Support Me! Develop Me! Retain Me!Supporting Student Transition – How to Effectively Manage the Process

Becka Currant Head of Learner Development and Student Engagement

University of Bradford

Aims of Session

1. Hear what students have to say about their experiences during the first year.

2. Understand what support is offered at Bradford and how Develop Me! works

3. Reflect on issues surrounding the development of online activities and interventions

4. Develop an understanding of how to approach embedding this type of activity within your institution

Student Expectations

• Issues to Consider– Learning– Assessment– Feedback– Initial experiences– Support

What expectations do you think new students have about University?

Ask the Audience

Expectations

“I hope I can become more confident as well as stretch myself in lots of new ways, push my boundaries. I hope University can support me in this and help me when I flounder”

“I expect to sign up to do a hundred and one things and then get stressed because I can't cope with them all. Or I expect I will try too hard and therefore overload myself with unnecessary pressure and get stressed”

How do students think they learn best?

“I prefer practical learning as I like to do things and get bored when just listening to someone talking. I do quite well when working in a group as well as it gives me more ideas and opinions”

“Through repetition. I like to study independently initially but then to consolidate the learning I like to discuss it and have feedback on it. I have a low attention span and so find a lot of reading and quiet time very hard work. I like to interact with people and so the discussion and debate of ideas appeals to me greatly”

“I learn best from doing things or thinking through a problem with other people or by writing something down, drawing it. I don't learn much by just reading something”

“I think the best part for me was meeting so many new people. I didn't know anyone else before I came here, and I was worried about not making friends, not fitting in etc. But on my very first day (the welcome talk), I already got talking to a few people, and that really worked wonders for my confidence. Since I've got here, I've got to know so many different people, and it's just been amazing!”

What is their best experience?

“The tutorials were very helpful to guide the students during the year. Also seminars and other supporting classes. I felt that the lecturers were people who we can speak with and this is necessary for a non English student”

“Lecturers that present the course material in such a way that what could be a boring lecture is interesting”

What one thing would they change?

“More meetings to promote the relation among student (same or different years).. to exchange experiences, knowledge about life in the city, at Uni..etc…”

“More podcasts from lectures to be available”

“I want observers come to observe lecturers and see how they teaching. I also want them to ask students in private about lecturers”

“More online FAQs to assist those of us who cannot always contact the university during opening times”

What Are Your Students’ Experiences?

• What happens at your University?

• How do you know what students are thinking? How successful are these strategies?

• What else could be done?

Meeting those needs…

• What have we done and why?

A Brief History of Develop Me!

• Extended student model HEA Pathfinder, NTFS Outduction

– Pre-entry to post graduation

• E-induction HEA e-learning Research Observatory

– Seamless transition into University

• Integrated online support– 24/7 support available

• Responding to diverse students ELESIG/JISC

– Digital typology

E-induction

Academic: • Early engagement with

academic materials and development of academic skills (ning)

• Completion of SaPRA to identify levels of confidence and develop action plan to reflect on with personal tutor and evidence in PDP (online resources)

Social:• Start process of making

links with peers on courses and other students in University (ning)

• Share hopes, fears and concerns about starting course (ning)

• Identify challenges and find answers to burning questions (expectations questionnaire)

• Feel ‘at home’ (mobile guides)

Primary objective: enable students to manage process of transition in social and academic terms

Future support (2008 onwards)Develop Me! Online

E- Induction Materials

Course Specific Information

Targeted additional Information

Integrated support for skills development and understanding development needs

Generic University based information PLUS plagiarism and referencing materials

Bespoke interactive exercises to promote academic and social cohesion prior to arrival and first few weeks

Targeted information relevant to particular courses e.g.

Health & Safety

Integrated Online Support

Develop Me!

Meet and chat, pre-entry activities

developme.ning.com

Online resources

www.bradford.ac.uk/developme

Skills tracking

Mobile guides

www.braduni.mobi

Student voice

• Expectations survey• First Year Experience

questionnaire

The Student Voice

• “The forums are great as you can meet other people before beginning University. It makes you feel less nervous.” 

• “[I like] being able to meet and talk to people before starting”

• “You’ve got his huge edifice which is a University, but what you need is a human face on it.”

• “Thanks for the warm welcome note, it gave me a great first impression about the university of Bradford”  

Student Reflections

• “I’ve used Facebook before, and I’ve used MySpace before that but found Facebook much easier to use because it’s much simpler. Where I was the computers weren’t so good, so it was very important to have something simple and easy to load up. The Develop Me! website was somewhere between the two in terms of complexity, I found it quite easy to use”

• “I knew their faces, so I was happy to approach them, and they recognised me as well.”

• “Most of the things that related to the serious aspect of University I found on the University of Bradford website.”

• “It was good to be able to find out about things any time of day.”

Comments from Staff

• “This [Develop Me!] is great. I am so pleased that you have set this up and it’s an easy way for me to talk to the new students and get to know them better”  

• “They did seem a lot more self reliant with getting themselves registered and getting going with things.”

• “I thought I was too old to do all this [social networking] but it’s not as hard as you think and the students obviously seem to benefit from it”

Key messages

• Can’t get people on board until they see it working – need to take a risk and see what happens

• Branded social network [not FaceBook!] = less frivolity, more serious issues and posts

• Need to have someone there moderating every day on a little and often basis to welcome students – Ruth’s role was key. Make people feel welcome and part of the community.

• Academics can be very reluctant to take a leap of faith into the unknown

• Technology has to be part of retention strategy – most students are using this so capitalise on it but not at the expense of alienating those who aren’t (digital typology)

Pre-entry work and/or Induction/Transition Activities:• What activities do you currently offer?• What would you like to be able to do?• How well do your students adjust to University?

Policy Issues• What implications does this have for your role?• How will you respond to an ever diversifying student body?• What else is on the horizon?

Discussion Topics

Next Steps…

• What one thing have you heard about today that might be of use to you?

• Write down an action point in the card, address it to yourself and make sure it happens!