Induction Week (Week one of Teaching Block 1)

This will be embedded into Moodle sites and can feed into employability, especially if your course has compulsory placements.

Encourage students to think about their online identity and how to behave and interact appropriately online. This conversation can also be tied to how students will manage group work online, which can be linked to how this can affect future career prospects 

Beyond career prospects - just encouraging decency and respect in people online (which is particularly pertinent as we have to rely on digital communication technologies more). This can be tied into the University Strategy and the Hallmarks of a Portsmouth Graduate.

You might also look to incorporate ideas around the concept of digital citizenship such as https://fixtheglitch.org/digital-citizenship/ 

Level: All Students

Course teams will be very familiar with this activity, but careful consideration should be given to how this is conducted. 

Students will need clear direction about how they should engage with the course, their peers and the course team. 

Include introductions, an outline of roles within the course team, an overview of the timetable and setting expectations (e.g. engagement with online learning, “attendance”), an introduction to Moodle and signpost to where students can access support services, including Student Hubs. 

This will be timetabled as a face-to-face activity, in the first few days of induction week, sharing the delivery between members of the course team.

Level: All Students

A valuable opportunity to get students together, face-to-face and outdoors.

Current students could be drafted in to help with this activity.

Level: New Students

This should be a face-to-face activity in the first few days of induction week, where possible. 

Further examples can be found in the Year One > Getting to know the landscape section of the Personal Tutoring Framework - https://personaltutoring.port.ac.uk/developing-your-tutees/example-curriculum-for-both-personal-tutors-on-undergraduate-ug-levels-3

Level: New Students

Students could be encouraged to do this at a general level in a welcome-back course talk. This could also be covered more specifically during a discussion with a personal tutor (see “Spiral Curriculum”, Year 2>Transition to year 2 section of the Personal Tutoring Framework - 

https://personaltutoring.port.ac.uk/developing-your-tutees/example-curriculum-for-both-personal-tutors-on-undergraduate-ug-levels-3.

Remember to signpost students to local and university support services (you will find links on Moodle course pages as well as here, https://personaltutoring.port.ac.uk/supporting-and-signposting-tutees

Level: Continuing Students

See the Personal Tutoring and Development Framework.

It is important this activity happens within the first two weeks. Be sure to introduce students to the SEAM process, map expectations and highlight areas of support. 

Level: All Students

Here is a link to an example used in EDSOC: 

Personal tutor Google sheet

Feedback from PTs who have used this is that the most powerful question was to finish the sentence ‘I wish my tutor knew…’.

This exercise would be best used before meetings with personal tutees, so you need to send it to students in the first few days of induction week.

It is vital to engage with each of your students face to face, early on and to monitor those who have not completed this or come to meet with you. It is suggested that tutors/engagement officers follow up with students directly to ensure direct contact has been made with each student during induction week and any issues or support required is flagged early on.

Level: All Students

• Familiarise students with the Moodle template and other digital learning tools that will be used. Links to supporting materials will be made available on course Moodle pages, but it would be more effective to provide activities that utilise these tools.

• Provide an opportunity to connect to, explore and test online platforms that will be used, such as Google Meets, Zoom etc.

Level: All Students

This is a great way to help new students to integrate, make friends and build that important sense of belonging. 

Level: All but particularly new students

Include:

• Skills support teams

• Student Wellbeing -
  https://myport.port.ac.uk/guidance-and-support/health-and-wellbeing/student-wellbeing-service

• Self-help resources
  https://myport.port.ac.uk/guidance-and-support/health-and-wellbeing/self-help-resources

• Residence Life Team -
  https://myport.port.ac.uk/portal/articles/1869

• Chaplaincy -
  https://www.port.ac.uk/student-life/guidance-and-support/chaplaincy

• The Library (up-to-date information can be found here - https://library.port.ac.uk/w691.html

• MyPort Information Hubs - myport.port.ac.uk/my-course/myport-information-hubs 

• Careers & Employability

• Placement Teams

• ASDAC

• English for Academic Purposes

• Maths Cafe

Level: All Students