Download - QUT Connect Training June 28 2010

CRICOS No. 00213Ja university for the real worldR

QUT Connect trainingStudent Support Services

CRICOS No. 00213J a university for the real worldR

Student Support Services

• Julia HumphreysCounselling Services

• Peter Gatbonton • Duyen Nguyen • Sarah Pearce• Alissa Phillips

Student Engagement team– Orientation & Transitions

– East West

– College of Excellence


Broader Objectives

• Orientation as an integral part of the transition process

• Recognition that social aspects are just as important than academic

• Creating a sense of belonging & connectedness leads to positive learning outcomes

• Engaged students = Successful students


What is QUT Connect

• Welcoming new students • Sharing information to assist in the transition to university

• Creating connections between students • A volunteer program and a start of a tradition at QUT

2 Connectors

25 students

1 room

2.5 hr

Central program

Faculty based groups

Monday 12 July

9:30am – 12pm,

registration through

Orientation planner

QUT Connect Training Program

1. Get to know each other

2. QUT101

3. Campus tour

• Transition to university and how orientation

facilitation can help

• What’s expected of you

• Group facilitation skills

• Communication skills

• Cultural Diversity training

• What happens next


Training QUT Connect – July 12

Introduction & setting the context Introduction & setting the context

Ice breakers Icebreakers

Post-it exercise Post-it exercise

QUT101

Skills as connectors

QUT101

Summaries post-it Summarise post-it

Cultural Diversity

Campus tour

Campus tour

Ice Breakers

Break up into groups;

1. Business & Law

2. BEE & FaST

3. Education, Health, CI

4. Research


Get to know your partner

CRICOS No. 00213J

Get to know your faculty group - name, major/course, where they are from, favourite hobby/pastime, or what made them volunteer? ...... also find out their answer to ONE of these questions;

•What 3 things would love to have if they were stranded in a desert island?

•What movie would you star in if you were an actor, and what character you would play?

•What would you do with $10,000, and

•What’s was the greatest challenge for you at university, during your first six months? (5 mins)

Each person then introduces their partner to the wider group, sharing the responses (15 mins)

a university for the real worldR

Post- it exercise

• What scares you the most about hosting a QUT Connect group?

• What is the one thing you want to get from this training?

Write each of your answers on a different coloured post-it note


QUT Connect presentation

Now it’s your turn…

Customise your program

Issues to consider:• Decide who does what ?• Select a ‘Get to know you’ activity?

Cutomise it.• Extra resources & prizes given for?• Faculty specific information, do’s &

don’ts, in’s & out’s


Transition to QUTRemember what it felt like?

• 'the classes are different'

• 'there is no supervision like in a work

place – no one cares if I'm here or not'

• 'uni is lonely and overwhelming'

• 'I don't know where to go for ….anything!'

- orientation is a great source of support

and information.

Student self-empowerment is the goal!


Transition to QUTOrientation can help

• Academic transition

– becoming an independent

learner

• Administrative transition

– managing a 'self service

environment'

• Social transition

– meeting staff and fellow students


Cultural TransitionAdjusting to a new culture

• What does it mean for you as a facilitator

• Cross Cultural experience• ‘Every cross cultural experience

begins with the feeling of being lost’ (Edward Hall: The Silent Language)


What’s expected of you

• Be genuinely eager to assist new students.

• Appreciate the difficulties faced by incoming students

• Be encouraging• Be responsive to the needs of students• Be familiar with your faculty• Be familiar with the facilities and

resources of QUT• Be sensitive to cross cultural issues• Act ethically• Have fun!


Group Facilitation Skills

CRICOS No. 00213J

IN THE BEGINNING, BE DIRECTIVE

• Lead your group – ensure the group works

• Encourage contribution from all group members

• Support quieter members to make their contribution

• Promote discussion when group discussion slows


Group Facilitation Skills

CRICOS No. 00213J

• Discourage participants from talking over

each other

• Ensure all contributions are treated

equally.

• Allow everyone to participate freely

• Be a good timekeeper

• Be detached from the discussion

• Contribute your own points in order to

facilitate discussion


Communication Skills

• Be an effective listener (try to understand

the student's context)

• Listen with an open mind

• Use clarification, paraphrase (have I got

this right? Is this what you are concerned

about?)

• Watch for non-verbal cues, subtle signals

and emotional responses.



CRICOS No. 00213J

• Build a 'safe' relationship.

‘Say what is on your mind’

‘There is no such thing as a stupid question’

• Be empathetic – acknowledge that it may not be easy

‘coming to uni for the first time is exciting but scary’

• Establish rapport.

‘I remember what it was like’




• Acknowledge an issue raised by the

group by sharing some of your

experiences in the form of constructive

solutions

• ('I experienced a similar issue and this is

what I did or this is who I talked to.')



BE PRACTICAL AND TAKE ACTION

• Demonstrate computer skills

• Provide information

• Don’t be afraid to say you don’t know the answer

• Tell the group what you would do (where to go/who to ask) if you do not know the answer to a question at QUT

Communication Skills• All communication is cultural – it draws on ways we

have learned to speak and give nonverbal messages. We do not always communicate the same way from day to day, since factors like context, individual personality, and mood interact with variety of cultural influences we have internalised that influence our choices.

• Cultural assumptions we take for granted• “It is natural and necessary psychological behaviour

for human beings to categorise people and experience.” (R. Brislin, 1993)

BUT• Be careful though not to use knowledge of cultural

patterns to stereotype people. While we are influenced by our culture, we are all individual and unique and all learn new patterns throughout our lives.


CRICOS No. 00213J

Questions

What next

• July 5 • Partners list• Customise QUT Connect• Room allocations• Slide presentations• July 12

– Check-in

– Collect resource bag

– Set-up room

– Breakfast at GP from 8:30am

Orientation events

CRICOS No. 00213J

• International social events– Monday 12 July, 4-6pm

• River Cruise for Study Aboard & Exchange students

– Tuesday 13 July, 6-9pm

• Bush dance– Wednesday 14 July, 6-8pm

• Barefoot bowling– Thursday 15 July, 2-4pm

• Market week– Mon 19 & Tues 20 July GP, 21 July KG

• Reconnect– Tues 27 July KG (with Markets) & 28 July GP
