Resources
Below is a list of resources - publications, programs and reports - for academic staff, in particular those responsible for first-year teaching. You can either download or contact Ron to order copies for your department.
Disclaimer: All resources on this site, unless otherwise noted, have been developed by staff of Transition and Orientation Programs and are copyright to the University of Melbourne. Staff and students from other institutions are welcome to make use of these materials, provided that they are not modified and that they are properly acknowledged. You are welcome to link to our site without our explicit permission or notification. Please attribute links to Transition and Orientation Programs, The University of Melbourne.
Publications
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Transition Checklist: How to support students' transition in large first-year classes; a starting point for the first or introductory lecture. Download (140Kb).
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Students in Transition: A Guide for sessional teachers of first year undergraduate classes: This guide aims to complement the teaching resources of the Centre for the Study of Higher Education, as well as faculty or departmental teaching materials. It is designed to help you identify and assist with transition issues, rather than being a guide about teaching. Download (456Kb).
- Graduate Coursework Induction Kit: designed to assist staff who are planning programs, events and activities for students commencing coursework study. Visit Induction Kit page.
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Your Transition: Putting the Pieces Together. A quick reference guide to assist new students to identify transition issues and where to get help. Download.
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Study Group Facilitators: Roles and responsibilities of facilitators, student expectations and tips on how to run a successful study group.
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Mature Age Fact Sheet: Recommendations about what can be done for mature age students and what provisions and services already exist at the University. Download (39Kb).
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Thinking of Changing Course or Taking Time Out?: A joint publication between Transition and Orientation Programs and the Student Counselling Service. Download (120Kb).
Programs
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Mentor programs: Information and resources for developing a mentor program in your faculty, department or graduate school. Visit the Mentor Program page.
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Faculty 101: A Resource Kit: A non-credit program comprising general information sessions and weekly study group meetings, to assist first-year students to adjust to university life. Visit the Faculty 101 Resource Kit page.
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Course transition programs: Find out what's going on for first-year students in each course. Visit the Transition in Courses page.
Reports
First-Year Summit:
Each year the First-Year Summit gathers together first-year students from all faculties and a variety of backgrounds and gives them the opportunity to talk about their experiences of first year at Melbourne. Students are asked to complete a written survey and then attend a focus group to talk more specifically about teaching and learning, and uni life at Melbourne. Download reports for 2006 (589Kb), 2005 (634Kb), 2004 (311Kb) and 2003 (2615Kb).
Transition benchmarking: In 2004 and 2005, Transition and Orientation Programs benchmarked the transition activities of the University - making internal and external comparisons - to help us gain a clear picture of how effective our transition programs are. Copies have been sent to all faculties.
Centre for the Study of Higher Education (CSHE): Staff at the CSHE conduct national research on transition-related subjects. See their lists of research projects and publications, particularly The First Year Experience in Australian Universities: Findings from a Decade of National Studies.