Assessing student performance with the help of tutorials and lectures (original) (raw)
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Tutorial system in higher education
Universities in South Africa and elsewhere have seen a significant increase in student enrolment resulting in large class sizes. Consequently, the potentially detrimental effects of large classes on student learning have become a permanent feature that needs constant monitoring. An increase in student enrolment without a proportionate increase in teaching staff and resources arguably compromises the quality of teaching and learning. The tutorial system is a teaching strategy employed to minimise the negative consequences of large classes, but in the post-apartheid era, concerns have been expressed about its effectiveness. The context of this article is a compulsory Bachelor of Education (BEd) module, The History of Education at a higher education institution (HEI). In 2013, 820 students had to be accommodated in a tutorial system of 27 groups taught by 12 tutors. If the same formula is to be used, the projection for 2014 is 1 100 students divided amongst 44 tutorial groups of 25 students each. The article is concerned with the pedagogical value of the tutorial system viewed from the students' perspective and, therefore, focuses on the experiences of students as participants in a tutorial system as a supplementary and consolidating teaching strategy. The data were extracted from quantitative sections of the student course evaluation forms (N = 60) and a qualitative questionnaire (N = 50) administered to a random sample of students. Excel spread sheet and content analysis were employed to analyse the data sets. Using as a conceptual framework Shulman's pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) and Wenger's concept 'community of practice' (COP) the findings revealed arbitrary, contradictory and unequal participatory learning outcomes. Given the diminishing 'fit for purpose' between learning objectives and outcomes, recommendations are made to make tutorials more meaningful and productive in the immediate future.
This research sought to determine if a teaching intervention using tutors in a South African university could promote epistemological access to university for first-year students. Although hiring, developing and managing tutors takes money, time and energy, the effectiveness of tutors in the South African context is underreported. The first-year class under study was diverse in terms of gender, race, ethnicity and geographical origin. The tutors were all postgraduate students, and similarly diverse. In terms of research design, student test results were compared from one test to another. The students also rated the tutors. Students who attended the majority of the assigned tutorials improved their marks by an average of 20%. Even students whose tutorial attendance was haphazard fared better academically than those who did not attend at all. Students who skipped all the tutorials saw a dramatic decline in their marks, suggesting that tutorial attendance should be obligatory. Individual tutors matter, however. It seems that some tutors can explain, facilitate understanding and engage their students better than others. Students assigned to such tutors achieved the greatest academic gains. Thus, recruitment strategies and tutor training are crucial. Tutor popularity (based on student ratings) did not correlate with positive academic improvements. Thus, student ratings should not by themselves strongly influence hiring decisions. In conclusion, resources allocated to tutors were worthwhile and the tutors enabled epistemological access for many.
South African journal of higher education, 2020
The need to improve the systematic failures of higher education has led to various studies that promote the implementation of certain types of teaching interventions with the aim of increasing student performance. This study investigates the effects of these interventions on student performance in a multiple-intervention environment by developing an attendance construct proxy, as well as an alternative to the class attendance intervention construct proxy. The benefits of these interventions were analysed to determine whether certain interventions have a more significant impact on student performance than others in the context of increasing student performance. Using a survey approach to determine the record of participation in the interventions by the students, the findings of participation were analysed using the academic records of the students to identify the effect. The results suggest that increased levels of attending classes, which include traditional and additional face-to-f...
Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences, 2014
The aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of face-to-face tutorials on 1st semester 2011 College of Education (CEDU) students at Unisa's Ekurhuleni Regional Service Centre. A case study involving quantitative document analysis was conducted. Attendance registers were used to determine attendance patterns, and examination results to establish students' performance. It was revealed that most students started attending tutorials, but stopped attending subsequently. However, it was also revealed that students who attended tutorials passed their examinations, leading to the conclusion that tutorials make a positive contribution. The researchers recommend that the marketing of tutorial programmes should be intensified. They further recommend constant communication between lecturers, tutors and coordinators. The final recommendation is that ongoing joint or parallel research projects, especially between regional staff, tutors and lecturers be carried out to investigate the impact of all learner support services.
MISUNDERSTOOD AND MISAPPLIED OXFORD TUTORIAL SYSTEM
South Africa higher education institutions have experienced a significant increase in student enrolment resulting in large class sizes. The School of Accountancy at the University of Limpopo undertook to mitigate against the potentially detrimental effects of large classes on accounting students and introduced a tutorial system, which has become a teaching and learning feature that needs regular review. The review of the tutorial system is required as the School prepares students for professional certification examinations in accountancy. Student enrolment has increased since 2009 without a proportionate increase in teaching staff and facilities. Training quality assurance bodies, reportedly, view this as a compromise to the quality of teaching and learning.
A holistic investigation into a tutor programme in first‐year Financial Accounting
Meditari Accountancy Research, 2012
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Issues in Accounting Education, 2011
As student learning outcomes and retention receive more attention in higher education, failure rates in principles of accounting courses, gate-keeper courses for business majors, are coming under scrutiny. This study shows promising results from use of a learning innovation, ultra-short online videos, for addressing three common reasons for poor performance: intimidating class environments, low aptitude, and low motivation. For students at all achievement levels, tutorial use rates were above 60 percent, even though there was no course credit for viewing them. Students using the tutorials had significantly lower course drop rates and better pass rates. Tutorial use was correlated with higher exam scores, although the effect was moderate. Based on analysis of the two-year periods before and after implementation, the use of tutorials was correlated with higher course grades. Tutorial use remained at high levels two years after implementation even without instructors encouraging students to use them.
The impact of Learning Development tutorials on student attainment
Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education
University Learning Development teams provide expert advice to learners regarding the development and enhancement of academic skills such as essay writing, dissertations, critical analysis, mathematics, and statistics. The majority of universities have set up Learning Development or similar academic support services in recent years. However, little research has been conducted to understand the effect of such help on student attainment. At the University of Northampton, this service is perceived as pivotal in supporting students through their studies. The impact on student grades and future attainment was examined using three and a half years of student assessment data (over 16,000 students and 175,000 assessments) which was connected to information gathered from the Learning Development one-to-one tutorials database. Although causality cannot be claimed, there was an average rise of one to two sub grades for learners who attended at least one Learning Development tutorial compared t...
The influence of tutorials on the improvement of tertiary students' academic literacy
This paper describes a study which explored whether attending tutorials facilitated by senior students improves tertiary students' marks in an academic literacy course. Data were drawn from the academic literacy test marks and essay assignment marks of students who took a yearlong academic literacy course at the University of Pretoria. A statistical analysis was done to determine whether there was any improvement in the test marks and the essay assignments of students who attended tutorials at least 10 times, in addition to regular lectures. Findings suggest that attending extra academic literacy tutorials has little effect on students' TALL (Test of Academic Literacy Levels) marks, but it does seem to have an influence on students' writing ability. Because of the number of problems encountered in doing the research, it also illustrates the complex and problematic nature of research into language performance.
Issues in Accounting Education, 2012
As student learning outcomes and retention receive more attention in higher education, failure rates in principles of accounting courses, gate-keeper courses for business majors, are coming under scrutiny. This study shows promising results from use of a learning innovation, ultra-short online videos, for addressing three common reasons for poor performance: intimidating class environments, low aptitude, and low motivation. For students at all achievement levels, tutorial use rates were above 60 percent, even though there was no course credit for viewing them. Students using the tutorials had significantly lower course drop rates and better pass rates. Tutorial use was correlated with higher exam scores, although the effect was moderate. Based on analysis of the two-year periods before and after implementation, the use of tutorials was correlated with higher course grades. Tutorial use remained at high levels two years after implementation even without instructors encouraging students to use them.