There are a host of resources and activities for staff teaching first year students. Whether you are a topic coordinator or tutor the following resources, workshops and communities will be of value.
The First Year Strategies Support (FYSS) portal houses the First Year Support Strategies site (Strategies site) demonstrating good practice in teaching first year students (both in fully online and blended teaching). It includes a broad array of ideas and activities to suit most topics and outlines how and why they might be useful. A ‘mock topic’ also sits alongside the Strategies site and demonstrates how many of the resources can be used in blended learning delivery. Both online and blended ‘shells’ are also under development for easy transfer into first year FLO sites. The portal also links to the First Year Community of Practice (FYCoP) FLO site (accessible to its membership).
The FYCoP has been running since 2009. Meeting monthly, it provides a venue for staff who teach and support first year students to: meet colleagues, discuss ideas and hear about what others are doing. Attending meetings is not compulsory as members can access resources via the FYCoP FLO site. To find out more or join the FYCoP please contact Ann Luzeckyj (ann.luzeckyj@flinders.edu.au) or Sue Pyke (Susan.pyke@flinders.edu.au).
The following workshops (all held in Room 1300, Physical Sciences Building) may also be of interest:
- Developing pedagogy that supports first year undergraduate students’ learning (January 31st, 9:30 – 12:30)
- Supporting successful group work outcomes (February 21st 9:30 – 12:00)
- Sessional staff: Supporting the success of your first year students (February 20th, 9:30 – 12:30)
- Science & Engineering Demonstrator Training: working with first year students (February 22nd 9:30 – 12:30)
For more information or to enrol visit: http://www.flinders.edu.au/staffdev/index.php/teaching
Contributed by Dr. Ann Luzeckyj
Senior Lecturer in Higher Education