Student Engagement, Re-Engagement and a Whole of Institution Approach Paula Baron, La Trobe Lillian Corbin, UNE

Our argument Tertiary institutions see student engagement as desirable; but There is a perceived trend towards student disengagement; Institutional strategies for fostering student engagement have tended to be scattered and piecemeal and some may have contributed to disengagement; Studies suggest a ‘whole of institution’ approach that fosters a sense of belonging is likely to be most effective.

The recent interest in engagement Links between funding and engagement; Positive correlations with student: ◦ Achievement ◦ Satisfaction ◦ Development ◦ Retention

What is engagement?

Engagement is hard to identify and the term may refer to different concepts. Engagement has been linked to: ◦ active participation; ◦ energy; ◦ connection.

What is engagement? We may emphasise different components of engagement in our individual understandings of the term:  behavioural;  emotional;  cognitive.

What is engagement? Engagement is hard to measure ◦ Self-reporting questionnaires; ◦ Lack of qualitative and observational methodologies.

Are we looking at different parts of the elephant?

A trend toward disengagement? As evidenced by student behaviours: ◦ lack of class preparation, such as failure to read the assigned materials; ◦ disinclination to participate meaningfully in class; ◦ resistance to attendance requirements; ◦ resistance to active learning techniques; ◦ inability to concentrate; ◦ dependency on the lectures and the lecturer to acquire knowledge and a ‘surface’ approach to learning.

A trend towards disengagement? As evidenced by lack of belonging: ◦ first-year students are spending less time on campus, are less involved in extracurricular activities, tend not to make close friends and increasingly indicate that they keep to themselves on campus. ◦ Only half of first-year students could claim a sense of belonging on their university campus, even though the vast majority of respondents were full-time, campus-based students.  James, Kraus and Jennings

A trend towards disengagement? academic engagement and engagement with the social and communal life of universities go hand in hand; both have been found to be in decline.

Why the trend towards disengagement? New relationships of work and study; An increasingly market-driven environment (student as both consumer and commodity); Student expectations and priorities.

Policies and disengagement Overlooking the link between social and academic engagement? ◦ Loss of VSU; ◦ Growth; ◦ Responding to demand; ◦ Processes that foster anonymity and disengagement; ◦ Neglected role of P & A staff.

The need for a whole of institution approach Research links positive academic engagement with social engagement; Students do best where they have a sense of belonging; Despite the reduction in time spent on campus, students want a sense of community and the chance to make connections.

The need for a whole of institution approach Don’t just focus on academic activities: evidence suggests extracurricular activities foster engagement; Opportunities for civic engagement by both staff and students can promote a sense of belonging and connection.

For more detail: Baron and Corbin, ‘Student Engagement: Rhetoric and Reality’ (2012) 31(6) HERD 759 (available online).