Sessions 10 - 12

Session 10 (10G): This session was about establishing a partnership approach to embedding research and learning skills development in the first year. Learning Advisors are located in the library and they work in the same faculty specific teams. There model was in reaction to the “old” model, the deficit model of “professionals” working with the “other”:  the student with problems. Rather than viewing interactions as an apprenticeship into the academic experience, they take a normalised approach, positive (not deficit) and believe it is the responsibility of many.

Monash University have committed to ensuring that course curriculum matches the Research Skills Development Framework (I have a copy). The Learning Skills Advisors sit under the library, and the Head Librarian describes their activities as underpinning “the University’s programmes by ensuring that all students develop their ability to study and undertake research as independent learners”. The boost academic literacy skills and support students from the 1^st year to PhD level.

The role of Learning Skills Advisors is to work collaboratively with lecturers to map the curriculum against the framework, described as “a consultative conversation approach”. And essentially the framework is used as a “conversation tool” to highlight areas of improvement in student assessment. Overall, the outcomes of working more closely with faculties and lecturers has been improved communication to students of assessment tasks and rubrics, better promotion and take-up of services, and the mainstreaming of the work of Learning Skills Advisors. Again though, there is no specific data on if retention rates and student success has been improved.

Session 11 (11F): This workshop was on assessing the impact of an intrusive academic support initiative. Although like many of the sessions I’ve been to, the actual data (and therefore assessment bit) was largely missing. At Deakin University student attrition is seen to be a problem – a financial problem for the university, and a personal problem for the students and also teaching and administration staff.  Many more students are participating in higher education and see this time as era of universal or open access to education. There are low admission hurdles and students are assessed as being able to cope, although of course many don’t.

At Deakin, in the Business Studies programme, they had the additional challenge of students in their first year at the university actually being in their second year (come from colleges and TAFE etc), so many of the support mechanisms available were no longer being provided. In addition, the course was set up so that students were in a better position to succeed if they had completed a number of papers in their first year – students being cross credit had not participated in those papers and additional support wasn’t being provided. So they discovered that there was an additional group of “at risk” students, who were engaged students who were not necessarily succeeding. So they decided to bring support services to students and integrated support into their subjects. 75% of students were contacted by phone and these calls were outsourced to a company (Hobsons), the calls were directed at students failing and they were asked a series of non-intrusive questions about where they were at with their studies. Hobson’s also did research for the university and suggested they run an exam preparation workshop. They also developed a new flyer for students to identify where they were at and directed them to the appropriate services (called “Just in time: Just for me”).

Session 12 (12B): This session was about integrated learning centres. Essentially at Monash they have Student Learning Centres (as we know them) and have also received HEPP funding so have set up a programme similar to PASS. The purpose of the integrated learning centres is to provide free academic support (content), pastoral care and create learning communities. Each of the schools of science (there are five) receive 10 hours of tutor support each week. Tutors are usually PhD students in those schools, and the hours are used differently: some offer drop in centres, other offer a combination of appointments and drop in times. The role of the mentor is to help teach the students content, but also mentor in the broader sense of being a role model and offer guidance etc “a friendly face with listening ears”. The mentors were trained by Student Centre staff (I think) and were given an A-Z of services within the university.

There is no data on attendance, partly because they keep the sessions very casual, although they hope to gather data in the future. One of the things I really liked about this model was the amazing rooms used by the tutors and students – really nice spaces with different sized tables, white boards, colourful furniture etc. Looked great. One of the things I thought was interesting was that the presenter said that PhD students were well suited to the role of providing support because they were closer in age to the students. She then made the comment that as it can be a long time between starting out and finishing your degree they found the process of remembering what students went through interesting/challenging. I guess if these PhD students become lecturers themselves that will be really useful.