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Helen Richardson of JISC CETIS and the Centre for Recording Achievement discusses the STAR project and issues around student retention.
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http://www.ulster.ac.uk/star
Retaining ‘the right kind of person for that course’
Helen Richardson
JISC CETIS MeetingUniversity of Strathclyde
22nd May 2008
http://www.ulster.ac.uk/star
National Audit Office Report (2007)
Staying the course: The retention of students in higher education
http://www.nao.org.uk/publications/nao_reports/06-07/0607616es.htm
Overall conclusions: • “Compared internationally, HE in England achieves
high levels of student retention”• “The improvements so far are a good
achievement”.
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http://www.ulster.ac.uk/star
What’s the problem?
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1st degree Full time Part time
Entry 2004/5: Number of entrants to HE
256,000 229,000
Number no longer in HE in 2005/6
28,000 (10.4%) 87,000 (38%)
Left without qualifying (’02-03 entry) 15%
(’01 –’02 entry) 44%
http://www.ulster.ac.uk/star
Main indicators for continuation to year 2
– High A level scores– Medicine and Dentistry– Pre-’92 HEIs– Full-time– If p-t, HE in FEC
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http://www.ulster.ac.uk/star5
Factors affecting retention
• National policy
• Institutional policy
• Institutional culture
• Staff attitudes
• Student experience & attitudes
http://www.ulster.ac.uk/star6
Strategies for Student Transition and Retention (STAR Project)
• HEFCE & FDTL-4 funded Project (2003 – 2007)– To identify and disseminate effective practice for
managing student transition and retention in HE
• Universities of Ulster (lead institution), Brighton, Liverpool Hope, Manchester, Sunderland
• Much existing literature on student withdrawal, but little on strategies to manage this in UK HE.
http://www.ulster.ac.uk/star7
Outline of STAR method
• Established a set of Guidelines from a survey (questionnaire and interviews) and the literature– addressing each phase of the student timeline:
Pre-entry, induction, extended induction
• Searched out practices which might meet the objectives in the STAR guidelines– as basis of case studies of existing effective practice and
mini-projects to extend good practice
• Dissemination - examples of effective practice - drawn from case studies, along the student timeline.
http://www.ulster.ac.uk/star8
Guidelines & effective practice: pre-entry
• Provide accurate information to help match learners to suitable courses– Online (etc) – course & campus information– Visit days
• separately tailored information for applicants & ’parents’• interviews : what to expect, curriculum, institutional
expectations• student ambassadors: campus tour and their experience
of courses, campus, student life
• Student mentors– mentor emails replies to students’ pre-registration queries
http://www.ulster.ac.uk/star9
Effective practice: Pre-entry Community Outreach
Practices to reach and encourage applications from learners from a wider range of educational and social backgrounds – e.g.
• ‘Step-Up’: University working with schools provides ‘taster sessions’ at university and university-led support for pupils still at school
• ‘Udecide’: University working with partner FECs arranges workshops aiming to help learners with decision-making skills
• Pre-entry community guidance service: University provides guidance ‘clinics’ in off-campus venues (café, Community centre).
http://www.ulster.ac.uk/star10
Guidelines: Induction
Aims focus on effective student integration into university life :
• Familiarising with campus and its support services• Highlighting students’ academic obligations • Developing independent study habits suitable for
higher education• Developing social interaction between students
and communities of practice• Promoting good communication between staff and
students
http://www.ulster.ac.uk/star11
Effective practice: Early Induction
Well-organised registration week programme - might include:
• On campus activities led by student mentors • Social outing or residential field course• Study skills or practical (lab) classes
– work to hand in – early formative assessment– identify what additional learning support students need
• Home Start – helping students in non-university accommodation to
meet other students socially (builds on pre-registration workshop)
http://www.ulster.ac.uk/star12
Effective practice: Extended Induction
• Keeping in touch via mobile phone text messaging– Deadline reminders, changed teaching arrangements
• PDP – including online PDP/portfolio building, with date–
appropriate prompts around assignments to review progress
• Online support– course related e-tutoring for distance learners
• Assessment with feedback/re-assessment
http://www.ulster.ac.uk/star13
Effective practice: tailored support for students
with special needs• Impairments –
– Physical; learning difficulties (LDs); mental ill health– SENDA/SENDO –
• make reasonable adjustments
• Register of support providers for students with specific LDs– Database of freelance professionals and PGs, paid for
through Disabled Students’ Allowance
• Credit bearing study skills module for students with dyslexia
http://www.ulster.ac.uk/star
How are JISC projects contributing?
– e-portfolio based (e.g. HELPP, IONW2, HELM)• Including partnerships using Shibboleth
authentication ( ePistle ) • PDAs/mobile learning for teaching assistants on
Foundation degrees ( WoLF )
– e-Admin• including coupling IAG with admissions
processes (PortisHEad, DELIA) or with course related information (MOVE-XCRI)
– Formative e-assessment (e.g. SpaCE-FD )
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http://www.ulster.ac.uk/star
So – over to you ...
How else might technology developments be used to effectively support retention processes?
What are the gaps and requirements?
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