1. Who Goes Where?
and why

2. Questions
Q1 - Do staff perceive student groups to sit in a given location?
Q2 - Why do students sit in a given location within the room?
Q3 - Do grade boundaries clusters in a given location within the room?

3. Q1 - Do staff perceive student groups to sit in a given location?

4. "those who struggle and want staff attention sit on the front"
Quotes
"3rd not here"
"Fail - none attendees"
"disengaged: want to have a social towards the back"
"students who don't want to engage at the back"
"those who struggle and want staff attention sit on the front"
"students who are struggling may
sit on the front"

5. High Achievers
(1st class)
likely
unlikely
few
many

6. Good Achievers
(2:1 honors)
few
many

7. Moderate Achievers
(2:2 honors)
few
many

8. (Fail or 3rd class honors)
Low Achievers
(Fail or 3rd class honors)
few
many

9. Staff have a perception that
- students obtaining a good mark will be located near the middle.
- that students obtaining poor marks are at the back and not engaged.
...but is this true?

10. Q2 - Why do students sit in a given location within the room?

11. Students were asked to identify where they were sitting - student number was recorded

12. Second yr
n=151 response =83
(55%)
First yr
n=145 response =124
(86%)

13. Students sit in course groups.
Second yr
Students sit in course groups.
Biomedical Science
Biology
Biochemistry
Human Biology
Present no data
First yr

14. Students were asked the open question.
"Why are you sitting in the location you are today?"
Written responses were blinded and coded F
Wanted to sit with friends H
Can hear the lecturer best, less background noise V
Visual reasons I
To avoid interaction E
Want to engage O
Other

15. Friendship groups are important.
its where there was space near my course mates
course friends are here
because there were three free seats for me and my friends
it was vacant and close to my friends
this is where my colleagues sit
enough room for everyone in friendship group

16. But not all the time.
Cant be bothered with course mates today I'm here to learn
Sit with course mates not so far back cant hear but no so far forward we are sat next to the lecturer
Good view of the board, with course mates
Sit with course mates

17. Ability to see and hear is an influence.
middle to see screen
visual and can hear better with no one talking behind me
good view of the board
not too far forward or back with good view
free space at the front so I can hear
quite near front to see clearly and focus
see without straining

18. Its complicated at the edges.
no conversation behind distracting me
no distractions
Its complicated
at the edges.
have anxiety, and would prefer no one behind me
medical condition - need to be able to leave the lecture theatre if needed
don’t like people behind me
couldn't be bothered walking up more stairs
like being at ends to escape
sitting near the front as I use crutches and its difficult to walk further up the steps
the first row has a desk where I can use both paper and laptop - left handed
convenient desk space left handed

19. Those at the front want to engage. feel more engaged with the lecture
I like sitting in the front rows, as it helps in better interactions with the lecturers
Easier if I have questions
easier to concentrate and hear questions and engage

20. Those at the back don't. people in the front are forced to participate
Like to be present for the lecture but not to be asked questions or engaged fully as this adds pressure and therefore nerves
don't have to interact with the lecturer
don't like to be sat close to the lecturer in case I get asked questions
Those at the back don't.

21. Conclusion Students sit in friendship groups along course lines.
Actively engaged at the front.

22. Q3 - Do grade boundaries clusters in a given location within the room?
40%
40%
40%
40%
50%
50%
50%
40%
40%
50%
60%
60%
60%
50%
40%
40%
50%
60%
70%
70%
70%
60%
50%
40%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
80%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
40%
50%
60%
70%
70%
70%
60%
50%
40%

23. Pair wise comparison of assessment marks
assuming that course clusters work together
course cluster
course cluster A B C D E F G
Total data set
A vs B
B vs C
D vs E
E vs F
F vs G
data plotted as
A vs B
B vs C
data plotted as
D vs E
E vs F
F vs G

24. no link between the marks of people who sit together
First yr
discursive essay A
r=0.130
p=0.257
Student B
Student A
Individual essay task:
no link between the marks of people who sit together

25. no link between the marks of people who sit together
First yr
Exam A
r=0.131
p=0.259
Student B
Student A
Exam mark:
no link between the marks of people who sit together

26. link between the marks of people who sit together
Second yr
problem solving
* non-responders scored 63% A
r=0.408
p=0.002
Student B
Student A
Group work:
link between the marks of people who sit together

27. Exam: this link is followed through in exam
Second yr
Exam
* non-responders scored 36%
r=0.361
p=0.007
Student B
Student A
Exam: this link is followed through in exam

28. Friendship groups obtain similar marks in
First yr
Second yr
Friendship groups obtain similar marks in
problem based assessment
but not
individual written work.
r=0.47
p=0.0004
r=0.41
p=0.002
problem solving
problem solving
r=0.13
p=0.257
r=0.23
p= 0.106
essay
essay

29. Conclusions Staff falsely perceive a grade distributions in the room.
Students that want to engage are at the front but get the same marks as those in other locations.
Similar marks are obtained by friendship groups located together, in problem solving tasks.

30. Final thoughts
Students have complex reasons for where they sit - so should we ask them the move?
Do we need to be more aware of students in academically weak friendship groups?
Beware of what you are assessing in problem solving task and who is really solving the problem.

31. I will now take questions from the back.
Acknowledgments
Thanks to....
Miss Angela Hoare
Dr Mel Lacey
I will now take questions from the back.

32. Conclusion
Friendship groups work together on problem solving tasks and obtain similar grades.

33. Friendship groups obtain high average marks during
an in-class
formative MCQ
task.
n = 74 *

34. No direct link to location and grade was seen
p=0.0004
r=0.41
p=0.002
r=0.13
p=0.257
r=0.23
p= 0.106

35. Are marks linked in problem solving tasks
(working together) but not essays (individual)?
Assessment grades from other modules
were transposed and mapped onto friendship groups.
r=0.47
p=0.0004
r=0.41
p=0.002
r=0.13
p=0.257
r=0.23
p= 0.106

36. Conclusion
Friendship groups work together on problem solving tasks and obtain similar grades.