Enhancement Themes Student Network Post-graduate transitions case study

Transcription

1 Enhancement Themes Student Network Post-graduate transitions case study 1 Please provide the name (s) of author(s): Dr Maria Jackson, Senior University Teacher, University of Glasgow. Maria.Jackson@glasgow.ac.uk Dr Leah Marks, University Teacher, University of Glasgow Leah.Marks@glasgow.ac.uk 2. Please provide keywords linked to this case study: Participation, integration, social activities, support, pre-masters revision, student retention 3 Please list types of transitions referred to in case study (for example, post-graduate, international, work placement, widening participation): Post-graduate; international 3 Case Study Title: Integration of postgraduate students, MSc Medical Genetics 4 Short description (up to 60 words): With students from all over the world, who have varying levels of prior subject knowledge, and who may never have been away from home before, we have several approaches to help with the transition, both to postgraduate study and to living in a new city / country. 5 Case Study (please expand on the outline already provided. Max 1000 words): Integration challenges in postgraduate study For many students it will be a daunting experience to leave behind friends and family, and arrive alone in a new city, perhaps in a foreign country. When the programme of study starts it can appear that everyone else in the class already knows much more about the discipline, leaving some students

2 feeling lost academically too. We have introduced a number of practices which help to integrate postgraduate students into our MSc in Medical Genetics class, both from a social and an academic perspective. Meeting online before the start of the programme To ensure that the new students have already had a chance to get to know their future colleagues, they are invited, from about three months before the start of the academic session, to join a class Facebook page. The Facebook page can facilitate arranging shared accommodation or meeting up to explore the city upon arrival in Glasgow; it also provides a forum for queries and we ask a few of the previous class to join the Facebook group, as current student views can be particularly helpful. Revision material for catch-up Prior knowledge of the subject (in our case, Medical Genetics) can vary greatly since we bring together graduates from both clinical and science backgrounds, with several different first degree subject disciplines from an array of different universities worldwide. For a few students the first weeks of the MSc programme represent a very steep learning curve, which may seem insurmountable. To make the transition easier we generated an online Basic Genetics revision resource for students to use in the weeks before the official start of the programme. Initially we created a Teacher Tube classroom, but we now plan to deliver the material using the Moodle platform which students will continue to use during their formal study period. Links to existing online learning resources are provided but some of the material used (video and quizzes) has been generated by our previous students, which therefore provides useful experience for our graduates as well as helpful material for incoming students. Even students with first degrees in Genetics often tell us that having the Basic Genetics revision material available was beneficial prior to the start of the MSc, as a way of easing back into study and reminding them of previous learning. Introductory games Our MSc programme starts with an introductory day which is mostly fairly boring stuff, but recently we ve been spicing it up by including some

3 games to get the students interacting with each other and with staff. For example name bingo, in which we distribute a paper list of about 15 characteristics (for example, someone who has a pet / was born in July / has never Tweeted / plays a team sport / likes science fiction), and the participants (students and staff) have to find a person who matches each characteristic and write their name against the characteristic. Each name can only be used once and the winner is whoever is first to have a name beside each category. Students are divided into teams to build bridges from paper and sellotape that will span about 40cm and support the weight of a genetics textbook (time allowed: about minutes); the strength of the bridges is tested by placing large genetics textbooks one-byone on the bridges until they collapse (great fun to watch!); the winner is the bridge that holds the most books before collapsing! Progress and planning Each student has a meeting scheduled with an academic at least once per semester at which progress can be reviewed and career aspirations discussed. This circumvents the reluctance of some students to request a meeting with staff to discuss key issues, and we find that these meetings are very useful in helping students to think about approaches to study as well as how to achieve their goals. Social events throughout the year The studying gets underway from day 2, but throughout the year we have regular social events that provide a break from the hard work, and represent further opportunity for staff and students to interact in an informal setting. Popular events each year include ten-pin bowling, a lunch featuring Scottish foods to celebrate St Andrew s Day, an international lunch (where students contribute something from home, and we aim to generate a class recipe book ), and country walks. We are happy to celebrate the feast days of every culture / religion with chocolates or other appropriate edibles! The highlight of the year is an awayday in May (just prior to the start of the dissertations) for which we book a coach to take us to Culzean Castle & Country Park; in addition to seeing the sights we once again have a series of individual / team games and challenges.

4 A second family Many of our students tell us that Medical Genetics has been like a second family : a home from home. This can be particularly important to students affected by personal issues or students who are disappointed by their academic performance. Although the principal aim of students in undertaking postgraduate study is (probably) to acquire an academic qualification, social events throughout the year help to foster a team spirit, and ensure that students have memories of their Masters degree that don t centre only on academic achievement. 6 Contact details (please provide name and address details of someone who web readers should contact if they would like further information about this case study): Dr Maria Jackson Maria.Jackson@glasgow.ac.uk Dr Leah Marks Leah.Marks@glasgow.ac.uk

5 Day 1 - bridge building Awayday team games