STUDENT 2010

When I was a lass.

Last term more than 350 of our students; full and
part time, young and old, vocational and
academic, took part in a survey which looked at
their lifestyles, learning styles and relationship
with technology.

These are the results...

 Who are our students?
 80% are 16-19 year olds with most being 16
 Most travel more than 6 miles to college
 Over half take more than 30 mins to get here
 The majority rely on public transport

Should our college timetable take the sleeping

patterns of 16 year olds and the public transport
timetables into account?
 Their learning styles

They prefer group work to studying alone and

trying things out over reading
 Their learning styles
Should our classrooms be redesigned to suit their preference for hands-
on group work?
Should we be engaged in a lot more peer assessment and peer
mentoring?
How do we fairly assess group work?
How do we record progress on these paper-less group activities? More
video and photography of student work? More tutor observations?
Could we assess using more collaborative essays and group work on
wikis etc. or deliver and assess more assignments via social sites?
Has powerpoint had its day?
Can we get used to a classroom without handouts?
 Their learning styles

Most of them spend several hours a week on

homework
 Their learning styles

Most of their homework is on computer

 Their learning styles

They rarely read a book

 Their learning styles
How do we ensure that their work on computer provides the depth and thought that
traditional book-based work provided? Maybe get more expert involvement via blogs
and forums and more online discussion between tutors and students to thrash out
issues.
How do we guarantee the legitimacy and pedigree of their resources? Perhaps make
more use of the electronic resources available through Athens and recommended
portals. Involve the library staff more.
How do we keep them safe online when they are doing homework off campus without
the safety of websense? Have all students complete an online safety course that gives
them a sort of college approved internet driving license. Perhaps advanced users could
have more freedom on college computers?
Are they focused and concentrating enough to get the most from their studies?
What are they missing if they do not read? Maybe we should encourage book clubs as
extra-curricular activity, get in guest authors etc.
 Their learning styles

They study to better themselves and prepare for

employment
 Their learning styles
Can we increase the involvement of potential employers by including even
more assignments with a professional or vocational edge. More live briefs.
More real clients. More visiting lecturers.
At the moment many tutors and potential companies for placements are put off
by the amount of paperwork and administration involved in giving students
the opportunity to visit firms and take part in placements. What can we do to
make work placements more accessible while keeping the students safe?
Streamline the placement forms by filling in as much as possible before
passing to the employer? Do more of the pre-placement checks by telephone
interview? Build a central database of safe employers and re-cycle data across
college.
Their Lifestyles
Their Lifestyles
 Their lifestyles
They are not big joiners and not active politically. They do not get out and about much
at all with just the odd trip to cinema and very little time involved in sporting activity.
Should we be encouraging more activity by putting more resources into college
environmental clubs, preferred charities and better links with local cultural
organisations ... college night at Komedia or invite more bands, troupes and companies
to use us as a venue or put on special college performances in other Bath venues?
Most do not have any type of part time job and have no responsibility at home with few
spending any time caring for the house or family.
They are very sociable though and spend most of their free time socialising with
friends or family.
How they fit this in I don’t know .... You will see what I mean when you see how many
hours they spend on youtube, facebook and listening to music. Perhaps these hours are
counted as socialising?
Their Lifestyles
 Their Lifestyles

Should we be texting them more and set up a system to

record and manage text-based communications.
Their Lifestyles
Their Lifestyles
Their Lifestyles
 Their lifestyles
Perhaps they can socialise while simultaneously facebooking and youtubing
and listening to music? They are great multi-taskers.
Should we stop worrying when they appear to be facebooking or listening to
their ipods rather than working? I can’t.
Could we exploit their incredible love of music (some listen every waking
hour) by promoting and supporting a college internet radio and surreptitiously
drop worthy, useful information in between the songs. Could we widen their
horizons, think equality and diversity, by encouraging a range of music styles
from different eras and cultures. It could also showcase student work and be
the voice of the college.
Should we produce more learning materials that can be accessed on their
ipods, encourage them to record lectures on their phones etc.
Relationship with Technology
 Relationship with Technology
They are really kitted out ... Fully teched-up.
Most have either the newest versions of windows & or windows vista or the
newest macs. Most have internet enabled phones or iphones or other mobile
devices.
Of those that have not got an internet phone or laptop, most expect to get one
in the next 12 months.
Those without this kind of technology are a small minority. Perhaps we can
afford to provide those few with netbooks or mobile devices to ensure
everyone has access. Should the college set up a loan scheme?
Keeping up with the technology of our students is going to be a real
challenge!! It gives me nightmares and I am a geek. So how the non-geeks
feel, I don’t know.
There will have to be some rethinking of IT budgets, staff development hours
and so on to future-proof us.
Relationship with Technology
 Relationship with Technology
Yes ... You read right.

92.5%
We can’t fight that. Should we migrate from Moodle to Facebook? A few departments
have already moved from Moodle to google docs and facebook but other departments
are only just getting to grips with Moodle. However, after 10 years ... has Moodle had
its day?
Using Facebook would set its own raft of challenges, security of data, inability to
properly manage and support it etc. But do the problems outweigh the benefits? Are we
too tech-weary to move to a new system yet?
Perhaps we should hurry up and make a decision as there is already new technology
waiting in the wings to take over from Facebook as social networking goes mobile.
Relationship with Technology

Could we exploit this confidence by having

student IT mentors to support non-tecchy staff?
Relationship with Technology
Relationship with Technology
 Relationship with Technology
Reassuring to hear that they feel safe and have not been victim to cyber
bullying ... Do they really know how to stay safe or are they being naive?
Could we have a kind of safe internet driving license that they have to study
for during induction that promotes an awareness of internet safety and policy
on cyber bullying, proper use of IT. Perhaps there could be an optional
advanced user license that involves students really getting to grips with the
issues of internet safety, data protection, privacy, scams, use of technology etc.
These advanced users could perhaps have greater access and freedom on their
IT accounts as an incentive?
Would it be workable to have panic buttons on the pcs that link directly to IT,
screenshot and lockdown a computer when hit?
What they think of the college

Good or Excellent!!!
What they think of the college

Good or Excellent!!!
What they think of the college

Good or Excellent!!!
What they think of the college

Good but should improve with

etracker!!!
What they think of the college

Good but could be better if we act on the

results on the customer service survey and big
conversation!!
What they think of the college

Good or excellent!!
 What they want

Wireless laptops!
What they want
What they want
What they want
 What they want
More flexible delivery.
More distance, remote learning.
More learning in the work place.
Should we be supporting students with mobile technology to allow easier
access to learning materials away from college? Showing students how to
access the library catalogue, get e-books and Moodle on their mobile phones?
Should we be structuring more courses to fit a more flexible, modular
delivery?
Should we be putting more resources into the creation of distance learning
materials?
Should we be making better use of social networking, skype and mobile
technology?
 What do you want?
After those results you probably want a bottle of brandy followed by at least a year’s
intensive retraining.

I hope it has got you thinking and that the potential challenges seem exciting rather
than too daunting. The young at heart will no doubt be unsurprised by the results and
eager to embrace change. Please be patient with the rest of us.

This is just my two penn’orth. So feel free to disagree.

Catherine
Daunted but not beaten ... and always up for a challenge.