1. Christine Hardy, A&D & Ed Foster, NTU Library
Online induction – 2013
Christine Hardy, A&D & Ed Foster, NTU Library

2. Outcomes
How this work fits into induction & the wider Starting at NTU initiative
Student feedback from 2012
Guidance for course teams on each of the pages
Good practice in pre-entry activities
Deadlines 2013
Take a short break after 30 minutes
How to upload content using Rythmyx – a practical refresher session from Digital Marketing
Questions and problem solving

3. Our overall aim is student transition
Johnston 2010 (p4)
The student experience of change involved in joining the university;
The programmes of academic and other activities, which the university provides to support and enhance student transition
Tinto (1993)
Academic transition
Social transition
3 stages – separation, transition, integration
Tinto interested in integration (later student engagement) which arises through interplay of
Pre-entry experiences & education
Goals and motivation
Institutional experience

4. Transition through the Student Lifecycle
Aspiration Raising
Pre entry & Admission
Initial Induction
First year
Moving through the course
Employ-ment
HEFCE Student lifecycle (2001)

6. Starting at NTU: Aims
Since 2011, functions as a one stop shop for students to:
Complete enrolment & booking accommodation
Some advice & guidance
Series of videos
Social media
Complete the pre-entry stage of their course inductions
Overall aim
Ease transition into HE
Re-engage students with the subject they’ve chosen
Help complete compulsory processes

7. Welcome Week & Initial Induction

8. Initial Induction (Cook & Rushton (2008))
Key expectations (tested with students in 2007, 2008 & reviewed in 2012)
Students wanted:
An opportunity to develop friendships/ form peer support networks
Primarily with students, but also reassurance of knowing staff
To see in advance the course induction timetable
Now through Starting at NTU
To understand the nature of learning and teaching & be reassured that they’ll cope
Structure – course & physical orientation to the campus
Learning and teaching
Support
To understand how the course would benefit them in the future
Less mentioned in 2012
To have a timetable fit around other commitments
Far less important and scarcely mentioned in 2012

9. Welcome Week 2013 Welcome to NTU Changes Monday 23 September
Same essential structure as 2013
Freshers Fairs, Sunday Social, Saturday Antics
Changes
Directly recruiting ‘Network’ Reps
Community of scholars
Induction outside the classroom
Funded opportunities to show off
Earlier activities during the first weekend
More small scale activities throughout the week

10. Extended induction

11. Extended Induction (Cook & Rushton (2008))
Nobody is fully inducted by the end of the first week
Despite the logistical convenience
So how and when do we induct students throughout the first term/year?
Academic tutorials?
Rites of passage approach?
Re induction after Christmas?
Reflective practitioner approach throughout the year?

12. Student Feedback 2012

20. Main issue from 2012 Communications Recommended actions
In 2012, central only
Anecdotal evidence that fewer students attended inductions
Concerns about students not completing pre-entry activities
Recommended actions
Return to School/ Course communication to students about induction
Pointing out the importance of looking at Starting at NTU
Central communications to be sharpened up
Starting at NTU guide
Starting at NTU web pages & s

21. Starting at NTU Course Induction Pages
& pre-arrival activities

22. Deadlines Mid-June Training for staff new to Rythmyx Friday 12 July
Deadline for course induction content to be forwarded from academics to school admin teams
(Please note that as this is the Friday before graduation ceremonies, earlier is definitely better)
Friday 16 August
All induction pages to be finally uploaded by Digital Marketing, early inductions will be uploaded first
All content needs to be uploaded to Rythmyx by this date
(please note that this includes the course induction timetable)

23. Starting at NTU pages Written by the LTC Written by the course team
My Course (5-600 words)
Welcome from the course leader & team
Course description
First year module list
Course design
Pre-arrival induction activity (5-600 words)
Introduction
Purpose of the activity
Description of what students need to do
How the activity will be integrated into the course induction
Contact details
Course induction timetable
Written by the LTC
My learning
Assessment
Academic support

24. Pre-arrival activities
Research task
Bournemouth University nursing
Engaging with the literature
Biological Sciences
Note: It can be difficult to question the information presented in books, but we want you to start thinking critically rather than assuming everything you read is set in stone.
Social networking
Most students are wary at this stage and tend to lurk rather than engage
Key questions about the discipline
Visual diary, engaging with media, write a short (250 words) research paper

25. Good practice
Use it to model behaviour you want students to engage with
But keep it relatively light
Ensure that it is tied into the induction
Use this as lesson in HE
Do the related activity later in induction week
To give students time to catch up if they haven’t done the task before arriving
So they’ll need warning in your first session

26. Thanks very much