Student TransitionsQAA Enhancement Theme

2014-17

Student TransitionsStudent Transitions – its an ambitious topic

Relevant to all students, all staff and all institutions

• Transitions at the start of a programme of study: getting there and settling there

• Transitions during a programme of study: staying there and progressing effectively, choices and challenges

• Transitions at the end of a programme of study: moving on to work or further study

First year of activity was about scoping the range of current practices and identifying the priority transitions for students at each institution – identifying effective practices, gaps and challenges

Student Transitions – Focus of institutional work in the first year

• Scoping • The First Year• Widening access• Change Processes• Colleges and articulation• Placements • Employability and skills

• The honours year• International students

and outward mobility• Postgraduate Taught and

Research transitions• Technology

Student Transitions – Focus of central project work in 2014-15

Commissioned work: • Student Transition skills and strategies (self efficacy and self

reflection)• Evaluation

QAA Scotland• Resources on supporting ‘looked after’ students• Development of an on-line Student Transitions Map• Gathering positive practice and areas for development from

ELIR reports (QAA Scotland)• Investigating work done on student transitions internationally

Student engagement with the ThemeAt institutional level:• Membership of institutional teams• Student-led projects and events, including events

for students• As student interns undertaking scoping/ research

Theme student network (national level):• Conference on ‘Supporting looked after students’• Case studies on postgraduate transitions

Themes have impact!Our International conference June 2015

• Keynotes from Australia, United States and Scotland• 600 delegates over three days• 13 countries from Qatar to Hong Kong• Over 100 parallel sessions• 21 student-led workshops or papers and 19 student-led

posters with 88 student delegates• In June 2015: 3717 unique visitors to the website

(17354 page views)

Moving into the second year of the Theme..• Evaluation of first year in progress• Ongoing development of our strategic approach • Aiming to encourage greater institutional collaboration,

sharing and learning• Continuation of work on Student Transition Skills and

Strategies• Ongoing development of Student Transitions Map• Other commissioned work – addressing gaps• Events, Theme Leaders and Student Network meetings• Planning towards the Annual ET conference in June

Questions?

Enhancement Themes website:

www.enhancementthemes.ac.uk

qaa.ac.uk

enquiries@qaa.ac.uk

+44 (0) 141 5723420© The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education 2015

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