Copyright Department of Computer Science University of Durham 1 Starting with the ‘Big Picture’:...

Copyright Department of Computer ScienceUniversity of Durham 1

Starting with the ‘Big Picture’: a new approach to induction

Liz Burd

Active Learning in Computing

Durham University


What’s the point of induction?

• Those who experience an inadequate induction may enter later years of their course still affected by the lack of experience in carrying out intellectual tasks such as analysis and critical evaluation (Harris & Palmer, 1995)

• Transition between school to university is a time of risk, anxiety and new experiences. Stress and a sense of loss and bewilderment can result in withdrawal (Cook and Lowe)


Provision of programmes

• Cook and Lowe conducted a survey of course at the University of Ulster

• 89% provided an induction for students– 52% lasted for 1 day or less– Less that one third carried on beyond the first week of term– Most included talks from library and computing services and

meetings with advisor of studies

• 51% had study skills programmes


Retention

• The considerations that have the post positive influence on student success are high levels of interaction among students, strong staff student contact, the availability of halls and extensive extra curricular activities (Banning, 1989)

• The more students interact with other students and staff the more likely they are to persist (Tinto, 1997)


Rationale for change

• Students commented that after level 2 group work activities it was nice to know some of their cohort very well

• Students commented that the induction was repetitive• Students often failed to understand the point of some of

the foundation courses from level 1.


Plans for Change

• Student induction should be focused on the needs of the cohort (and ultimately individual student). Thus this will vary between institutions and subject disciplines.


START- OUT components of induction

Social Provide a welcoming atmosphere that facilitates student interaction and communication

Transitional learner

Assist students in the transition to learning with opportunities for developing study skills

Academic Formally introduce students to the programme and how it operates

Registration Ensure students are registered for course and IT / library

Tutor support

Make apparent available tutor support

Orientation Familiarise students with the programme, department and wider university

Identify with Uni

Generate a sense of belonging to the university

Tutors Identify personal tutors to facilitate early communication


Durham

• Colleges: colleges deal with most aspects of pastoral care, each student will have a college tutor; colleges act as the social life for our students; nearly all students live in college– Colleges have between 600 – 2000 students members– Each college has its own academic/social/sporting facilities– Tutors are given £320 per year to entertain their students – Tutors have lunch with students and their parents on first day of

arriving in Durham; tutors later have dinner with their students– Colleges organise student parenting programme

• Departments: academic tutorial system; teaching support group; year tutors; CS helpdesk


Previous approach to departmental induction

• Pre-arrival letter explaining students requirements• Large group lecture to assist with registration, talk about

department and general welcome formalities• Individual module inductions • Welcome party to meet tutors


Aims of the New Induction Programme

• To demonstrate that University life is fun including the course elements!

• To enable students to get to know at least a small number of their colleagues well

• To support their group working skills• To enable students to see how the elements of their

course will fit together and relate to their future employability


The Approach Adopted

• Add to old approach the following:– Cancel lectures and practical classes for week 1 all activities

held in Technocafe. Snacks were provided during long sessions– Orientation: group quiz: location of CS lectures, background of

staff, social facilities, location of course materials– Group activity: scenario designed to introduce students to the

necessity of the elements of their course and show them the realities of the IT industry

• Students work as a team working on the fun software development scenario;

• most make poster and present bid to team by the end of the week.

– staff come and sell lectures courses of way of assisting activity or raising awareness of issues


Group work

• Sad & Dull Pet Shops are a nation wide chain of pet stores badly in need of a new image. The Board of Directors have realised that in a busy world fewer and fewer people have time for real pets, which is why the shops are losing money. The Board has decided to expand the pet shops' product range and sell a wide range of Electronic Pets. But they want to do more than the usual toy shop. To really bring in the customers they want to be able to repair, personalise, and upgrade the electronic pets. They want to sell programmable pets. What’s more they want to sell to the world. But honestly they have not got a clue (typical client really). They haven’t even done an analysis of what products their potential competitors sell.

• SAD and DULL want bidders to provide: – software and maintenance for the new toys, – a website and – software and services to support the sale of these new products in their 124

shops. • Your company will present its bid to SAD and DULL's board on

Wednesday. You will have to discover: what they need to sell, who their customers are likely to be, who the competition is, how you intend to get the skills needed to do the work and a million other things you haven't thought of yet. In other words you will have to do some domain analysis.


Implementation issues

• Gaining staff buy-in• Timetabling: college activities and elective modules


Evaluation Method

• Survey and feedback of student groups• Focus group interview of ‘successful’ and ‘unsuccessful

groups’• Focus group of non-CS students


Outcomes

• Questionnaires– Most enjoyed the induction (SA 17; A 84; N 31; D 4)

– All but 1 enjoyed getting to know others on course

– The only significant open responses commented on how they liked the Technocafe and free snacks!

• Focus groups– The less successful groups seemed to be those with naturally quieter

students; they now seemed to have more problems with course, they rarely saw each other

– The more successful were often those with common interests; they could effectively work and intended to continue working together

– Students did not mind slipping in and out except where they missed the orientation

– They preferred fewer staff involved more often


Future Plans for CS

• Formulate more effective groupings based on interests?• Strengthen academic module ties to work• Use it as tracking mechanism to identify students that

need extra support


The Entire Process (Durham)

• Better coherence during registration / induction• One-stop-shop approach, but hard given students have

two homes (i.e. colleges and departments)

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