Creating connections with the classroom experience

1. Creating connections with the classroom experience Ruth Taylor The Robert Gordon University ruth.taylor@rgu.ac.uk

2. Introduction • Initial findings from a PhD: • A case study on the first year experience of undergraduate nursing students pre- and post-curriculum change • Context • Methodology/methods • Findings: overview • Classroom experience • Conclusions and recommendations

3. Background and context • Curriculum development • Political and other drivers • Enhancing the student experience • Transition and adjustment • Academic and social integration • Student retention and performance • Use of enquiry-based learning

4. Methodology and methods • Case study research • Methods • Expectations and experiences questionnaires • Experiences interviews – leavers • Experiences interviews – stayers • Diaries

5. Findings: overview • Creating connections with people • Broadening horizons, knowing self and others, being supported and valued • Creating connections with the classroom experience • Creating connections with the practice experience • Feeling inspired, becoming empowered, engaging with the learning experience • Creating connections with professional education • Motivation, preparedness, making adjustments

6. Classroom experience • Feeling inspired • Enthusiasm, approachability, good interactive skills, humour, approachable • Similar findings for ‘traditional’ and ‘EBL’ “You learned that a lot of tutors have their own way of teaching.... You’ve got the odd one that speaks the same all the way through and I find it hard to keep listening.” Mark, EBL group, interview, stayer “Most of the tutors have been fantastic and encourage your learning through discussion, resources, or providing a listening ear for your ideas and thoughts.” Fiona, EBL group, diary, stayer

7. Classroom experience • Becoming empowered • Managing volumes of information and assessment • Researching and discovering knowledge • The ‘EBL’ group demonstrated greater empowerment for learning than the ‘traditional’ group, as did those who stayed (as opposed to leavers) “What has been good is the amount of self-directed study. I think it highlights how much you want to learn or how much you don’t.” Fiona, ‘EBL’ group, diary, stayer “I suppose that I’m quite a motivated person really so I liked the challenge of trying to teach myself. But I suppose I’d never really thought about what university was going to be like. I mean, I enjoyed it, but it’s a hard way to learn.” Laura, ‘traditional’ group, interview, leaver

8. Classroom experience • Engaging with the learning experience • Benefits of small group work as opposed to lectures • Positive group experiences for ‘EBL’ participants; more engagement with the learning experience • Positive comments on skills teaching, particularly for ‘EBL’ group “I’m not saying lectures aren’t good. I’m sure they wouldn’t use them if they didn’t work. But for me I just prefer smaller groups.” Aileen, ‘traditional’ group, interview, stayer The EBL activities helped me more now [entering 2nd year] than they did then. It didn’t seem to make sense when we were doing it, but it does now.” Rebecca, ‘EBL’ group, interview, stayer “Doing the clinical skills gives you the background before you’re out in placement.” Tessa, ‘EBL’ group, interview, stayer

9. Conclusions • Students value enthusiastic, approachable and humorous lecturers who interact well with students • Students appear to understand what it means to be empowered learners, but some find the process more challenging than others • The use of enquiry activities and formative assessment facilitate students’ engagement and learning, and their empowerment • Students prefer to work in smaller groups as opposed to being taught in lecture theatres

10. Recommendations • Exploration of ‘performance’ in the lecturer skill set • Create opportunities for interaction in the classroom • Awareness of, and appropriate support for, different levels of student preparedness and style • Curricula should incorporate assessment/enquiry activities that contribute to the learning process • Teaching should take place in smaller groups where possible • The use of ‘learning communities’, or the like, will facilitate many of the recommendations: Creating connections is the key