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How to fail part1!

How to fail part1!. Or, hopefully, not!. Lynda Thomas ltt:aber.ac.uk. Why Now?. You have found your rooms and lectures You have been here long enough to have some idea of ‘University Learning’ as opposed to ‘School Learning’. We want to warn you of some things that you might not know.

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How to fail part1!

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  1. How to fail part1! Or, hopefully, not! Lynda Thomas ltt:aber.ac.uk

  2. Why Now? • You have found your rooms and lectures • You have been here long enough to have some idea of ‘University Learning’ as opposed to ‘School Learning’. • We want to warn you of some things that you might not know

  3. First, your timetable • Most of you have a 55/65 split in terms of credits • Each 10 credits is supposed to take about 100 hours – that is 40 hours a week for 15 weeks • So, we are expecting you to do work outside what is assessed

  4. Now, the rules • Hand out the student handbook • Also available at: http://www.aber.ac.uk/~dcswww/Dept/Teaching/Handbook/ • It has lots of information about things and people you should know

  5. Marks – 40% is a pass • Your marks will be on your student record • You must pass 100 of 120 credits • If not you can do up to 60 credits of resits in August, or repeat the year • If you fail more than 60 credits you must repeat the year.

  6. Resits • Happen in August – we do not know the exact date until the University tells us • They cost money unless you have an approved ‘special circumstance’ • If you are ill for a significant period of time, get a special circumstances form and hand it in with evidence at reception. (No guarantees)

  7. What if I fail the resits? • You can repeat the year (once) • Unless something changes you will fail again – so you have to consider this carefully • We harass you a lot with special tutorials, attendance requirements, etc.

  8. So, OK then how do I fail? • Don’t read your email – some of you already doing this (there are several clients available) • Don’t manage your time – is a job in a bar a good plan? • Don’t attend lectures – what could you possibly learn? • Leave assignments until last minute – soon enough • Don’t hand in an assignment - so, it is only worth 30% • I hate module XXXX or Lecturer YYYY, I will just ignore them and maybe they will go away • Don’t do more than the minimum – programming especially takes practice • Don’t ask for help!

  9. OK, I’m scared, How do I PASS? • Read email • Attend everything, pay attention, bring a pen • Look stuff up asap • Make friends in computer science • Get a mentor through Signpost if you are shy • Ask for help – lecturers, your tutor, advisory, your CS friends • Do a bit extra on the pracs • Start your assignments on time • ……..

  10. Reflect on your learning – what helps you? • Start a study group? • Read over the slides/notes etc. from last time so you are ready for lectures? • Print the notes before the lecture – maybe? • Bring a pen and write on them (even doodles may help some people). Draw pictures? • …… • Practice Programming – 10,000 hours? • Enjoy yourself too! Computing should be fun

  11. Attendance correlates with performance! Not many people here! Marks Lectures Attended

  12. A personal interest in learning: as a Welsh Learner and a parent • Dw I wedi bod yn dysgu ers talwm! • Having more time and less pressure I have tried to see what helps me • I find that I write notes (even though I often don’t look at them later). That’s OK • I became interested in how different people learn differently.

  13. The rest of these slides are some suggestions about learning computing • See ‘LearningComputing pages www.learningcomputing.org • I may go through the web page or do the slides. Whichever I do why don’t you do the other on your own!

  14. Learning On Your Own Self-directed Learning

  15. The Computing industry needs independent learners • Some of you already do it • The subject changes • Employers need it • We will give you at least one assignment to ‘make’ you

  16. Learning with confidence Growth mindset

  17. C. S. Dweck. Self-Theories: Their Role in Motivation, Personality and Development. Taylor & Francis, 1999 Students carry two types of views on ability/intelligence: • Fixed MindsetView – This view (those who are called “Entity theorists”) treats intelligence as fixed and stable.  These students have a high desire to prove themselves to others; to be seen as smart and avoid looking unintelligent. • Growth Mindset View– This view treats intelligence as malleable, fluid, and changeable.  These students see satisfaction coming from the process of learning and often see opportunities to get better.  They do not focus on what the outcome will say about them, but what they can attain from taking part. True Confession Time: I used to be a fixed mindset person

  18. Search for: Graphic by Nigel Holmes – Stanford alumni association link

  19. Learning your way Learning Styles

  20. Learning Styles • Various approaches: left/right brain, Meyers Briggs, Kolb Learning styles, Felder-Silvermanmodel of preferred leaning style.

  21. Colleagues and I discovered: • That our students had different learning styles – surprise, surprise! • General research shows that if you reflect on your own learning you do better.

  22. Felder-Silverman Learning Style • This identifies what is easy for the student. Felder believes that students need to improve other styles of learning too – you need to get better at all. • Remember this is what you may find easiest – it isn’t actually a test with right and wrong answers. • It may not actually describe you take it all with a pinch of salt

  23. Try it for yourself Felder Learning Style http://www4.ncsu.edu/unity/lockers/users/f/felder/public/ILSdir/styles.htm (we’ll do a short version in the lecture)

  24. Active Reflective • Active: try things out, work with others • Reflective: think things through, work alone When I am learning something new, it helps me to(a) talk about it.(b) think about it.

  25. Sensing Intuitive • Sensing: concrete, practical, facts, procedures • Intuitive: conceptual, innovative, theories and meanings I find it easier(a) to learn facts.(b) to learn concepts.

  26. Visual Verbal • Visual: pictures, diagrams, flow-charts • Verbal: written or spoken explanations In a book with lots of pictures and charts, I am likely to(a) look over the pictures and charts carefully.(b) focus on the written text.

  27. Global Sequential • Global: holistic, learn in large leaps • Sequential: incremental, orderly steps I learn(a) at a fairly regular pace. If I study hard, I'll "get it."(b) in fits and starts. I'll be totally confused and then suddenly it all "clicks."

  28. Inductive Deductive • Inductive: the specific to the general • Deductive: general to specific Felder believes that undergraduate education should always be inductive

  29. What Kind of Instruction do Universities usually offer? The kind at which most of your lecturers have been successful • Reflective (work alone), • Intuitive (theories and meanings), • Verbal (not visual), • Sequential (linear not global), • Deductive (general to specific)

  30. Classic University Learning • Lectures (no slides) • Reading many books to construct your own knowledge • Exams (sometimes completely ‘new’ ways of thinking about the material).

  31. Times have changed (somewhat) • Lectures with slides or printed notes • Have one or more textbooks that you can use for reference • Practical assignments as well as exams • But is there is still an element of this? • So, how do YOU work with it?

  32. Recommendations • Give students a wide range of opportunities for learning • Especially students who prefer active, sensing, visual, global

  33. Examples • Active: group work, experiment • Sensing: practical, not much ambiguity • Visual: diagrams • Global: beware of getting bogged down in detail, or depressed about lack of progress

  34. How to make learning better for yourself – after all it is up to you! • Active: try things out, work with others, write • Reflective: think things through, work alone • Sensing: concrete, practical, facts, procedures • Intuitive: conceptual, innovative, theories • Visual: pictures, diagrams, flow-charts • Verbal: written or spoken explanations • Global: holistic, learn in large leaps • Sequential: incremental, orderly steps • Inductive: the specific to the general • Deductive: general to specific

  35. Learning Thresholds Threshold Concepts

  36. These are concepts that are • Troublesome • Irreversible • Integrative • And maybe other things …. • They take you over a threshold, • See the web site for an interesting ‘linguistic’ example

  37. So….. Enough of all this theory …. But what does it suggest?

  38. How can you get the best marks possible? Some basic things: • Print the notes before the lecture - maybe • Bring a pen and write on them (even doodles may help some people). Draw pictures. • Look up material ASAP that you don’t understand. • Talk to others (teach someone!) • Ask questions (outside lecture if you are shy) • Pin the lecturer down to be practical • Do a ‘bit more’ on the pracs. Don’t just go through motions – practice practice practice • Ask yourself ‘what is this module about?’ (global) • At the end of every lecture have a plan for what to ‘do’ with the information and ideas

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