Below are the abstracts to Session 6 of the STEM Conference 2017
Session 6.1: Development of an Undergraduate Peer Mentoring Scheme for first year biomedical sciences students
Biological Sciences
Dr Pauline Fitzgerald Dr Donna Johnson Leeds Beckett University
The session will describe the development of a mentoring scheme for first year biomedical sciences students using second and third year students as mentors. The participants will take the role of mentor undergoing training using the mentoring guide and discussing rules and boundaries for mentors and mentees.
Session 6.2: Using team-based learning to enhance student project work and skills for post-graduation success.
Built Environment
Dr Matthew Greetham Mrs Kate Ippolito Imperial College
The aim of this workshop is to enable participants to gain insight into a team-based learning process illustrated through an Imperial undergraduate civil engineering teaching example. The workshop will provide the opportunity for experiential learning enabling participants to explore the benefits for their contexts.
Objectives:
1 Give an educational rationale for a team-based learning process that develops positive workplace behaviours in addition to technical knowledge
2. Critically analyse factors that contribute to productive and satisfying teamwork
3. Experience first-hand the value of a team-based learning approach
4. Identify ways to make reflection acceptable and meaningful to STEM students.
The intended audience is all HE teachers particularly those that can influence module/course design.
Session 6.3: Using GitHub to Support Programming Assignments
Computing
Dr Michael Scott Dr Edward Powley Mr Alcwyn Parker
It is challenging to craft a learning environment that can make programming assignments work in a scalable and engaging fashion. However there are tools to support the development of such environments. Specifically GitHub. The Falmouth University Games Academy introduced the use of GitHub into its computing courses in 2015-16 receiving outstanding praise from students. Most notably in the area of assessment and feedback where GitHub played a critical role in facilitating formative feedback. To this end this “How To” workshop illustrates how the course team has been using GitHub to create a supportive and engaging learning environment for novice programmers.
Session 6.4: Implementing the flipped classroom for large group teaching of engineering dynamics
Engineering and Materials
Dr Benjamin Drew University of the West of England
The aim of the presentation will be to discuss the experience and initial outcomes of implementing the flipped classroom for a large group of final year engineering students. Commonly flipped teaching is applied to small groups and at UWE Bristol engineering education has not diverted much from the traditional methods of large group lectures with accompanying small group tutorials. The work being presented will explore the process of implementing the flipped classroom for a third year module comprising 120 students as well as highlighting some of the impacts of this implementation including qualitative student feedback.
Session 6.5: Engaging students in the City: inter-institution approaches to skills and engaged learning
Interdisciplinary
Professor Chris Willmore Dr William Clayton University of Bristol
This session explores the development of whole institution approaches to engaging students in the city / community as a vehicle for student skills development and city transformation. It is based upon the experience of the University of Bristol UWE and their two student unions in delivering over 100 000 hours a year of student engagement in the city as part of the Student Capital: Green Capital project funded by HEFCE and the lessons from that in terms of the impact upon student skills and students’ sense of belonging. It explores the opportunities particularly for STEM subject students and the impact upon them of interdisciplinary team work.
The session will use the Bristol experience as a starting point for exploring opportunities in other institutions and cities and help the project develop an understanding of transferability.
Session 6.6: “…And finally”: Lessons from Conversation Analysis to enhance the lecture closing experience
General
Dr Rachel Bromnick Dr Ava Horowitz University of Lincoln
Copy of Handouts
Ever wondered why your students start to pack up to leave before your lecture has finished? In this interactive workshop we will critically examine the lecture learning environment including the findings from our participant observational pilot study. We will examine the problem through the lens of Conversation Analysis to provide a clear reflective and systematic understanding of the sorts of cues that elicit packing away behaviours. The workshop will include discussion and feedback on participants’ own experiences of this phenomenon and the sharing of tips for creating an effective learning environment consistent with teaching excellence and student engagement.
Session 6.7: The Reflective and Reflexive Learner: A critical investigation of the formative assessment expectations experiences and engagement of undergraduates at a UK University
General
Mr Chris Wolsey Leeds Beckett University and Dr Ian Lawrence Teeside University
Much has been written about what undergraduate students expect from their H.E. experience. Assessment in general and formative assessment in particular defines what students regard as important how they spend their time and how they view themselves and the world around them. This empirical research looks deeper into the student formative assessment journey and goes beyond existing quantitative studies by capturing a more qualitative and holistic view of the student narrative. The findings recognise that students should be viewed as active contributors to the learning process within HE institutions and offer recommendations for improved student engagement and learning moving forward.
Session 6.8: High impact feedback: Engaging students as proactive recipients of feedback information
Psychology
Dr Noami Winstone University of Surrey
The aim of this session is to introduce delegates to predictors of student engagement with feedback. We will explore barriers to student engagement with feedback and discuss some key individual differences in the likelihood of engagement with feedback representing individual learner characteristics and beliefs and attitudes around feedback. Furthermore we present evidence to suggest that rather than academic achievement and satisfaction with feedback being important factors in predicting feedback, recipience skills for using feedback and the associated self-efficacy to implement feedback are crucial predictors. We will discuss recommendations for maximising the impact of assessment feedback.
