“Superhighways into the Curriculum and Employability: A Three-Way Collaboration”

Serengul Smith• Learning and Teaching Strategy

Leader

Paula C. Bernaschina• Academic Writing and

Language • Learner Development Unit

Vanessa Hill – Liaison Librarian – Learning Resources

Adam Edwards– Learning Resources– Liaison Manager

– A need for academic and professional development amongst our students

– Many students more interested in what will happen after university (jobs) than what is happening at university (academic work)

The Beginning

– Weak consultation and collaboration between academics, the Learner Development Unit (LDU) and the Library Resources (LR)

– LDU and LR academic and professional development activities are carried out during the first six weeks of the term

• not enough continuity

– Some of these activities overlapped or repeated or were missed within a programme

– Some students saw no clear link to a module’s assessed work

Anecdotal evidence

– Through discussions it became clear embedding employability was an effective way to engage students

– CBI* employability guidelines were mapped onto LDU and LR academic and professional development activities

– Many of the skills were already being developed in an academic context

* Confederation of British Industry

Coming together

Click to edit Master title style

“Embedding Employability Attributes into the 1st year Curriculum”

11 April 2023Slide 5

CBI* employability guidelines

Mapping carried out by LR

Mapping carried out by LDU

* Confederation of British Industry

– The integration has been carried out at a programme level

– to avoid any overlap between modules of a programme

– to ensure all students receive consistent standards of academic and professional development

Embedding skills

Steps of Employability Integration Process

11 April 2023Slide 7

EIS Programmes BIS1200

Split into

clustersModules selected

7 Programme Clusters formed

8 Modules selected

BIS1200

BIS1211

CMT1300 CCM1418

CMT1314

CCM1416

CCM1412 hrm1110

Clustered Programmes and Modules

11 April 2023Slide 8

Cluster 1Sharing the same 1st year Modules

BIS1200

BIS1211

CMT1300

Not Includ

ed CMT1312

Cluster 2Sharing the same 1st year Modules

BIS1200

BIS1211

HRM1110

Not Includ

ed MKT1

112

Cluster 3Sharing the same 1st year Modules

BIS1200

CCM1418

CMT1314

Not Includ

ed LAW1999

1. Forensic Computing1. Business Information Systems & Management

1. Business Information Systems2. Business Information Technology3. Information Technology &

Business Information Systems

 

Clustered Programmes and Modules

11 April 2023Slide 9

Cluster 4Sharing the same 1st year Modules

BIS1200

CCM1418

CMT1300

Not Includ

ed CMT1312

1. Information Technology and Networking

1. Interactive Systems Design2. Information Technology3. Multimedia Computing

 

Cluster 5Sharing the same 1st year Modules

BIS1200

CCM1418

CMT1300

Not Includ

ed CMT1314

Cluster 6Sharing the same 1st year Modules

CCM1416

CCM1418

CMT1300

Not Includ

ed CMT1314

1. Computing Graphics and Games2. Internet Application Development3. Computer Science

Clustered Programmes and Modules

11 April 2023Slide 10

1. Computer Communications and Networks2. Network Management & Security3. Computer Networks

Cluster 7Sharing the same 1st year Modules

CCM1412

CCM1416

CCM1418

Not Includ

ed CMT1314

Module leaders identified relevant and appropriate

–Lab and seminar activities–Assessed work

This was done to carry out seamless integration

Collaboration between LR and EIS

11 April 2023Slide 12

Collaboration between Module leaders and LDU/LR Professionals

11 April 2023Slide 13

Bigger Picture

Collaboration between Module leaders and LDU/LR Professionals

11 April 2023

Modules HoursCCM1418 28 HRM1110 3 CMT1300 12 PDE1300 4CMT0010 13CCM2426 22PDE2251 3BIS3322 2BIS3328 12CMT3320 2CMT3342 4

PDE3253 1BIS4430 2CCM4901 10NCPM@TP 1PDE4230 1.5

Slide 14

TOTAL HOURS

122.5

LR

11 April 2023

Modules HoursBIS1200 30BIS1212 10CCM1416 15PDE1300 5CMT2326 15CMT0010 7BIS3328 12CMT3320 2CMT3340 7CMT3331 9PDE3223 8

CCM4901 10

Slide 15

TOTAL HOURS

130

LDU

• Creating awareness amongst students of the link between their academic work and future professional work

• 1st year students have two challenges

– Becoming university students (academic literacies)– Thinking about preparing themselves for the future

Academic Writing and Language

Areas focused on so far:

– Report writing

– Teamwork

– Reflective writing

– Reading

2011-2012 First year students

Teamwork

Seminars

– Students took part in a team building exercise (Marshmallow challenge)

Lecture

– Tuckman's model of team development

– Belbin's team role theory

– Communication issues

Discussion – Reflection in our lives

– How to reflect

– Importance of reflection in computing field

Writing– Students wrote a reflection on their role in the team building exercise

Reflective writing

Library perspective

Issues

• Inconsistent provision

• Progressive programme

• Bad timing

• Lack of information skills

• Teaching methods

Co-ordination

• School plan

• Structure

• Menu

Methods

• Presentation

• Problem based

• Interactive

• Flexible

• Appropriate

Teaching & learning: basic ideas

• Less is more• Cloning• Discussion• Learning by doing• Learners, not the taught

http://advedupsyfall09.wikispaces.com/Sara+Woodard

Interactive

• Who we are and what we do• Thinking about resources• Keywords• Hands on try it out • Evaluation

Thinking about keywords

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rossjamesparker/89414788/

PDE 1st years

Materials Room @ Hendon

Marks

• Survey of CCM2426 students • 66 attendees, 22 non-attendees

Marks Attendees Non-attendees

Commonest mark 65% 50%

Highest mark 90% 75%

Lowest mark 40% 40%

Bibliography commonest mark

7/10 5/10

40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 900.00%

5.00%

10.00%

15.00%

20.00%

25.00%

30.00%

AttendeeNon attendee

Mark %

% o

f stu

dent

s

What they used and why

Search tools used Attendees Non-attendees

Google 68% 63%

Wikipedia 38% 27%

Summon 68% 40%

Library catalogue 30% 59%

Evaluation criteria Attendees Non-attendees

Current 89% 59%

Relevant 76% 59%

Academic authority 67% 41%

Easy to read 24% 45%

Things to consider

• Good students

• This time next year

• Impact

• Non-attendance

Taking it forward

• Roll-out framework

• Develop activities

• Eye to the future

• Improve

attendance

Conclusions

• Successful framework• Changes have worked• Teaching is more fun• But we can now say...

...Library training gets you better marks!

08/05/12

More fine grained approach to programme design and development

– Integration at programme and module level

– Spiral development of knowledge, skills and experience via LR/LDU academic and professional growth

Future Plans

Any questions?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/milagraceari/4618671983/