Small tutorial groups provide a great opportunity to spend a lot of face-to-face time with my students and observe their progress. Even if there are no assessment requirements, I try to understand their individual needs and potentials, and offer small verbal feedback as often as possible. This also helps them feel included and valued, and keep them motivated for ongoing active learning (Bryson and Hand 2007). Especially 3rd-year students, who are anxious about their progression to honours, benefit greatly from conversations about their performance and competence that boost their confidence (see Ryan and Deci 2000, Fazey and Fazey 2001). Such support is particularly important for success in assessed coursework. Hence, I also make myself available to discuss essay outlines and recommend readings, to help students see and focus on their strengths, stay engaged and motivated, and take an attitude to lifelong learning (Kiernan et al. 2006).
Many conversations I have had with students over the years have shown that in most cases learners choose the topic for their assessed research project/essay, based on their perception of what the lecturer has emphasised the most, or what they themselves have enjoyed learning the most. I have also observed that for teachers it is often the case that we design assessments and guide students how to complete them, so that they can demonstrate their comprehension of the course material and main ideas. But I believe course assignments should also serve the larger goal of directly enabling our graduates to successfully compete in the job market. This sort of pragmatism was something I learned very late in my own studies. Thus, I teach my students how to craft strong course projects that both demonstrate their knowledge in the subject area, and can also be used in future job applications. For example, for the anthropology 3rd-year course Kinship: Structure and Power, I advised my students to think beyond getting a good mark and instead utilise this work as means for something they aim for in the future – their dissertation, an internship, job or master’s admission application. From the 35% of the cohort who asked to meet one-on-one to discuss their career plans and essay outlines, I later learned that all had received above satisfactory mark. Additionally, three students had used their essays (or ideas from the essays) for successful internship applications, and one of them included it in her cover letter for a master’s degree in Global Health (successful admission).
References
Bryson, C. & L. Hand (2007). ‘The Role of Engagement in Inspiring Teaching and Learning’. Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 44(4): 349–62.
Fazey, D. & J. Fazey (2001). ‘The Potential for Autonomy in Learning: Perceptions of Competence, Motivation and Locus of Control in First-year Undergraduate Students’, Studies in Higher Education, 26(3): 345–61.
Kiernan, E., Lawrence, J. & M. Sankey (2006). ‘Preliminary Essay Plans: Assisting Students to Engage Academic Literacy in a First Year Communication Course’. Paper presented at the 9th Pacific Rim First Year in Higher Education Conference: Engaging Students. Griffith University, Gold Coast, Australia, 12–14 July.
Ryan, R. & E. Deci (2000). ‘Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivations: Classic Definitions and New Directions’, Contemporary Educational Psychology, 25(1): 54–67.
Inna Yaneva-Toraman 