Eoin Langan & Owen Ross

Changing student expectation through “habit forming”: Describing the AIT Business School’s evolving student transition model for students entering third level education.

14 institutes of technology

7 universities

Institutes of technology account for

44% undergrad students (62,000)

University Institute of Technology

Irish Higher Education

AIT

• Business School circa 1,600 students• 3 Departments• Only HEI in the Midlands Region• Diversity and Inclusion• Dimensions of diversity

– Educational (CAO, Mature/Life Experience)– Dispositional (self-esteem, EI, 1st in family to

HE)– Circumstantial (age, disability, caring role)– Cultural (Language, EAL)

• Specific socio-economic profile• Economic resources• Academic and Assessment literacies

• Business School circa 1,600 students

• 3 Departments

• Only HEI in the Midlands Region

• Diversity and Inclusion

AIT

• Business School circa 1,600 students• 3 Departments• Only HEI in the Midlands Region• Diversity and Inclusion• Dimensions of diversity

– Educational (CAO, Mature/Life Experience)– Dispositional (self-esteem, EI, 1st in family to

HE)– Circumstantial (age, disability, caring role)– Cultural (Language, EAL)

• Specific socio-economic profile• Economic resources• Academic and Assessment literacies

• Dimensions of diversity:

Educational (CAO, Mature/Life Experience)

Dispositional (self-esteem, EI, 1st in family to HE)

Circumstantial (age, disability, caring role)

Cultural (Language, EAL)

• Specific socio-economic profile

• Economic resources

• Academic and Assessment literacies

How to get learners off the right start in Higher Education

Literature

Literature

Student Engagement

The concept of engagement embraces a specific understanding of the relationship between students and institutions. Institutions are responsible for creating environments that make learning possible, and that afford opportunities to learn. The final responsibility for learning, however, rests with the student. The nature and degree of learning is dependent on how the student makes use of his/her environmental resources. (Krause and Coates 2008, p. 494)

Literature

Student Responsibility

Quality and Qualifications IrelandPrinciple 1Learners are responsible for demonstrating their learning achievement.

Assessments and Standards (Revised 2013, p. 6)Source: http://www.qqi.ie/Publications/Assessment_and_Standards%20Revised%202013.pdf

Literature

Definition of Engagement

Hamish Coates, describes engagement as: “a broad construct intended to encompass salient academic as well as certain non-academic aspects of the student experience”comprising the following:

• active and collaborative learning;• participation in challenging academic activities; • formative communication with academic staff; • involvement in enriching educational experiences; • feeling legitimated and supported by university learning

communities.

(2007, in Trowler, 2010, p.7)

Literature

What is the Opposite to Engagement?

• Mann (2001, p.7) contrasted engagement with alienation, proposing the engagement–alienation dyad as a more useful framework to understand students’ relationships to their learning than the surface–strategic–deep triad

• Marton and Säljö, (1976), since both ‘surface’ and ‘strategic’ approaches to learning are responses to alienation from the content and the process of study.

Krause (2005, 4) lists “inertia, apathy, disillusionment or engagement in other pursuits” as alternatives to engagement for the student.

Krause (2005, 9)

“For some students, engagement with the university experience is like engaging in a battle, a conflict. These are the students for whom the culture of the university is foreign and at times alienating and uninviting”.

(in Trowler, 2010, p.4)

Literature

Driver of Change

The First-Year ExperienceA positive first-year student experienceis crucial to achieving the goals of highereducation; failure to address the challengesencountered by students in their first yearcontributes to high drop-out and failurerates, with personal and system-wideimplications.

Transition into higher education – access and induction.National Strategy for Higher Education, p. 55-57

Source: http://www.hea.ie/sites/default/files/national_strategy_for_higher_education_2030.pdf

Literature

High rates of withdrawal and low rates of satisfaction may have reputational, economic, ethical and legal implications for universities and colleges, as well personal and financial disadvantages for individuals.

(Thomas, 2012, p.4)Source: https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/sites/default/files/What_works_final_report.pdf

LHDE Learning and Development for Higher Education

Introduced in 2010 with a view to assisting transition

Compulsory 1st Year 1st Semester Module

Skills required for success in HE

Community of practice among academic who deliver the module

Business School Experience Non Progression rate of over 30%

Learning & Development for HE module

Big Stick Approach- Any student failing a semester 1 subject – meet the HOD

- Letter about meeting sent to students home

- Advise/ Encourage/ Scare/ Listen

Students were (brutally) honest!- Average study for leaving cert = 2.5 -3 hours

- Average study time in first year college – 0 hours

Conclusion: Students had formed bad habits!

Habit Forming

School Retention Strategy is based the theme “Habit Forming” Building on habits from the Leaving Cert Developed in conjunction with academic staff 1st assignment at induction 1,500 word SWOT Analysis including referencing

Time consuming Students likely to succeed

Two week deadline Flags for those who did not submit or failed Student get Earlier Big stick

A Bigger Jigsaw

Parents information session x 2 Briefings for students with failed modules

Not alone

Reinforce belief that you can succeed

Support Tutors PASS Programme (Peer Assisted Student Support)

How do you measure?

Overall reduction in Non Progression rates 13.7 %

Active programmes based on a 5 year weighted average 25% decline.

Programme non progression rates

• BA Accounting 26% to 17%

• BBS (hons) 25% to 12%

• HC in Office Management 29% to 6%

• HC in Business 30% to 29%

Future Enhancements

Changes to 1st year programmes Changing nature and timing of assessment

Learning Analytics from our VLE (Moodle) Student Journey from dependent to independent learner

Business Psychology

Continue to monitor rates on an annual basis Increase student participation Adopting learning from this conference

Questions