JournalTOCs

International Journal of the First Year in Higher Education
Number of Followers: 5

This is an Open Access Journal

Open Access journal
ISSN (Print) 1838-2959
Published by Queensland University of Technology

[3 journals]

Volume 6, Issue 1
- Authors: Karen Nelson, John Clarke, Tracy Creagh
  Abstract: The International Journal of the First Year in Higher Education (Int J FYHE) explores the transition experience of the first year student but this issue, Volume 6 Issue 1, has several unique characteristics. As a publication, it has a significant transition feature of its own: This issue is the last under this title and the current journal is to undergo a transformation, re-emerging with a new title and look in time for the inaugural STARS Conference in Melbourne, Australia in July 2015. These are exciting times, not only for our editorial team, but also for prospective authors as the new journal will broaden the current First Year focus to that of enhancing students’ tertiary experiences across their entire learning journey in all its multiplicity and complexity.
  PubDate: 2015-03-07
  DOI: 10.5204/intjfyhe.v6i1.279
  Issue No: Vol. 6, No. 1 (2015)
The history, content and evolution of The International Journal of the
First Year in Higher Education
- Authors: Tracy Creagh
  Pages: 1 - 10
  Abstract: The International Journal of the First Year in Higher Education (Int J FYHE) began in 2010 with a specific FYHE focus and has published two issues per year with one issue linked to The International First Year in Higher Education Conference (FYHE Conference). This issue—Volume 6, Issue 1—is the last under this title. In 2015 the Journal will align to a new conference that has a broader focus on Students, Transitions, Achievement, Retention and Success (STARS). At this significant point and before we move on to the new journal, the journal team felt it was appropriate that the Feature in this final issue of the Int J FYHE should summarise the Journal’s activity over the years from 2010 to 2014.
  
  PubDate: 2015-03-07
  DOI: 10.5204/intjfyhe.v6i1.278
  Issue No: Vol. 6, No. 1 (2015)
First year students negotiating professional and academic identities: The
case of scholarly soldiers
- Authors: Kate Wilson, Linda Devereux, Paul Tranter
  Pages: 11 - 21
  Abstract: As they make the transition to tertiary study, first year students adopt complex new identities. In professional courses, this entails both academic and professional identities. This paper reports on a study of the first year experience at UNSW Canberra (the Australian Defence Force Academy). UNSW Canberra aims to provide a quality liberal education for future military officers. With on-going military training and supervision, students develop a strong sense of professional identity as members of the Defence Forces. But what of their identity as scholars' This paper discusses the question of academic identity in an institution with a specific professional goal and reflects on the implications for learning advisers and lecturers in professional courses at other universities. Using a framework of social identity complexity, our findings suggest that students who manage these dual identities effectively are more likely to succeed than those who are unable to reconcile their professional and academic selves.
  PubDate: 2015-03-07
  DOI: 10.5204/intjfyhe.v6i1.244
  Issue No: Vol. 6, No. 1 (2015)
Transition Pedagogy for an undergraduate, case-based learning medical
program
- Authors: Lynne Raw, Anne Tonkin, Ray Peterson, Alison Jones
  Pages: 23 - 34
  Abstract: Transition Pedagogy provided a framework for a case-study of the first year experience of students entering Medicine at the University of Adelaide. The first three dedicated areas of the Transition Pedagogy Model were investigated for the 2011 first year cohort. A mixed-methods research design was used with students, academic and administrative staff completing surveys and participating in focus groups. Results revealed that international students experienced a more positive transition to university than domestic students and investigation of strategies explored differences in the first year experience of the two groups in the three areas. International students participated in an International Program and, in comparison with domestic students, received an extended orientation process, additional scaffolding to engage in case-based learning and more consistent support in academic, administrative and personal matters. Evidence from this study supports changes to the first year medical program at this institution and others to improve student transition in the future.
  PubDate: 2015-03-07
  DOI: 10.5204/intjfyhe.v6i1.228
  Issue No: Vol. 6, No. 1 (2015)
The E12 experience: Students’ perceptions of a widening
participation scheme
- Authors: Fiona Ng, Debra Shirley, Karen Willis, Sarah Lewis, Michelle Lincoln
  Pages: 35 - 47
  Abstract: Engaging students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds in higher education is an ongoing issue in the tertiary education sector. Despite schemes to widen participation, low SES entry rates remain below 20% in Australia. Various factors have been posited for the low rates of success and strategies aimed at universities, high schools and individual students have been suggested. The literature on transition to university has informed a student-centred approach and the need to acknowledge dimensions of cultural capital. Resources to address difficulties in transition have been suggested. In this paper we report on qualitative research exploring the perspective of students who entered a Faculty of Health Sciences via a widening participation scheme. Our findings indicate that while transition strategies must be in place, the provision of ongoing material resources is also an integral factor in supporting students.
  PubDate: 2015-03-07
  DOI: 10.5204/intjfyhe.v6i1.260
  Issue No: Vol. 6, No. 1 (2015)
A grading matrix assessment approach to align student performance to
Threshold Learning Outcomes (TLOs) in a large first year biology class
- Authors: Lesley Lluka, Prasad Chunduri
  Pages: 49 - 60
  Abstract: In our large first year biology course, we aim to provide students with clear links between the course delivery framework and assessment. In the first semester of offering in 2008, we determined grades using the traditional weighted average of marks for the assessment tasks. However, of the 99% of students who passed with an aggregate of at least 50%, the lowest performing student obtained only 21% for the examination. Since Semester 2 2008, we have graded the course using a grading matrix approach with specified standards for all the individual assessment components. Analysis of results from this approach showed that 85-89% of students obtained a passing grade, for which a minimum score of 45% for the examination was required. The grading matrix approach provides a measure of each student’s higher order learning of concepts and skills that can be mapped to threshold learning outcomes for the students’ programs of study.
  PubDate: 2015-03-08
  DOI: 10.5204/intjfyhe.v6i1.262
  Issue No: Vol. 6, No. 1 (2015)
A mid-year orientation program: Addressing the needs of mid-year entry
students
- Authors: Regina Sliuzas, Kathy Brady
  Pages: 61 - 71
  Abstract: Whilst much attention has been paid in the last decade to the first year experience of tertiary students, in particular their orientation and transition, little research has focused on students who commence at mid-year. This report provides an insight into the expectations of mid-year entry students and their initial experiences. It reports on a small-scale study associated with an innovative orientation program, Mid-year EXCELerate, designed to better equip these students in their first few weeks at University and to facilitate their transition process. The results indicate that students did not recognise the importance of social support in transition prior to commencing their studies, although the importance of this factor became quite evident to them during their early experiences. Several problems were identified as being particular to mid-year entry and further research will lead to a better understanding of the mid-year entry experience by University policy makers and teaching staff.
  PubDate: 2015-03-08
  DOI: 10.5204/intjfyhe.v6i1.263
  Issue No: Vol. 6, No. 1 (2015)
Increasing student performance by changing the assessment practices within
an academic writing unit in an Enabling Program
- Authors: Keith McNaught, Sophie Benson
  Pages: 73 - 87
  Abstract: The production of high quality academic writing often represents a challenge for students in bridging courses. Often, students lack frequently assumed background skills and knowledge, and may have completed secondary school subjects where extended writing tasks were less common. At the University of Notre Dame Australia, Fremantle Campus, staff responded to concerns about student progress with academic writing within the Enabling Program. It was determined that a trial of scaffolded assessment may be of benefit to students in the acquisition of the necessary skills and knowledge. Scaffolded assessment intentionally breaks a single assessment task into sub-components and attempts to teach the students to replicate the same process on future tasks. Data tracking over three Semester 1 entry cohorts demonstrated the approach was of benefit in both the unit and the overall course when scaffolded assessment was utilised. The benefits and reservations regarding the use of scaffolded assessment are outlined.
  PubDate: 2015-03-08
  DOI: 10.5204/intjfyhe.v6i1.249
  Issue No: Vol. 6, No. 1 (2015)
First year engineering students: Perceptions of engineers and engineering
work amongst domestic and international students
- Authors: Dawn Bennett, Ranjna Kapoor, Kaur Rajinder, Nicoleta Maynard
  Pages: 89 - 105
  Abstract: Despite being well ahead of many other disciplines in establishing strong and evidence-based research and practice, engineering in many countries still experiences high rates of student and graduate attrition. One possible reason for this is that students enter engineering study without understanding the realities of either their degree program or engineering work, and without a sense of motivation and commitment. The research reported here aimed to extend understanding of first year engineering students’ thinking about their competencies, identity, self-efficacy, motivation, and career. The study involved over 1,100 first year engineering students enrolled in a common first year unit. Responses were coded using the Engineers Australia graduate competencies as a framework, and this paper reports findings from the most diverse cohort of students (n=260), of whom 49% were international students with English as their second language. The research identified differences between international and domestic students’ perceptions of self and of career competencies, possibly related to self-esteem. Implications include improved confidence and motivation to learn as students consider their strengths, interests and goals. Further, the research raises the need for analysis of international students’ cultural and educational background to determine how different cohorts of international students self-appraise and how they associate learning with their future careers.
  PubDate: 2015-03-08
  DOI: 10.5204/intjfyhe.v6i1.272
  Issue No: Vol. 6, No. 1 (2015)
Embedding an institution-wide capacity building opportunity around
transition pedagogy: First Year Teaching and Learning Network Coordinators
- Authors: Jennifer Clark, Lisa Gurney, Sarah Lawrence, Rhonda Leece, John Malouff, Yvonne Masters, Jackie Reid, Isabel Tasker, Fredy-Roberto Valenzuela, Janelle Wilkes
  Pages: 107 - 119
  Abstract: A First Year Teaching and Learning Network was established in a regional university with a strong focus on distance education for a very diverse student cohort. The purpose of the Network, which consisted of a Coordinator in each of nine schools, was to support staff teaching students transitioning into tertiary education. The paper explores the theoretical bases of the structure, its current method of operation, its impact so far, and future plans. The development of the Network illustrates how a university can consciously embed opportunities for staff to take ownership of transition pedagogy and thus encourage widespread capacity building amongst their peers. The experiences of the Network in its first two years provide a case study of how institutional support for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, in particular scholarship around capacity building, can be used as a mechanism to promote both staff and student engagement with transition pedagogy resulting in a shift from a second generation approach towards a third generation approach to transition.
  PubDate: 2015-03-09
  DOI: 10.5204/intjfyhe.v6i1.268
  Issue No: Vol. 6, No. 1 (2015)
Engaging, supporting and retaining academic at-risk students in a Bachelor
of Nursing: Setting risk markers, interventions and outcomes
- Authors: Marion Tower, Rachel Walker, Keithia Wilson, Bernadette Watson, Glenyss Tronoff
  Pages: 121 - 134
  Abstract: Student attrition from nursing programs impacts on sustainability of the profession. Factors associated with attrition include: lack of academic capital, extracurricular responsibilities, first generation tertiary students, and low socio-economic or traditionally underrepresented cultural background. Successful Australian government reforms designed to advance equity in higher education have increased student population diversity, which is accompanied by a rise in the incidence of risk factors for attrition (Benson, Heagney, Hewitt, Crosling, & Devos, 2013).This prospective study examined commencing nursing students in their first semester to track critical risk markers associated with attrition, and implemented timely interventions to support subject completion or enrolment perseverance in the event of subject failure. Students who attended orientation, accessed blended learning, attended early tutorials, submitted and passed first assessment items, and studied part-time were significantly more likely to pass the subject overall. Interventions based on good practice principles for student engagement and support resulted in increased retention.
  PubDate: 2015-03-10
  DOI: 10.5204/intjfyhe.v6i1.251
  Issue No: Vol. 6, No. 1 (2015)
Inclusive pedagogy in Australian universities: A review of current
policies and professional development activities
- Authors: Danielle Hitch, Susie Macfarlane, Claire Nihill
  Pages: 135 - 145
  Abstract: This article reports on activities undertaken by Australian universities to support academic staff to provide inclusive teaching. The findings of two lines of inquiry are reported - a desktop audit of the presence of inclusive teaching or universal design for learning (UDL) in publically available policies and procedures documents, and a survey of the methods adopted to build staff capacity to provide inclusive teaching and learning. Just over a third (34.21%) of Australian universities referred to inclusive teaching or UDL in their policies and procedures. A wide range of current practices in professional development for inclusive teaching was reported, with the most frequent being one-off workshops focussing on accommodating specific groups of students. Improved institutional support through policies, procedures and professional development would enable Australian higher education teachers to provide quality inclusive teaching to all students.
  PubDate: 2015-03-10
  DOI: 10.5204/intjfyhe.v6i1.254
  Issue No: Vol. 6, No. 1 (2015)
Applying ‘hope theory’ to first year learning. A Practice
Report
- Authors: Marjorie D Kibby
  Pages: 147 - 153
  Abstract: This paper proposes a model of student support based on student goals and strengths, rather than addressing their weaknesses. It argues that Hope Theory can be used in education as it has been used in counselling to assist students to develop goal setting and a sense of agency by building on their strengths. It suggests that careful curriculum design and engaged learning are essential to building hope and eventual learning success; and that this can be achieved through ongoing collaboration between professional and academic staff. While acknowledging the limitations of a convenience sample, it presents a case study of a single first year course with an enrolment of 250 students.
  PubDate: 2015-03-12
  DOI: 10.5204/intjfyhe.v6i1.248
  Issue No: Vol. 6, No. 1 (2015)
Interdisciplinary approach to clinical placements within Charles Sturt
University School of Nursing Midwifery and Indigenous Health. A Practice
Report
- Authors: Jessica Maree Biles, Brett James Biles, Faye McMillan
  Pages: 155 - 161
  Abstract: The clinical placement environment can be challenging for many students, and for students enrolled in the School of Nursing, Midwifery and Indigenous Health (SNMIH) subject NRS194, Indigenous Cultures, Health and Nursing, being placed in an Aboriginal facility can be daunting and increase anxiety within a cohort. A pilot project within the SNMIH for NRS194 sought to engage the local Aboriginal Health Service through Aboriginal staff and utilising the skills, knowledge and expertise of the Aboriginal Health workers as a conduit to the community. The cross cultural engagement within the SNMIH and the community has meant the cohorts of discipline-specific programs are being exposed to a breadth and depth of diversity within the Australian Health context, with a specific focus on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and their communities. This Practice Report discusses the core elements of this first year placement initiative and the outcomes from the academic lens.
  PubDate: 2015-03-12
  DOI: 10.5204/intjfyhe.v6i1.221
  Issue No: Vol. 6, No. 1 (2015)
The Curtin Coaches: Benefits of an outreach tutoring program for first
year pre-service teachers. A Practice Report
- Authors: Saul Karnovsky, Charles Flodin, Susan Beltman
  Pages: 163 - 169
  Abstract: The Curtin Coaches program represents a dynamic outreach opportunity for pre-service teachers enrolled in their first year of study at Curtin University to engage with school-aged students as classroom tutors. Research has shown that cross-age tutoring experiences in schools can benefit both the students receiving support and those who tutor, particularly in settings where individuals are engaging in community support work. According to program feedback, participants were able to develop a range of profession-related skills such as relationship building and gain new knowledge such as understanding how students learn. These competencies are salient as they align with the newly implemented standards for graduate teachers. Understanding the benefits such outreach programs bring pre-service teachers is vital as the future of HEPPP funded programs such as the Curtin Coaches is uncertain but the importance of Work Integrated Learning is increasing.
  
  PubDate: 2015-03-12
  DOI: 10.5204/intjfyhe.v6i1.252
  Issue No: Vol. 6, No. 1 (2015)
Beginning in the first year: Towards a vertically integrated curriculum
for clinical legal education. A Practice Report
- Authors: Tania Leiman, Deborah Ankor, Jocelyn Milne
  Pages: 171 - 177
  Abstract: This Practice Report discusses the first year of operation of the First Year Clinic Placement Program (FYCP) at Flinders Law School. Lizzio (2006) identifies five key areas (or senses) as important in supporting transition into study: connectedness, capability, resourcefulness, purpose and culture. His sense of culture incorporates clear values, and his sense of purpose incorporates notions of personal development, vocational direction and disciplinary engagement. Embedded in a first year compulsory topic, this FYCP initiative draws on Lizzio’s five senses, and has potential to provide a transformative experience for students, supporting them to develop a positive identity as a holistic legal professional, commencing at enrolment. We envision this as the first stage in a vertically integrated curriculum.
  
  PubDate: 2015-03-12
  DOI: 10.5204/intjfyhe.v6i1.261
  Issue No: Vol. 6, No. 1 (2015)
A friendly destination: Normalising first-year science student
help-seeking through an academic literacy Targeted Learning Session. A
Practice Report
- Authors: Kay Hammond, Joanna Thorogood, Adrian Jenkins, Deborah Faaiuaso
  Pages: 179 - 185
  Abstract: A high priority for tertiary institutions in New Zealand, and globally, is for first year students to have a positive experience of higher education. However, a commonly reported issue is student reluctance to access learning support, even when needed (Hoyne & McNaught, 2013). Previous research addressed this issue with a large number of Arts students through introducing Targeted Learning Sessions in which teaching staff and learning support services combined to offer assistance in one place (Cameron, George & Henley, 2012). Our study replicates and develops their successful session with a smaller number of Medical Imaging students. The students reported appreciating timely help from a range of staff on content, structure and information discovery. Staff enjoyed greater interaction with students and the professional collaborative environment. Our findings also highlighted future practical improvements. This study extends previous research, increasing understanding and demonstrating the wider application of Targeted Learning Sessions in normalising help-seeking.
  
  PubDate: 2015-03-12
  DOI: 10.5204/intjfyhe.v6i1.276
  Issue No: Vol. 6, No. 1 (2015)
Using the factors that have a positive impact on the retention of low
socioeconomic students to prepare accelerated enrolled nurses for the
science units of a nursing degree. A Practice Report
- Authors: Sheila Doggrell, Adam Polkinghorne
  Pages: 187 - 194
  Abstract: At a campus in a low socioeconomic (SES) area, our University allows enrolled nurses entry into the second year of a Bachelor of Nursing, but attrition is high. Using the factors, described by Yorke and Thomas (2003) to have a positive impact on the attrition of low SES students, we developed strategies to prepare the enrolled nurses for the pharmacology and bioscience units of a nursing degree with the aim of reducing their attrition. As a strategy, the introduction of review lectures of anatomy, physiology and microbiology, was associated with significantly reduced attrition rates. The subsequent introduction of a formative website activity of some basic concepts in bioscience and pharmacology, and a workshop addressing study skills and online resources, were associated with a further reduction in attrition rates of enrolled nursing students in a Bachelor of Nursing
  
  PubDate: 2015-03-12
  DOI: 10.5204/intjfyhe.v6i1.277
  Issue No: Vol. 6, No. 1 (2015)
Track and Connect: Enhancing student retention and success at the
University of Sydney. A Practice Report
- Authors: Sophia Barnes, Grace Macalpine, Ana Munro
  Pages: 195 - 202
  Abstract: In 2012, staff in Student Support Services at The University of Sydney piloted an early intervention program to increase first year student engagement and retention. Founded in best-practice, evidence-based research, the Track and Connect program was developed in response to a study into first year undergraduate student attrition by the University’s Planning and Information Office, in consultation with Counselling and Psychological Services. Track and Connect provides tailored advice and support to students identified as at risk of withdrawal from a key first-year subject by demographic markers and on-time data. Trained senior peers contact these students and provide information, encouragement and service referrals at key decision points throughout the semester. This report outlines the program’s development, implementation and early outcomes, and identifies areas for refinement and expansion.
  PubDate: 2015-03-12
  DOI: 10.5204/intjfyhe.v6i1.266
  Issue No: Vol. 6, No. 1 (2015)