Implementing Transition in Designing a First Year Subject

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Implementing Transition in Designing a First Year
Subject
Dr Kristian Camilleri History and Philosophy of
Science Department
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Redesigning the first year curriculum

• Departmental review of the undergraduate teaching
  curriculum
• New Melbourne model for Growing Esteem
• Breadth requirement non Arts students
• General educational foundation in first year
• General introduction to History and Philosophy of
  Science
• Part of the overall curriculum transition to
  second/third year
• The inherent appeal of the subject for students

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New subject for 2007
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Structure of the subject

• Antiquity the birth of natural philosophy and
  the break
• from the mythical view of the world in Greece
• Middle Ages Aristotles legacy and the medieval
  Christian
• Vision of the universe
• Renaissance Natural Philosophy the magical
  tradition
• and the symbolic world view
• Scientific Revolution the birth of experimental
  science in
• the 16th and 17th centuries

Enlightenment and the Nineteenth Century the
influence of Newton in the 18th and 19th
centuries and the idea of the progress of
science Einstein and the Twentieth Century the
new view of the universe and the end of classical
world view
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Academic transition principles

• Students need to adjust to new styles of teaching
  and learning, in unfamiliar class formats such as
  lectures and tutorials.
• The assessment formats may also be unfamiliar and
  most students take time to learn what is expected
  in a university-level essay or exam.
• A new level of independence is expected of
  students
• The volume and pace of work also increase
  noticeably. Students must juggle the competing
  demands on their time

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Assisting students make the transition

• Introductory tutorial in first week
• Encourage students to submit an essay outline and
  bibliography in week 10 not compulsory
• Weekly tutors meetings
• Final lecture What I want from historical
  essays
• Coordination of guest lectures
• Open door policy

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Subject online resources

• Subject website on the LMS
• Arts faculty transition
• Lectures recorded on i-lecture
• Lecture notes online
• Use of videos in lectures
• Readings available online and in booklet

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More online transition resources
AIRport (Academic Interactive Resources
online) Centre for Indigenous Education
Current Students webpage Disability Liaison
Unit Information technology resources
Language and Learning Skills Unit Student
Expectations and Responsibilities Policy Student
Union
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Now just looking forward to 2007!