First year minus the fear

Most students start uni expecting a very different experience from high school: a bigger campus and even bigger student population, less hours in the classroom and more on independent study, more social activities and greater expectations around managing their own time to meet deadlines.

But knowing it will be different isn’t always enough to prepare students to meet the challenges. That’s where UTS’s First Year Experience (FYE) project comes in.

Designed to help students make the most of their studies, the project works with academics, the library and student support services to create learning environments where students feel they belong and are able to succeed.

UTS’s Learning2014 model adds fresh opportunities and challenges to the mix.

“The emphasis is on empowering students to manage their own learning,” says FYE Project Coordinator Kathy Egea. “Collaboration, feedback and reflection are a big part of the Learning2014 model, however these skills are foreign to many first-year students.

“It’s important to give them some extra support to help them take advantage of the opportunities.” 

As part of the FYE project, each faculty has its own First Year Transition Experience (FYTE) Coordinator who works with academics to implement faculty-specific strategies that help first-year students adjust

Arts and Social Sciences

“A great part of the role is about finding out where people come from prior to entering university, and trying to ease that transition as much as possible,” says FYTE Coordinator Vicki Bamford.

One initiative designed to assist student transition in the faculty is a podcast project in the high-enrolment subject Ideas in History. Created by Senior Lecturers Katherine Gordon and Virginia Watson, the podcasts feature the voices of experienced students, utilising their expertise to provide advice from a student perspective. These high-achieving students explain how to approach critical academic skills like writing a proposal or an essay, in ways new students can relate to.

“The videos were really useful,” says Creative Writing and International Studies student Alessandra Allegretti. “They were relatively informal, colloquial, and helped put things into perspective.”

Business

“The Learning2014 initiative puts more emphasis on students taking responsibility for their own learning. It relies on people being motivated to engage with the coursework,” says FYTE Coordinator Jonathan Tyler.

While some students come to uni with a passion for learning, Tyler points out that the average student thinks of their course as a stepping stone to a good career. So the faculty uses creative techniques to ensure students engage.

In first-year subject Accounting A, lecturers demonstrate use of accounting spreadsheets through a live video feed or ‘screencast’. They then encourage students to create their own three-minute screencast to teach their peers about aspects of accounting for a bonus 10 marks.

“The bonus marks give students the incentive to do the project,” says Tyler, “and having to explain an aspect of the subject gives them a much deeper understanding than they’d get from a lecture or just reading the materials.”

Design, Architecture and Building

“Our students develop confidence as designers by designing over and over again until they become proficient. It’s a way of working that is unique to our disciplines and helping students adjust to it is a priority for the faculty,” says FYTE Coordinator Joanne Kinniburgh.

In fashion, where hundreds of students at a time may be watching instructors perform at sewing machines, Lecturer Donna Sgro recognised that students may not catch all of the information. To address this, she created six videos each showcasing one critical step in the production process for clothing, and posted them on Vimeo where students could use them to learn and revise.

The feedback from students has been positive. “When I raise the question in class, I know people have been watching it,” says Sgro. “I know they are keen and they’ve said it has been helpful in filling the gaps in their knowledge.” 

Engineering and IT

FYTE Coordinator Sally Inchbold also runs Engineering Communication, a first-year subject with up to 800 students enrolments per semester.

“It’s essential students get a sense of what engineering is all about early in their studies," says Inchbold. Through the Engineers Without Borders Challenge within Engineering Communication, students work in teams to develop a design solution to an engineering problem based on real-life remote community development.

Inchbold says,“They’re very positive about the experience and the range of engineering and communication skills it allows them to develop.”

Another initiative within the faculty helps first years come to terms with assessment criteria by working in teams, looking at sample assignments and voting on grades. “Students love the competition and excitement,” says Tutor Julie Sparks.

“Gamifying the grading process provides a social environment for collaborative problem-solving and allows students to see what makes a ‘fail’ or ‘high distinction’ response, and debate and challenge assumptions.”

Health

“This year, some of the first-year nursing subjects had around 740 students and the course is split over two campuses, which is a challenge for academic and social bonding,” says FYTE Coordinator Lisa Townsend.

Clinical placement also means students aren’t on campus some weeks of semester and when they are, it’s very busy.

The faculty has implemented several initiatives to help first-year students handle these challenges, including pairing up second- or third-year nursing students with first years to assist in developing confidence and a sense of belonging.

First-year nursing student Abby Dixon says she found the program very beneficial. “I learnt all the basics such as how to use the equipment, and it felt comfortable because you’re learning from someone you can relate to easily.” 

“We’ve also set up regular first-year representative meetings, which have really helped us get to know and support more students than ever before,” says Townsend.

Law

FYTE Coordinator Maxine Evers fell into the role naturally, having been involved with first-year students through orientation and peer mentoring for many years. For her, Learning2014 has provided an opportunity to introduce a new type of first-year law subject called Ethics, Law and Justice.

The subject is completely seminar-based, with students preparing through private study. They are also encouraged to collaborate in social justice programs developed outside of class time.

“It’s also about engaging with professional identity and self management, using self reflection as a starting point for continuing study,” says Evers.

First-year law students like Cardi Stearnes are positive about the experience. “I think it’s a good subject. It discusses how to approach problems that may arise in the workforce and reminds us how to think critically about what is best for the client.”

Science

“One of the stumbling blocks for many first-year students is understanding and using the technical language of science,” says FYTE Coordinator Yvonne Davila. The student cohort is also large – around 800 in first year – from a diversity of backgrounds.

To address these challenges, science has implemented several projects to support students in developing crucial verbal communication and scientific writing skills from the beginning of the course.

Jurgen Schulte coordinates Physical Modelling, a core subject taught in science for about 700 engineering students each year. “We have somewhere between 40 to 60 students from non English-speaking backgrounds,” he says. “This makes it quite challenging considering many students perceive physics like a foreign language itself.”

Supported by two FYE grants, Schulte is working with linguists to devise diagnostic tests to identify struggling students and assist their comprehension. “I monitor my students continuously and provide individualised support for their specific needs. Ninety five per cent of students find this approach very helpful.”

Need some extra advice or support in first year? Visit uts.edu.au/current-students/commencing-students