Minding the gap: Identifying risk profiles of first-time entrants for the Diploma of Nature Conservation at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology Dr Bruce Mckenzie and Dr Joseph Kioko Department of Biodiversity and Conservation CPUT

THE CHALLENGE  LESS THAN 20% OF THE 60 FIRST TIME ENTRANTS COMPLETE THE DIPLOMA IN THE MINIMUM TIME  FEWER THAN 50% EVER COMPLETE THE DIPLOMA  GOOD CORRELATION BETWEEN EXTENDED CURRICULUM STUDENTS AND MAINSTREAM STUDENTS IN TERMS OF SUCCESS (OR FAILURE) AT THE END OF THE FIRST YEAR  CAN RISK PROFILES BE IDENTIFIED TO INFORM THE DEPARTMENT IN TERMS OF PLACEMENT OF STUDENTS IN PROGRAMMES, AND THE FORM OF CURRICULUM DELIVERY, THUS INCREASING THE POTENTIAL FOR AN ENHANCED THROUGHPUT RATE ?

Table 1: Summary outcomes for the various subjects taken by Mainstream (MS) and Extended Curriculum (ECP) in the first semester of 2010 Animal Studies 1Plant Studies IConservation Ecology 1 MSECPMSECPMS only Average final mark (%) 55%50%54% 50%61% Percentage students passing 73%71%63%71%47%90%

Table 2: Performance indicators for Benchmark Test Equivalents for first time entrants in the MS and ECP groups after the first semester of 2010 Proficient No. (%) Intermediate Basic Total MSECPMS ECP MSECPMSECP No. of students (%) 19 (63%) 0(0%)9(30%)11(65%)2(7%)6(35%)30(100%)17(100%) Average final mark (%) for all subjects (55)(52) No. (and %) of students passing >50% of subjects(%) 16 16(84%)-2(22%)7(64%)0(0%)2(33%)18(60%)9(53%)

SUMMARY  PROFICIENT 40% of student intake,  all in mainstream.  INTERMEDIATE 43% of student intake,  equally divided  between MS and ECP  BASIC 17%, majority in ECP

Table 3: Performance of students in the Intermediate/Basic levels, for subjects taken by both mainstream and extended curriculum programme students. Animal Studies 1Plant Studies 1 MS (N = 11) ECP (N = 17) MS (N = 11) ECP (N = 17) Average final mark (%) 44.5%50%44%54% % pass rate for subject45%71%36%71%

Table 4: Average ratings for three required matriculation subjects NBT level PERCENTAGE OF SUBJECTS PASSEDMS/ECP NSC achievement in required subject ENGLISHLIFESCIENCESMATHSAVERAGE Proficient 75% or more MS ECPN/AN/AN/AN/A Intermediate and Basic 75% or more MS ECP Intermediate and Basic 50% or less MS Intermediate and Basic 50% or less ECP Requirements for the Diploma 443

SUMMARY TO DATE  Proficient level requires students to perform 10% (1 score) better than the present Departmental requirements for acceptance  Intermediate level requires that students on MS need matric scores of 5% > than requirements for Life Science and for ECP students they need to meet the minimum

IDENTIFYING RISK PROFILES  All first time entrants were placed in one of three RISK PROFILES based on all the above analyses and using their matric scores for the relevant subjects  The present distribution of the 60 first time entrants and the preferred placement of them are shown in the next table

Table 5: Present and preferred placement of 2010 first time entrants (N = 60) based on at risk categories Risk profile based on Matric scores Percentage of Students at Present Student Numbers as at present Preferred Placement of present students MS ECP MS ECP MS ECP Low Risk 53% 41% Medium Risk 40% 24% High Risk 7% 35% Total 100%

SUMMARY  If the class size for new entrants remains at 60 students then; About 21(35%) should be LOW RISK in MS About 20 (33%) should be LOW RISK ECP About 19 (32%) should be at MEDIUM RISK either on MS or ECP

CONCLUSIONS  To increase throughput generally and more specifically in the minimal time the following are suggested:  In the short term about half the first year intake of mainstream students should be given extra support similar to the ECP type programme  In the longer term serious consideration should be given to placing up to 60% of the first time intake on a four year programme with the ECP model catering for this group