Affording effective transition to Higher Education John Knight and Rebecca Rochon Learning Development Unit Bucks New University

The Learning Development Unit Provides academic advice, guidance and resources both online and via lectures, workshops, small group and one-to-one tutorials to any student whatever their ability, year or course, to help ensure they achieve their maximum potential

How we work...

LDU Transition Activities Key areas: academic, social & practical Headstart  4-day course  1-day workshops In-sessional workshops Team teaching sessions

Startonline Widening the net Reaching out to the digital natives Providing opportunities for engaging with the university:  Academically  Socially  Practically Online Free Afford interaction Access to rich media

Ning Bespoke social networking tool Private faces and public places  Communication Discussion forums Personal messaging Friending  Presentation Member profiles Customisation  Content pages Images Audio Video

Startonline

Students

Staff

What happened (2010) 312 members –10% from outside UK 332 discussions postings and replies Total% Social Practical319.3 Academic00.0

Making contact I thought it was quite like interesting, I like how it was set up so that students that were just starting could like get to know people that could be on their course or who they might be living with things like that so I think it was a nice way to get to know people so that you don’t feel too scared or anything when you come in to the Uni thinking “Oh no I don’t know anyone” so it’s quite... I feel it was a really good idea and like there were lots of little articles and things like that on there which were quite helpful

Finding out I thought it was easy to use, I mean I could go straight onto the website and I knew exactly where... because, because I mainly used it just to ask questions I needed answers to. So um, it was quite easy for me to go onto the website. As soon as I logged in, I could just click, like, on the forums and get my questions answered. I had the forms and things because I was referred to them on startonline. And so when people asked me where I got them I said I was referred to them on startonline. I had documents and timetables that no one else had, because they hadn’t gone on

Learning? Resolutely uninterested in generic learning activities  Critical thinking  Evidence-based reasoning  Academic writing Student –staff interactions around subject interests  Staff-initiated  Student-driven  Evident enthusiasm  Carried over into initial subject lectures and sessions

What happened (2011) 164 members 104 discussions postings and replies Total% Social1817 Practical5250 Academic3433

Why’s that then...? Difference in marketing pre-sessional activities Students’ Union freshers’ resources Students making use of existing online resources (and creating their own) Startonline staff resources limited Subject staff unused to social networking practices  Quality, not quantity

So, what?

Pictures and conversations ‘What’s the use of a book,’ asked Alice, ‘without pictures and conversations...’ Personal, personable communication is a vehicle for learning and engagement

Encourage participating staff  To present themselves (a nice, friendly picture)  Present a biography/indication of interests  Indicate availability  Give new students something to do Subject-related Subject-embedded academic skills

Get strategic Involve senior managers Involve admin, esp. for practical issues Involve students

Start early! Selecting a platform Getting information out Getting people involved Ripeness is all

References Astin, A.W. (1993) What matters most in college: Four critical years revisited. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Knox, H. (2005) Making the transition from further to higher education: the impact of a preparatory module on retention, progression and performance. Journal of Further and Higher Education. 29 (2), pp Lowe, H. and Cook, A. (2003) Mind the Gap: Are students prepared for higher education? Journal of Further and Higher Education. 27 (1), pp Rowley, M., Hartley, J. and Larkin, D. (2008) Learning from experience: the expectations and experiences of first-year undergraduate psychology students. Journal of Further and Higher Education. 32 (4), pp Tinto, V. (1993) Leaving College: Rethinking the causes and cures of student attrition. 2 nd ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.