leeds university business school a springboard into an ocean of potential – redesigning the first...

Leeds University Business School

A Springboard into an Ocean of Potential – Redesigning the First Year

Julia Braham: Senior Academic Skills AdviserYing Ye: Head of First Year - Accounting and FinanceCathy Dolan: Head of First Year - Economics

The Eighth University of Leeds Learning and Teaching Conference 2011


Outline of Workshop• Introduction

• Issues from transition to HE

• Model developed in LUBS

• How to adapt LUBS’s model to other disciplines

• Evaluation of the model

• Future challenges


Activity One

Group one: Julia, Gareth, Elizabeth, Tess, Alistair

Martin, Anthea

Group two: John, Lisa, Dan, Martin, Anne, Lorraine

Discussion

What do you see as being the main issues and

challenges in the first year transition within your

discipline or from your perspective?


Activity One Results from LUBS’ Survey

LUBS first year students : what areas caused most

difficulties coping with the transition to university study ?

• Adjusting to style of teaching

• Trouble understanding course material

• Confidence in my own abilities


Transition to Higher Education How LUBS Responded to the Issues


Head of First Year

• Three Heads of First Year:– Accounting – Economics– Management & HRM

• Personal tutor– Tailored one-to-one support and guidance – Minimum of 3 individual meetings

• Lecturer for at least two compulsory modules in the first year

• Work together to oversee and develop the first year experience


Year 1 Personal Tutorial Module

A co-ordinated approach

Library• Skills development• Information literacy

Business School• Personal tutoring• Discipline specific

development

“Leeds for Life”

Ethics CETL

• CSR

• Plagiarism

• Team Work


Academic skills in the discipline



Academic practice and assessment

• Induction assignment feedback week 6

• Academic Practice Workshops weeks 7- 9

• Self generated feedback week 10

• Collaborative activity posting in vle

• Dialogic tutor feedback semester two


Week 7


Our practice essay title is...

Using theories of motivation, evaluate whether lecturers’ pay should be contingent on their performance.


Unpicking an essay title

Steps Example

Essay titleUsing theories of motivation, evaluate whether lecturers’ pay should be contingent on their performance.

Turn it into a debate

statement

Lecturers’ pay should be contingent on their performance

Opposing Lecturers’ pay should not be contingent on their performance.

Add expressions of degree and qualification

Under what circumstances may it be appropriate to pay lecturers based on their performance?

Different perspectivesStudents: Parent : Academics: School or Faculty Management : Employers : Higher Education Funding Council

Activity


Week 8


Cornell Note-taking

• Use the right hand side for notes - Record• Use the left hand column ‘cues’ - Reduce

- Recite (what can

you remember?)• Use the lower part to summarise - Reflect• Only use one sided paper. Why? - Review• Vroom’s Expectancy Theory v highlighter pen• http://eleven21.com/notetaker/

5 Rs – Record, Reduce, Recite, Reflect, Review


Week 9


Writing in paragraphs

Paragraphs are styled around a controlling idea, which is expressed in the first sentence. Support sentences then explain, illustrate, explore or restate this. The last sentence should either pave the way for the next paragraph or reinforce the controlling idea.

Assertion – Evidence – Reasoning

Example


Activity: Proof Reading


Summary of weeks 7-9

Planning Understanding an essay title

Identifying arguments and assumptionsMapping techniques

ReadingImportance of wider reading

Making wider reading effectiveRelevance and credibility of sources

Using notesMaking effective notes

Cornell method

StructureIntroduction-main body-conclusion

Paragraph structure

Reasoning & critical analysisAssertion-evidence-reasoning

Identifying flaws and omissions

Collaborative group workIn-class activities (e.g. debates)

Wiki

Proof reading & ReferencingImportance of setting aside time to check your work

Practising Harvard style in the wiki


Week 10: Self Reflection: AER

1. Select one paragraph that shows good assertion-evidence-reasoning. In the RIGHT HAND SIDE margin, make some notes to say why.

2. Select one paragraph which you think needs better assertion-evidence-reasoning Say how you would improve it by adding notes to the RIGHT HAND SIDE margin.

3. Use a large asterisk (*) to identify any critical points that you have made. In the RIGHT HAND SIDE margin, note why they are critical.


Assessment, feedbackand evidencing learning

• Practice essay submitted at end of week 9.

Personal tutor reviews a selection for feedback and monitoring

• Practice essay returned in week 10 for student self marking and reflection– Reasoning and critical analysis– Evaluation of sources– Action planning and priorities


Activity Two

Discussion (5 minutes):

What subject specific skills do you feel that your

students need to develop? How have you approached

skills development in your school/faculty?


Outcome and Evaluation

• Undergraduate Programme Survey 2010 v 2009 (Change in % agree between 2009 and 2010 expressed as percentile points)

Programme Academic Support

Personal Development

Accounting & Management +6 +11

Accounting & Finance +3 +10

Economics +10 +25

Economics & Management +21 +21

Human Resource management +11 +10

Management +20 +36

Management w Marketing +8 +26


Outcome and Evaluation Con’t

• Undergraduate Programme Survey 2010 (Year 1)

Programme Academic Support

Personal Development

University of Leeds 70% 64%

LUBS 77% 83%

LUBS ranking 2010 6 1

LUBS ranking for positive change

3 2



Module Reviews 2009/10(Year 1)

• Top 5 modules (out of 40) ranked by responses to the question ‘I have been able to develop skills useful to my career’ were all personal tutorial modules

• Largest improvement (+22) by question was students feeling part of the School community

• 49% increase, on one programme, of students obtaining a 1 or 2.1 average



EQUIS focus group

• Majority of students felt that their experience exceeded

their expectations

• students reported that their programme allows them to improve their capability for independent learning

• the personal tutorial module was cited as a good opportunity for personal development


Reflecting back on the module

• “I enjoy working in a team – I recognise myself as a ‘shaper’• “I have identified a number of companies that offer summer

work experience to Level 1 students and already contacted them”.

• “there has been a significant shift to independent learning – the transition took some getting used to, but the help provided, especially from seminar teachers and tutors has made it manageable”

• “I am still struggling with the research and finding information. I need to attend some of the workshops next semester”

• “I didn’t take ‘A’ level Maths and am finding some of the statistics difficult. I will attend the Skills@Library drop in sessions before my exams”

• “I lack confidence when presenting to large groups. I need to work on projecting my voice and controlling nerves”


Moving Forward

• PASS

• Appointment of International Tutor

• Appointment of Heads of second and third years

• Continue developing the modules and embedding within discipline


Any questions?

leeds university business school a springboard into an ocean of potential – redesigning the first...

Documents

university of leeds

university resources

university study

year transition

year experience slide

academic development

life skills

year work