WESTMINSTER EXCHANGE. GIS Guided Independent Study A Brief Guide

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1 WESTMINSTER EXCHANGE GIS Guided Independent Study A Brief Guide Edition 2, March 2010

2 WESTMINSTER EXCHANGE University of Westminster Westminster Exchange is a central academic unit of the University. Our purpose is to promote high standards of learning and teaching across the University. We do this by offering a range of activities to support staff in their efforts to improve the student experience and produce graduates who are self-motivated and independent lifelong learners. This guide has been designed for colleagues in the University who support students learning. This and other Westminster Exchange Guides can be downloaded from: westminster.ac.uk/schools/exchange/resources/learning-andteaching-guides For general enquiries contact Davina Saliba ext 3371 or salibad@westminster.ac.uk GIS Guided Independent Study: A Brief Guide A Westminster Exchange Guide Will Whitlock and Ann Rumpus, Westminster Exchange Edition 2, March 2010 Edition1: May 2008 The copyright in this work is vested in University of Westminster and the document is issued in confidence only for the purpose for which it is supplied. It must not be reproduced in whole or in part or used for tendering or manufacturing purposes except under an agreement or with the consent in writing of the University of Westminster and then only on condition that this notice is included in any such reproduction. No information as to the contents or subject matter of this document or any part thereof arising directly or indirectly there from shall be given orally or in writing or communicated by any means whatsoever to any third party being an individual firm or company or any employee thereof without the consent in writing of the University of Westminster. Westminster Exchange, University of Westminster (2010)

3 GIS Guided Independent Study: A Brief Guide Will C. Whitlock and Ann Rumpus Westminster Exchange Contents 1. What is GIS? What are the Purposes of GIS? Placing GIS in the Context of the Module and Course Questions to Ask when Planning and Delivering GIS Further Reading

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5 1. What is GIS? GIS Guided Independent Study: A Brief Guide Guided independent study (GIS) is a highly desirable aspect of learning in all courses, throughout their delivery; work is given to student to undertake on their own or in group, but with structured guidance (resources may also be provided, where appropriate to the task and level of study). Recent attention to student independent study has resulted in the designation of certain weeks in the University calendar as primarily for GIS. The University Calendar from 2010/11 onwards expects that GIS weeks will be included in all courses but leaves it to the Schools to determine where within the semesters these will fall. Course teams should use this as an opportunity to help students develop independent learning habits and to extend their learning experiences. Course Teams are encouraged to be imaginative in the development of GIS activities. These activities might usefully include the following not an exhaustive list any of which could be included as features throughout the learning experience of a module and course. a. Selected extracts from texts and/or journal articles with questions to guide and direct student engagement and outcomes. b. A small information retrieval exercise directed to help consolidate, integrate or induce learning. At Level 4 this might include more indication of information sources which can be used than it would at Level 6. c. A data analysis exercise or case study to provide practice and as a means to facilitate critical interpretation. d. An online short-answer quiz, which is formative and that is designed to help students assess their learning prior to a summative assessment. Answers can be provided, with recommendations of further texts the student can explore, or these can be discussed in a later class. e. Asking students to undertake an online simulation exercise, possibly in groups. f. Independent (and safe) practical exercises in laboratory or studio for consolidation and reflection. g. Museum or gallery visits with directed assignments to meet specific learning outcomes. h. Activities to review a range of resources (library, case studies, projects, dissertations) with a view to developing a draft project proposal. i. Online learning activities with resources designed specifically to provide feedback on learning. j. Undertaking a peer assessment activity, as a group exercise, possibly online. k. Small-group activities or action learning sets associated with consolidation, review or revision. l. A reflective exercise to promote self-awareness and to help the students contribute to their Personal Development Planning (PDP) processes/portfolios. m. A small scale project using data gathering from outside the University (but ethically acceptable). n. Tasking the student to reflect on their broader experience from work and life so as to develop their own examples to underpin their theoretical understanding (and to contribute to their PDP). o. Making contact with an employer or using resources to analyse a particular employment role in the context of the subject being studied.

6 These examples highlight the principles of GIS as a means by which students learn to work on their own, adopt enquiry-led approaches to learning, develop their individual learning habits and become self-aware about their learning capabilities, so that they graduate as lifelong learners. Students are not necessarily capable in these areas when they commence their degree studies, but through appropriate guidance they can be encouraged to develop their abilities. Although the current University focus is on transition at Level 4, this applies equally well at postgraduate level, where students might need support in applying work-based experience to their learning, and studying at a greater level of intellectual demand and autonomy. The GIS periods in the course delivery calendar formally recognise the importance of course teams providing structure and support to students in developing their knowledge and their cognitive and graduate skills. However, it is essential that these GIS periods are seen as a fundamental part of the learning strategies that support the students in achieving the learning outcomes of their course and modules. GIS is not simply leaving the students to work on their own in an unstructured way. Nor is it simply an add-on to the learning experience that is unrelated to the learning outcomes of the provision. The most effective strategy for GIS is when it is a purposeful part of the whole course/module learning and teaching strategy so that GIS weeks are integrated with GIS activities throughout the course/module. The most effective activities are those that are designed to consolidate, integrate, or induce better understanding and deeper learning. 2. What are the Purposes of GIS? GIS can have a number of purposes not mutually exclusive that may be to: help students to understand what they are expected to learn independently (especially at level 4); support reading and writing as core activities directed to information retrieval; enable students to uncover new knowledge and understanding, through enquiry led approaches; help students to apply concepts or theories to more practical elements of the course; enable students to practice core techniques and manipulative skills central to the discipline; encourage the students to draw on a wider range of sources of information; support students in understanding a wider range of research approaches; help students to integrate learning from a variety of sources and/or from a range of modules; support students in applying and developing their analytical and critical review abilities; and encourage reflection and a greater level of self-awareness, hence contribution to the development of PDP and Career Management Skills. 2

7 3. Placing GIS in the Context of the Module and Course Course and module teams should consider how they develop their students capabilities in these respects during the course and individual modules, and what learning outcomes are being supported through GIS. It is important that students understand how GIS relates to the rest of the module/course and how it relates to their preparation for assessment and perhaps later modules. Teams, in developing their approach to GIS will want to ensure that students are not overloaded during designated GIS periods. The GIS activities should not exceed the normal expected study time for a student on that module. The context of a course attendance mode full-time, part-time, September or January start, mixed mode should be taken into account. It must be made clear to students how GIS activities during the course and the designated calendar periods are designed to support their learning. This maybe for example: through helping them to prepare for and improve their performance in assessments, with reference to particular assessments they will be undertaking; or to build on so as to develop their learning further in later parts of the module; or to get students to work together and so develop their group working skills more fully; or as a contribution to their CV development and future employability. Clear guidance in what is expectedand any necessary materials and resources to support students in their GIS activities should be identified and, ideally, provided physically or electronically. You might well wish to provide more support and resources at earlier levels in the course. It is not expected that activities during the designated GIS periods should necessarily require staff to provide individual feedback to the students on their performance although this might be appropriate in periods following GIS. However, generic feedback on the outcomes of a GIS activity might be provided, on the module Blackboard site for example or through classrooms discussions, to provide students with a means to selfevaluate their learning. Staff will however want to build in means by which they can monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the activities in order to inform annual monitoring reports. 4. Questions to Ask when Planning and Delivering GIS The foregoing will have raised many questions for course and module teams as to how best to design their GIS approaches and activities. The following questions are provided to help teams in their discussions on GIS, these questions are not given as imperatives but as a tool for discovery. a. Has the team agreed the principles and purpose of GIS in the learning and teaching strategy? b. Have cognate groups of courses (or Department or School) developed a set of principles or policy on GIS? c. Have teams (or Departments or Schools) identified good current practice that may be used as the basis of a whole course strategy? 3

8 d. What learning outcomes of the course or module are you trying to develop through GIS? e. What are the benefits of these activities in enhancing your students learning experiences? f. Have you explained to the students how these activities will support their learning? g. Have you considered the loading on students during the designated GIS periods? h. What are the consequences for students who do not engage in these activities? i. Do the GIS activities develop a greater degree of autonomy of learning as student progress through the course? j. Are the instructions to the students clear, and easily available? k. Have you made these instructions available in plenty of time for students to ask any questions they might have? l. Are the resources the students might need readily accessible? m. Have you built into the GIS activity sufficient reflection or feedback such that the student can learn? n. Have you linked GIS to PDP and Career Management Skills? o. How does GIS support the delivery of work-integrated learning, entrepreneurialism and employability within the curriculum? p. Are the efforts of staff in producing these activities and maintaining the resources worthwhile in terms of the learning support they will deliver? 5. Further Reading Biggs, J. (2003), Teaching for Quality Learning at University. Buckingham, SHRE: Open University Press. Boud, D., ed. (1988), Developing Student Autonomy in Learning (2nd ed.). London: Kogan Page. Cottrell, S. (2003), The Study Skills Handbook (2nd ed.). London: Palgrave Macmillan. Habeshaw, T., Habeshaw, S. and Gibbs, G. (1997), 53 Interesting Ways of Helping Your Students to Study (2nd ed.). Bristol: Technical and Educational Services. Tait, J. and Knight, P., eds. (1996), The Management of Independent Learning. London: Kogan Page in association with SEDA. Knowles, M. (1975), Selfdirected Learning: A Guide for Learners and Teachers. Chicago: Follett Publishing Company. Northedge, A. (2005), The Good Study Guide. Milton Keynes: Open University. Race, P. (1996), Effective Learning: A Fresh look at Independent Learning, University of Durham. city.londonmet.ac.uk/deliberations/eff.learning/indep.html Rumpus, A., Whitlock, W. and Webster, J. (2009), Principles and Processes of Curriculum Design. Edition 2, WEx Guide, University of Westminster. 4