Session 5.1: Maintaining student engagement - what can educational environment surveys tell us?
Biological Sciences
Dr Sue Whittle, University of Leeds
This presentation will describe a study which used the DREEM-S survey to monitor changes in student perceptions of their educational environment over a three year period for 700 students in a large Faculty of Biological Sciences. The initial survey in 2012 detected decreased satisfaction in all areas of their educational environment amongst second year students. This led to a focus group study which culminated in the design and delivery in 2013 of an online resource to support students through their transition to second year. The survey was repeated in 2015; it no longer showed a decrease in satisfaction amongst the second year cohort. However other changes in student perception were observed during this time period. The use of educational environment surveys to monitor and respond to changes in student perceptions will be discussed.
Session 5.2: Computer anxiety is still an issue – how can we manage it?
Computing
Sarah Crabbe, York St John University
Sometimes a taught session is disappointing because some of the students decline to engage in spite of being based on a sound pedagogy and using a range of technology to deliver teaching. These apparently disengaged students may well be actually suffering from computer anxiety which is commonly defined as feeling uncomfortable or anxious when interacting with computers and people who suffer from it find learning new technologies problematic and often limit their time interacting with computers to a minimum which can have an adverse impact on their studies. This condition seems to affect between 25% and 50% of students in the room in many different contexts. For some computer anxiety can be a spur to push them onto new experiences but for the majority it can be debilitating to some extent. In order to support these computer anxious students they first need to be identified and then depending on the cause of their anxiety appropriate training or coaching given to either address the cause of the anxiety or develop strategies to manage their anxiety.
Session 5.3: Facilitating first year student transitions into HE computing using LEGO Mindstorms
Computing
Dr Mark Zarb, and Dr Angela Siegel, Robert Gordon University
This engaging hands-on workshop making use of LEGO Mindstorms robots will allow participants to step through a number of challenges that have been successfully used in first year CS induction. These challenges were developed in conjunction with our institution’s Study Skills department which specializes in providing guidance on a range of learning strategies. All challenges were designed to highlight eaching of computer science soft skills such as teamwork independent learning self-efficacy and project management. We will highlight how we endeavoured to tie these soft skills into the interactive LEGO Mindstorms challenges. The aim of the challenges was to set up expectations for first year students and to have them take ownership of their university experience. This project has been funded by a UK Higher Education Academy grant that allowed us to base these activities on concerns about independent learning from over 300 students from 23 schools across Scotland.
Session 5.4: ‘RUHere?’ – an interactive monitoring system for improving student attendance and retention
Computing
Mrs Carey Freeman, University of South Wales
Poor student attendance often starts a vicious cycle of low participation and engagement which in turn leads to even less attendance and ultimately poor retention and attainment.
This project therefore aims to design implement and evaluate an electronic attendance monitoring system that is interactively engaging staff and students. Named ‘RUHere?’ it is technically based on radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology and logistically relies on a collaborative approach between teaching staff support staff and students. The system automatically monitors students' presence in laboratory sessions and lecture halls and presents the resulting data online and in real-time in various formats to both staff (for triggering interventions) and students (for reassurance and comparison with peers).
Results to date indicate that due to its logistic simplicity the system is well received by staff and students. However the system has to be embedded in a well resourced technical and managerial framework to work successfully.
Session 5.5: Challenges of using commercial tools in developing open flexible learning environments for Digital Forensic courses: sharing experience and good practices
Computing
Dr Syed Naqvi, Mr Chris Maguire, Birmingham City University
This session will provide a discussion platform for sharing experience and best practice amongst academic staff when dealing with the constraints of integrating industry-standard tools in open learning environments to allow flexible learning. A set of commercial tools used in Digital Forensic teaching will be presented in this session. Their pedagogic importance and positive impact on student skills will be discussed together with their licensing issues that can affect student experience such as flexibility in regard to developing open educational resources (OERs). Participants will be actively engaged and encouraged to provide their opinion and experience of using industry-standard technologies in teaching and discussing ways of overcoming any constraints that may be encountered. This session will also provide an opportunity to find ways of optimising the delivery of similar professional courses. This will include honing student skills on par with the skills sought by the employers whilst also providing them a richer learning experience.
Session 5.6: Strategies for overcoming maths anxiety: A collaboration
Interdisciplinary
Ms Victoria Mann, Ms Ellen Marshall, University of Sheffield
Students from most disciplines now need to use maths or statistics in their course research or future employment but approximately 25% of the student population have moderate to high levels of maths anxiety making it difficult to study maths and statistics effectively. These students tend to avoid modules containing maths or statistics where possible or put off tackling their maths or statistics work until the last minute increasing their anxiety further. To address this a project was undertaken to create a workshop which explained anxiety how it affects performance and strategies for overcoming it.
The aim of this session is to outline how the strategies suggested in the maths anxiety workshop had an impact on student maths anxiety. Delegates will learn about the impact of maths anxiety on performance and adaptions to teaching methods to enable most students to learn effectively.
Session 5.7: Breaking STEM barriers a researchers perspective
General
Mr Daniel Portelli, STEMgrowth
A few years ago I was posed the question asking why the more fascinating aspects of physics such as Quantum theory could not be taught in schools and whether the limitations in the curriculum was why more kids were not going into STEM. I decided then and there that I was going to get more kids involved and excited about STEM. As someone who was still working on their PhD at the time and not a qualified teacher the question was then “How am I going to do this?” The answer was to get myself into classrooms in order to see first-hand what barriers existed and how could we eliminate them.
Join me in my talk about the year long journey I have taken from PhD student to founder of my own STEM organisation where I will discuss the observations I have made and preconceptions I have had to rethink as to why more kids are not taking up STEM subjects.
Session 5.8: Dynamic tensions: The challenge of service-learning in higher education
Psychology
Mrs Alison Walker, Cardiff Metropolitan University
Service-learning is an experiential pedagogy a structured learning experience that combines community service with explicit learning objectives preparation and reflection.
The aim of this paper is to explore the complex process of managing service-learning in Higher Education which demands the commitment of the HEI the students and the placement partners to be successful. However each of these contributors has their own agenda and responsibilities and this can cause dynamic tensions within the relationship. Building on my own experience and the findings of my research with placement partners I will discuss some of the dynamic tensions that arise and make suggestions for good practice in the development and implementation of service-learning.
