Student transitions in higher education
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Transcript of Student transitions in higher education
Student transitions
James M Dunphy8 December 2014
Starting university
Nervous energy
Excitement
Feeling slightly squeamish
Not wanting your family to leave / wishing they’d dropped you off a block or two from campus
Hungry and wondering what you’re going to eat tonight
Most importantly – signing in to the Wi-Fi
The Importance of Integration
Academic Social
Learning what it means to learn at university
Validating subject choice
Gaining confidence
Becoming socially comfortable at university
Recognising positive change within yourself
Having a non-academic space
Meeting people and making connections
Tinto, 1975
The Quality of Learning and Teaching
Good learning and teaching practices:
ǁ foster engagement
ǁ place a value on attendance
ǁ make use of students’ knowledge and experiences
ǁ provide regular feedback
ǁ promote dialogue
ǁ build confidence
1. Encourages contacts between students and faculty
2. Develops reciprocity and cooperation among students
3. Uses active learning techniques
4. Gives prompt feedback
5. Emphasizes time on task
6. Communicates high expectations
7. Respects diverse talents and ways of learning
Chickering and Gamson 1987
The Role of Effective Support
Role of our student unions in reaching out to alltheir members
Range of student-facing services – all designed to make student life better
Asking a question as to how and where small or low cost support can make a difference?
Utilising students to develop and deliver support
Need for colleagues to work together to:
- increase the impact of the resource we invest
- develop new approaches and solutions
Data can help greatly to inform our thinking, as can student feedback
The Challenge of us all together
Students feel well prepared and appropriately supported
Delivery of information is replaced by learning
Students develop understanding of what is expected and feel able to meet this expectation
We understand who is leaving and why
Accept that early-departure can be the right decision for some students
What might success look like?
Seamless v. Fact of Life
What do we say about transition?
ǁ No need to worry, it’ll all be fantastic
ǁ Sometimes things can be tough and we’re here to help
Can we do more to prepare students?
Viewing transition as a fact of life and resilience as a skill
discussion
What are we doing well in this area?
What role can quality processes have in supporting successful transitions?
Scotland’s Quality Enhancement Framework includes the Enhancement Theme programme
An opportunity for the sector to come together to investigate an area of practice:
- share information
- discuss enhancement solutions
Also an opportunity to take enhancement forward within the institution:
- strategic
- course and discipline based
Driving a national focus
Student Transitions Theme Leaders Group
Two sectoral tracks of work:
- into higher education
- through and out of higher education
Key focus on work within institutions
Also a Student Network, comprised of our student officers
Student transitions 2014-17
Institutional Theme Leaders Group
Focus on three levels:
- Cross-university, areas identified by Strategy or quality processes
- Discipline, areas of relevance to colleagues at school or course level
- Student, aiding students to become better prepared and more resilient
Theme scoping exercise informed by a student internship
RGU’s APproach
Associate Student Scheme
The scheme is free to all HN students planning to progress to RGU through the Degree Link programme
Associate students benefit from access to:
ǁ CampusMoodle – RGU’s virtual learning environment
ǁ Online databases, journals and electronic books
ǁ the University Library
ǁ RGU: Sport
ǁ RGU: Union
Identified challenge regarding students’ writing
Study Skills and Access worked with academic staff to unpack and understand the challenge
The development of a joint response, in the form of learning activities and student support
Critically, linking these activities back to the course and subsequent feedback to students
Partnership working to enhance
Students’ Writing
DegreePrep Programmes
Designed to support the transition from studying at college to studying at university through
ǁ essential course information and study skills, as well as familiarising students with the staff, campus and facilities
133 students attended a DegreePrep Programme prior to commencing their studies in Session 2014/15
133 entrants joined the
programme in 2014/ 2015
99% felt more confident about continuing their studies at
university
100%Were more aware
of the help and resources available
at university
Changing Our Delivery Models
Students – Always in Transition?
James M Dunphy8 December 2014