Events

The First Year Curriculum - Strategies to Enhance Retention

The first year is a critical time for students new to DIT and when planning your first year module, do come and talk to us at LTTC - we can provide guidance, support and practical help to enable you to ensure that your students have a positive start to their academic career.

During a recent conference (May 2009), held by LTTC in our Grangegorman campus, DIT students came to talk to attendees about their first year experiences while studying at the Institute. Click on the image below to watch a video of this session.

DIT Students talk about their first year experience

Watch Video

Mantz Yorke, Professor of Higher Education and Director of the Centre for Higher Education Development at Liverpool John Moores University, who gave the Keynote presentation at the above event, was responsible for one of the largest studies on retention ever conducted. To read this report click here: First Year Experience of HE in the UK . An earlier study in Australia also looked at the first year experience for more information. To access this report click here First Year Experience in Australian Universities

Things to consider when planning a first year module:

• What teaching methods and assessment are being used, and are they appropriate?
• The transition into HE can be a difficult time, what support do your students need?
• The diversity of your students, do they have access to learning support?
• Is there any provision of formative feedback before exam time?