Enhancing the transition to university physics

The main transitional challenge students experience in their first year at the University is that they have to ‘step up’ from being explicitly taught facts towards independent learning. In this paper we report on an activity to support first year student transition that took place for the first time at Flinders University at the start of the 2008 academic year. The transition sessions were aimed at creating a learning environment that exploits the student’s passion for science and introduces them to their peers both socially and academically. Through these activities and strategies, the intention is to familiarise students with their teachers and peers, enjoy thinking about Physics in a positive, supportive, social setting, and thus significantly reduce their anxiety during their first week of first year university. Essentially, the key focus is to maximise each student’s initial engagement with first year Physics. Through this combination of approach with clever activity design, the students develop a sense of cohort with their peers and are strongly encouraged to use their critical and independent thinking and learning skills, which will serve them throughout their university life. Here we describe our approach to this challenge and the measurable outcomes we have achieved so far.

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