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Abby ShovlinAcademic Transitions AdviserInstitute for Academic DevelopmentUniversity of EdinburghMay 2016

ContentsIntroduction...........................................................................................................................................4

The toolkit comprises:.......................................................................................................................4

Academic Transitions Toolkit Models....................................................................................................5

Why Transitions?...............................................................................................................................6

Theoretical Overview.........................................................................................................................6

Transitions: Type 1 (T1).................................................................................................................6



Reflection: the first step to transitions enhancement...........................................................................8

The open route..................................................................................................................................8

Questions the model asks..................................................................................................................8

What constitutes good practice in academic induction?...................................................................9

Experiential Learning Model................................................................................................................10

Experiential Learning Model in Induction........................................................................................10

Background and rationale................................................................................................................10

Experiential model in Induction: examples of good practice...........................................................10

Tutorial Skills Building..................................................................................................................10

Outline.........................................................................................................................................10

Aim..............................................................................................................................................11

Structure and content..................................................................................................................11

Student Feedback on Tutorial Skills Building..............................................................................13

Resources to download from website.............................................................................................13

Experiential Model in Pre-Arrival.....................................................................................................14


Focus on FE to HE pre-arrival.......................................................................................................14

Experiential Model in Pre-Arrival: examples of good practice.....................................................15

Learning to Learn In Your Subject........................................................................................................17

Learning to Learn in Your Subject Model in Induction.....................................................................17

Background and rationale............................................................................................................17

Learning to Learn in Your Subject in Induction: examples of good practice...............................17

‘Learning to Learn Mathematics’.................................................................................................17

Outline.........................................................................................................................................17

Academic Transitions Toolkit Abby Shovlin May 2016

Aims.............................................................................................................................................18


Student Feedback on Learning to Learn in Your Subject.................................................................22


Structured Social and Peer Learning (SSPL) Models............................................................................24

SSPL models in Induction.................................................................................................................24


SSPL in Induction: examples of Good Practice.............................................................................24

(i) ‘University of Edinburgh Challenge’........................................................................................24

Outline.........................................................................................................................................24

Aim..............................................................................................................................................25

Structure and Content.................................................................................................................25

(ii) ‘Just a ‘name of your subject’ minute!’...................................................................................25

Outline.........................................................................................................................................25

Aim..............................................................................................................................................26


Student Feedback on ‘Just a ‘name of your subject’ minute’......................................................26


Structured Q&A model........................................................................................................................27

Structured Q&A model in Induction................................................................................................27


Structured Q&A model in Induction: examples of good practice................................................28

(i) Postcards.................................................................................................................................28

Outline.........................................................................................................................................28

Aim..............................................................................................................................................28


(ii) Question Voting......................................................................................................................29

Outline.........................................................................................................................................29

Aim..............................................................................................................................................29


(iii) Student Panel........................................................................................................................29

Outline.........................................................................................................................................29

Aims.............................................................................................................................................29


Student feedback on Structured Q&A model..............................................................................30

Building Student Resilience Model......................................................................................................30



Building resilience at various points in the semester: examples of good practice...........................31

Building Student Confidence...........................................................................................................31

Outline.........................................................................................................................................31

Aims.............................................................................................................................................31


Student Feedback on Building Student Confidence Workshop...................................................32

Resources to download from website.........................................................................................33

Reflection............................................................................................................................................34

Background......................................................................................................................................34

Reflection in beginning new chapters e.g. beginning undergraduate study and ‘stepping up’ to Honours: examples of good practice...............................................................................................34

Knowing, Learning, Reflecting and Developing Framework.........................................................34

Outline.........................................................................................................................................34

Aims.............................................................................................................................................35


Student feedback on How to Succeed at University and Stepping Up to Honours (generic).......36

Academic Skills Building Model...........................................................................................................38

Bibliography.........................................................................................................................................39


Introduction The Academic Transitions Toolkit is designed to offer staff theoretically informed, practical examples of good practice in supporting students’ academic transitions. Colleagues can use these to further enhance learning and teaching in their own practice and programmes. ‘Transitions’ is the 2014- 17 QAA Enhancement Theme and academic transitions is a term that encapsulates the student learning journey and the skills, mindsets and practices that students require in order to negotiate these journeys successfully.

The toolkit has been developed in response to student interviews that were conducted during a longitudinal, qualitative research study into first year undergraduate students’ learning journeys at the University of Edinburgh (Shovlin and Doye, 2015). It has also been informed by IAD partnerships with academic colleagues. Each example of good practice in the toolkit has been piloted at the University of Edinburgh and evaluated as effective and impactful by both students and staff. The majority of good practice examples in the toolkit have been piloted with undergraduate students but they are also directly applicable to postgraduate transitions.

The toolkit comprises:(i) ‘Why transitions?’ and Theoretical Overview(ii) Reflection: the first step to enhancing transitions in your practice and programmes(iii) 7 transition models that each provide: the model background and rationale, examples of good practice and downloadable resources that can be used/adapted in your practice and programmes.

Thank you to all staff and students at the University of Edinburgh who have contributed to and supported the enhancement practice that this toolkit captures and shares. Without your input, the development of this resource would not have been possible.


http://www.enhancementthemes.ac.uk/enhancement-themes/current-enhancement-theme

Academic Transitions Toolkit Models


Academic Transitions

Toolkit

Experiential Learning

Academic Skills

Building

Learning to Learn in

Your Subject

Structured Social and

Peer Learning

Building Resilience

Structured Question

and Answer

Fostering Reflection

Why Transitions?‘Transition’ offers practitioners an additional lens through which learning and teaching theory and practice can be evaluated; it also provides a conceptual framework that maps the learning journeys of both individuals and institutions. It has therefore generated a substantial body of theoretical literature and research studies. This research ranges from individual case studies (e.g. Edward, 2011; Richardson &Tate, 2012) to the larger scale work of George Kuh and colleagues whose research has demonstrated how the absence of effective transition programmes can be a contributory factor to academic underachievement (Kuh et al., 2005; Kuh et al., 2006). ‘Transition’ is a concept that can be defined in many ways but it is traditionally approached through the following two questions:

i) how we define and conceptualise transitions

ii) what the key transition points in the student journey are

As this toolkit is intended to provide practical suggestions for staff who would like to enhance their current academic transitions practice it does not include an in-depth discussion of these debates in the literature. Nevertheless, in order to evaluate the competing theoretical perspectives of the concept of transition, it is helpful to begin with the following very brief overview of these perspectives.

Theoretical OverviewTransitions: Type 1 (T1)For this toolkit, Gale and Parker’s (2014) tripartite typology of transitions was used as a framework to classify and evaluate transitions theory and practice. Gale and Parker’s (2014) first category of transition practice (T1), describes the type of activity that is institution-centric, finite and that which has been described as ‘closed’ (Shovlin, 2014). This ‘closed’ model of transitions can be likened to ‘transmission style’ education which understands teaching as an exercise in transferring/implanting information into students who are largely seen as ‘tabula rasa’. The traditional ‘checklist’ style of induction is an example of this T1 model as it aims to transmit (i) all the information that the institution deems important for new students and ii) institutional expectations of students e.g. good academic conduct and autonomous learning in a ‘one-off’ session at the beginning of the first semester of first year. The information and expectations that are transmitted in this T1 style of session are not usually revisited by the institution as its new students are now thought to have been fully ‘inducted’; the checklists have been ticked. In the case of induction, whilst the information with which T1 models provide new students is important, the provision of this information alone does not equate to effective transitions practice. Research carried out at the University of Edinburgh by Shovlin and Doye (2015) echoes the findings of the wider literature on transitions which shows that telling students to be critical thinkers and telling them about academic good conduct does not always equate to them becoming more critical or practising good academic conduct. Clearly, T1 models are built on the mistaken assumption that knowing what is the same as knowing how.


Transitions: Type 2 (T2)Gale and Parker (2014) classify T2 transitions practice as that which improves on these ‘closed’ and finite T1 models by allowing for student development through employing the metaphor of ‘the journey’. This is an important development as, in the case of induction, it allows the practice to become longitudinal by extending it beyond the first few weeks of semester. However, Gale and Parker (2014) note that the element of developmental trajectory that T2 introduces is usually determined by the institution and not the individual students themselves. These institutionally defined transition points in the undergraduate journey are commonly thought of as: pre-arrival, induction, junior Honours and senior Honours. Whilst it is important, and indeed advisable, to embed transitions focused support around these key points, this support should be designed to enable students to navigate, and also create, their own unique learning journey.

Transitions: Type 3 (T3)

The theoretical basis of T3 models is that of transition as an individualised journey underwritten by the idea of becoming. Therefore T3 models are able to deliver the support that students need to navigate their own journeys. T3 theory does not negate the importance of the institutionally defined stages of T2 but emphasises that there are also many ‘micro transitions’ beyond these pre-determined points, meaning that transitions by their definition area always an individualised experience. In the case of induction, T3 models allow for the process to be longitudinal, student-centric and focused on the ‘how’ rather than the ‘what’. Whilst the ‘what’ is still important as students need to know relevant information (T1) at appropriate stages (T2) these two models alone are insufficient to guarantee effective transitions practice. The T3 model addresses this issue by providing the vital how perspective through generating practice that:

Starts with the student rather than the institution Recognises that every transition is unique Focuses on both ‘knowing’ and ‘doing’ through activities which offer students

strategies that will enable them to know not only what but how Is assumption free: our students come from a range of different educational

backgrounds and, as Gale and Parker (2014) argue, “If education systems, structures, institutions and procedures do not take account of the multiplicities of student lives that enter HE, then transition practices will be less effective” (Gale and Parker, 2014, p. 745). Therefore, good transitions practice begins with the principle that there is no common denominator to our students’ prior knowledge, skills and experience.

T3 therefore, is the theoretical perspective that this academic transitions toolkit has been built on as it facilitates and fosters the growth of genuine learning and teaching communities that benefit both students and staff. The practical models that this toolkit present demonstrate how induction and transitions do not stand apart from learning and teaching but are a central part of it.


Reflection: the first step to transitions enhancement Before using the toolkit models and examples, you may find it helpful to firstly reflect upon your current transitions practice. The academic induction planning model (below) provides a useful starting point for beginning this process.

The open route The route from A to B through the open style of induction/transition facilitates easier pathways towards the qualities that we look for in students and good academic work. The route through the closed practice may suffice for some students but it fails to offer students the opportunities for academic and personal development of open models.

Questions the model asksBeginning with the student, the model asks practitioners to consider the following questions:

What do you know/assume about the existing knowledge and prior learning experience of students who are about to begin your course/programme? How does this influence your course planning and teaching?

What do you think students expect from you and your course? Conversely, do students know what you expect of them? How do you facilitate this dialogue?


To what extent are your own induction/transitions process: ‘open’ or ‘closed’?

What constitutes good practice in academic induction?The toolkit model (Shovlin, 2014) has been developed from the extensive literature on first year undergraduate transitions (Edward, 2003; Harvey and Drew, 2006; Ramsden, 2008; Richardson and Tate, 2012; Thomas, 2012; Williams, 2011; Yorke and Longden, 2008), but is also directly applicable to other beginnings e.g. moving into Honours, starting postgraduate taught study and beginning doctoral research.

This literature identifies good practice as: ensuring that students have realistic expectations of the nature and level of study they are about to begin and student centred, activity based, academic inductions that are longitudinal in nature. Lowe and Cook (2003) explain, “induction should be seen as a process instead of an event and should be designed to promote peer group and staff-student interaction as well as academic preparation” (Lowe and Cook, 2003, p. 75). Similarly, Ramsden (2008) defines inductions as “a lengthy process rather than an event, [something] that promote [s] interaction between students, and between them and staff, as well as academic preparation” (Ramsden, 2008, p. 12). Thomas’ (2012) definition of an effective induction also emphasises the importance of it being longitudinal in nature and:

“actively engag[ing] students rather than being a passive process of providing information, and extend[ing] over a longer time period than a few days. The activities should allow students to make friends, get to know the academic staff, understand the expectations of the institution, department and programme and develop academic skills” (Thomas, 2012, p. 25).

Thomas’ definition of an effective induction highlights the way in which good induction and transition practice is synonymous with good learning and teaching. The models in this toolkit offer innovative ways to embed into the curriculum both best practice in transitions and established principles of effective undergraduate education, such as Chickering and Gamson’s (1987) Seven Principles of Good Practice in Undergraduate Education.


Experiential Learning ModelThis model has been built in direct response to student feedback which described how telling new students about university was not in itself sufficient for effective academic transitions. Experiential Learning models of transitions contribute to enhancing learning and teaching for both staff and students by allowing students to become familiar with and build skills in university learning in an informal setting before their programmes begin.

Experiential Learning Model in InductionBackground and rationaleThere is extensive literature on the issues caused by the ‘mismatch’ between students’ inaccurate or unrealistic expectations of university and the lived reality of their experience (Cook and Leckey, 1999; Lowe and Cook, 2003). Lowe and Cooke (2003) explain that “the problem associated with inaccurate prior perceptions is that it contributes to a disengagement from the educational (and social) aspects of university life. Such disengagement can have a detrimental effect on academic performance” (Lowe and Cook, 2003, p. 74). Accurate and helpful pre-arrival and induction material/programmes for students can help to tackle this issue, but Shovlin and Doye’s (2015) longitudinal study suggested that this in itself is not sufficient for students. The majority of students in this study cited tutorials as being something that they ‘found difficult and ‘would have liked practice in’:

you don’t know what to expect. They say tutorials, seminars, lectures, but you’ve never had that before. You’ve just been in class with other people (Liz)

I just have to keep working at tutorials. At some point I’ll get how they work, I don’t know if it’s just me . . . not being able to transfer from one to the other but . . . I’m finding it weird (Helen)

maybe training in tutorials would be, as ridiculous as it sounds, it would be quite useful (Liz)

The above sentiment was echoed by other students in the study and the Tutorial Skills Building session was created in response to this.

Experiential model in Induction: examples of good practiceTutorial Skills BuildingOutlineTutorial Skills Building is a 60 minute workshop that addresses students’ concerns about tutorials, by allowing them to experience and practice working in a tutorial style learning environment in an informal setting. It can be run in both the pre-arrival and induction phase of transition and has also been successfully delivered as a semester two event that reflects back on tutorial learning in semester one. The workshop slides can also be adapted to extend to 90 minutes if desired. The workshop can be run for both small and large cohorts as students work in groups of between three and five.


Aim(i) To build student confidence and engagement through simulating a mini tutorial (of 20 or 30 minutes) in which students can practice taking part in task specific debate and discussion, peer learning and feeding back to the group.

(ii) To highlight the important links between the critical debate that tutorials foster and the critical analysis that is required in essays.

Long term aim: To contribute, in part, to an improved teaching and learning experience in tutorials by building skills that students need to draw on and/or develop in this environment. As an optimal tutorial learning experience requires both staff and student input, the IAD also run courses for courses and demonstrators:

http://www.ed.ac.uk/institute-academic-development/learning-teaching/tutors-demonstrators

Structure and content- Introduction and workshop aims- Asking students: tutorials, what do you already know/what has your learning experience been so far?- How students experience tutorials (both positive and negative): selected student quotes from Shovlin and Doye’s (2015) study.-Task 1 and task 2

- Task 1: Agree, disagree, unsure. This task requires that students discuss ‘controversial’/polemic statements in small groups. The toolkit provides around 30 short statements grouped into the following topics: Politics and society, science, art, education, psychology and morality. These topics have been chosen as they are of general interest and can be discussed without the need of prior specialist knowledge.

This workshop scaffolds student interaction and debate by increasing student input incrementally. This first task is tightly structured to scaffold student input incrementally and is divided into 3 rounds.

(i) Round simply requires that students state whether they agree/disagree or are unsure about the statement. (ii) Round two then asks students to give one reason to support their opinion. (iii) After listening to everyone in the group, round three then allows students to reconsider their initial opinion as it may have changed after listening to the reasoning of others.

Task 1 therefore emphasis that listening to others’ is a tutorial requirement and also a learning opportunity. The suggested time frame for task one is approximately 10 minutes. Students can discuss as many statements as they wish from the topic envelopes. It is also beneficial if some subject specific statements can be introduced into the exercise if possible. However, it is important that these statements can be discussed by students who may be starting out with no prior knowledge of the topic.




-Task 2: Simulated Mini Tutorial.

Task 1 will have already provided the scaffolding on which Task 2 now builds. Task 2 also gives students a polemic statement but, unlike task 1, students are now required to discuss the statement in more depth by considering evidence ‘for’ and ‘against’ and utilising their critical thinking skills. The link between this type of tutorial discussion and the critical analysis required in essays in made explicit through the Task 2 worksheet. The groups are required to fill in this worksheet which asks them for: 3 reasons for, 3 reasons against, gaps in current knowledge and a conclusion to the debate. The groups use this worksheet to present a summary of their thinking back to the plenary. The task works best if students take on different roles in the groups e.g. finding 3 reasons for or presenting to the plenary.

The toolkit resources provides a generic tutorial discussion topic and selected short readings that can be used with new students as the topic requires no prior specialist knowledge. Whilst students respond well to the generic topic the toolkit provides, subject specific questions and reading are preferable where possible. As students are being asked to carry out the reading in the workshop itself, short and accessible articles are required. If you wish to use a longer article, students can be allotted different parts of the article.

Groups then present their findings, reasoning and conclusion to the plenary. If there are more than five groups in the workshop then it may be that not every group will be able to feedback in the allotted time frame and staff will need to make a random selection of groups in the room.


Student Feedback on Tutorial Skills Building

Resources to download from website Tutorial Skills Building powerpoint Tutorial Skills Building ‘agree, disagree, undecided’ topics Tutorial Skills Building worksheet Tutorial Skills Building links to reading material (generic)


Tutorial Skills Building has been run as a generic pre-arrival workshop and on numerous occasions in a subject specific context; feedback on all of these sessions has been overwhelmingly positive.

100% of students found the workshop helpful/very helpful88% of students agreed/strongly agreed that ‘the information in this workshop was appropriate and useful to me’ 100% of students agreed/strongly agreed that ‘this workshop helped me to feel more confident about starting my studies at the University of Edinburgh’. 75% of students agreed/strongly agreed that this Tutorial Skills Building workshop has been helpful to me in the tutorials that I now have in my courses.

The thing that was most helpful was . . .

I was able to fully understand the idea and purpose of tutorials after the workshop. In turn, I feel like this encouraged me to contribute more in course tutorials as I was aware of the benefits it would bring me

The tutorial skills building session encouraged me to articulate myself which I normally find hard to do

What will you do as a result if this workshop . . .

Feel more open and prepared as to how to discuss ideas and prepare thoughts to discuss in a tutorial

‘Other’ comments

The session was really enjoyable because it was kind of informal too

It gave me a taste of what to expect

Even though I have done science tutorials before, these tutorial were very different, so practice was appreciated

Students’ suggestions for future workshops of this nature:

Make this more ‘real life’ by giving us the opportunity to sit down and discuss task two with our peers in the length of time a tutorial would normally take

Run the tutorial on the practice lecture to make it more realistic about how the two actually relate

Experiential Model in Pre-ArrivalBackground and rationaleThe pre-arrival phase is generally understood as beginning when a student accepts an offer of study and lasting up until induction week begins. Student Experience Project staff began researching the potential that the pre-arrival phase held for transitions enhancements in 2013. Focus groups carried out in local secondary schools by members of the project showed that offer holders clearly felt that they would like to have more engagement with the University during this phase. S5 and S6 school students told researchers that they would like to be able to ‘try out University’ work over the summer and felt that there was ‘quite a gap’ between the end of their school exams and the commencement of their undergraduate degree. Given that there is often a mismatch between student expectations and the reality of university study, (Cook and Leckey, 1999; Lowe and Cook, 2003) the pre-arrival period would seem to be an optimal time in which to begin to address this ‘gap’. Shovlin and Doye (2015) also documented this gap with students telling researchers that:

At school you get told, "Oh university is going to be so different. It's going be a big change for you". And you're like, well how is it going to change? They always say that, but I assumed that it's just in a different place, new people, new lecturers, new tutors, that sort of thing, but actually a lot more than that changed (Paula1)

you're told, I mean, it is a step up and you'll be expected to learn more independently, and you'll have readings and you'll have tutorials, but when you've not done that kind of stuff and you don't know what it's like, you still go in with your eyes closed (Sarah)

Focus on FE to HE pre-arrival Shovlin and Doye’s (2015) research suggested that transitions to university from non-traditional entry routes may be a more challenging route than others. Four participants (out of a sample of 14) in Shovlin and Doye’s (2015) longitudinal, qualitative research were widening participation (WP) students. Two of these four WP students had attended FE colleges and both of these participants, Sarah and Beth, talked about their transition from college into university as being ‘overwhelming’, ‘scary’ and ‘a bit of a struggle’. Sarah told the researchers that better pre-arrival preparation for university would have helped her in this process as:

When people tell you it’s going to be a lot harder, you think ‘yeah I know that because it’s uni, but it’s different from actually seeing it and being in it. You get culture shock’ (Sarah)

Sarah suggested that it would have been helpful to have a current university student come out to her college and talk through their timetable:

Someone showing you... saying ‘Right, this is my week, these are my subjects. This is the reading I have to do. I then have an essay due here and an essay due there. And I have to do key readings and further readings... then I also have my outside subjects I

1 All names have been changed in both Shovlin and Doye’s (2015) research and the AMOSSHE funded (2015) MOOCs in the Community Report


have to do readings for each week here.’ ’Cause that’s how your mind works in uni. (Sarah)

She also told the researchers that it would be helpful for students to be given a clearer idea of the differences they might encounter:

Now if you were at university and you were asked to do that, this is how you would do it. And this is how it’s done in college. Do you see the difference? Here’s where you’re at and this is where you need to be. And, this could be the journey... this is the start of your journey and this is the personal journey you’ll need to take at uni and here’s some tips on how you can do that when you get there. (Sarah)

Similarly, Beth talked of university as a “massive step up” in terms of workload and expectations. She commented on the essays that she was now expected to write as being “a completely different way of writing than most people will have even attempted before” adding that “you’re not going to be able to do that right away”.

Over the course of semester one, both Beth and Sarah actively engaged in trying to develop their own academic skills. Sarah told researchers that she had consulted a Study Development Advisor, whilst Beth focused on her time management skills. However, despite this proactive approach, Sarah still talked of feeling under confident in her second interview in the study and said that she had “actually questioned” her “position in Edinburgh University a few times” (Sarah).

The ‘emotional journey’ of students like Sarah and Beth is well documented in the research literature on FE to HE transitions. (Reay et al., 2010; Christie, H. 2009; Christie, H. et al., 2008). Many of the FE students in Christie et al.’s (2008) felt poorly prepared for the realities of university level study as these students typically have a “limited understanding of the new system, or of the standards expected of them” and can therefore find transitions to HE “deeply unsettling” (Christie et al., 2008 pg. 571).

Therefore, the pre-arrival phase can be capitalised on to begin building more effective academic transitions that have the potential to enhance the learning and teaching experience for both students and staff.

Experiential Model in Pre-Arrival: examples of good practice

There is a range of effective transitions practice that can be built into the pre-arrival phase and there are many examples of good practice in this field, both here in the University of Edinburgh and in other Higher Education Institutes (HEIs). Two such examples of this practice at the University of Edinburgh are the Lothians Equal Access Programme for Schools (LEAPS) Summer School and the Centre for Lifelong Learning’s Moving On Programme. Both of these programmes provide effective experiential models of transition as they offer students the opportunity to experience and become familiar with the university learning environment before their studies ‘officially’ begin. Thus Moving On and LEAPS Summer School students benefit from the type of transition practice that goes beyond only telling students about university learning, or staff/other students telling them what to expect.


http://www.ed.ac.uk/student-recruitment/widening-participation/projects/other/moving-on

http://www.ed.ac.uk/student-recruitment/widening-participation/projects/partnership-projects/leaps

Instead, these programmes offer students the opportunity to transition into university study through authentic university learning experiences that have been structured to support student development and progression. Another example of an experiential model of transitions practice at the University of Edinburgh is the AMOSSHE (The Student Services Organisation) funded Further Education to Higher Education Blended Learning MOOC. This project used the University of Edinburgh MOOC: Critical Thinking in Global Challenges, as the basis for a blended learning transitions project that was delivered by University of Edinburgh staff and students: http://www.amosshe.org.uk/projects/insight/2015/Edinburgh

Pre-arrival transition practice for offer-holding students can be generic i.e. university wide, but it is more effective if it is subject specific. One such example of subject specific pre-arrival good practice is the University of Leeds’ Countdown to University Study in the School of Earth and Environment. This online pre-arrival resource offers students course specific advice, guidance from other students, case studies, reading lists and university course activities that they can engage with before their course begins:

http://www.see.leeds.ac.uk/countdown/SEE/yourcourse/envbus.html

This subject specific website also links to the University of Leeds’ generic academic pre-arrival resource called ‘Flying Start’:

https://library.leeds.ac.uk/flyingstart/

Websites such as the University of Leeds’ Countdown to University Study in the School of Earth and Environment can often be built from pre-existing material that is currently only available to matriculated students on VLEs such as Learn. Making some of this material (where appropriate) available on programme/School webpages is a simple way to enhance transitions for our students as it enables them to begin engaging with university level work in a ‘low stakes’ environment.

The IAD case study wiki: https://www.wiki.ed.ac.uk/display/casestudies/IAD+Case+Studies

provides examples of good practice in pre-arrival transitions at the University of Edinburgh and includes, amongst others, Biomedical Science’s pre-arrival questionnaire which provides a practical way of managing student expectations whilst also enhancing student support.


https://www.wiki.ed.ac.uk/display/casestudies/IAD+Case+Studies

https://library.leeds.ac.uk/flyingstart/

http://www.see.leeds.ac.uk/countdown/SEE/yourcourse/envbus.html

http://www.amosshe.org.uk/projects/insight/2015/Edinburgh

https://www.coursera.org/course/criticalthinking

https://www.coursera.org/course/criticalthinking

Learning to Learn In Your SubjectThe Learning to Learn in your subject model of transitions is built on Wingate’s (2007) work which highlights the importance of contextualising study skills in each academic discipline. Whilst generic academic skills are important and helpful, subject-specific and contextualised study skills are often the gold standard of academic development. The Learning to Learn In Your Subject model of transition this toolkit presents was developed in partnership with the School of Mathematics’ Student Learning Advisor, Pamela Docherty and designed to help students adjust to the differences between learning mathematics at school or college and university. This model can be used a template to build subject specific academic transitions in any subject.

Learning to Learn in Your Subject Model in InductionBackground and rationaleA substantial body of research shows that many students are often unaware of the differences in content and method between a subject at school/college and university. (Cook and Leckey 1999; Lowe and Cook, 2003). More specifically, “the teaching and assessment styles in many secondary schools lend themselves to the development of a particular set of study skills and learning strategies [that are] no longer entirely relevant to the more independent styles of learning expected in higher education” (Lowe and Cook, 2003 p. 54). The ‘Learning to Learn in your subject’ model of induction takes a proactive approach to transition by offering students the opportunity to experience university learning in an informal setting and offering them practical strategies that they can employ to navigate the transitions from learning in their subject at school to learning in their subject at university. In this way, this style of induction, aims to develop students’ ‘pedagogic literacy’ which Ramsden (2008) sees as a “necessary condition” of enhancing teaching and learning in HE (Ramsden, 2008, p. 16)

The learning to learn in your subject induction is based on Wingate’s (2006) premise that “learning how to study effectively at university cannot be separated from subject content and the process of learning” (Wingate, 2006, p. 457). Wingate (2006) argues that student learning is best enhanced by providing study skills that are subject specific and situated in the context of the discipline, rather than so called ‘bolt-on’ study skills provision. The latter type of provision, whilst still useful, cannot “develop the learning of all students in a progressive and holistic manner throughout the degree course” as subject specific study skills development can (Wingate, 2006, p. 467).

Learning to Learn in Your Subject in Induction: examples of good practice‘Learning to Learn Mathematics’

Outline‘Learning to Learn Mathematics ’ is a transitions model that was first piloted in the School of Mathematics in 2014 with approximately 180 new first year students. It is a task station based induction event that proactively addresses the differences between learning mathematics at school/college and learning mathematics at university. Each task station was facilitated by either a member of Mathematics/IAD staff or a PALs leader. This pilot project is now embedded into the School of Mathematics programme and is featured as an Enhancement Themes Case Study:


http://www.enhancementthemes.ac.uk/docs/case-studies/learning-to-learn-mathematics-enhanced-academic-induction-in-maths.pdf?sfvrsn=2

The subject specific content for the ‘Learning to Learn Mathematics’ induction was developed by Pamela Docherty, Student Learning Adviser in the School of Mathematics.

AimsImmediate aims of ‘Learning to Learn in Mathematics’:

• to enhance the traditional model of the Welcome talk by providing students with an opportunity to interact with each other, staff and PALS leaders in an informal setting

to encourage students to reflect on their previous learning in mathematics and introduce them to the reading and writing of mathematics at university, which is likely to be different from their previous experience of the subject

to introduce students to ‘mindsets’ (Dweck, 2006; Boaler, 2013) to demonstrate that encountering problems and making mistakes in mathematics is part of learning

Long term aims of ‘Learning to Learn in Mathematics’:

• to build confident, proactive and resilient learners• to begin to build longitudinal transitions support into programmes by asking students to

fill in ‘feedforward’ cards that are revisited in week 6 group meetings• to encourage more students to make use of Mathsbase and PALS and to fully participate

in group work throughout the year

Structure and content

Students are divided into groups and are given an allotted amount of time to complete a task before moving on to the next station. The following five stations were run in the original 2014 pilot:

Station A Study Skills and Effective Strategies2.

This station starts with a short structured exercise that requires students to talk about how they learned mathematics, followed by a short video from Jo Boaler (Professor of Mathematics Education, Stanford University) on ‘mistakes and persistence’. Students are then asked to discuss how the video might alter the way they approach learning mathematics.

Station A can be replicated in any subject as the ‘how you learn’ discussion statements can be adapted and the Jo Boaler video, although centred on mathematics, is relevant for all students as it deals with what to do when you encounter problems in your learning.

Station B Communication (Lego TM models)

2 The descriptions of these task stations have been jointly written by Pamela Docherty and IAD staff, with Pamela Docherty designing the mathematics specific content.





This station highlights the importance of good communication skills in Maths; specifically in writing and following instructions. The first group of students at the task station are presented with a pre-built Lego TM model. They then have to produce a set of written instructions, without using diagrams that enable the next groups to replicate the same shape. The model is then removed from the table and the incoming group have to follow the previous group’s instructions and build the model. The group is then shown the model that they were supposed to have built and are asked to provide feedback on the instructions they were given. This procedure is repeated until all the groups have completed the task.

In order to succeed at this task, students need to work well as a group and write accurate instructions that can be clearly understood. This task demonstrates that the model can only be replicated exactly if the instructions are clear, concise, precise and accurate; all qualities of good mathematical writing. It also demonstrates the consequences of imprecise writing e.g. how it becomes much more difficult to understand something properly without clear and useful instructions (such as poor notes or incomplete proofs).

Student feedback consistently highlights Station B as by far the most popular task station. This Lego TM task has also been used successfully in enhanced inductions in The Medical School. Students enjoy the practical aspect of making the model and find the task both challenging and enjoyable.

Station C Reading and Writing Mathematics

This station focuses on the difficulties that new students may face when reading and writing mathematics at university.

The reading mathematics task is adapted from 53 Interesting Ways to Teach Mathematics by Ruth Hubbard (1990). Students are given two short extracts, one from a newspaper and one from a mathematics textbook, both of which have several words removed from every sentence. The students are asked to take turns attempting to read the extracts aloud, filling in the missing words. It becomes quickly evident that the meaning of the newspaper article is still obvious, whereas the mathematics text is impossible to understand. This demonstrates to the students that mathematical writing is very terse, and even small words such as some, all or each are significant to the meaning. In the ensuing discussion the group facilitator explains to the students that this means that reading mathematics takes a long time if they are to truly understand the content, and even experts cannot read mathematics quickly.

The writing mathematics task is taken from How to Study for a Mathematics Degree by Lara Alcock, (2013). Two solutions to the same problem are presented to the students and they are asked to comment on them. One of the solutions is clearly set out, logically presented and written in full sentences. This task has been designed in response to the fact that new students are often not clear that they are expected to present their own mathematical work this way as it is often a skill that they have not previously learned.


The reading task can be adapted for any programme by using extracts from a typical academic text in your subject and getting students to reflect upon how it differs from other styles of writing e.g. journalism/ school level study of the subject.

The writing task can also similarly be adapted by presenting two extracts from high and low scoring essays/assignments in your subject and getting students to comment and reflect upon the difference.

Station D Talking Points

This is a structured group discussion task on the subject of group learning in mathematics e.g. talking, listening and good practice.

In the first round students are presented with a statement and are asked to state whether they agree or disagree with the statement or were unsure (A/D/U) and give one reason for their choice. In the second round, students are given the opportunity to change what they said about the statements originally or agree/disagree with someone else’s argument. In the last round students are asked to give their final decision on each statement. The A/D/U votes for each statement are then counted and the group decision is noted.

This ‘Talking Points’ task can be adapted for any programme by using subject specific or generic learning statements e.g. ‘getting the right answer is the most important part of learning in my subject’. The Tutorial Skills Building workshop in this Academic Transitions Toolkit uses this structured Talking Points format to scaffold a mini-tutorial session as it is an effective way of ensuring contribution from all members of the group.

Station E Mathspals Taster

This station is entirely student run by Mathspals leaders who provide a mini Pals taster session for new students. In this way, new students can experience the benefits that peer assisted learning offers first hand. Having a PALS taster session helps to challenge the misconception that peer learning schemes are only for struggling students. Many students in Shovlin and Doye’s (2015) research reported not making use of PALS schemes because of this misconception.

This is an easy station to replicate in any transition session as it is staffed completely by students and calls for no extra staff time. A lot of Schools already feature talks from PALS leaders in their Welcome talks, but this station goes further than telling new students about PALS by letting all students experience the benefits this style of learning has to offer.

Feedback/feedforward cards

These cards were given out to students at the end of the induction for two purposes:

(i) To gather student feedback on the effectiveness of the session


(ii) To facilitate longitudinal induction by asking students to fill in a feedforward card that the Student Learning Advisor revisits with students in week six group meetings. The feedforward card asks students

What do I think the biggest challenge will be for me in studying maths at university? How do I plan to manage this challenge? What will I take away from today’s session and apply to my maths studies at

university


Student Feedback on Learning to Learn in Your


Student feedback

90% of students agreed/completely agreed that ‘this induction session was useful to me as a new maths student’

88% of students agreed/completely agreed that ‘I found the session today enjoyable’

89% of students agreed/completely agreed that ‘the session today enabled me to get to know my fellow maths students’

Each station was mentioned in the free text feedback section which asked students to comment on the most memorable activity of the day with the Lego TM station proving to be the most popular. Students of Mathematics and medicine reported enjoying the practical aspects of making the model and found the task to be both challenging and fun.

Free text comments

The video about making mistakes [was the most memorable activity], because it emphasised the importance of learning from your mistakes etc.

Writing the instructions for how to build the model [was the most memorable activity] because it was the hardest

The most memorable activity was the construction/communication challenge because it was the most difficult to do

Reading exercise [was the most memorable activity], made me realise how different maths reading is

Reading and writing mathematics [was the most memorable activity] because it advised on the correct approach to writing and practicing which without I wouldn’t have done

The Talking Points section [was the most memorable activity] where we agree/disagree because each person shared their point of view

As well as filling in feedback cards, students were also required to fill in feedforward cards that asked the following three questions:

(i) What do I think the biggest challenge will be for me in studying mathematics at university?(ii) How do I plan to manage this challenge?(iii) What will I take away from today’s session and apply to my study of mathematics at university?

The top three strategies that students listed in answer to (ii) were:

Being proactive and seeking help if I need it

Using strategies related to growth mindsets

Attending Mathspals

Subject

Resources to download from website Learning to Learn Mathematics task stations A- E Feedback/feedforward cards


Structured Social and Peer Learning (SSPL) Models In Welcome Week, students may often fail to take advantage of the informal opportunities that Schools offer them to meet and get to know their peers. As social integration is such a key factor in a successful student experience, it is important to build this into inductions instead of leaving it as an ‘add on’ option. Structured Social and Peer Learning (SSPL) models are able to effectively support this social integration because they offer structured group activities that can be easily woven into existing induction programmes.

SSPL models in InductionBackground and rationaleWhittaker’s classic model (2007) of induction outlines its 4 constituent components: academic, social, geographic and administrative; and the structured social model provides an effective way to facilitate the second of these aspects. Social and peer interaction is a key part of integration into university life and the importance of social networks for student engagement and success is well documented (Kuh et al., 2005; Kuh et al., 2006). Lowe and Cook’s (2010) study demonstrates how reassuring it is for new students when they make friends with people on their courses and the authors go on to highlight the importance of building in opportunities for this type of interaction early on. Similarly, Wilcox et al.’s (2005) study highlighted that “friends on the course have a key role to play in providing networks of academic support, and in some cases giving assistance when students encountered problems with course work.” (Wilcox et al., 2005, p. 718). Kuh’s work clearly illustrates the important relationship between the social and academic aspects of transitions as “student interaction with peers can positively influence overall academic development, knowledge acquisition, analytical and problem solving skills and self-esteem” (Kuh et al., 2006, p. 42).

Many School Welcome Talks provide the opportunity for students to mix with each other, and some School staff, after the initial talk. However, not all students take advantage of this opportunity and may miss out on the benefit of meeting and getting to know their peers before classes begin. Students in Shovlin and Doye’s (2015) study described how they felt more comfortable speaking in tutorials/lab classes in which they already knew people. If it possible to arrange students into their tutorial groups in induction for structured social activities then this would ensure that students knew each other before tutorials began. However, it is not always possible to do this and students that were divided into random groups in induction also reported that they benefitted from this, enjoying the opportunity to get to know people in their wider year group.

SSPL in Induction: examples of Good Practice(i) ‘University of Edinburgh Challenge’OutlineThe ‘University of Edinburgh Challenge’ is a ten question, multiple choice induction quiz that asks students to answer various categories of questions in small groups. The University of Edinburgh Challenge take approximately 15 minutes to run and is extremely popular with students as they find it both fun, interesting and useful. The format has been used successfully in inductions in many Schools including Divinity, Physics and Astronomy and Health in Social Science.


AimThe main purpose of the quiz is to structure the social interaction of new students in Welcome Week by affording each student an opportunity to meet, speak and get to know their peers in smaller groups (quiz teams). The ‘University of Edinburgh Challenge’ also has the added benefit of reminding students/raising their awareness of key points that the School wishes to highlight to them.

Structure and ContentThe quiz template in this toolkit includes the following question categories: history of the University, picture round, referencing, programme handbook questions and a round on subject specific questions (e.g. current debates/statistics). Music questions have also been used successfully in specific School settings.

The ‘University of Edinburgh Challenge’ can be run in inductions with both small and large cohorts as students work together in groups of approximately five. Groups can be given a ‘clicker’ if you would like to run the University of Edinburgh Challenge on a voting system such as TopHat, but asking students to write their quiz answers on a piece of paper works equally well.

As the quiz is a relatively quick activity to run it can be easily incorporated into Welcome Talk sessions in large lecture halls. Students can form groups in lecture halls by simply turning round to the row behind them and making a group of five or six. ‘The University of Edinburgh Challenge’ is an easy ‘add in’ and a small change to current practice which can make a big difference to the transition of new students as this feedback shows:

Student Feedback on University of Edinburgh Challenge

(ii) ‘Just a ‘name of your subject’ minute!’Outline

‘Just a name of your subject minute!’ is a structured social induction activity based on the Radio Four Panel Show, ‘Just A Minute’ and involves students talking for 60 seconds in groups on a chosen topic.


Student Feedback on University of Edinburgh Challenge

Best activity of today? The quiz because it was fun and informative

Best activity? The quiz as it was a good icebreaker and we all worked in a team

The quiz was very enjoyable as it is gave us an opportunity to talk more with fellow students

The quiz was the best activity as I learned a lot of new things.

AimTo structure social interaction between new students enabling them to get to know peers before classes start. The activity also introduces new students to taking roles in group work and offers them the opportunity to begin to engage with key debates in their new subject in an informal setting.

Structure and content Instead of being given a topic to speak on for 60 seconds, students can choose topics from a chequered board. The board is chequered as there are easy and difficult topics and each has a different colour and number of points. The sample topic board in this toolkit was designed for new Health, Science and Society students and has two categories of topic: easy (random) and difficult (subject specific issues). This activity does not need a group facilitator, it only requires someone in the group to use a watch/phone for timing. However, if student volunteers e.g. PALS Leaders were able to help new students with this activity then this would be advantageous.

If the original Radio Four panel show rules are being followed, then this 60 seconds should also be without ‘hesitation, repetition or deviation’. However, this is extremely difficult to do in practice, so the rules can be simplified to ignore these conditions so that a point is awarded for simply making the 60 second mark on the subject.

This activity does require students to talk to each other more than the University of Edinburgh Challenge quiz, so it is advisable that an ice breaker be done beforehand so that students have already had an opportunity to introduce each other. The duration of the activity can vary depending on your needs, but the minimum time requirement is ten minutes.

The ‘Just a ‘name of your subject’ Minute’ activity group task can also be used outwith the induction period as it is not only an effective structured icebreaker, but also useful for revision/assessment preparation.

Student Feedback on ‘Just a ‘name of your subject’ minute’

Resources to download from website University of Edinburgh Challenge quiz PowerPoint (example from School of Divinity)


Student feedback on ‘Just a ‘name of your subject’ minute’:

‘Just a Minute’ encouraged me to articulate myself, which I normally find difficult to do.

‘Divinity 60 seconds – challenging, got people interacting and actually listening to each other

‘Just a Minute’- pretty good fun. Drastic reminder of how much I’d forgotten from A level already!

‘Just a name of your subject minute’ grid (example from School of Health in Social Science)

Structured Q&A model New students may be reluctant to raise their hand and ask questions in the typical Welcome Talk setting of a large lecture theatre. The Structured Q&A model encourages students to participate in dialogue with other students and staff in Induction Talks by providing them with alternative ways of asking questions. The inclusion of this dialogue not only enables Welcome Talks to be more responsive to student needs but also provides staff with an opportunity to learn more about their new students’ concerns, issues and starting points.

Structured Q&A model in InductionBackground and rationaleNew students often have questions they would like/need to ask staff but will fail to do so as they find it intimidating to speak in a large lecture hall. This can mean that student questions can remain unanswered for some time as new students are unsure of who to address their concerns to. Often, students in Shovlin and Doye’s (2015) study told the researchers that finding an opportunity to ask questions was an ongoing issue for them in the first semester:


The biggest thing for me actually, is if I've got a problem . . . I don't know who to ask .. [ok] Cos in [my main subject], they're all like "Ask me at the end of the lecture" And I go, well I have a class right now… Every single day (P5)

Structured support within schools can be very effective: this particular student found that Mathsbase (a support space that is provided in one of his option courses) provided him with this opportunity to ask question and felt that a space like this should be provided in every subject:

you need something like that to always go because you've got problems all the time. And you can just sit there and do work and if you've got a problem you can just ask [the tutor].

Another student also spoke about the importance of Mathsbase:

I was always that annoying person at school that had a question about everything and then I came here and I had no one to ask. Obviously you could ask the lecturer, but there's another 200 people doing that . . . whereas if you go there, you know exactly that you will be able to ask (P2)

Structured Q&A model in Induction: examples of good practice(i) PostcardsOutlineThere are a number of ways to structure in student questions and answers into Welcome Week sessions and induction that do not require students to ask questions in front of a large lecture hall. The postcard or post-it note exercise is a simple and effective way to do this that many Schools and programmes across the University already utilise. This following section provides three examples of good practice and as each example is similar in nature and aim, combined feedback on all three is presented at the end.

AimTo structure an opportunity for student questions to be heard and responded to in Welcome Week and Induction sessions. The postcard exercise is also beneficial for staff as it provides an insight into the type of things that new students are concerned about/don’t know. This type of exercise supports the building of dialogue between students and staff which is often difficult to achieve particularly in courses of large numbers.

Structure and Content Postcards or post it notes can be placed on lecture hall seats before students arrive. Students are then invited to write their questions/areas of concern down and the postcards can be passed along to the end of the lecture rows to be collected. It is impossible to answer all student questions in an induction/Welcome Talk, but the main ones can be addressed and answers to the others can be posted on Learn. This activity is beneficial for both students and staff as it allows students to have their questions answered whilst also giving staff an insight into the type of things that students are concerned about/don’t know.


(ii) Question VotingOutlineQuestion voting is a Welcome Talk/Induction practice that is a variant of the postcard exercise. It allows students to vote on the questions they would like the session to cover from a pre-prepared list of common issues. It therefore offers students an element of choice and enables them to shape part of their Welcome Talk/Induction, but does not provide a way of capturing all of the questions in the room.

AimQuestion Voting aims to make Welcome Week Talks/ Induction events more ‘open’ and more responsive to student needs by allowing students to influence part of the content of these events. It also aims to make it easier for students to ask questions in a large lecture hall. However, Question Voting activities enable only the most popular questions to be addressed, follow up sessions/ways of addressing other questions would still need to be arranged.

Structure and Content Staff prepare a list of approximately 7 questions common new student questions/issues that students are asked to vote on. The voting can be done through a clicker system such as TopHat or simply though a show of hands. Staff presenting the Welcome Talks/Induction can address the top three student questions in the session and post answers to the other questions on Learn.

(iii) Student Panel

Outline A student panel is another way of building the student voice into Welcome Talks/Induction and facilitating student dialogue. However, the student panel has the added benefit of allowing students to have their questions answered by students that have been through the period of study that they themselves are about to enter.

AimsStudent panel events aim to provide new students with the opportunity to benefit from the advice of their peers instead of only the advice of staff. Whilst staff advice is extremely useful, students are more likely to relate better to someone who has very recently experienced the course of study that they are about to begin. The panel allows the more experienced students to share their experience and provide advice and offers the new students an opportunity to ask questions that they may not feel comfortable asking staff.

Structure and ContentA student panel is made up of four or five students who have already completed the course/programme that the new students are about to begin. It is helpful if the students on the panel each have the opportunity to talk about their own experience before answering new student questions. Often, the Student Panel will form the last part of an induction and staff will leave the room so that students can talk to other students freely. Some of the most successful new student inductions have organised an informal tea/coffee after the student panel so that new students can chat informally to panel members without having to pose formal questions.


Student feedback on Structured Q&A model

Building Student Resilience ModelThe Building Student Resilience model in this toolkit specifically refers to academic confidence or ‘buoyancy’ rather than the more holistic definition of resilience that is often equated with wellbeing. Whilst the more holistic definition of resilience is of great importance for student transitions, it is beyond the scope of the academic focus of this toolkit. The ‘resilience’ that this model specifically seeks to build in students includes

(i) the confidence to overcome the obstacles and problems that students often face in their learning

(ii) mindsets that encourage a positive response to setback, challenge and fear of failure.

Background and rationaleResilience is both a key graduate attribute and an integral part of any transitions framework as it enables students to better cope with the challenges that they will encounter on their own unique learning journey. The term ‘resilience’ can be applied to both academic and social/personal aspects of the student journey and is often equated with ‘wellbeing’. Whilst resilience in academic and social spheres is often closely related, the type of resilience that this toolkit focuses on building is perhaps better described as ‘academic buoyancy’ (Martin


Student feedback on Structured Q&A model

Thank you so much for taking our questions in on post-it notes, this was great!

I liked the voting part as there was some stuff on the list that I really wanted to know

Writing questions made me realise how much I didn’t know

Best activity of today? Hearing the panel of older students’ advice on what to do in first year and how to take advantage of the great opportunities that are offered e.g. societies

In the questions and answer with 3rd year/postgrad students – you can ask exactly what you want to and get a direct answer

The student panel’s comments were helpful, informative and reassuring

I liked having the chance to speak to older students in a bit of a casual setting. It made them seem easier to approach. It meant that you weren’t shoved in front of them and told to ask a question. It was holding a conversation.

and Marsh, 2008) or ‘academic confidence’ (Sander and Sanders, 2003). This particular model of resilience in an academic sphere also links to the literature on personal epistemologies (Brownlee et al., 2009; Rodrigues et al., 2006; Kaartinen-Koutaniemi et al., 2008; Nieminen et al., 2004) as “‘resilient’ or ‘higher order thinking’ is also about challenging factual and fixed knowledge, dualistic styles of thinking (‘right or wrong’ reciting content) as well as overcoming conventional notions of the learner as mere consumer of knowledge” (Caruana et al., 2012, p. 3).

Building resilience at various points in the semester: examples of good practiceBuilding Student ConfidenceOutlineThe Building Student Confidence session is a task station based workshop that was first piloted in the School of Biomedical Sciences in 2016. The session was designed to be relevant for all undergraduate students and not to be specific to any particular transition point. Rather, the aim of the session was to support students to navigate transitions points that they personally find challenging as they progress through their undergraduate studies.

AimsThe Building Confidence Session was developed from conversations with teaching staff about the lack of academic confidence that some students demonstrated in certain student led Honours years tasks. The session aimed to support the development of academic confidence in students through activities which asked students to reflect upon how they viewed assignments that were difficult and mistakes in their learning.

Structure and ContentThe ‘Learning to Learn in your subject’ model of induction in this toolkit includes a resilience focused activity station centred on the work of Carol Dweck (2006) and Jo Boaler (2013). The themes of this activity station have been expanded into this 60-minute task station workshop which is made up of the following three stations

Mistakes and ‘getting things wrong’ Mindsets ‘Feel the fear and do it anyway’- responding to academic challenge.

Student Feedback on Building Student Confidence Workshop



The thing that was most helpful was:

• Learning that mistakes don’t equal failure/ talking about failure• Peer discussion/ talking in small groups about the questions/ talking about how others feel crippling fear sometimes too• Understanding that fear isn’t always a bad thing- embrace it• Discussion on failure and how it doesn’t have to be negative• Understanding the true definition and consequence of failure and feedback/ understanding that making mistakes and learning from them is a very effective way to learn• Actually talking to you. Also listening to people’s views in other years• The time that I got to really think about my own experience and look at it with fresh perspective• Reminding me that action is what it is that matters• Understanding attitude is important in studies• Station B about the mindset

Resources to download from website Building Student Confidence Workshop Task Stations Building Student Confidence Workshop Student Handout



The thing that was most helpful was:

• Learning that mistakes don’t equal failure/ talking about failure• Peer discussion/ talking in small groups about the questions/ talking about how others feel crippling fear sometimes too• Understanding that fear isn’t always a bad thing- embrace it• Discussion on failure and how it doesn’t have to be negative• Understanding the true definition and consequence of failure and feedback/ understanding that making mistakes and learning from them is a very effective way to learn• Actually talking to you. Also listening to people’s views in other years• The time that I got to really think about my own experience and look at it with fresh perspective• Reminding me that action is what it is that matters• Understanding attitude is important in studies• Station B about the mindset

Reflection Building reflection into transition practice is an effective way of ‘starting with the student’ instead of the institution and its expectations. Whilst the latter is obviously important, learners can become more activated and engaged when they realise that they are not beginning university ‘tabula rasa’ and that their existing skills, knowledge and experiences are valuable and valued. The reflection model of transitions allows students to review their existing skills and approaches to studying. It support them to evaluate these skills in a university context and identify:

(i) how to adapt or enhance these existing skills

(ii) where they need to develop new skills

Background There is a large literature base on how reflection benefits the learning of practitioners and student alike (Schon, 1987; Brookfield, 1995; Moon, 2013). The generic IAD transitions workshops (How to Succeed at University and Stepping Up to Honours) offer students opportunities to consciously reflect on their learning and development as

“it is only when we bring our ideas to our consciousness that we can evaluate them and begin to make choices about what we will and will not do. For these reasons it is important for the learner to be aware of the role of reflection in learning and how the processes involved can be facilitated” (Edwards et al., 2013, p. 33)

Students in Shovlin and Doye’s (2015) research also commented on how they benefited from the reflective elements of the study’s design:

. . .it’s just really interesting because I reflected on things like planning my work and time management, so it’s now interesting that . . . I’ve got the knowledge of what I need to improve, but I’m not quite there yet (Sarah)

. . . It’s just made me more aware of how I learn, and like just my view of university as well and how I’m coping as well (Amy)

[How I manage my time changed] “I don’t know if it’s directly as a result of taking part in the study, but it’s a result of reflection which is kind of the study and it’s the study that made me do the reflecting (Paula)

Reflection in beginning new chapters e.g. beginning undergraduate study and ‘stepping up’ to Honours: examples of good practiceKnowing, Learning, Reflecting and Developing Framework

Outline Reflection is a key part of IAD ‘new chapters’ workshops such as ‘How to Succeed at University’ and ‘Stepping Up to Honours. Both of these workshops employ the Knowing, Learning, Reflecting and Developing framework and combined feedback on each of these workshops is provided at the end of this section. The framework asks students to: ask


questions that will empower their learning, revise the way they learn, reflect on their current skills/approaches and make SMART development plans.

AimsThe Knowing, Learning, Reflecting and Developing (KLRD) framework was designed to help students manage their own transition into a new chapter of education. It was initially designed for the How To Succeed At University IAD workshop for first year students as the framework provides an anchor point that students can use when navigating the ‘information overload’ they often experience when commencing university level study. It was then slightly adapted and incorporated into the IAD workshop for third and fourth year students Stepping Up to Honours to provide students with a framework they could use to review their first and second year and build their identity and practice as an Honours student.

Structure and Content The Knowing, Learning, Reflecting and Developing Framework was developed by the Academic Transitions Adviser developed to encourage all students to take an active part in managing and shaping their learning. The framework is informed by current neuroscience in education work (Zull 2002; Zull 2012) and is therefore designed for all students, not only those who may find the transition to university study challenging. Bloom’s (1956) taxonomy is used as a way of introducing students to different levels of learning and the workshop offers Zull’s (2012) “front integrative cortex learning” as an effective way of scaling the pyramid of Bloom’s taxonomy (Zull, 2012, p. 104)

The framework is used in Stepping up to Honours to specifically address the well documented ‘step up’ from pre-honours to Honours that students often find difficult to adjust to (Schweinsberg, et al., 2005; McCune and Hounsell, 2005) and both this workshop and How to Succeed at University facilitate the development of study orientations for success (Nieminen et al., 2004)

Stepping Up to Honours and How to succeed at University are provided as 90 minute generic, interactive workshops by the IAD but have also been adapted for subject specific use. Please contact Abby Shovlin if you would like to discuss how these workshops can be customised for your own programme.


Student feedback on How to Succeed at University and Stepping Up to

Honours (generic)


Student Feedback on How to Succeed at University and Stepping Up to Honours (generic)

How to Succeed at University:How helpful was this workshop? 81% (very helpful/helpful)The information in this workshop was appropriate and will be useful to me: 81% (agree/strongly agree)

Most helpful thing:to remind me how mindset/attitude is important in the whole process of studyAnalysing the different steps of learning in the Bloom’s Taxonomy- it refreshed my mind and reconfirmed the wide and never ending realms of where each or a single piece of information can take youThe explanation of the connection between knowing, learning, reflecting and developingMeeting other students

Stepping up to Honours:How helpful was this workshop? 89% (very helpful/helpful)The information in this workshop was appropriate and will be useful to me: 75% (agree/strongly agree)

Most helpful thing:

effective study techniques and process of finding a dissertation topic questionto get a general grip of what Honours was aboutThe difference between level 8 and 10 and I got the opportunity to talk with a 4th year studentIf you organise yourself you can actually do well at honours

I am really glad I came to this workshop, it was very interesting and helpful, thank youIt was great! Thank you! I feel we still have support and we are not left alone with all this change

Stepping up to Honours course specific comments:

these workshops may at first seem unnecessary and students may not always feel like going to them but they are very helpful in making us reflect about ourselves and how we’re doing. Motivational!

it was great . . . motivating

realised the difference between surface learning and really immersing myself

Resources to download from website How to Succeed at University powerpoint Stepping Up to Honours powerpoint

Academic Skills Building Model


The structure of this section differs slightly from the rest of the toolkit as it offers an opportunity for teaching colleagues across the university to share their own transitions practice and activities. The Academic Skills Building model refers to the subject-specific skills development work that academic staff embed into their own programmes throughout the year. Much of this good practice already exists at the University and this section captures only part of that by including examples from the staff who presented at the IAD Study Development Transitions Toolkit Showcase on 24th May 2016. Colleagues are invited to contribute academic skills building work that they do with their students to the toolkit by contacting the Academic Transitions Adviser, Abby Shovlin: [email protected]

If you would like to speak to the Study Development Team about this toolkit or study skills provision for your students, then please email: [email protected]

BibliographyAlcock, L. (2013) How to study for a mathematics degree. Oxford: OUP.


mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

Boaler, J. (2013) ‘Ability and Mathematics: the mindset revolution that is reshaping education’, Forum, 55 (1). Available at: http:// www.youcubed.org/wp-content/uploads/14_Boaler_FORUM_55_1_web.pdf (Accessed 18th August 2015).

Bloom, B.S. (ed.) (1956) Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, The classification of educational goals – Handbook I: Cognitive Domain. New York: McKay.

Brookfield, S. (1995) Becoming a Critically Reflective Teacher. San-Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Brownlee, J., Walker, S., Lennox, S., Exley, B. and Pearce, S. (2009) ‘The First Year University Experience: using Personal Epistemology to Understand Effective Learning and Teaching in Higher Education’, Higher Education, 58 (5), pp. 599- 618.

Caruana, V., Clegg, S., Ploner, J., Stevenson, J. and Wood, R. (2012) ‘Promoting Students resilient thinking in diverse higher education learning environments’, The Higher Education Academy UK.

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