be useful to know before you arrive? Course format Structure, timetables, assessment 43%

Finance Budgeting, fees, debt 41%

How to succeed Support on offer, how to develop skills, avoiding plagiarism

30%

The need to be an independent learner

“how much work you have to do by yourself” 14%

How to make the most of resources (VLE, Library)

“the basic skills to study such as how to use the Library”

13%

How to make the most of time here (study / social)

“you need to actively learn from lectures and for this you need certain skills”

11%



What do you wish you had known?

Meeting people, conversation skills

Time management, online resources, reading lists

Feedback, assessment, groupwork, exams

Research skills, using the Library

What is referencing, and avoiding plagiarism

Types of contact, lectures, note-taking

Being an effective learner, reflection

Our findings about student transition to University

• Pre-development research• Feedback from users

o3 surveys (immediately after use)o1 post-use survey (Easter)o1 non-user focus group

What did you find most useful?

Independent learning & study skills, esp.

referencing & plagiarism

Making the grade: feedback & assessment

Student videos: hearing directly about

their experiences

Contact time & making most of lectures

What did you think was missing?

Practical info: what to bring, issues around

accommodation

More fun / interactive activities

Local info: the city, University, buildings &

setting

Experiences: students sharing their

experiences / typical day or week

More promotion and reminders to use it

Would you recommend we produce a similar resource for next year’s students?

96.8%2011

98.5%2012

98.3%2013

“I felt I was at an advantage over those who had not accessed it. I had a headstart in understanding referencing, plagiarism, using the Library etc.” (Healthcare student, 2013 survey)

Key findings and 7 suggestions for all of us supporting transition

Key findings and suggestions

Students get an overwhelming amount of information during transition and induction

Getting information beforehand is useful and prepares themToo much information is off-puttingDrip-feeding is good if you can


Students miss information / links which get sent to them

Promotion through all available channels is keyReminders are usefulUsing social media can help


Format and resources should be engaging

Visual images help students know what to expectVideos are generally popularContent shouldn’t feel heavy but fun!


Settling in generally (not just in terms of study) is important

Use examples / images of social aspects and local settings These can support learning or study-related contentCollaborate with other University sections engaging with

students during transition


Content in transition resources can be useful through the year

Keep content available for students after they arrive at University

Attitudes and priorities change as they settle in and understand the context better


Tone, voice and level of the resource is important

Using current students to deliver information is appreciatedResources which are too basic or patronising are off-

putting


Content which is new to the user is the most useful

In this context, content related to the step up to studying at the HE level was the most popular

Explain unfamiliar terms / phrases or those used differently in the HE context

Students sharing their own experiences gets the message across

What do we do next?

Run again for 2014 new students

Review for 2015, adding new elements, in particular student experience videos

See how we can collaborate with others

in the University to bring transition

information together

Questions or Comments?

Skills@Libraryhttp://library.leeds.ac.uk/skills

Click new students tab for list of all Flying Start sites

http://library.leeds.ac.uk/skills



Off to a flying start - Helen Howard

Education

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