Good practice for enhancing the engagement and success of commencing students

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.

The mental health of university students in the United Kingdom

“…UK universities have responded to the risks associated with the transition to university, by providing high levels of structured support for students in their first year to try to ensure that they make friends, feel supported by staff and settle into their new environment (Nelson, Quinn, Marrington, & Clarke, 2012). The data here suggest that this may be helpful in aiding student adjustment at the transition and promoting their well-being given that levels of psychological symptoms do not increase over the first six months of university attendance.…”

Relationships between mental toughness and psychological wellbeing in undergraduate students

“…For example, a study of 1197 students from a UK university (Macaskill, 2013) 20 found highest levels of psychiatric symptoms in second-year students. It was argued that 21 while UK universities targeted additional support for first-year students to enable a smoother 22 transition to university life (Nelson et al, 2013), the second year of study comprises a While some students experience psychological disturbance during time at university, 7 many others cope effectively and some thrive amidst the challenges. Whether someone 8 becomes mentally ill or functions optimally when faced with challenging circumstances is 9 likely due to complex interactions between genetic, biological, social, and cultural factors.…”

Connecting embedded and stand-alone peer mentoring models to enhance student engagement

“…Gilmore Gilmour (2014) reported that 20 per cent of Australian students leave university in their first year. It is widely argued that such attrition rates are primarily the result of student disengagement with their studies, peers and institutions (Barron & D'Annunzio-Green, 2009;Cornelius, Wood, & Lai, 2016;Nelson, Quinn, Marrington, & Clarke, 2012). Peer mentoring programs have attempted to reverse this attrition rate and increase student engagement by providing programs that offer strong interpersonal and academic support.…”