Accounting 1 students used the one minute paper at the end of each tutorial over one semester. there was a significant improvement in final results compared to the same cohort in the previous years. Students recognised that the revision component of the one minute paper assisted their learning but did not recognise the benefits in the reflection process implicit in writing the one-minute paper. Students may need assistance with reflection.

1. Using Harvard one-minute papers to improve the first year experience A Kay Plummer, Warwick Baines, Nick Davis, Kristy Fitzmaurice, DonataMuntean, Nick Pawsey

2. What is the one-minute paper? Two questions asked at the end of the lesson What is the big point you learned in class today? What is the main, unanswered question you leave class with today? (Cross and Angelo 1988) Students spend one-minute writing the answers and then put the anonymous papers in a box as they leave the class. Before the next class lecturers use the feedback to provide ideas for revision for the next class.

3. What are the benefits of the one-minute paper at Harvard Students listen more actively in class Improvement in students writing with more considered answers being provided during the later weeks in the semester Students were able to identify where they needed special assistance or where they needed to prepare more effectively Students to realise and document that they had learnt something in their classes (Light p38, 1990)

4. Are there more benefits of the one-minute paper process? Teacher demonstrates respect for and interest in student opinion Inform the revision process at the start of the next class Students don’t wait until the end of the semester to identify their problem learning areas Possibly have an impact on retention if students don’t get ‘lost’ in their learning Encourages the students active involvement in the learning process

5. What were we hoping to find Students recognising an improvement in their learning. Student reflections improving over the semester –suggested by Biggs (2003). Students would use the reflections as a study resource.

6. How we used the one-minute paper Used in ACC100 Accounting 1 a subject completed by all business students Face-to-face student load - 1hr lecture 2hr tutorial Harvard paper provided in booklet form at end of each tutorial All student responses collected Problem areas addressed at start of subsequent lecture and tutorial Students given back all one-minute papers to aid in exam preparation Questionnaire on impact of one-minute paper in last class in semester

7. What we found – Likert scale responses

8. The reflection process assisted my learning

9. What we found – open ended questions Positive responses Negative responses Things that were found difficult was addressed at the beginning of the following lecture and tute Forced you to say what you were struggling with Great as it is, simple & does not require too much effort on behalf of the person giving feedback I don't actually understand what the reflection books are used for outside of the tutorial & if they have any effect on future teaching Felt like it was just a rush at the end of the class to do. Hard to express everything you wanted to say More specific questions & detailed lists of topics that we could tick if we need help

10. What we found – lecturer and tutor feedback Lecturer and tutors would all use the process again. All tutors expressed a view similar to this “…students initially approached the feedback books with a good amount of enthusiasm and positively viewed our willingness to adapt our teaching tasks to reflect their changing needs” Students were tired by the end of the tutorials and just wanted to get away and this may have impacted on the quality of their reflections. Students did not seem to understand that the reflection and writing would help their learning even after being advised that it would.

11. Development of student reflections over the semester There was no obvious reflection development over the semester. Reflections generally more detailed at the start of the semester than at the end

12. Comparison of results Results for 200940 Results for 200840

13. Results of First Semester On and Off-Campus AccountingStudents Over a Three Year Period Significant difference (p<.001) between 2008 an 2009 on-campus students.

14. Warning about interpretation of results There were other activities in the semester as well as the one-minute papers which could have had an impact on student performance There is no comparison of the initial ability of the two cohorts so that the 2009 cohort may have had greater ability

15. Unexpected results Students tired at end of class, want to get away and do not put the time into the one minute paper Students do not know how to reflect on own learning – are not self aware learners