Adapted from: Maguire, S (2001), Teaching Geography
to Non-traditional Students: Inducting, nurturing and retaining them Journal
of Geography in Higher Education, 25(2) 233-240.
(Click on the title to access as a PDF document)
INTRODUCTION
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. A question asked by colleagues in other institutions
is ‘what do you do to keep these students on course?’ Primarily,
this is due to students undertaking a carefully structured programme of
small-group teaching, designed to induct and train students in the practices
of higher education and which also introduces them to key subject concepts
which their previous education may have omitted.
STUDENT CHARACTERISTICS
The intake of geography students at Liverpool Hope University
College in 1997 consisted of 145 students with a mean age of 21 years.
The cohort consisted of 60% female and 40% male students compared to gender
divides in the whole geography sector of 44% female and 56% male for humanities
programmes and 29% female and 71% male for physical science programmes
(HESA, 1996). 87% of the students had entered by the traditional A-level
route with the remainder possessing BTec or Access qualifications. Over
half of the ‘traditional’ student intake (63%) had the equivalent
of, or less than, three Grade Ds at A-level (12 points). The mean scores,
obtained from the University and Colleges Admissions Service for the U.K.
statistical reports, for geography undergraduates accepted to degree courses
in 1997 were 21.2 for courses classified as geography (physical science)
and 19.1 for those termed geography (Social studies).
Out of the Liverpool Hope student group, one-half were
the first member of their immediate family to enter higher education and
a further 16% had only one other family member who had experience of higher
education. These figures appear to demonstrate relatively high levels
of inexperience of higher education within an U.K. context. These summary
statistics for this typical year’s intake demonstrate that departmental
tutors cannot assume that they are teaching ‘traditional’
geography students. However, data presented by Dyas & Fox (1996) for
the graduating geography class of 1996, at Liverpool Hope, demonstrated
that 94% of students obtained a lower second class honours degree or above
compared with a national U.K average of 96%. In addition, 66% of all graduates
were in employment six months after graduation and 27% were pursuing further
study compared with U.K. figures of 62% and 19% respectively (Speake,
1999). It can be inferred that the programme of study on offer not only
accommodates these students but also provides them with a learning environment
in which they can flourish. This claim can be supported by the external
teaching quality assessment process:
“There are many positive features of the provision
which include: …a strongly supportive learning environment. ..The
courses assessed achieve a high level of added value. “
(Quality Assurance Agency, 1995, p1)
INDUCTING, NUTURING AND RETAINING STUDENTS
The students enter Liverpool Hope University College
to study for either a B.A (Hons) or B.Sc (Hons) in Combined Studies, with
geography being one of three subjects studied at first-year level. All
students, whether or not they are aiming to continue with geography after
Level 1, study the same geography programme consisting of lectures, practicals,
seminars and fieldwork. The seminar programme has been specifically designed
to induct and support students new to higher education (Table 3). Although
this programme had existed in the department for a number of years, in
1996 it was recognised with a Fund for the Development of Teaching and
Learning grant awarded by HEFCE/ DENI to develop the programme further
and to disseminate it nationally (Dyas & Bradley 1999, www.hope.ac.uk/gnu/).
The programme of seminars was designed to induct students
into the practices of higher education paying particular attention to
‘critical incidents’, i.e. events that might cause non-traditional
students concern such as essay and oral presentation assignments and to
remedy specific gaps in knowledge. The following principles underpin the
seminar programme:
1. Establish communication –Tinto’s theory
of student integration states that both academic and social integration
are required for students to succeed (Tinto, 1987). In order to address
this at Liverpool Hope weekly meetings of geography students are held
in seminar groups of 12 – 15. These provide a forum for the establishment
of networks both for social and study purposes.
2. Student tracking. The regular contact with a tutor
also provides opportunities for pastoral support and an awareness of each
student’s progress. The institution requires student attendance
to be monitored closely and seminar tutors maintain records for each session.
It is therefore easy for tutors to identify students at risk of failure
due to non-attendance and to instigate meetings to discuss attendance
and any underlying problems.
3. Assess early and feedback quickly. The seminar programme
is assessed using a portfolio in which students submit tasks on a weekly
basis. These are marked and returned with formative comments the following
week. Students have the opportunity then to improve the task prior to
its final submission for summative assessment as part of the complete
portfolio. This benefits students by enabling them to gauge at an early
stage the expectations and standards required by the Department and to
provide both themselves and the tutors with feedback on the quality of
learning taking place (Biggs, 1999, p142). It also prevents students slipping
into a mode of study where they do little until major assignments are
due to be submitted. This process, although time-consuming for tutors,
also provides them with diagnostic information about each student’s
capabilities. Students can be directed at an early stage for supportive
advice on aspects of writing and other basic skills.
4. Critical incidents. Early stages of the seminar programme
are themed around critical incidents so the first sessions are planned
to enable students to meet each other and to become comfortable as a group.
These are followed by sessions on use of libraries, note taking in lectures
and essay writing.
Plugging the knowledge gaps. Students demonstrated a lack of confidence
in their prior knowledge of geography (Maguire et al., 2001). For some
this reflects the number of years since they studied the subject formally,
or their low levels of achievement previously. In order for these students
to remedy these deficiencies and to feel confident in their ability to
succeed in the subject, the second semester seminar programme focuses
on the critical discussion of geographical topics.
CONCLUSIONS
Liverpool Hope University College has demonstrated its
ability to recruit ‘non-traditional’ students. Geography tutors
within the institution have developed a framework of pedagogic support
enhancing students’ ability to become integrated both socially and
academically. This approach to inducting and nurturing students has proved
successful in integrating and retaining these students within the geography
programme. With many institutions currently focused on widening access
and participation a teaching approach, which supports students through
close contact, formative assessment, monitoring, skills’ development
and the reinforcement of a sound subject-knowledge base, can be recommended
for first-year undergraduates of this ‘non-traditional’ make-up
in any discipline.
REFERENCES
BIGGS, J. (1999) Teaching for Quality Learning at University,
U.K: Open University Press.
DYAS, L & BRADLEY, L. (1999) 'Geography for the New Undergraduate'
- a fully resourced programme introducing personal, study and transferable
skills to first year undergraduates within a geographical context. Journal
of Geography in Higher Education, 23(2), pp261-264.
DYAS, L. & FOX, V. (1998) Geography for the New Undergraduate: a teaching
and learning development project, in: G.ERDELI & D. DUMBRAVEANU (Eds)
Romano-British Geographical Interchanges, pp75-85 (Bucharest, Corint)
HIGHER EDUCATION STATISTICS AGENCY (1998) Students by subject and gender
1995/96, http://www.hesa.ac.uk/ date
accessed November 1999
MAGUIRE, S., EVANS, S.E. & DYAS, L. (2001) Approaches to Learning:
a study of first year geography undergraduates. Journal of Geography in
Higher Education, 25(1), pp95-109.
QUALITY ASSURANCE AGENCY Q72/95 (1995) Quality Assessment Report by the
HEFCE for Liverpool Institute of Higher Education Geography and Environmental
Studies January 1995
SPEAKE, J. (1999) Teaching, learning and research in geography at Liverpool
Hope. Journal of Geography in Higher Education, 23(3), pp407-412.
TINTO, V. (1987) Leaving College.Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
p.114
UNIVERSITY AND COLLEGES ADMISSIONS SERVICE FOR THE U.K. (1999) Statistical
Notes: 3 – 1997 Entry, http://www.ucas.ac.uk/
date accessed November 1999
CORRESPONDENCE
Sarah Maguire, Teaching Development Advisor, Staff Development,
University of Ulster, Coleraine, Northern Ireland BT52 1SA.
email: cs.maguire@ulster.ac.uk
