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Building working relationships in learning communities
Lee Beck, Phoebe Maina, Felicia Stanford Susan K Robbins BSc PGCE MPhil PhD FHEA Principal Lecturer in Student Experience University Teaching Fellow ASKe Fellow School of Life Sciences
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Transition to University
Relocation: making the move from home to university Domestication: learning to live independently Integration: mixing with different people Building networks: making friends and meeting colleagues Lifestyle issues: making independent choices Academic issues: recognising differences between teaching at school and university School of Life Sciences
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Integration Where students come from:
Global catchment area: the whole world Social catchment area: all social backgrounds, though unbalanced ratios Economic catchment area: various, wide-ranging Disabilities: various, wide-ranging Ages: various, wide-ranging within a cohort So… how do we set about integrating these students into a learning community? School of Life Sciences
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Support networks Previous support networks: family, friends, peer group, teachers, work colleagues, social and sports groups Making new friends: university social life: clubs, societies, residential groups (halls) Building collegiate groups: discipline-based peer groups, peer support for study, student-staff working relationships, personal tutor support School of Life Sciences
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Building learning communities
Developing cohort identity through activities: doing things together, experiential learning Example from Extended Sciences, foundation year prior to starting science degree study Induction: using experiential learning to break down barriers and establish friendships and working relationships Using outdoor pursuits to build friendships, working groups, belonging… School of Life Sciences
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Experiential Learning: integrating Foundation Students
Cohort: students; age range 18-50; ethnicity – various; socio-economic – various, many WP; domicile – local, regional, UK, overseas Activity Day as part of 3-day induction programme Invitation to outdoor pursuits centre to participate in an exciting programme of activities Two-thirds of students attend each year All participants gave resoundingly positive feedback Non-participants wished they’d not missed out! School of Life Sciences
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What the students said then …
Before: I was nervous and excited, also curious, scary. After: I felt different from before the experience, it wasn't that scary. I loved the experience of getting to know each other. Before: Thinking that it would be a little boring going doing simple tasks with people I didn't know. After: Friday was amazing. Wasn't boring at all. I was fully involved and having fun throughout all of it. Managed to get to know everyone a lot better as well. Before: I was in suspense as to what, where the day would intail (student’s spelling!). After: It could well be a pivotal tool to help new students break the ice and get a fun element out of team working and getting to know one another better. School of Life Sciences
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What the students say now …
Over to Phoebe, Felicia and Lee… Phoebe FSC , now entering final year Biomedical Science Felicia FSC , now entering Stage Cell and Molecular Biology Lee FSC , now entering Stage Nutrition School of Life Sciences
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Acknowledgements The Extended Sciences Activity Day was funded by Brookes Student Learning Experience Strategy (2007&8) and is now funded by the School of Life Sciences (2009) Photography: Sheona Bellis, School Photographer Support from colleagues helping me run the activities Staff at Longridge, Marlow School of Life Sciences
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