Natalie Lamb and The Brilliant Club- What did my pupils enjoy most about The Brilliant Club: Spring 2018?

As part of my final session with my Brilliant Club pupils, I like to ask them to provide feedback on how they think the course went. With my Spring 2018 cohort, I asked:

• What is one thing you would change or improve about the course? - This was a course designed by me and based on my PhD so I wanted to get feedback on how to improve it for future pupils
• What did you enjoy most? - I was interested in hearing what the best aspect of the entire programme was for pupils.
• What I could have improved on - By this, I mean how could they, the pupil, have improved
• What I did well?
• What did you find challenging?

This process is important to improve the reflective skills of the pupils, as they think back to what they ave learned and how they have progressed during the process. It also helps me, as I am able to found out, anonymously, how they felt the course actually went for them and how I could improve it for my next pupils.

What is one thing you would change or improve about the course?

• Graduation on a school day, not a weekend
• Nothing
• Nothing
• More space between deadlines/tutorials
• Graduation on a school day
• Max word count for essay should be less
• More space between tutorials
• A trip [to] Anglian Water

It is very nice that a few of them said nothing, although not that helpful! I do think it is strange that this cohort have their graduation on a weekend because I thought they had the same set-up as a Launch Trip. I agree that there should have been more space but it is difficult for me, because I am trying to squeeze the tutorials in going by my availability. A trip to a site would be great but I don't think I would have the permissions to do it as a PhD tutor. Unfortunately, there's nothing I can do about the word count.

What did you enjoy most?

• The trips and opportunities given
• I enjoyed learning the facts and figures involved in treating water
• Chlorine test
• I enjoyed the opportunities/trips we had
• The intro day thing
• The trip to Cambridge University

I'm surprised that one pupil found learning facts and figures more enjoyable that the Launch Trip to The University of Cambridge! But it is very nice of them to say so. This cohort were a great bunch. I was pleasantly surprised that my chlorine testing went down well too.

What I could have improved on?

• Final piece
• I could [have] found other essays to help improve my writing
• I could have improved on the Harvard style references
• Hitting the deadlines

The final assignment is often something pupils think they could have done better with.

What I did well?

• Presentation
• I produced an essay I was proud of
• I successfully researched my subject well
• Didn’t miss a deadline
• Finished writing the essay
• I completed all of the tasks on time
• Delivered everything by [the] deadlines

I tried to include a presentation as well as the final assignment to cater for different learning style. I'm glad this worked out well, in a pupil's opinion. I'm also glad that the pupils took pride in their homeworks and assignment.

What did you find challenging?

• Researching information and writing the essay
• Final piece
• The essay
• The presentation
• Essay
• Completing the final essay with almost 200 [2000] words and learning to reference correctly
• Writing that essay

I'm not surprised that the essay was the biggest challenge. It seems worth the effort though, with the numbers of pupils saying it is what they did well in.

Overall, I think the pupils did very well, both in their tutorials and to produce some thoughtful feedback. It was great to hear their thoughts and it is an activity that I will continue with my Brilliant Club pupils in future.