Good practice for enhancing the engagement and success of commencing students |
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Authors: | Karen J Nelson Carole Quinn Andrew Marrington and John A Clarke |
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Institution: | (1) Learning and Teaching Unit, Queensland University of Technology, 2 George Street, Brisbane, 4000, Australia |
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Abstract: | There is widespread recognition that higher education institutions (HEIs) must actively support commencing students to ensure
equity in access to the opportunities afforded by higher education. This role is particularly critical for students who because
of educational, cultural or financial disadvantage or because they are members of social groups currently under-represented
in higher education, may require additional transitional support to “level the playing field.” The challenge faced by HEIs
is to provide this “support” in a way that is integrated into regular teaching and learning practices and reaches all commencing
students. The Student Success Program (SSP) is an intervention in operation at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT)
designed to identify and support those students deemed to be at risk of disengaging from their learning and their institution.
Two sets of evidence of the impact of the SSP are presented: First, its expansion (a) from a one-faculty pilot project (Nelson
et al. in Stud Learn Eval Innov Dev 6:1–15, 2009) to all faculties and (b) into a variety of applications mirroring the student life cycle; and second, an evaluation of the
impact of the SSP on students exposed to it. The outcomes suggest that: the SSP is an example of good practice that can be
successfully applied to a variety of learning contexts and student enrolment situations; and the impact of the intervention
on student persistence is sustained for at least 12 months and positively influences student retention. It is claimed that
the good practice evidenced by the SSP is dependent on its integration into the broader First Year Experience Program at QUT
as an example of transition pedagogy in action. |
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