Date: June 4
Venue: GMIT Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology

Presenter(s): Dr Carina Ginty and Ms Evelyn Moylan, Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology.

Event Details:
Many students are ill prepared for the demands of third level education and First Year Experience (FYE) programmes are designed to support this transition and supplement the necessary academic and life skills. In 2009 a first year experience support package was introduced in three Irish higher education institutes. The package consisted of: a Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) Programme led by trained senior student leaders; and a Learning to Learn/Academic Skills Development Module, which is led by lecturers and is worth 5 ECTS. The aim of both first year experience initiatives is to ease the transition and long term help retain students on programmes.

This event includes two parts:
Part one is a seminar, which will report on findings from a study undertaken in an Institute of Technology and a University in Ireland, where a Peer Assisted Learning Programme and a Learning to Learn/Skills Development Module was deployed. The study was titled ‘Supporting the first year experience in higher education; impact on student engagement, teaching practice and institutional policy’.

Part two is a workshop, which will simulate a student led peer learning environment and guide participants through the design and implementation steps. Participants will also engage with a range of classroom strategies and techniques that promotes student engagement.
Learning Objectives:
Seminar Part One:
РReview how engagement with the first year experience initiatives (i.e. Peer Learning Programme and the Learning to Learn/Skills Development Module) has impacted on the students’ experience with higher education.
РExamine lecturers’ involvement with the first year experience initiatives and how this has influenced changes in their teaching practice.

Workshop Part Two:
– Explore a student led peer learning environment.
– Review the challenges in developing and implementing a first year experience programme.
– Evaluate a range of active learning classroom strategy techniques that supports and enhances first year student engagement.
Contact: Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology
Centre for Educational Development

Email: Questions on the seminar and workshop can be directed to carina.ginty@gmit.ie or bookings to yvonne.healy@gmit.ie or ced@gmit.ie