Plan for First Year Academic Orientation and Transition
Faculty of SCIENCE
DRAFT - As of 12 April 2004
The four Objectives set out in the Plan below are based on the First Year Experience Principles endorsed by the Academic Board at the University of Sydney
in September 2000. This template is a modified version of a framework first devised by the Academic Development Unit at La Trobe University.
OBJECTIVE 1: TO FAMILIARISE STUDENTS WITH THE UNIVERSITY’S PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT,
ACADEMIC CULTURE AND SUPPORT SERVICES
Strategy
1.1 Introduce students to
physical environment.
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1.2 Explain academic culture.
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Responsibility
Outcome
The Science Transition Workshop has been
in place since 1996, runs for a whole day
on the Sunday before Orientation week.
Includes handouts about the University,
talks by senior students, orientation and
peer group activities, tours of the campus
and separate parent information and
discussion sessions
It was advertised in the SWOT booklet in
2004
Initiative
Faculty of Science Marketing team and academic
staff representatives from each discipline area
Student mentors from each discipline area and
SCISOC representatives
Data collection for seven years on student
evaluations, on follow up of peer groups,
student involvement, success and dropout
rates
Results of these show increased student
participation in semester 1, group activities
and retention.
Also a high level of positive feedback from
students and parents on benefits of the
program
Feedback is also used to make
improvements to the workshops in
subsequent years
These outcomes have also been presented in
education research journals, seminars and
conferences
Some discussion by academic staff and
current students during Transition program
activities
Discussion and Information about the
transition to university
Academic staff running transition program
Better informed students
Individual UoS or lecturers/tutors
1.3 Promote the wider student
support services of the
University including Learning
Centre, library, health service
and counselling, equity &
access, financial services,
computer access.
Handouts on all listed areas in 'showbag' for
students
Faculty of Science Marketing team
Increased awareness before students come
Explained and discussed by academic and student on campus in Orientation week
representatives at transition workshop
OBJECTIVE 2: TO DEVELOP STUDENTS’ SENSE OF PURPOSE AND DIRECTION BY PROMOTING THEIR
UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THEIR COURSES INVOLVE; WHERE THEIR COURSES WILL LEAD THEM; AND
WHAT THEIR LEARNING IN THOSE COURSES WILL INVOLVE.
Strategy
2.1 Promote a clear
understanding of why they are
doing their units of study and
courses, and where the units of
study and courses are directed.
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2.2 Promote a clear
understanding of the aims and
objectives; learning outcomes;
learning processes; assessment
methods; and teaching and
learning methods of units of
study and courses.
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Initiative
Pathways programs in place or being
developed
First year directors in most disciplines
responsible for disseminating information
through manuals etc Posters about units
available in later semesters and years.
Talks to students about semester 2
enrolments and re-enrolling for 2nd year
Displays on Science noticeboards about
'where graduates from science work'
Special advisors give advice to individual
students on request
Unit of study outlines on the web (and
evaluated by other schools/departments)
Clear outlines rationales for unit structures
and outcomes in manuals for units of study
Responsibility
Outcome
Heads of Schools and departments to have in
place in 2002, running in biology from semester 2
2001 (http://fybio.bio.usyd.edu.au/fyb/pathways/)
Sense of belonging to a degree program,
contact with students in other years, and
with graduates from the degree.
Appreciation of areas in which graduate can
follow a career
Unit of study coordinators
Faculty of Science marketing team
3 Associate Deans with special responsibility for
undergraduates plus degree program coordinators
Faculty Teaching and Learning committee
Unit of study coordinators
OBJECTIVE 3: TO PROMOTE AND SUPPORT STUDENTS’ ENGAGEMENT WITH THE UNIVERSITY,
INCLUDING WITH THEIR PEERS.
Strategy
Initiative
Responsibility
Outcome
3.1 Promote students’
involvement in university life
including engagement with
their peers in and out of class.
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3.2 Support students to stay on
in their units of study and
courses, by identifying ‘at risk’
students early and providing
support where appropriate.
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Transition program peer group initiative
and timetabling process to keep students
together in large science units for lab
classes and tutorials
Units of study create peer group activities
and assessment within curriculum
Introductory or group activities in most
week 1 classes
Units of study work with student societies
in the discipline to promote social activities
Unit of study coordinators run training
sessions dealing with these issues for
tutors/casual teaching staff.
FACULTY TUTOR TRAINING
PROGRAM
'Welcome to first year science' flier
distributed through maths classes
PEER MENTORING initiatives in IT and
Psych
Faculty of Science Teaching and learning
Committee.
Some units of study have diagnostic
exercises
Creation of retention support packages eg
monitoring performance and offering
specific help
Offering practice exams with remedial help
programs
Unit of study coordinators
Transition program and Unit of study
coordinators
Directors of first year science
Science society and discipline based societies
Increased contact between students from
different years. Contact with activities in
research labs and groups
Tutor training committee and Faculty of Science
Teaching and learning committee
Increased awareness, amongst 'casual' staff
of issues and problems for first year
students. Support for staff in working with
these issues. Sense of belonging to a science
teaching team?
Academics in the departments
Unit of study coordinators
Unit of study coordinators
Lower drop out rates during semester 1
OBJECTIVE 4: TO ENHANCE STUDENTS’ LEARNING BY DEVELOPING THEIR KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS,
INCLUDING GENERIC SKILLS, AND BY TAKING INTO ACCOUNT STUDENTS’ DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS AND
ABILITIES.
Strategy
4.1 Develop basic skills and
knowledge in the field of study.
4.2 Develop generic skills such
as group work, oral and written
communication skills, research
and referencing, and
information literacy.
Responsibility
Broad based knowledge acquisition tailored
to differing entry levels for first year units
in most disciplines
Unit of study coordinators
School/department curriculum committees
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Units of study have skills components
incorporated and rationale explained to
students
Skills based activities integrated into units
of study
Skills components included in assessment
processes
Skills awareness Program being developed
- including 'generic' skills and information
literacy
Unit of study coordinators, Discipline curriculum
committees
Developed multiple delivery modes for
content within units
Offer different levels of units eg BSc
Advanced degree and eg Biology
Advanced within disciplines
Talented Student Program initiatives, using
group projects with a 3rd year mentor
Unit coordinators
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4.3 Take account of variation
in skills and experience of
students and, where necessary,
raise their skills and knowledge
to a basic level by providing
additional support and by
enhancing skills already
present.
Initiative
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TIF grant awarded to a group to develop the
program
Outcome
Promoting integration of teaching and
research
Increased awareness and flow- through into
curriculum development. Works with the
graduate attributes project in ITL.
Faculty senior management
Faculty associate dean and relevent academic
staff
Fosters a sense of team work in research
areas. Encourage mentoring approach and
independent acticvities
4.3 Where appropriate, provide
students with opportunities for
flexible learning and choice to
accommodate and value their
diverse backgrounds.
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WebCT for all units of study by end of
2003
Other web delivery modes eg VLE in
Biology
Online formative assessment in many units
Email consultation facilities
Moderated discussions during units
Problem based learning mode for eg
Computer Science
Unit coordinators
Faculty of Science teaching and learning
committee