UCOL’s new suite of Foundation programmes that prepare students for further study are also proving successful.
“We have also looked at our approaches to teaching and how these affect students’ learning. For example, in our Trades programmes, a lot of thought has gone into understanding the young learners who enrol in a programme and what makes them tick in terms of learning. Students in Automotive Engineering now work on ‘jobs’ in teams, taking a project based approach. Students are now achieving more in a learning environment that is more like real life in the workshop.
“Academic staff teaching in degrees are doing careful analysis of students’ results and realizing the form of assessment may be actually repressing students’ learning. For example, one lecturer noted that students were not coming to labs and that the major assignment based on this work was too separate from the learning. There were timing issues with the final assignment that meant it provided feedback too late for students to adapt their understanding before the final exam. He designed better assessments that require the students to attend labs and to interact with him about their work. Student attendance improved, student learning improved.
“I am proud of our staff, their commitment to student learning and their willingness to adapt their methods in line with good practice and student outcomes,” UCOL Chief Executive said.
Photo: Marty Vreede