STUDENT SUPPORT PROGRAMMES STUDENT SUPPORT PROGRAMMES AT A SOUTH AFRICAN UNIVERSITY: AT A SOUTH AFRICAN UNIVERSITY: A University of Johannesburg A University of Johannesburg Year Experience success story Year Experience success story First First Head: Access Programmes, Maxine Shandler – Head: Access Programmes, Maxine Shandler – Academic Development Centre, Academic Development Centre, University of Johannesburg University of Johannesburg mshandler@uj.ac.za mshandler@uj.ac.za June 2010 June 2010
OUTCOMES OF OUTCOMES OF PRESENTATION PRESENTATION • T o discuss the academic benefjts that underprepared students believe that they have derived from student support programmes; • T o illustrate how these benefjts have prepared them for the rigours of HE study and contributed to their success in HE; • T o indicate, using statistics, that the success rate of underprepared students who have participated in the student support programmes at the UJ is higher than that of students nationally who meet the minimum entrance requirements and are accepted into mainstream programmes.
PURPOSE OF RESEARCH PURPOSE OF RESEARCH T o discuss: • How the principles of Academic Development, the First Year Experience and Invitational Education have led to the development of innovative teaching and learning methodologies which are focused on ensuring that all the needs of the under-prepared students in these programmes are met; • How these innovative teaching and learning methodologies have infmuenced the success of students in student support programmes.
SOUTH AFRICAN CONTEXT SOUTH AFRICAN CONTEXT • Numerous educational and curriculum changes since fjrst democratic elections in 1994; • Increased access to Higher Education; • Secondary education failing in its job; • Misrepresentation of students’ knowledge and competence in terms of results; • First generation students; • Underprepared students, teachers, lecturers; • Lack the skills and competencies required for Higher Education studies.
UNIVERSITY OF UNIVERSITY OF JOHANNESBURG CONTEXT JOHANNESBURG CONTEXT • Comprehensive University; • 46,000 students • 9 faculties • ADC ofgers extended diploma (student support) programmes on behalf of the following faculties: • Engineering – 250 students, • Management – 350 students, and • Humanities – 50 students. • 2 models of student support programmes; • Bridging, foundation, extended diploma programmes = student support programmes.
WHAT IS AN EXTENDED DIPLOMA? WHAT IS AN EXTENDED DIPLOMA? • A National Diploma or Degree in which the fjrst year is split over two years in order to upgrade the skills and knowledge required for the chosen fjeld of study and HE; • Ministerially approved programmes extended by one full academic year; • Can be 1 + 3 or 2 + 2 model; • Foundational provisioning must be additional to the coursework prescribed for the regular curriculum; • Substantial foundational provisioning is provided in modules that are identifjed by faculty as “high risk”; • All modules have to be credit bearing; • Diploma programme students have a unique profjle with specifjc needs.
UNDERSTANDING STUDENT UNDERSTANDING STUDENT SUPPORT (AD) PROGRAMMES AT SUPPORT (AD) PROGRAMMES AT THE UJ THE UJ • Embrace a holistic approach and provide support for academic and non-academic programmes; • First year subject course materials used together with additional AD strategies and materials to equip students with the academic and life skills, knowledge and competencies required for entry in HE studies; • Contrary to mainstream courses, students’ prior knowledge is not taken for granted; • Students don’t attend lectures with large numbers of students and are not too intimidated to ask questions; • Receive large amount of feedback when they fail an assessment and as a result they understand where they have gone wrong and how to improve their performance; • AD at UJ focuses on enhancing the quality and efgectiveness of teaching and learning; • Not a band aid approach.
STUDENT PROFILE STUDENT PROFILE • Disadvantaged social and educational backgrounds; • 2nd/3rd/4th language English speakers – functional English insuffjcient to engage in an interactive learning environment; • Lack prerequisite content knowledge or may lack the ability to use knowledge they have; • Interpersonal and communication skills needed for efgective engagement at HE level may be inadequate; • Require pedagogically sound teaching strategies to introduce concepts gradually using examples from their own frame of reference; • Study skills not suffjciently developed to support mainstream subjects; • Although they have come from this context, they have potential to succeed but need efgective programmes to deal with the educational gaps.
EFFECTIVE STUDENT EFFECTIVE STUDENT SUPPORT PROGRAMMES SUPPORT PROGRAMMES Efgective programmes should be based on the intersection between: 1. Emerging ideas around the First Year Experience (FYE). 2. Invitational Education; and 3. The innovative teaching and learning methodologies that characterise Academic Development;
FIRST YEAR EXPERIENCE FIRST YEAR EXPERIENCE (FYE) (FYE) Aimed at ensuring that students are supported during the transition from secondary education to HE. • Issues and characteristics central to FYE • Importance of understanding the students; • Recognise that students in transition frequently change cultures; • Many of those who teach in HE are not well prepared to teach efgectively; • Learning in 21 st Century changed – incorporate new technologies. • Principles of FYE • Familiarise students with physical environment, academic culture & support services; • Develop students’ sense of purpose & direction by promoting their understanding of their course; • Promote and support students’ engagement with the University & their peers; • T o enhance students’ learning by developing their knowledge and skills, taking into account their diverse backgrounds and abilities.
INVITATIONAL EDUCATION INVITATIONAL EDUCATION Powerful process of communicating caring and appropriate messages to summon forth the greatest human potential. • 4 basic assumptions – respect, trust, optimism, intentionality; • 4 levels of functioning • Intentionally Disinviting • Unintentionally Disinviting • Unintentionally Inviting • Intentionally Inviting • 5 areas – People, Places, Policies, Programmes and Processes
ACADEMIC DEVELOPMENT ACADEMIC DEVELOPMENT Defjned as: ‘an open set of practices concerned with improving the quality of teaching and learning in higher education’ Volbrecht and Boughey (2004:58), extended by De Kadt (2008:1) to include ‘the professional development of teaching stafg’. Guiding principles of Academic Development: • T o ensure equity of access and outcomes; • T o ensure the academic success of talented students; • T o develop innovative pedagogic strategies; • T o counteract the ‘articulation gap’ between students’ prior learning and HE’s expectations; • T o enhance the quality and efgectiveness of teaching and learning in HE; • T o exert a positive infmuence on the structure of mainstream curricula.
METHODOLOGY & METHODOLOGY & PEDAGOGY PEDAGOGY • OBE principles – results-oriented, learner focused, curriculum design, content and lecturing are informed by assessment; • Innovative pedagogical strategies and teaching methodologies - acquisition of skills rather than rote based learning of content; • Lecturers with teaching background guide students initially - individual attention and specialised tuition; • Students valued, respected and encouraged, boosts self-confjdence and self- esteem; • Doubts about chosen career path resolved through immersion in discipline; • Provide a strong knowledge and skill foundation; • Students apprised of their efgorts - Progress reports; • Identifjcation and tracking of ‘at risk’ students.
MONITORING UNDER-PREPARED MONITORING UNDER-PREPARED STUDENTS STUDENTS In Class: In Class: • Small group teaching allows for making a realistic appraisal of the students’ prior learning and embedded knowledge; • Identify and manage the struggling student; • Assess continuously using a variety of assessment methods. In the Centre: In the Centre: • Interrogate fjrst assessment opportunity and track students; • Weekly meetings and reports highlight concerns about students – absenteeism, bad attitude; • Mark review meetings followed by consultation with Academic Advisor; • Students below 50% - compulsory Student Academic Intervention Programme.
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