Getting off to a good start: pre-module start events for science students – a model of collaborative, proactive support

Moorman, Fiona; Aiken, Fiona; Warriner, Gemma; Whitehead, Becca; Sibbett, Lorna; Porter, Amanda and Jepson, James (2022). Getting off to a good start: pre-module start events for science students – a model of collaborative, proactive support. In: 3rd Annual STEM Teaching Conference, Mar 2022.

Abstract

Subject Study sites contain a wealth of useful information with study skills and resources accessible to registered students before their module website(s) are open. Furthermore, evidence from a recent eSTEeM project (Hilliam, 2020) highlights benefits of student engagement on study sites. However, it seems that relatively few students access their Study website despite receiving MILLS interventions signposting them to these sites.
In response to these issues, a 'Getting ready for your next Science Module' pilot session was run in early September 2020 for students registered on Science modules; students were alerted by CAMEL to the event which was delivered by Science Faculty SST Leads in collaboration with a STEMA Educational Advisor. During the session, a tour of science study sites was provided to direct students to key preparatory and skill development resources. OpenLearn courses offering students opportunities to develop their online confidence and maths skills and were highlighted and there was a focus on each of the different qualifications within science. The SST adviser provided guidance and responded to queries to help students make the most of SST support.
This pilot event proved very popular (attended by over 500 students, recording receiving in excess of 400 views). Student engagement also seemed high with active discussions in the chat pod and many queries raised. Building on this initial success, we delivered similar 'Getting ready for your next Science module' events for students registered on 21J science modules; this time four sessions were offered, with a focus on each level of study. As before, students were signposted to helpful resources on their subject sites, introduced to key qualification-specific aspects and provided with helpful guidance from the SST adviser. The remit was also expanded, with link SRSC Science ALs joining faculty SST leads and SST advisors to offer a holistic session to support students in making the most of support from their tutor.
Attendance and engagement at the pre-21J events were high, with between 80 and 200 students attending each session. Informal feedback was gathered from students by way of free-text polls
at the end of the sessions when students were asked about their aims, their concerns about study and actions they planned to take following the session.
This presentation will update on the findings arising from these large-scale, collaborative student support events and will reflect on the potential usefulness of such an approach to enhance student experience and to support student engagement and retention.

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