Setting the Standard to Support Retention

Mairin NicellHeather SayersDerek Woods

Jennifer Hyndman

•In-TUNE

▫Investigating Transition to UNdergraduate Education

▫September 2009-June 2010

▫Investigating factors affecting academic performance of Year 1 students

• STIR

▫Socialisation To Improve Retention▫September 2010-June 2011

▫Team-building and social activities to improve social integration among Year 1 students

• Teaching Facilitated Learning Development Programme

▫ April – September 2012

▫ Theme: Assessment and Feedback for Learning

•Creative Workshop

•Brainstorming suitable ideas

•Concentrate on Year 1 initially

•Visual framework which can be extended to cover all year groups

• Student Consent Given or Withheld

Audit of Year 1 Assessment Practice•5 Degree programmes

▫BSc Hons Computer Science▫BSc Hons Information and Communication

Technologies▫BSc Hons Creative Computing▫BEng Hons Electronics and Computer

Systems▫BEng Computer Games Development

•9 Modules

Audit of Year 1 Assessment Practice•Written Assessments•Reports•Class Tests•Group work•Software Demonstrations•Presentations•Portfolios/Lab Books•Examinations

Evaluation

•Student Focus Groups in December 2012

•Video record student responses

Evaluation

•Sample of Questions ▫Which modules did you use?▫Were you able to distinguish the different

categories of exemplars?▫Were you able to understand where and why

marks were allocated?▫Did you find the feedback comments helpful?▫Did you make use of the model solutions

provided?▫Do you have any suggestions for improvements

to the grid?

Findings

•Initial feedback has been very positive

•Break down of categories

•Written feedback comments

Findings

•Need to alter the location of the grid in the Course Support Area

•Need to provide instructions for use

•Need to consistently promote the use of the tool

Semester 2 2012-13

•Roll out semester 2 modules

•Monitor use of exemplars

•End of semester evaluation