A view of first year transition from Down Under

Transition from school to university life is a complex process and cannot be accomplished in a single event. There is now a move away from concentrating activities just into ‘freshers’ week or week zero to what are termed more longitudinal induction programmes. Only key orientation and social engagement events are provided in week zero and the more valuable aims of a successful first year experience (FYE) are achieved by curriculum based support and spreading activities throughout the year. With the growing challenges facing such UK induction programmes from increasing student numbers, greater diversity and fewer resources we show here how one Australian system faces up to those challenges and has found possible ways forward

External Peer Review of Assessment: A Guide to Supporting the External Referencing of Academic Standards

This resource is intended to provide support to academic staff engaging in the external peer review of assessment. It is aimed at experienced reviewers and for people preparing to review for the first time. Funding for this project was provided by the Council of Australasian University Leaders in Learning and Teaching (CAULLT)

Data driven decision making in chemistry first year subjects

ABSTRACT Background: Analytics is not a new area of endeavour with many industries and other professions are well ahead of the education sector in the uptake of advanced analytics methods and tools (Abdous, He, & Yen, 2012; Dziuban, Moskal, Cavanagh, & Watts, 2012). Wagner and Ice (2012) describe higher education as being on the early side of the analytics adoption curve when compared to retail, telecommunications, financial services and manufacturing. Analytics is often used in higher education institutions to identify and also predict individual students who may be ‘at risk’ (Fritz, 2011). Aims: The primary aim was the deployment of information technologies that provide learning analytic data on students enrolled in large chemistry first year subjects. These data contain valuable learning progression and experience information to academics, part-time teaching staff and professional staff on students engagement, motivation and progression in real time so that suitable interventions can be made on students at risk of failing the subject. Design and methods: Learning analytics (LA) is the measurement, collection, analysis and reporting of data about learners and their contexts, for purposes of understanding and optimising learning and the environments in which it occurs. No new data has been captured to get learning analytics started at UOW – existing information is being utilised from point‐of‐service information systems (PASS, Library and student management systems) and the Moodle grade book on the subject sites. As students make use of the subject Moodle sites, information is automatically gathered about learning resource use, time on task, assessment item activities and student involvement in online forums. Each student leaves ‘electronic breadcrumbs’ within these systems as they go about their student journey and these are consolidated in the learning analytics data warehouse. Learning Analytics then aims to draw data from these diverse systems to provide actionable intelligence visualisation for staff to make decisions on. Results: The learning analytics have been deployed in two first year subjects, which have a combined cohort of some 700 students and contain some 50 activities, assessments and resources to monitor. The study is approximately at the half way point, covering so far 13 weeks of teaching and with five visualisation reports having been created. The full study will have been completed by the time of the conference presentation, although not all data will have been analysed by that stage. Key findings so far are: • Bringing together information from multiple data sources to provide a more holistic picture of student engagement and activity within a subject is useful in broad terms but caution is required when interpreting data to avoid making assumptions, and drawing false conclusions. A mutual understanding from both learning analytics staff and academic staff is required in the decision making process. • Analytical insights can inform more tailored and focused student interventions that bring about a positive change in student resource utilisation and performance on assessment tasks. For example, this can reveal the value added of having or not having peer assisted study sessions (PASS) within a subject and developing a culture that uses data in making instructional curriculum design changes. Conclusions: The study so far has shown that learning analytics has been able identify a group of students early on in the semester at risk of failing, that interventions have been successful in preventing this, but that data noise is an issue that can obscure others whose performance drops off towards the end of the semester. REFERENCES 1. Buerck, J. P. (2014). A Resource-Constrained Approach to Implementing Analytics in an Institution of Higher Education: An Experience Report. Journal of Learning Analytics, 1(1), 129-139 2. Heath, J. (2014). Contemporary Privacy Theory Contribution to Learning Analytics Journal of Learning Analytics, 1(1), 140-149. 3. Macfadyen, L. P., & Dawson, S. (2012). Numbers Are Not Enough. Why e-Learning Analytics Failed to Inform an Institutional Strategic Plan. Educational Technology & Society, 15(3), 149-163

“How to have a good first year experience in chemistry – as easy as from Part A to Part B.”

The challenge: First Year Chemistry classes are characterised by being an increasingly large cohort of students in multiple different degree programs; with very diverse incoming skills and knowledge base. This paper reports our research activities this year developing a series of workshop classes with a relatively high staff : student ratio to address student difficulties in this key foundation subject. The strategy: To provide a fortnightly structured workshop for active learning and engagement in conversations to develop chemistry language, content knowledge and skills: POGIL based activities incorporating small group work (3), individual roles in group, quiz assessment, peer group marking, immediate feedback and tutor moderated marking. Compulsory workshops in two concurrent sections: Part A, 1 hr Non HSC CHEM students, Part B, 2 hrs all students. We report: the good: Student feedback and our observations indicating comprehensive networking of content and ideas via lectures, workshops, labs, assignments, appreciated by the majority of students. the bad: insufficient understanding of the student body why this teaching mode had been adopted, some tutors struggling with managing workshops and adapting to this new model. the ugly: the paradox that students were most productive when only one was writing but they report needing to make individual notes to take away. We look to this forum for ideas on this, our most pressing issue

“How to make the most of what you have got - peer support, teaching and assessment sessions laid bare in first year chemistry.”

Growing numbers of first year students needing a firm foundation in Chemistry to successfully progress but, arriving at university with a wide range of subject and skills backgrounds. Successful implementation of student centred sessions that promote development of skills and subject knowledge via a shared experience model.......... ........but, it is a lot of work, takes time, and is resource and tutor heavy. Can we afford to keep doing it? Can we afford not to? Where to next

Creating a motivating and engaging curriculum by sharing the cognitive load

We present our transforming curriculum for first year chemistry subjects that are part of the foundation of many degree programmes here at UOW. Curriculum development has been ongoing and, while not at an end yet, 2014 has seen major structural change and thus it is a good time to share with our peers. Entry to tertiary studies is a key transition in students’ lives. This transition into science or applied science can be especially difficult for those without senior school chemistry entering a degree programme requiring first year chemistry. Traditionally at UOW we have taught first year chemistry to one large mixed ability cohort without streaming based on academic background. We have researched, developed, applied, and evaluated new teaching methodologies to engage all students and aid them in reaching successful learning outcomes notwithstanding their academic backgrounds or competencies. This year we are taking these powerful tools into subjects now streamed on the basis of chemistry background. Here we discuss: 1. Group learning activities and assessment tasks, that model inquiry, through which the students develop connections between learning, critical inquiry and problem-solving. 2. A curriculum that is technology enriched in its delivery and content, allowing the learners to become digitally literate and experience a blend of face-to-face and online interactions. 3. A platform project to examine student engagement and motivation while at the same time inviting the learner to question and test their grasp of key concepts, challenge and rebuild these when misconceptions were “self-discovered.” 4. Specific training and support of part time teaching staff to deliver the new curriculum. The ability to make realistic judgements of one’s performance is a demonstration of the possession of strong metacognitive skills. One of the key changes to our curriculum was to put the learners in a position by which they could make such value judgements of their work and that of their peers, but in an environment where the “learning comes through shared struggle”. This means that the cognitive load is also shared thus sustaining motivation and engagement for learner as well as teacher. 1. Bedford, S. B. and O’Brien, G. A. (2011). “How to have a good first year experience in chemistry – as easy as from Part A to Part B.” Proceedings of the Australian Conference on Science and Mathematics Education, Melbourne, 2011. 2. O’Brien, G. A. and Bedford, S. B. (2012). Small group work in large chemistry classes: Workshops in First Year Chemistry. HEAcademy STEM Annual Conference 2012, (http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/assets/documents/stem-conference/Physical_20Sciences/Glennys_OBrien.pdf). 3. Kirschner, F., Paas, F. and Kirschner, P.A. (2011). Task complexity as a driver for collaborative learning efficiency: The collective working memory effect. Applied Cognitive Psychology 25: 615 – 624. 4. Lawrie G et al (2013).Using formative feedback to identify and support first year chemistry students with missing or misconceptions. 16th international FYHE conference, Wellington, NZ 2013. http://fyhe.com.au/past_papers/papers13/5C.pdf. 5. Bedford, S. B. and O’Brien, G. A. (2013). “The Flat Earth Project.” Proceedings of the Australian Conference on Science and Mathematics Education, Canberra, 2013

Concrete thinking in chemistry for engineering students

We strategically use an everyday material to promote engagement of engineering students in their compulsory First Year Chemistry subject. This activity is centred on a semester-long investigation of the progress of carbonation of concrete, carried out during fortnightly lab classes through the whole semester. Students make “mini” slabs of concrete in their first practical class, and examine their slabs at each subsequent lab class, taking about 15 minutes of lab time each class. The concrete theme is carried through lectures as example material in acid base and precipitation equilibria, thermochemistry, kinetics, and materials concepts such as types of solids, interfaces, gas permeation, porosity..…this is surprisingly rich territory to mine. Background: The student cohort presents a wide range of backgrounds in chemistry, and the perennial issues of engagement of students who find it difficult to see where chemistry fits into their degree programme and their profession. Design: Within this context we have developed a module which is centred on a fundamentally important engineering material and requires application of the chemical principles and concepts developed over the session. In the laboratory classes, students work in teams of four, each team making and investigating their own “mini-slab”, then writing assessed group and individual responses at the end of session. The lab activity provides for visual, auditory, read/write and kinaesthetic learning styles. The familiarity of the concrete provides a stepping stone to encourage students to think in the abstract, to consider molecular scale matter and processes on the basis of their macroscale observations. On a practical note, running the lab-based activity is also inexpensive, relatively simple, and does not generate major chemical disposal issues. Your hands-on concrete active learning experience will happen at the poster session. Outcomes: Each student includes a brief reflection within their end of session individual written assessment, and these provide the best indication of the students’ awakening to the importance of the chemical principles underlying the construction and use of concrete. This heightened awareness is not confined to the issues of carbonation of concrete, but a series of issues which have been explored in various ways throughout the session, and are highlighted by the assessment. The developing appreciation is borne out in informal surveying and staff anecdotal experience. But more than considering this particular circumstance, the broader outcome is to provide an example of generating interest in the chemical principles underlying professional practice. There are bound to be other particular materials or processes which have been / can be adapted to straightforward, extended, lab investigations and achieve similar engagement

The flat earth project: Motivating students to journey across transitions

One of the key transition points in the journey of a science / applied science student is from school to first Year University. This transition can be especially difficult for those without senior school chemistry entering a degree programme requiring first year chemistry. Indeed, even those that do have the required background can have a hard time crossing this threshold due to embedded misconceptions or lack of understanding of the key underpinning concepts that first year study relies on1. This can cause students to disengage from study and lose the necessary motivation to complete the journey they embarked upon initially with such enthusiasm. The Flat Earth project was conceived to provide a platform to research student engagement and motivation while at the same time it invited the learner to question and test their grasp of key concepts, challenge and rebuild these when misconceptions were “self-discovered.” A chemistry concepts diagnostic tool being developed within a related OLT funded project5 and based on well-established concept inventories, was utilised to probe the level of understanding of our first year Chemistry students over five concept areas. Within the Flat Earth Project our classroom teaching strategy is a series of engaging and collaborative activities targeting the misconceptions revealed. In stage 1, these were trialled in a large lecture format (three concept areas) and in a workshop format (one concept area). We used demonstrations, model kits, simulations, and scenarios to stimulate discussion and debate. In the lecture theatre format, we presented as a team act and asked questions of and posed challenges to the students whereas in the workshop format this was driven by the students using an Inquiry-based learning tool. In both cases the pedagogical design ensured students worked through the concepts in groups with peer support to allow them to test their understanding, practice team work and gain experience in judging their peers’ grasp of concepts. This methodology is based on previous work by the authors in getting small groups of students to engage with key concepts via a collaborative team approach.2 Evaluation of this teaching design from the student viewpoint has been carried out using unfocussed group techniques3 and traditional surveying methods in order to capture student response in terms of motivation and engagement. These data are being used to redevelop and fine tune the activities and to look at recreating them in an online environment (stage 2). Preliminary analysis of commentary highlights two outcomes: (1) Students display a complex suite of motivations driving their engagement (or lack of). (2) Students appreciate the lecture theatre demonstrations and simulations with responsive running commentary as significantly helping to crystallise their thinking around the targeted concept area. In stage 2 of the Flat Earth Project, self-regulated online learning activities will be used to test a new set of concepts and provide interventions. Student response, motivation and engagement4 with the online activities with be compared with the face-to-face intervention approach. In addition the cost effectiveness of both approaches will be evaluated from the teacher and institution perspective. The project team were financially supported by the OLT project5

Assuring health and safety learning outcomes for S.M.A.H faculty stakeholders by using a hybrid learning and hurdle assessment pedagogy

Background: At University of Wollongong those responsible for workplace, health and safety (W.H.S) are well aware of the challenges involved in getting both staff and students through important health and safety inductions. Health and safety practices are seen as tedious by staff and students alike and most induction programmes do not persuade participants from this point of view. This research study carried out in the Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health (S.M.A.H.) based on sound underpinning pedagogy has demonstrated how to deliver health and safety learning outcomes that are a vital aspect of the scientific method, discipline standards and ultimately successful science staff and students. Aims: The primary aim was the deployment of a hybrid learning methodology to make the best use of any face-to-face activity by making sure all learners had already covered the requisite knowledge and skills beforehand via an online staff or student development module that had also assured through a hurdle assessment item that they had met the minimum or threshold learning outcomes. Design and methods: This project has provided a range of engaging health and safety induction programmes within the Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health for: 1. Laboratory inductions for large numbers of first year and second year undergraduate students 2. Postgraduate students undertaking specialist equipment inductions 3. General WHS inductions for all SMAH Faculty staff 4. Specific inductions for SMAH Faculty staff Different methodologies were employed depending upon the target audience, so for example, online gamification was used in the first year UG inductions to engage the students with the learning outcomes being assessed. In the PG modules some element of learner control over time, place, path, or pace was incorporated. But in all the modules the key underlying pedagogy was to promote self-efficacy within the learners to find out about health and safety for themselves rather than have it delivered to them by the providers. Results: By creating SCORM modules deployed within the Moodle CMS this allowed easy access for any number of users, tracking of completions, simple communication and administration. The end result being that each online module made the very most of any face‐to‐face interaction, and assessed that the threshold WHS outcomes had been met and recorded. This resulted in a net saving of staff time and more teaching time available in laboratories rather than spent on repetitive inductions. Conclusions: This work has promoted engagement and motivation in the topic and better long term retention of the health and safety requirements. The work has now stimulated other Faculties at UOW to do similar and has just picked up the Vice Chancellors WHS award for 2016

Chemistry to biology knowledge transfer does it work? Mapping of TLO’s by multi-evaluation techniques

Engaging and collaborative activities along with peer assessment allows students to deepen their discipline knowledge, practice team work and gain experience in judging the work of their peers. Thus these activities provide a rich context in which their learning is multi-faceted and is promoted in both discipline and generic domains, supporting the science threshold learning outcomes1. This learning was commenced in first year and then built on in a second year subject. Workshops that were based on active learning principles had previously been developed and used in large first year chemistry subjects2 . That innovation was implemented in another science discipline, with chemistry and biology teaching staff working collaboratively to introduce workshop sessions into BIOL213, a second year biochemistry subject. BIOL213 is largely a ‘service subject’ and has a failure rate of concern. The main aims of the teaching innovation were - to support knowledge transfer from one set of science discipline staff to another, to demonstrate proof of concept, to foster sharing of learning design across the faculty of science especially to research focused staff, to promote deeper student learning through active learning and consequently improve student performance. The evaluation of this innovation aimed to determine whether these teaching activities and assessment tasks had been effective in students achieving these learning outcomes, at threshold level or above, and to help map chemistry and biology disciplinary areas against the science TLOs. The project team were supported by advice, peer review, and leadership training from SaMnet action-learning team. 1.Jones, S and Yates B. 2011 SCIENCE Learning and Teaching Academic Standards Statement, September 2011. ISBN: 978-1-921856-29-7, http://www.olt.gov.au/system/files/resources/altc_standards_SCIENCE_240811_v3.pdf 2 O’BrienG and Bedford, S. (2012) Small group work in large chemistry classes: Workshops in First Year Chemistry. HEAcademy STEM Annual Conference 2012. http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/assets/documents/stem-conference/Physical_20Sciences/Glennys_OBrien.pd