Induction

Page Contents Induction Guidelines; The First Semester; Principles for Good Teaching; Case Studies. Mini Projects

Induction Guidelines

2.1	Induction activities should familiarise students with the local area, the campus and its support services.
2.2	Induction activities should highlight students’ academic obligations and the obligations of the staff to the students.
2.3	Induction activities should support the development of those independent study habits suitable for higher education.
2.4	Induction events should provide the foundations for social interactions between students and the development of communities of practice.
2.5	Induction activities should promote the development of good communication between staff and students.
2.6	Induction is required to manage transitions between elements of courses.

References

Case Studies

1. Inducting and Retaining Non-Traditional Students at Liverpool Hope University College - The Department of Environmental and Biological Studies at Liverpool Hope University College has always recruited an above average number of students who could be classified as ‘non-traditional’. Many are mature and many have gained entry to higher education via routes other than A-level. This case study looks at how the university inducts and retains these students.

2. Induction as a Longitudinal Process at the University of Ulster - The School of Biological and Environmental Sciences at the University of Ulster considers induction to be an ongoing process supporting students through periods of transition. This extends from providing appropriate information about each of the courses available and running open days for applicants and parents through to providing advice on careers and employability to students approaching graduation.

3. Extended Induction for 'At Risk' Students at Napier University - Students at risk are identified through the completion of a diagnostic test, which is based on the characteristics of early leavers. Those students identified as being at risk are offered the opportunity to attend a series of tutorials.

4. Registration Week at Huddersfield - The School of Applied Sciences in Huddersfield University have developed their practice in registration week so that it fulfils both the requirement for formal registration and the need to begin the process of early integration of students into the department.

5. Centrally Organised Mentoring at Sheffield - The University of Sheffield has a centrally organised student-mentoring scheme for first year undergraduate students. Students in years 2 and 3 are trained as mentors and assigned a small group of undergraduate students as mentees’. Mentees then have peer support from someone that they can contact or talk to if they are experiencing difficulties in their academic or social student life and to help them ‘settle in’.

6. Off Campus Events for Induction - The School of Biological Sciences in Plymouth University runs a short off campus event which consists of a one day trip for students to get to know each other and the surrounding environment of Plymouth. Staff and students go on a short boat trip from Plymouth to the other side of the Tamar estuary so that staff and students can become acquainted with each other in a more informal environment than the university.

7. University of Sunderland Retention Initiatives for International Students - The initiatives described in this study form a series of support mechanisms that have attempted to enhance the experience of the international students studying in the University of Sunderland’s School of Computing and Technology, which contains around a third of the university’s total number of on campus international students.

8 International Students at the University of Ulster.- International students are now an important feature of the Higher Education institutions in the UK and their specific needs should be given attention. This does, of course, pose significant problems for front-line academics, course directors and administrators as they have to come to grips with cultural and academic differences between home and international students and the complexities of having classes with both groups. This case study describes three activities (language provision, a bridging course and an orientation programme) involving international students at the University of Ulster. These activities attempt to support international students to ensure that they are well integrated into both the social and academic life of the institution.

9 Residential Events for induction. The undergraduate intake into the School of Environmental Science, University of Ulster, comprises students studying honours degrees in geography, environmental science and marine science, and students following a two-year non-honours Associate Bachelor's degree. During the first week of teaching in Semester One of Year One, formal teaching is suspended and the students are taken on a compulsory residential fieldtrip that lasts for three days and two nights. The main aim of the trip is that it should act as an ice-breaker so that the students can get to know each other and the academic staff who will be teaching them during the coming months. However, work completed during the trip also counts towards assessment in some Year One modules. This case study outlines the organisation and rationale of a residential fieldtrip for a large group of students and evaluates the trip from both a student and staff perspective.

10 Peer Guiding The University of Wales, Bangor has one of the largest Peer Guide Schemes in the UK. Running since 1994, each year between 350 and 400 Peer Guides are trained on how to best support new students when they arrive at university. The scheme is co-ordinated centrally by the University but each department runs the scheme slightly differently to suit its particular needs. The scheme aims to supplement the other sources of support available from the personal tutor system and Student Services such as counselling, accommodation advice and advice for international students.

Mini Projects

1. Easystart - E-tutor Support for Inducting Distance Learning Students - Distance learning students on web based programmes require support to learn how to use the virtual learning environment before they can exploit its features for interaction both with fellow students and with staff. This project examines the use of a pre-teaching induction week during which new students are helped to find their way around WebCT by a trained e-tutor.

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