1. Cath Gordon
Learning and Teaching Conference
June 2012

2. Overview
 Context
 Theoretical background
 Literature review
 Critical analysis of two papers
 Pilot study aims and objectives
 Methodology
 Summary
 References.
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3. Context
Attrition statistics for 2005-09 (Health Sciences)
30
25
24
20
% attrition
15 15
14 14
13
10
9 9
5
0
all DR N OT OR PT RT
Programmes
national figures RT 48% and DR 32%; others reflect national picture
Courtesy of Eileen Thornton
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4. Reasons
Other Transferred Other
Transferred Financial Financial
3% 2% 0%
7% 7% 7%
Health
4%
Health
5%
Academic
33%
Personal
14%
Academic
50%
Personal
19%
Wrong
career
Wrong 23%
career
26%
Reasons for leaving - all programmes Radiotherapy
Courtesy of Eileen Thornton
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5. NSS 2010 – Results analysis
Overall satisfaction
RT
PT
OR
OT
N
DR
UoL
0 20 40 60 80 100
Courtesy of Eileen Thornton
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6. Theoretical Background
Powerful Learning Environments
 clear learning outcomes, teaching strategies and
assessment all of which are constructively aligned in
order to maximise the students learning in a powerful
learning environment
 ‘team based, often interdisciplinary, and oriented
towards the solution of complex, real-life problems’.
Salomon (1998)
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7. Literature Review
‘the sum of the internal and external circumstances and influences surrounding and
affecting a person's learning’
(The Free Dictionary, 2008)
 Physical Environment:
 Overwhelming amount of research (Bowyer, 2008; Dev,2002; Harder 2010; Rocetti, 2001) concerning the use of
Information or Learning Technology and Simulated learning Environments.
 Doughty and Hodgson (2008) cite McCaugherty (1991) stating ‘being a competent teacher and practitioner will
create conflict’
 Academic Environment :
 ‘Research (Elen & Lowyck, 1999) has shown that students do not always experience a learning environment in the way it
was intended by the designers’ (Konings, 2005)
 Emotional Environment:
 Meeuwisse et al (2010) cite the prolific work of Tinto (1975, 1993, 1997, 1998) on academic progress and
student attrition which would seem to be hugely relevant stating that Tinto’s model suggests that
‘all other things remaining equal, the higher the degree of integration into the academic and social
communities of the institute, the greater the likelihood of persistence’.
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8. Critical Analysis
 Walsh, C., Larsen, C., Parry, D. (2009) ‘Academic tutors at the frontline of
student support in a cohort of students succeeding in higher
education’, Educational Studies,35:4,405-424
 Liverpool Hope University
 Investigated the positive influences on student retention.
 248 students completed a questionnaire
 Conclusions :Tiered system of support – academic staff, friends and family and specialist support.
 Trotter,E., Cove,G., (2005) ‘Student retention : an exploration of the issues
prevalent on a healthcare degree programme with mainly mature
students’, Learning in Health and Social Care,4,1,29-42
 University of Salford
 Investigated the experiences of students during their first year within a school of healthcare.
 Focus groups and telephone interviews with those who had withdrawn.
 Conclusions: Lack of social and academic integration was the issue that created most discussion along with a majority
of mature students and fewer gaps on the timetable.
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9. Pilot Study
Aims :
 To gain an insight into the way in which students on the BSc(Hons)
programme experience the programme.
 To identify any points during the programme that are more likely to
cause a student to consider leaving the programme.
Objectives:
 To carry out individual interviews with students who have completed
the programme which will allow elicitation of these ‘key’ points.
 To explore the support mechanisms that these students employed.
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10. Methodology
 Questionnaires ?–
Qualitative or quantitative information
Scope to discuss any issue.
 Focus groups or individual interviews?
Would students discuss personal/private matters openly in a group vs
students generating a discussion?
 Using pictures?
How could they be useful in this context?
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11. Development of the Timeline
 First thought – blank paper.
 Some structure to the students’ thoughts.
 Only a skeleton of the three years as a starting point.
 Helps with analysis.
Assessments
Assessments
Assessments
Registration
Clinical Year 1 Clinical Clinical Year 2 Clinical Clinical Year 3 Clinical
Assessments
Assessments
Assessments
Qualification
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12. Instructions
Instructions for Your Journey through the BSc (Hons) Radiotherapy
Programme
Your experience of undertaking the BSC (Hons) programme at the
University of Liverpool may be described as a journey.
The diagram attached is designed to help you to map your representation
of your journey through this undergraduate programme.
Consider the high points and low points in your journey.
How high or low were they and what caused them?
Try to reflect on any issues that affected you in any way be they
academic, practical or emotional issues.
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13. Trialling the Methodology
Gave 3 students the instruction sheet with the ‘timeline’.
 1 x male, 2x female volunteers
 3x mature students
 1x strong academically, 1 x weak.
Data obtained- approx 40 minutes of recorded interview
+ illustration.
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14. Preliminary findings - Student no 1:
Mature female student who came through year 0
At registration –
‘I was very nervous but on the other hand excited to have got into Uni because I knew it was something I really
wanted to do ...I thought I was actually being given the opportunity and I am actually here – happy but
nervous at the same time.’
Low point
‘When we started going through the gynae stuff I did have a bit of a wobbler. There was one day when H came
to talk to us and I could tell by her face that she was uncomfortable so I just had to leave the room because I
didn’t want anybody asking me what was wrong’
‘The brachy placement was really hard. I didn’t have that treatment but seeing it made me sort of, not actually
freak out but .... ‘
‘Am I going to be able to do this job properly?
‘ This is one of the hardest courses I’ve heard of’
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15. Preliminary findings - Student no 2:
Mature female student with a previous degree.
Registration:
‘Scared. I was scared cos this time I was living at home so I didn’t have the advantage of meeting
people in halls. You don’t get to meet anyone cos usually somebody in your block is on your
course. You don’t know anyone.
It doesn’t matter now but I was older as well.’
Low point:
‘Carlisle .- the centre’s nice, the staff are nice but I like hectic... There’s not much to do in the
town and I couldn’t drive home because of petrol so I was there for three weeks. While I was
there I patient I had gotten to know in, B phoned to tell me she had died. It was the first patient I
really knew.
There was no distraction.’
‘I remember having a mental breakdown one night over physics. I was up til three am crying my
eyes out because I just didn’t get it.’
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16. Preliminary findings - Student no 3:
Mature male student with a previous degree.
Registration
‘ Anxious. I had decided I wasn’t going to live in halls because I had done that for my last degree so I
moved into a house of strangers.
Academic wise, I hadn’t done any academia for a couple of years so I was anxious that I couldn’t keep
up with these young hot shots.’
Low Point
‘ I would say kinda throughout the entire degree programme I have had this underlying maths issue.’
‘In the second year the big worry was that everyone is getting used to this now and they’re gonna start
catching up.’
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17. Summary
Initial aim to explore the student experience.
Did this method work?
 Students were not affronted by the illustration.
 Instructions appear to be clear.
 Some structure to the interview.
 Illustration of the scale of the issue.
What would I change if I was to continue?
 ?Whole cohort (20 students)
 Timing- upon graduation.
 Compare and contrast with PGDips.
 Ask some specific questions e.g. .Who supported you through this difficult time?
 Compare with those who have left.
 Gain full ethical approval in advance.
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18. Current Plans for the Dissertation
 Ethical approval obtained.
 Currently collecting data.
 All remaining third year BSc(Hons) students.
 Timelines
 Also look at information gathered at admission for this
group.
 Results/conclusions?
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19. References
Bowyer, M.W., Streete, K.A., Muniz, G.M. & Liu, A.V. (2008) ‘Immersive Virtual Environments for Medical Training’, Seminars in Colon and Rectal Surgery, vol. 19, no. 2, pp. 90-97.
Dev,P., Montgomery,K., Senger,S., Heinrichs,W., Rivastava,S. & Waldron,K.(2002) ‘Simulated Medical Learning Environments on the Internet’, Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, vol.
9,no.5, pp 437- 447
Doughty, J. & Hodgson, D. (2009) ‘Evaluation of a new clinical support model in radiotherapy practice’, Nurse Education in Practice, vol. 9, no. 1, pp. 28-35.
Harder, N (2010) ‘Use of Simulation in Teaching and Learning in Health Sciences: A Systematic Review’, Journal of Nursing Education, vol.49, no.1, pp.23-27.
Könings, K., Brand-Gruwel, S., and van Merrienboer, J. (2005) ‘Towards more powerful learning environments through combining the perspectives of designers, teachers, and students’, British Journal of
Education Psychology, vol. 75, pp.645-660.
Meeuwisse, M., Severiens ,S., Born, M. (2010)’ Learning Environment, Interaction, Sense of Belonging and Study Success in Ethnically Diverse Student Groups’, Res.High Educ,vol.51,pp 528-545.
Salomon, G. (1998) ‘Novel constructivist learning environments and novel technologies: some issues to be concerned with’, Learning and Instruction, vol. 8, no. Supplement 1, pp. 3-12.
Tinto,V (1975),Dropout from higher education: A theoretical synthesis of recent research. Review of Educational Research,vol.45 ,no.1,89-125.
Tinto,V.,(1993),Leaving college. Rethinking the causes and cures of student attrition(2nd ed) Chicago and London: The University of Chicago Press
.
Tinto,V.,(1997),Classrooms a communities: Exploring the educational character of student persistence. The Journal of Higher Education,vol.68, no.6, pp.599-623.
Tinto,V.,(1998),Colleges as communities. Taking research on student persistence seriously. The review of Higher Education. Vol.21,no.2 ,pp.167-177.
Trotter,E., Cove,G., (2005) ‘Student retention : an exploration of the issues prevalent on a healthcare degree programme with mainly mature students’, Learning in Health and Social Care,4,1,29-42
Walsh, C., Larsen, C., Parry, D. (2009) ‘Academic tutors at the frontline of student support in a cohort of students succeeding in higher education’, Educational Studies,35:4,405-424
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