Professor Karen Nelson Director, Student Success and Retention

Queensland University of Technology

Informa 2nd Annual Student Health and Welfare Forum 29-30 July 2013, Sydney

Bradley, Noonan, Nugent & Scales (2008) Review of Australian Higher Education: Final Report

Higher education can transform the lives of individuals and through them their communities and the nation by engendering a love of learning for its own sake and a passion for intellectual discovery

“... We have now reached the stage where universities must recognise the need for institution-wide approaches to enhancing the first year experience. Responsiveness to the needs of demographic and cultural subgroups demands that student support staff, academics and administrators work together to integrate their efforts and initiatives for the benefit of all students”...

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Krause, Hartley, James & McInnis, 2005, ¶8.8.6

Current state of HE in Australia

• 2nd radical change in just over two decades – Dawkins reforms 1988 elite to mass HE sector – Bradley review (2008) and Govt’s responses

• Increasing pressures – student numbers Trow’s notion of universal higher

education – student diversity – preparedness for and experience of

higher education – regulatory pressures –compacts, increased attention to HE

reputation, quality ... – funding pressures - performance based funding, recent

funding cuts (e.g. UK & Australia), deregulation of places, fixed fees … caps on places?

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Can Any Of Us Do All This Alone

Focus on two key student learning outcomes: The first year experience Student learning engagement

First year is when learning environment is the most challenging & it is when student learning engagement begins.

The first year experience

Why focus on first year students “student success [at university] is largely determined by student experiences in the first year” (Upcraft, Gardner, & Barefoot, 2005, p.1).

• And that student expectations “impact [on] successful student transitioning” (Alexson & Kemnitz, 2004, p. 20)

• “The transition to university is therefore a particularly significant period for understanding student expectations and their consequences” (James, 2002 p. 76)

• Expectations are highly individual and diverse. (James, 2002)

• These diverse expectations are the “defining characteristic of the student experience” Byron (2002)

Scoping and defining

• A first year student is a student who has not completed the equiv of 1 f/time year of study in their current course at their current institution

• The first year curriculum is a subject that is intentionally designed and placed in the curriculum to assist transition ...

• A student’s first year experience extends from offer until commencement of >equiv 1f/time year of study

What we would wish for … All students have qualified for a place and we

have a moral, ethical and legal obligation to provide the best possible opportunity for them to succeed .... That students have a good experience because they are engaged in their learning. No student leaves because of an issue with their course or curriculum or a staff member or admin or because of issues with access or support or because they lost confidence or didn’t know how to … xxx.

How can interconnectedness assist with...

Unfamiliarity with university

Diversity in preparedness for higher education

Various pre- and mis-conceptions about university life

Self doubts about ability, course choice, careers …

Demographic variables (inc. equity groups) ...

Changing patterns of participation & engagement ...

Increased work hours, travel time ...

Increasing levels of poverty

Large very large classes (massuniversal system)

What we know

Commencing students need …

• Encounters with challenging ideas and people

• Active engagement with these challenges

• In a supportive environment

• Real-world activities

• Includes social activities

• Unbounded by time or place Terenzini, P and Pascarella, E, 2007

Factors influencing success in FY

• Institutional climate and commitment

• Preparedness to respond to the changing nature of student engagement

• Recognition of the social dimensions of learning

• Good course design and teaching practice

• Assessment: relevant, consistent & integrated;

• Feedback: early, prompt & constructive

• Student support: coordinated, just-in-time, life & learning, normalised

(Yorke, M. & Thomas, L., 2003, Tinto 2006)

Generational approaches to the FYE (Kift, Nelson & Clarke, 2010; Kift, 2009; Wilson, 2009)

1st generation FYE Essentially co-curricular – professionals on curriculum’s periphery – or as adjunct to the core learning experience

2nd generation FYE Curriculum focus – recognizes entering diversity and supports student learning experience via pedagogy, curriculum design, & L&T practice – requires faculty & professional partnerships

3rd generation FYE 1st and 2nd generation FYE quality assured and seamless across institution, across all its disciplines, programs & services via faculty & professional partnerships

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Reviewing the evidence (Nelson, Clarke, Kift & Creagh, 2012)

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• ~400 empirical reports

– 2000-2003 – isolated or siloed, 1st generation = orientation, peer mentoring, transition programs

– 2004-2007 – transition pedagogy – (Kift & Nelson, 2005) and focus on curriculum, design, assessment and engagement

– 2008-2010 – trend towards university-wide foci for research, focus on clarifying expectations, dramatic increase in curriculum mediated engagement and partnerships

Example 1 Transition pedagogy & Shared strategies

Design

Transition

Engagement

Diversity

Assessment

Evaluation

Cu

rric

ulu

m t

hat

en

gage

s st

ud

en

ts in

lear

nin

g

Pro

acti

ve a

nd

tim

ely

acc

ess

to

le

arn

ing

and

life

su

pp

ort

Inte

nti

on

ally

fo

ste

rin

g a

sen

se o

f b

elo

ngi

ng

Su

stai

nab

le a

cad

em

ic-

pro

fess

ion

al p

artn

ers

hip

s

Cu

rric

ulu

m P

rin

cip

les

(FYC

Ps)

Key Strategies

Kift & Nelson, 2005, Kift, 2009, Kift , Nelson & Clarke (2010)

Transition Pedagogy – 3rd Generation FYE Policy and Practice

Example 2 Focus on inclusive practices

A philosophical position

Launch of the Good Practice Guide 26 March 2013

Example 3 from learning support to support for learning

Curricula Co-

curricular

Discipline specialists Discipline content

Professional educators Academic literacies

Extra-curricular

Academic L&L specialists Language proficiency

Embed Integrate Align

Academic languages & literacies in curriculum Cultural competence for domestic students Aboriginal and Torres Strait knowledge systems Intercultural competence for all students

Strategically placed to meet needs Aligned with course learning outcomes Threshold skills and concepts Cohort needs

24/7 access to on-line resources and information Drop-in style learning support Peer and staff mediated High priority students Intensive specialist support

Discipline academic staff and professional educators design and enact in collaboration

Formal cultural competence training Informal knowledge exchange & capacity building

Student learning engagement

Disengagement failure attrition

Engagement learning retention

“The time and effort students devote to activities that are empirically linked to desired outcomes of college and what institutions do to induce students to participate in these activities (Kuh, (2001, 2003, 2009a) in Trowler, 2010)

“the interaction between the time, effort and other relevant resources invested by both students and their institutions intended to optimise the student experience and enhance the learning outcomes and development of students and the performance, and reputation of the institution.” (Trowler, 2010. p. 3)

Individual and Institutional Characteristics Influencing Student Retention and Engagement (IICISRE)

Student Factors

Individual Contextual

Students & Staff

Knowledge Skills

Attitudes Actions

Input / Presage Factors Transformation

Process

Output / Product Factors

Institutional Experiences

Mediated by

curriculum & co-

curricular activities

Institutional Context

Curriculum Institution

Teacher Factors

Individual Contextual Nelson, K., Kift, S., & Clarke, J (2012) A transition pedagogy for student

engagement and first year learning, success and retention. In Ian Solomonides, Anna Reid and Peter Petocz (eds) Engaging with Learning in Higher Education (ELHE) Faringdon, UK Libri Publishers.

engagement is critical for learning

10 Proposals Improve Engagement

1. Enhance students self belief 2. Enable students – work autonomously & together, to

build and feel competent 3. Recognise that L&T are central to engagement 4. Create active, collaborative learning 5. Create challenging, enriching educational experiences 6. Ensure institutional cultures are welcoming 7. Invest in support services 8. Adapt to changing student expectations 9. Enable students to become active citizens 10. Enable development of social & cultural capital

Zepke & Leach (2010) ALHE, 11(3), p169

Interconnectedness

enhances learning

engagement

Example 4 Interconnectedness in curriculum design

How will students come to understand themselves and the range of employment and career options relevant to their course?

What mechanisms will be in place to support

students as they transition into the course?

What mechanisms will be in place to ensure the early identification and support of students who may be at risk of not meeting unit and course learning outcomes or disengaging from their studies?

Which faculty and central support areas will be

consulted /involved in the course to maximise the

student learning experience?

• Career modules • Individual attributes • Guest lectures • Internships, PL, WIL • Experiential & PB

learning • Capstones experiences

• Peer led orientation experiences

• Course specific peer learning in and out of classroom – physical & virtual

• Discipline specific academic languages and literacies development

• Threshold concepts, knowledge and skills explicitly identified and developed

• Cohort specific strategies for high priority and at-risk cohorts

• Universal monitoring of student engagement

• Academic skills • Peer programs • First year experience • Careers and counselling • Academic language &

learning & international • Digital / eLearning • Library • Health and wellbeing

Given engagement is the key then we should monitor students’

engagement in learning

Example 5 Interconnectedness in monitoring student learning engagement

• Early intervention programs increase student learning engagement & retention.

• Use data and information (proxy indicators) to:

– monitor student learning engagement

– make highly tailored action-oriented supportive interventions with high priority students

– connect students with learning and personal support services and network

– promote help seeking behaviour

Monitoring learning engagement

Sustained and at scale

Impact on student engagement (2011-2012)

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

2011/1 2011/2 2012/1 2012/2

20112012 = 245 students

500 students retained @$16,500 /

student / year = $8 250 000

retained income

2012 2013 = 255 students

An interconnected

Institutional conditions

http://studentengagementmaturitymodel.net/

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Category Process

Dimensions

Pro

vid

ing

Pla

nn

ing

Inst

itu

tio

nal

fra

min

g

Mo

nit

ori

ng

Op

tim

isin

g

Learning Assessment ## ## ## ## ##

Curricula ## ## ## ##

Teaching Techniques ## ## ## ##

Pedagogical Style ## ## ## ## ##

Supporting Information about ## ##

Services & resources ## ## ## ## ##

People rich ## ## ## ## ##

Belonging Interaction ## ## ## ## ##

Inclusive activities ## ## ## ## ##

Identity development opportunities ## ## ## ## ##

Integrating Academic literacies ## ##

Personal literacies ## ## ## ## ##

Activities ## ## ## ## ##

Resourcing Staff development ## ## ## ## ##

Roles and responsibilities ## ## ##

Evidence base ## ## ## ## ##

Communication ## ## ## ## ##

Learning environments ## ## ## ## ##

Example SESR Maturity Model

1 2

3

Student Engagement Success & Retention Maturity Model

Organisational Practices

Categories 18 Processes (e.g.) 63 Practices (e.g.)

Learning Assessment Design, feedback, relevance

Curricula Design, enactment

Supporting Information about Courses, key milestones, services

Services & resources Financial, personal, skills

Belonging Interaction, Inclusivity Communication style, community

Identity development Capacity building, ‘apprenticeships’

Integrating Academic literacies Peer learning, skills integrated , people

Personal literacies Cohort dev, personal dev, profess dev

Resourcing Staff development Corporate info, specific roles, innovation

Roles and responsibilities Providing tools & tech, specialist roles

C= Integrating: Process = personal

literacies

Description of practice

Institution Dimension

of

Practice interpreted for

dimension

Evidence is …

No

t ad

eq

uat

e

Part

ially

ad

eq

uat

e

Larg

ely

adeq

uat

e

Fully

ad

equ

ate

Cultural and social competence are cultivated within the curricula e.g. understanding and esteeming other cultures, indigenous ways of knowing, individual learning styles

Providing The curricula cultivates …

Planning There are plans to cultivate …

Institutional Framing

Institutional policies or standards guide …

Monitoring The cultivation of … is monitored

Optimising The cultivation of … is improved

Assessing Institutional SESR Maturity

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Example SESR Maturity Model

Pro

vid

ing

Pla

nn

ing

Inst

itu

tio

na

l fr

am

ing

Mo

nit

ori

ng

Op

tim

isin

g

Learning Assessment ## ## ##

Curricula ## ## ## ##

Teaching Techniques ## ## ## ## ##

Pedagogical Style ## ## ## ##

Supporting Information about ## ## ## ##

Services & resources ## ## ## ## ##

People rich ## ## ## ## ##

Belonging Interaction ## ## ## ## ##

Inclusive activities ## ## ##

Identity development opportunities ## ## ## ##

Integrating Academic literacies ## ## ## ## ##

Personal literacies ## ## ## ##

Activities ## ## ## ## ##

Resourcing Staff development ## ## ## ##

Roles and responsibilities ## ## ## ## ##

Evidence base ## ## ## ## ##

Communication ## ## ## ##

Learning environments ## ## ## ##

Key:

No data ##

Not adequate ##

Partially adequate ##

Largely adequate ##

Fully adequate ##

QUT Student Engagement Success and Retention

Maturity Model Summary

Dimensions

Category Process

What Might This Look Like In Practice

Academic –Professional Partnerships

D

isci

plin

e A

cad

emic

Sta

ff a

nd

Student recruitment Academic developers Learning advisers Academic language and learning advisers Learning designers Survey specialists Evaluation coordinators Counselling Careers counsellors Central and faculty student support Equity services Disability services

Fostering a sense of belonging

Uni-wide orientation & transition

Uni-wide visible

physical & virtual peer programs

Proactive, timely access to support & development

Campus life

Universal Monitoring of Student

Engagement with

Intervention

Support for Learning

Curriculum that engages students in learning

Transition pedagogy Work

integrated learning Capstone

experiences

Professor Karen Nelson Director, Student Success and Retention

Queensland University of Technology

Informa 2nd Annual Student Health and Welfare Forum 29-30 July 2013, Sydney