Event report

Transition Issues for Bioscientists/Scientists

Thursday 13 March 2008

Norwich, ZICER Building, University of East Anglia. Directions to Norwich and the University of East Anglia.

Higher Education Institutions across the UK are developing and implementing a wide range of strategies designed to better serve the student experience in the biosciences. While the issues are not unique to the biosciences, there are many ways that institutions, departments, schools and individuals are assisting with student transition into and while in the university experience. We were very pleased that Tony Cook, STAR Programme Leader from the University of Ulster, was able to share the experiences of the very successful Student Transition and Retention (STAR) Programme. Throughout the one day event a variety of different programmes, events, and other strategies that have been successfully used by different departments and/or institutions were highlighted.

Programme
10.00	Registration; Tea and Coffee
10.20	Welcome and Introduction to the day
10.30	Keynote: "Dimensions of Student Transition" Tony Cook, Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Life and Health Sciences, University of Ulster, and STAR (Student Transition And Retention) Programme Project Leader
11.30	Refreshments
11.45	Institutional Strategies for Transition Into and Within University What strategies are institutions participating in to assist prospective science students with the transition to university? Teaching mathematics and literacy to first year students - Harriet Jones, School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia Supporting retention across an institution, Eleanor Cohn, Principal Lecturer - Biology and Ecology, School of Applied Sciences, University of Wolverhampton
12.45	Lunch
13.40	Workshop - What do students know as they enter university? The workshop will investigate departmental and institutional practice(s) with an aim to better understanding the previous learning experiences of our students. Facilitated by Janette Myers, Senior Lecturer in Student Learning and Support Centre for Medical and Health Care Education, St George’s, University of London
14.20	Departmental Strategies Promoting Transition/Retention What are individuals or departments doing to assist prospective science students with the transition to university? The role of residential courses in Year 1 induction, Mark Langan, Senior Learning & Teaching Fellow, Department Environmental and Geographical Sciences, Manchester Metropolitan University PASS: An example of integrated student support within an academic school, Sue Robbins, Senior Lecturer in Biochemistry, School of Life Sciences, Oxford Brookes University
15.00	Refreshments
15.15	Swapshops Institution/Departmental Groups - Experiences of assisting with transition and retention in the Biosciences/Sciences Second year induction and transition, Kay Yeoman, Lecturer, School of Biosciences, and Helen Webster, Learning Enhancement Co-ordinator, University of East Anglia Experiences of transition from school to UEA, Samantha Vogt, Rebecca Kitchen and Ellen Taylor, University of East Anglia students
16.00	Reflections of the day and close Anne Vallins, Transitions Project Officer, University of East Anglia

Summary of the day (link to pdf)

Resource list compiled from speaker's presentations.

Additional resources:

Fundamental Problems, a 2 July 2009 Times Higher Education article, written by Harriet Jones presents her experiences at University of East Anglia on the numeracy and literacy skills of first year bioscience students

2007 Science Learning and Teaching Conference proceedings page 134 focused on 'The Secondary/Tertiary Interface'

STAR(Student Transition And Retention) Programme includes project booklets

Higher Education Academy (HEA) documents and reports under a search for 'first year students'.

Scottish Enhancement Themes publications