Exploring Challenges in High-Risk Courses at Higher Education Conference

From gatekeepers to gateways: the opportunities and challenges of high risk courses Higher Education Conference 2-4 October 2019 Presented by Tsitsi Jane Mpofu-Mketwa Centre for Innovation in Teaching and Learning University of Cape Town

Presentation overview o Context of the study o Methodology o Key Themes o Impediment to graduation

Context of the Study Study Objective To understand MAM1000W course as one of the courses that have been recognised as impacting on students progression and impeding graduation.

Methodology Focus group discussions with Changers- 2 groups o Repeaters-3 Groups o Succeders-2 groups o o Total of 23 students

Changers Students who failed MAM1000W in 2018 And changed to alternative Maths courses

Repeaters Students who failed MAM100W in 2018 and are repeating the course in 2019

Succeders Students who have been identified as having all the risk factors but have defied these and passed MAM1000W

Aims of the Study To understand students experiences of MAM1000W, with a particular focus on: o Degree of preparedness from high school o Differences between high school Maths and UCT Maths. o Perceptions of resources available in the course and how they used them. o Strategies of improvements for those who failed the course

Key Themes Framework of Analysis Focus on impediment to graduation

Impediments to graduation Repeaters and Changers mainly perceive MAM1000W as impeding their progression to graduation It [MAM1000W] holds a lot of things hey, a lot of things. Life is just MAM1000.You need a Maths course for some courses then they tell you, you need to add another Maths course and you are thinking, Dude this is a whole year course, what do you mean you need a Maths course? I am in Analytics, I mean I was supposed to do Micro-Economics 2. (Participant 3 Repeaters Focus Group1).

By Contrast-Succeders perceive MAM1000W as impacting than impeding Because sometimes they [web assignment homework examples] were difficult. Like it will take you a week to do it. You had to ask your friend if you don t know it, MLC if you don t get the answer, Kenny if you don t get the answer. I think MAM1000W is an impacting course right. There is this course called Physics 1004 that was it s like an impacting course (Participant 1 Succeders Focus Group 1).

Impediments to graduation continued Students perceptions of factors exacerbating the impediments Factors include the need to: Adapt learning strategies to suit a new and unfamiliar, approaches to learning at university Appreciating the link between MAM1000W and their overall degree programme Balancing the workload with other courses leading to their degree programmes

Factors exacerbating the impediments In high school they taught us how to write exams and tests and university they don t do that. It s that they re teaching us these concepts and you have to be able to apply a concept and that s why a lot of us kind of where, like shook a bit because we were like, oh we ve never seen this before You must just know the work so well that we must be able to apply it. And I was doing the same amount of past papers. If I did a past paper I d be okay for the exam . But that wasn t true ever. Because if you don t fully understand the concept then you won t know how to answer the question. (Participant 1 Repeaters Focus Group 1).

Decision making in negotiating the impediments of MAM1000W Decision making in negotiating the impediments of MAM1000W Changers- opted for alternative Maths courses Repeaters- Revised strategies to improve Succeders-Made a determined effort to achieve and optimise on available resources

Decision making in negotiating the impediments of MAM1000W Like it s not just about learning the Maths because we have already done the foundation. It s about, when I am learning the Maths, How am I learning the Maths and how am I taking the tests. Am I taking this test to get a 50 or am I taking this test to get a first? I think that what is different for me is that I am more driven this year. Especially because it was such a shock. It s the first time I ve ever failed something. It s my only course that I am repeating. I have to change some things (Participant 1 Repeaters Focus Group 1).

Succeders example of decision making Well for me I made a pact with myself since grade 12 that I won t miss a lectures. It s like it has just been like that for me . Like for resources, I used every available resources for MAM100W. There was MLC (Maths Learning Centre) from 1300 to 1400 every day from Monday to Friday. Then on Saturday there was Kenny s workshops I attended those and then also Monday to Thursday there was Instant Science from 4 to 6 so like I attended all of those and I met new people (Participant 2 Succeders Focus Group 1).

Changers example of decision making I think for me I just told myself that I wouldn t want to experience the same stress that I went through. Sometimes you would put in so much effort, and even waste your weekends doing MAM1, and then you get to the test and still fail. So I just told myself that I also want to enjoy what I m doing. .Because with Maths, I was just doing it because I had to do it, at the end of the day. It was no longer my own choice. I was just like doing it because I have to pass, I have to finish this. So I think it s one of the things that contributed me to changing (Participant 2 Changers Focus Group 1).

Conclusion Given similar gross structural factors that constrain most of the students in the MAM1000W Focus Group Cohort, the data provides rich accounts of students agency in the way they deal with the impediments of these courses. Students narratives demonstrated that they are autonomous agency not only in negotiating the impediments, but also in proposing institutional, pedagogical and curriculum interventions