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School of Life Sciences
Building working relationships in learning communities
Lee Beck, Phoebe Maina, Felicia StanfordSusan K Robbins
BSc PGCE MPhil PhD FHEAPrincipal Lecturer in Student Experience
University Teaching FellowASKe Fellow
Email: [email protected]
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School of Life Sciences
Transition to University Relocation: making the move from home to
university Domestication: learning to live independently Integration: mixing with different people Building networks: making friends and
meeting colleagues Lifestyle issues: making independent choices Academic issues: recognising differences
between teaching at school and university
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Integration
Where students come from: Global catchment area: the whole world Social catchment area: all social backgrounds,
though unbalanced ratios Economic catchment area: various, wide-
ranging Disabilities: various, wide-ranging Ages: various, wide-ranging within a cohort• So… how do we set about integrating these
students into a learning community?
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Support networks Previous support networks: family, friends, peer
group, teachers, work colleagues, social and sports groups
Making new friends: university social life: clubs, societies, residential groups (halls)
Building collegiate groups: discipline-based peer groups, peer support for study, student-staff working relationships, personal tutor support
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School of Life Sciences
Building learning communities
Developing cohort identity through activities: doing things together, experiential learning
Example from Extended Sciences, foundation year prior to starting science degree study
Induction: using experiential learning to break down barriers and establish friendships and working relationships
Using outdoor pursuits to build friendships, working groups, belonging…
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School of Life Sciences
Experiential Learning: integrating Foundation Students
Cohort: 30-50 students; age range 18-50; ethnicity – various; socio-economic – various, many WP; domicile – local, regional, UK, overseas
Activity Day as part of 3-day induction programme Invitation to outdoor pursuits centre to participate in
an exciting programme of activities Two-thirds of students attend each year All participants gave resoundingly positive feedback Non-participants wished they’d not missed out!
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What the students said then … Before: I was nervous and excited, also curious, scary. After: I felt different from before the experience, it wasn't
that scary. I loved the experience of getting to know each other.
Before: Thinking that it would be a little boring going doing simple tasks with people I didn't know.
After: Friday was amazing. Wasn't boring at all. I was fully involved and having fun throughout all of it. Managed to get to know everyone a lot better as well.
Before: I was in suspense as to what, where the day would intail (student’s spelling!).
After: It could well be a pivotal tool to help new students break the ice and get a fun element out of team working and getting to know one another better.
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School of Life Sciences
What the students say now … Over to Phoebe, Felicia and Lee…
Phoebe FSC 2007-8, now entering final year Biomedical Science
Felicia FSC 2008-9, now entering Stage 2 Cell and Molecular Biology
Lee FSC 2009-10, now entering Stage 1 Nutrition
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Acknowledgements
The Extended Sciences Activity Day was funded by Brookes Student Learning Experience Strategy (2007&8) and is now funded by the School of Life Sciences (2009)
Photography: Sheona Bellis, School Photographer Support from colleagues helping me run the activities Staff at Longridge, Marlow http://www.longridge-uk.org/home/