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Retaining ‘the right kind of person for that course’

Helen Richardson

JISC CETIS MeetingUniversity of Strathclyde

22nd May 2008

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National Audit Office Report (2007)

Staying the course: The retention of students in higher education

http://www.nao.org.uk/publications/nao_reports/06-07/0607616es.htm

Overall conclusions: • “Compared internationally, HE in England achieves

high levels of student retention”• “The improvements so far are a good

achievement”.

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What’s the problem?

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1st degree Full time Part time

Entry 2004/5: Number of entrants to HE

256,000 229,000

Number no longer in HE in 2005/6

28,000 (10.4%) 87,000 (38%)

Left without qualifying (’02-03 entry) 15%

(’01 –’02 entry) 44%

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Main indicators for continuation to year 2

– High A level scores– Medicine and Dentistry– Pre-’92 HEIs– Full-time– If p-t, HE in FEC

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Factors affecting retention

• National policy

• Institutional policy

• Institutional culture

• Staff attitudes

• Student experience & attitudes

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Strategies for Student Transition and Retention (STAR Project)

• HEFCE & FDTL-4 funded Project (2003 – 2007)– To identify and disseminate effective practice for

managing student transition and retention in HE

• Universities of Ulster (lead institution), Brighton, Liverpool Hope, Manchester, Sunderland

• Much existing literature on student withdrawal, but little on strategies to manage this in UK HE.

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Outline of STAR method

• Established a set of Guidelines from a survey (questionnaire and interviews) and the literature– addressing each phase of the student timeline: 

Pre-entry, induction, extended induction

• Searched out practices which might meet the objectives in the STAR guidelines– as basis of case studies of existing effective practice and

mini-projects to extend good practice

• Dissemination - examples of effective practice - drawn from case studies, along the student timeline. 

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Guidelines & effective practice: pre-entry

• Provide accurate information to help match learners to suitable courses– Online (etc) – course & campus information– Visit days

• separately tailored information for applicants & ’parents’• interviews : what to expect, curriculum, institutional

expectations• student ambassadors: campus tour and their experience

of courses, campus, student life

• Student mentors– mentor emails replies to students’ pre-registration queries

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Effective practice: Pre-entry Community Outreach

Practices to reach and encourage applications from learners from a wider range of educational and social backgrounds – e.g.

• ‘Step-Up’: University working with schools provides ‘taster sessions’ at university and university-led support for pupils still at school

• ‘Udecide’: University working with partner FECs arranges workshops aiming to help learners with decision-making skills

• Pre-entry community guidance service: University provides guidance ‘clinics’ in off-campus venues (café, Community centre).

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Guidelines: Induction

Aims focus on effective student integration into university life :

• Familiarising with campus and its support services• Highlighting students’ academic obligations • Developing independent study habits suitable for

higher education• Developing social interaction between students

and communities of practice• Promoting good communication between staff and

students

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Effective practice: Early Induction

Well-organised registration week programme - might include:

• On campus activities led by student mentors • Social outing or residential field course• Study skills or practical (lab) classes

– work to hand in – early formative assessment– identify what additional learning support students need

• Home Start – helping students in non-university accommodation to

meet other students socially (builds on pre-registration workshop)

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Effective practice: Extended Induction

• Keeping in touch via mobile phone text messaging– Deadline reminders, changed teaching arrangements

• PDP – including online PDP/portfolio building, with date–

appropriate prompts around assignments to review progress

• Online support– course related e-tutoring for distance learners

• Assessment with feedback/re-assessment

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Effective practice: tailored support for students

with special needs• Impairments –

– Physical; learning difficulties (LDs); mental ill health– SENDA/SENDO –

• make reasonable adjustments

• Register of support providers for students with specific LDs– Database of freelance professionals and PGs, paid for

through Disabled Students’ Allowance

• Credit bearing study skills module for students with dyslexia

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How are JISC projects contributing?

– e-portfolio based (e.g. HELPP, IONW2, HELM)• Including partnerships using Shibboleth

authentication ( ePistle ) • PDAs/mobile learning for teaching assistants on

Foundation degrees ( WoLF )

– e-Admin• including coupling IAG with admissions

processes (PortisHEad, DELIA) or with course related information (MOVE-XCRI)

– Formative e-assessment (e.g. SpaCE-FD )

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So – over to you ...

How else might technology developments be used to effectively support retention processes?

What are the gaps and requirements?

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