Content of this presentation • Background • Extended orientation 2008 • Student and staff feedback Extended Orientation 2008 • Student tracking data First steps towards a First Year Experience • Lessons learnt and the way forward Program at UJ… • Questions Presented to the First South African FYE conference, Stellenbosch, September 2008. By André van Zyl Background • Retention issues in South African HE • The New Funding Framework • The Academic Development Unit at UJ (ADU) Background • Retention and student success at UJ • The importance of the first year • Academic Integration and Social Integration (Tinto) Background • ADU involvement with the first year students at UJ • The past… Extended orientations in 2008 • More coordinated efforts… –Project Mpumelelo 2007 –Extended academic orientations 2008/9 –First Year Experience 2010? 1
Academic orientations 2008 Basic Implementation Principles • Academic orientations implemented in two • Support from the Deans faculties during 2008 • ADU and faculty representative • New cooperative partnerships • Plan orientation sessions • Involvement commenced two weeks before • Use actual academic material where possible official classes started • Try to create a “real life” experience • Three to five hours per session • Integrated effort between ADU and Faculty • Interventions during first semester • Logistics surrounding session • Student opinion • Research on effectiveness Sessions for 2008 Extended Orientation 2008 • Faculties of Economic and Financial sciences • Total of 9 sessions and Humanities • 25 AD staff and 6 Faculty staff involved • Differences between implementations • Three campuses –Having an actual academic lecture presented • Large venues and split up for AD intervention –Use of actual textbook and lecture content vs. related articles • Sessions of between 150 and 500 students –Reading course during quarter 1 • Less than 50% of expected attendance –Workshops in academic subjects (direct vs. indirect links to orientation) Academic Orientation Sessions • During orientation week • Actual academic content • Format Lecturer and Student Feedback –Student profile questionnaire –Academic Lecture (FEFS) –Reading for understanding (textbook chapter/article) –Making a summary and memorization • Student feedback 2
Lecturers Comment… Student Feedback • Questionnaire with 8 closed and a open • The members of ADU have assisted me in my capacity as question Chair of the Teaching and Learning Committee (of my • Overwhelming positive response Faculty) in developing a programme for academic orientation for first year students in my during 2008 This • Responses was implemented before commencement of studies in –Eco and Fin 725 responses February. As a result of the success of their assistance, –Humanities 788 responses we are already making plans for Orientation 2009! Student Feedback Recomend to others Learnt new techniques 57 60 60 56 51 51 50 50 46 45 40 39 40 40 Humanities Humanities 30 30 % Eco and Fin Eco and Fin 20 20 10 10 4 3 3 3 1 1 0 1 0 0 Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly disagree Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly disagree Apply to your studies Possitive contribution 60 60 58 57 56 55 50 50 43 43 41 40 40 40 Humanities Humanities 30 30 Eco and Fin Eco and Fin 20 20 10 10 2 2 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly disagree Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly disagree 3
Student tracking Student tracking Results • 2342 students tracked Attendees Non-attendees •583 students •1759 students • 583(25%) attended orientation •Average of 60% for three •Average of 53% for all • 1759 (75%) did not attend orientation subjects three subjects • Three main subjects for the first semester •20% had an average mark •40% had an average mark –Economics lower than 50% lower than 50% –Accounting •26% failed Economics in •44% failed Economics in the first semester the first semester –Business Management Average marks 40 35 30 25 Lessons learnt and the way forward Non orientation 20 Orientation 15 10 5 0 0-10 11 to 20 21 to 30 31 to 40 41 to 50 51 to 60 61 to 70 71 to 80 81 to 90 91 to 100 % Average 4
Lessons learnt and the way Lessons learnt and the way forward forward • The weaker students are not attending interventions • The value of using actual academic material designed to assist them • The value of direct cooperation between AD and • Students who do not attend orientation are missing Faculty members out… • Include real life experiences before class starts • The value of not just using orientation to “dump” • Reading development can be developed further information (compulsory?) • Way forward • Ensuring that students know a few people in the –Doing an assessment during orientation… class they will actually be attending –Expanded orientation involvement –Social and academic integration –Fully fledged and intentional FYE program… Contact Information André van Zyl Tel: 011 559 3285 E-mail: andrevz@uj.ac.za 5
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