A presentation from the STEM Annual Conference 2014.
Success and retention of first year university students are important to both academic and administrative departments within higher education. With widening participation targets academics are likely to encounter a more diverse set of students than previously. In particular the range of ability motivation socio-economic background and knowledge of university life will be larger than before. This diversity can present a challenge when attempting to ensure a smooth transition into first year a key element of success and retention. It was reported in 2012 by the Office of National Statistics and Eurostat that around 90% of 16-24 year olds use social media. It is likely that this statistic will be relevant for the majority of the different populations from which first year students come and thus the use of such media could be a useful tool in aiding a smooth transition. In 2013 using a small grant from the Higher Education Academy we set up a Facebook group for our new first year Mathematics students. The group was set up and administered by a current student 2 weeks before the start of term. The initial purpose was to introduce new students to each other and provide a forum for them to ask general questions about orientation books first day meetings etc. Latterly the group is being used for peer assisted learning in mathematics classes. This talk will present the aims of the Facebook group report on how successful it has been and outline our plans for future use of this tool.
