August 2015

Throughput rates for 3-year degree 2008 student cohort in public HEIs (excluding UNISA) (VitalStats Public Higher Education 2013, CHE)

“Higher education is the major driver of the information/knowledge system, linking it with economic development. However, higher education is much more than a simple instrument of economic development. Education is important for good citizenship and enriching and diversifying life... Massive investments in the higher education system have not produced better outcomes in the level of academic performance or graduation rates. While enrolment and attainment gaps have narrowed across different race groups, the quality of education for the vast majority has remained poor at all levels. The higher education therefore tends to be a low-participation, high-attrition system.” National Planning Commission 2012

The enhancement of student learning with a view to producing an increased number of graduates with attributes that are personally, professionally and socially valuable. 1. enhanced student learning, leading to an 2. increased number of graduates that have 3. improved graduate attributes STUDENT SUCCESS Focus of the Quality Enhancement Project

Both institutionally-based and nationally coordinated activities Institutional enhancement HE system enhancement

Less of this….

html Staff from the Indian Space Research Organization celebrate at the ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network in Bangalore after their Mars Orbiter spacecraft successfully entered Mars orbit on September 24, Credit: Manjunath Kiran/AFP/Getty Images More of this…

Institutional submissions Analysis Feedback Collaboration Analysis Symposia, working groups Projects of other bodies Institutional capacity development Research projects Select focus areas Individual Institutional feedback Feedback Institutional reports Process

Focus areas for Phase 1 1. Enhancing academic as teachers 2. Enhancing student support and development 3. Enhancing the learning environment 4. Enhancing course and programme enrolment management

Programme offerings Responses from Private Providers 48 for profit 21 non-profit

Number of students Mode of delivery

Focus area 2

Once a university admits a student it has a moral obligation to do everything within its power to create an environment within which the student has a good chance of succeeding. “Access without support is not opportunity” [Vincent Tinto]

Teaching Assessment Curriculum development Focus area 2 Developing institutional mechanisms for student support Support Counselling Monitoring

Provided before enrolment? 56 YES Face-to-face, telephonic, (18) Screening tests during application (10) Provided after enrolment? 54 YES Part of learning programme (15) Discussions with dedicated individuals (16) Exposure to industry (8) Advising students on curriculum planning? 58 YES Dedicated people to offer advice (15) Career guidance and curriculum advising

Provided to registered students when needed? 22 YES Educational, academic, psycho-social, spiritual, lifestyle, health, finances Done by lecturers, academic development coordinators, academic managers or counsellors Specialised or professional counselling provided by psychologists, psychiatrists, student support coordinators and other external providers (10) Students first go to staff or appointed counsellors before being referred to a specialist (10) Counselling

Is there a mechanism? 49 YES Using formative and summative assessment (17) Assessment reports and workshops (9) Entrance assessments (7) Mentoring and “skills passports” (17) Feedback from WIL or clinical placements Appraising students’ life and academic skills

Voluntary activities provided? For whom? 45 YES All students may participate (23) Integrated into curriculum so all participate (7) Target groups, e.g. underperforming students, SRCs What activities are provided? Community engagement (28) Extra classes, workshops, mentoring and tutoring, academic literacy development activities (28) WIL linked to community engagement Development of life and academic skills

Compulsory activities provided? For whom? 53 YES All students (16) At-risk students, in certain years or programmes, SRC members (22) What activities are provided? Work-integrated learning and/or experiential learning (24) Skills development programmes (15) Bridging courses, mentoring programmes, subject-specific tutorials, cultural activities Development of life and academic skills

68 YES Performance in assessments and exams, class participation, submission of work Responsible individuals, e.g., academic managers, programme managers, QA facilitators, academic advisers, academic staff Mechanism for identifying students at risk of failing

Support to at-risk students One-on-one guidance, advising and counselling (39) Mentoring, tutoring, extra classes (43) Involving parents, guardians, sponsors (14) Activities to develop academic skills (6)

Low lecturer-student ratio so more engaged with students and their needs (26) Mentoring and tutor systems and academic skills development (14) Student leadership development activities Academic literacy programmes (9) Industry placement, clinical practice, simulations Support for students with disabilities (8) Welfare support (food, emotional support, pastoral care) Other good practices

Lack of resources for academic development, including enough staff Inadequate infrastructure, including wheelchair ramps, internet access, equipment Funding Time for staff and students to participate in academic development Students not accessing support Distance learning– lack of infrastructure, difficulty in organising student support activities Main challenges

For Focus Area 2: Enhancing student support and development and on the basis of what you have heard, 1.What good practices could your institution implement (if not there already) or improve upon (if there already)? 2.What challenges does your institution face and how could they be addressed? Discussion

Dimensions of students’ lives that affect their success VocationLife Skills Academic literacies Physical health Well- being Material needs Subject matter Study skills STUDENT

Academic support and development helping students successfully execute the tasks required to succeed in their academic programme. Non-academic support and development helping students successfully navigate the challenges associated with being a university student and with life in general.

Orientation programmes First-year experience Identification of student needs (through surveys) Institution-wide activities

Academic literacies Life skills Careers Advising Monitoring Counselling Mentoring Tutoring Disability support Study skills Teaching and Learning Division Student Services Division Writing Faculty (or Department)

Challenges Timing, timetabling and voluntary nature of support Tutors and tutor training Non-credit bearing courses Technology challenges Structural, financial and staffing constraints Communication and use of available services

For Focus Area 2: Enhancing student support and development, 1.What additional good practices that you have heard about today could your institution implement (if not there already) or improve upon (if there already)? 2.What challenges would need to be overcome and how for these new practices to be implemented? Discussion

Teaching Assessment Curriculum development Focus area 3 Providing institutional resources Counselling Monitoring Support Learning environment

Enhancing the learning environment Individual learning spaces Multipurpose spaces Collaborative learning spaces ICT resources Library Labs Technical spaces Teaching spaces

Effective Teaching spaces for promoting learning

Good, appropriate IT infrastructure (33) Well-maintained, comfortable, well-resourced spaces for contact sessions (34) Suitable, adequate teaching equipment (28) Good spaces for practicals, simulations, WIL (11)

Limited building infrastructure and maintenance (27) Insufficient equipment (11) Teaching spaces that are not effective

Spaces in library (40) Computer labs for individual use (13) Common areas Resource and/or study centre (8) Teaching rooms when not in use (7) Effective features IT infrastructure (27), well-resourced buildings (16) Studios well-equipped (10) Features that hamper student success Limited space (14), IT infrastructure (15), limited access to and resources in library (10), high noise levels (9) Individual student learning spaces

Teaching spaces when not in use (31) IT “spaces” (LMS, internet access) Common areas (e.g. cafeteria) (13) Effective features Flexible furniture arrangements, internet access (33) Availability of resources (29) Features that hamper student success Limited spaces available (13) High noise levels (12) Limited IT infrastructure (7) Spaces used for socialising, not studying (7) Collaborative learning spaces

40 have, 29 do not have Learning management systems (LMS) Access at home Access on campus

Fraction of courses/ modules that use the LMS

 E-learning (classroom, tutorials, discussion forums such as wikis) (59)  General use of IT equipment by students and lecturers ( , printing, cameras) (42)  Access to on-line journals in the library (25)  Internet access in computer labs, library and some classrooms (27)  LMS (16)  Power point presentations in lectures (16)  Communication of information to students (14)  Simulation labs and practical lab with high technology software and other necessary applications (11)  Administrative purposes (7)  Online Work sharing (1) Uses of technology

Internet access and reliability (39) Finances to support the costs (25) Students’ lack of computer literacy (19) Challenges in using technology

Good aspects Provide research facilities, e.g. databases (51) Good infrastructure (39) Good accessibility (in time and space) (42) Staff for support (26) IT infrastructure (22) Needs improvement Student learning spaces (39) Resources (25) Access (in time and space) (16) IT infrastructure and access (12) Equipment (13) Library facilities

For Focus Area 3: Enhancing the learning environment and on the basis of what you have just heard, 1.What good practices could your institution implement (if not there already) or improve upon (if there already)? 2.What challenges does your institution face and how could they be addressed? Discussion

Conflict between large lecture room and spaces that enable interactive teaching and learning Student numbers often exceed carrying capacity Some state of the art specialised teaching spaces that link with industry, professions or community General shortage of student learning spaces Some innovative uses of spaces for learning Crowding can be caused by inefficiencies “Built pedagogy” – the architectural embodiment of our educational philosophy Decisions about physical space needs and configurations need to be pedagogically driven Spaces

 LMS provide opportunities for more interaction among students and each other and with lecturer, expanded learning opportunities  Some institutions have apps to enable students to access LMS and student portal  More wi-fi enables students to use own devices, but bandwidth is an issue  Cost of data and internet access off-campus a problem for many students  Designing on-line learning materials takes knowledge skill. Need learning designers to work with subject specialists. Also need increased IT infrastructure  There is a shortage of skilled ICT technicians and support staff; students can help Technology-enabled learning

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Libraries playing more and more important role Physical spaces for learning and accessing information, using computers, own devices, books moved into storage Increasing access needed by students; students can be employed to help. Librarians help with knowledge management for institution and training for staff and students Librarians’ role getting more complex and demanding, so sometimes hard to find right people Libraries

For Focus Area 3: Enhancing the learning environment 1.What additional good practices that you have heard about today could your institution implement (if not there already) or improve upon (if there already)? 2.What challenges would need to be overcome and how for these new practices to be implemented? Discussion

Promising practice Shown to be successful in a specific context Decontextualise Identify core elements Recontextualise Adapt for a new context Implement and evaluate Good practice

Benchmarks and codes of good practice for quality undergraduate provision Policy recommendations Tools and resources for improving student success Research Communities of practice Raise the bar for what can be expected of institutions in promoting student success in future Expected outcomes of the QEP