The Cephalonian Method

1

• The Cephalonian Method
• at
• City and Islington
• Sixth Form College
• Cheryl Coveney
• ccoveney_at_candi.ac.uk

2
Who are we?

• City and Islington is a large, successful FE
  College in inner London, we have recently been
  awarded Beacon Status.
• The Sixth Form College has 1500 lively, highly
  articulate students studying GCSEs and A levels.
• The Learning Centres Service aims to exceed
  student expectations in all its provision.
• Using the interactive Cephalonian Method at
  induction, has proved far more successful, than
  talking to (or at) students while showing them
  around.

3
How do we do it ?

• Teams of two Learning Centre staff go out to
  visit each new tutor group in their classroom.
• The classroom is preferable to the Learning
  Centre
• It offers fewer distractions
• It gives students more confidence to participate
  and a degree of ownership as they are in a
  home environment.
• It presents Learning Centre staff as part of the
  wider College.
• The Powerpoint induction takes advantage of the
  interactive smart boards, and fixed multimedia
  projectors available in classrooms.

4
Introductions

• As an ice-breaker we introduce ourselves to the
  students
• and ask them to introduce themselves to us, and
  tell us a little about what they are studying.
• A Learning Centre cannot function without good
  two-way communication between students and staff
  it is important that they see us as
  approachable right from the start.

5
Our current induction looks like this
6
How well has the interactive induction been
received

• Staff were at first rather hesitant about the
  process it was a radical departure from normal
  fare, but
• Here are some views from the front line, most
  enjoyable, I feel comfortable, easy to
  deliver, cant go wrong
• I now have staff asking if they can deliver an
  induction!
• Their comments
• Students and tutors enjoy it too when surveyed..
• 92 of students ranked the induction good or
  very good to excellent.
• 100 of tutors agreed

7
Further developments.

• Following a suggestion from a member of the
  teaching staff our next move will be to get
  students to write their own questions, and then
  ask them rather than handing out the coloured
  cards.
• It is highly likely that the questions they ask
  will match our answer slides.
• If they do not, staff delivering the induction
  will still have the slides as back-up to fill in
  any gaps.

8
Closing thoughts

• Teaching methods have changed, the move away from
  chalk and talk happened long ago, students
  participate much more actively in their lessons.
• Learning Centres can do the same, lets move away
  from the walk and talk induction, enable the
  students to interact and take part, and make the
  whole process a more enjoyable experience for our
  staff too.