What Works? Student Retention and Success Change Programme 2013-2016

1. What Works? Student Retention and Success Change Programme2013-2016

2. Institutions involved • Birmingham City University • Bournemouth University • University of Chester • University of Glasgow • Glasgow Caledonian University • University of Gloucestershire • Newham College of Further Education • Newman University College • University of Salford • St Mary's University College, Twickenham • Staffordshire University • University of Ulster • University of Wolverhampton • York St John University funded by the HEA and Paul Hamlyn Foundation

3. Ulster team • CORE TEAM • Professor Ian Montgomery (Dean, ADBE) • RoisínCurran (Project Manager) • Grainne Dooher (Quality Assurance Manager) • Dr Aine McKillop (Faculty T&L Coordinator) • Catherine Rosborough (student) • Plus seven discipline teams representing all faculties and campuses (see hand-out) funded by the HEA and Paul Hamlyn Foundation

4. funded by the HEA and Paul Hamlyn Foundation

5. Aim • The aim is to improve student engagement, belonging, retention and success during the first year through to completion in your institution building on the learning from the What works? Programme through the HEA Change process, and to evaluate the process and impact of change. funded by the HEA and Paul Hamlyn Foundation

6. Objectives • Use the learning from the What works? programme, institutional data and institutional review to identify strengths and challenges and priorities for change at the strategic and course/programme level . • Improve the strategic approach to improving the engagement, belonging, retention and success of students. • Implement or enhance specific interventions in the areas of induction, active learning, co-curricular activities in three selected discipline areas. • Evaluate the impact of the changes in both formative and summative ways, drawing on naturally occurring institutional data, bespoke student surveys and qualitative methods such as telephone or face-to-face interviews with staff and students. funded by the HEA and Paul Hamlyn Foundation

7. Key Principles • Change must be informed by the What works findings, notably interventions in years 2 and 3 should be in the academic domain (induction, active learning and co-curricular engagement). • Senior managers must be actively engaged for institutional change to be effective. • Students must be actively involved in the process of change. • A commitment to the collection and analysis of data and evaluation are central to the wider success of the programme, for which funding is provided. Teams should design their interventions to ensure that impact can be analysed both qualitatively and quantitatively. funded by the HEA and Paul Hamlyn Foundation

8. What Works? Key findings • At the heart of student retention and success is a strong sense of belonging in HE for students. This is most effectively nurtured through mainstream activities that all students participate in. • The academic sphere is the most important site for nurturing belonging. • Specific interventions cannot be recommended over and above each other. Rather the institution, department and programme should all nurture a culture of belonging. • Student belonging is an outcome of: supportive peer relations; meaningful interaction between staff and students; developing knowledge, confidence and identity as successful HE learners; and an HE experience which is relevant to interests and future goals. funded by the HEA and Paul Hamlyn Foundation

9. Change Programme details • 3 + years (3 years implementation; additional year to measure impact). • 16 institutional teams, with a core team and 3 discipline-level teams. funded by the HEA and Paul Hamlyn Foundation

10. Overview of each year • Year 1 (2012-13): identify strategic issues and discipline courses/programmes; implement changes at the strategic level; plan pilots at discipline level. Activities: start-up meeting, institutional visits, thematic workshops, residential, action plan. • Year 2 (2013-14): implement strategic level changes and introduce discipline-level changes, and contribute to the formative and impact evaluation processes. • Year 3 (2014-15): continue to implement strategic and discipline level changes, and contribute to the formative and impact evaluation processes. • Year 4 (2015-16): contribute to the formative and evaluation processes and the dissemination of outputs. funded by the HEA and Paul Hamlyn Foundation

11. Built Environment funded by the HEA and Paul Hamlyn Foundation

12. Built Environment • Historically been significant amount of large shared modules within Built Environment • some decoupling over recent years; however, examples remain. • Programmes were selected on basis of significant number of modules that can & are shared between programmes & significantly within semester 1 , year 1 - resulting in:- • Larger student cohorts • Arguably - loss of programme/student group identity? • Less opportunities for students from individual programmes to form friendships – consequences for belonging? • Less opportunities to be taught directly by dedicated core team members in some cases funded by the HEA and Paul Hamlyn Foundation

13. Context 3 Programmes involved:- • BSc (Hons) Building Surveying • BSc (Hons) Building Engineering & Materials • BSc (Hons) Construction Engineering & Management • Focus – INDUCTION • Programmes developing specific activities focussing upon tailored induction and embedding extended transition. funded by the HEA and Paul Hamlyn Foundation

14. Our Aims for INDUCTION: Driven By What Works:- Effective Inductions • Provide information • Inform expectations • Develop academic skills • Build social capital • Nurture sense of belonging What Students Want? • Have opportunities to make friends • See course induction timetable in advance • Understand nature of teaching and learning & be reassured that they will cope • Understand how the course will benefit them in the future • Have a timetable that fits around other commitments funded by the HEA and Paul Hamlyn Foundation

15. Built Environment Strategic Approach • All programmes moving to induction of year 1 undergraduates to week 0 • Provides the underpinning for the implementation of Built Environment Discipline Team Plans as:- • Staff can concentrate efforts solely on effective and tailored induction • All core staff can be involved • More focussed group activities, trips etc • Stripped back in order to place emphasis upon and promote ‘Just in Time Teaching’ funded by the HEA and Paul Hamlyn Foundation

16. BEM & CEMTailored Induction & Enhanced Transition • Programmes interrelate & module change within 1 programme directly affected other • CEM - Particular problem – semester 1, year 1 no modules taught by core team members & where student group were on own as programme cohort • Week 0 Tailored Induction • Introduction of Transition & Study Skills Module in Semester 1 on both programmes – led by Course Director • BEM – semester 1 • CEM – across semesters 1 & 2 • promote on-going induction & transition • Include changes course team practices – also library intros; careers etc funded by the HEA and Paul Hamlyn Foundation

17. Building Surveying Year 1 Tailored Induction & Embedding Transition • Week 0 Tailored Induction • Extended Induction activities within existing modules/programme Year 2 Active & On-Going Embedded Transition Large numbers direct entry students into year 2 • 1 day intensive welcome/welcome back induction –group based • On-going induction activities focussing on belonging & managing expectations • Embedded 2 modules with significant amounts group work & modules interrelate • Groups selected to ensure integration of existing & new students • Aid effective peer learning & to help manage expectations of income students funded by the HEA and Paul Hamlyn Foundation

18. Challenges • Timetabling – the move to week 0 induction • Student recruitment/participation • Critical to the development of the programme and to build ethos of students as partners • Timing may have been a factor? • Driven by Course Directors but as its induction success will rely on active involvement of core team funded by the HEA and Paul Hamlyn Foundation

19. Computing funded by the HEA and Paul Hamlyn Foundation

20. Computing Martin McKinney Michaela Black Adrian Moore Janet Allison

21. New for Computing 2012-13 • Group Mentors -Influencing and Embedding the Curriculum • Group mentors (final years) became part of teaching team - join the community of practice • Interviewed applicants • Induction training session • Including curriculum design workshop • Periodic review sessions • Feedback students experience and progress • Continue curriculum design workshops to enhance sessions • Review student feedback via quiz (77 respondents)

22. Proposals from Group Mentors • Split up large group assignment • Smaller practice group assignments which are linked • Smaller groups • Leaders design range of group assignments • Real world problems • Teaching group review and approve • White boards in all tutorials • Improve problem solving and sharing good practice • Student groups design and create quiz questions for tutorial

28. 2013-14 and Beyond • Incorporate a more sense of BELONGING for the students leaders and the students in year 1 • Embed work from Peer to Peer Support Project and Transition +model [Jane Andrews & Robin Clark (Aston University)] • Pedagogic Methodology: • Using Communities of Practice or focus of improvements • Implementing iterative cycle of curriculum design workshops and reflective sessions using feedback and focus groups

31. Law funded by the HEA and Paul Hamlyn Foundation

32. Law-Rationale for involvement in the programme • The LLB degree runs on two campuses (Magee and Jordanstown). Incoming students must achieve high level entry tariff points but fail rates in some year 1 modules are high. Variation in NSS scores (student satisfaction) existed between the two programmes (2012-13) but was generally high.  

33. our plans for change - area of focus • Focus is on induction (embedding ‘belongingness’) with the addition of a pre-arrival, pre-induction activity for freshers, tied to overall induction programmes. • Students will be sent out a case to download from an open access legal database (bailii.org) and be required to read it carefully, make notes (500 word summary/analysis) and prepare for Q & A and discussion, in small groups, with their Studies Advisor • This will serve as both ‘ice-breaker’ and tie in with the ‘Amazing Brains’ and ‘PASS’ induction activities as useful preparation for studying/reading law and doing legal research at degree level including e.g. court visit in semester 1 and required reading of case law across all other law modules • Any students who are unsure of whether the LLB is their best degree choice, should also be able to gauge fairly quickly whether they have made the correct choice.

34. Our vision for the next three years • PASS leaders will engage with incoming law students in supporting them through week zero induction activities and extended induction throughout the year • Social networking/online support to continue e.g. ‘UUM Facebook’ page which currently exists – new students are encouraged to log on to this to meet their fellow law students and avail of pre-induction and semester-time opportunities e.g. to socialize, join study groups, buy 2nd hand books, vote for student reps, volunteer for law-related activities (e.g. CAB, Law Centre, charitable fund-raising events) • Frontloading of skills development at Jordanstown across all Law programmes with dedicated workshops on learning legal skills in weeks one and two (pilot 2013 intake)

35. Nursing (Mental Health) funded by the HEA and Paul Hamlyn Foundation

36. Enhancing Belonging and Identity in Mental Health Nursing Iain W. McGowan

37. Why Mental Health Nursing? • High attrition rate (13.6%) in comparison to faculty (7.4) • Annual cost- £99 million • High student satisfaction rates (90%+, NSS)

38. Why people leave • Personal • Finance • Childcare • Academic • Module failure • Lack of identification or belonging • Content not obviously related to area of study • Professional • Practice learning experiences

39. BSc (Hons) Nursing (Mental Health) Total cohort circa 250 (200 adult & 50 mental health) 5 groups of 50 (40 adult & 10 mh)

40. Enhancing belonging and identity • Pre-induction • Induction • Mental Health Nursing specific activities • Semester long induction

41. Outcomes • Increased successful completion of year 1. • Increased student reported sense of belonging and identity.

42. References • Building student engagement and belonging in Higher Education at a time of change: final report from the What Works? Student Retention & Success programme http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/assets/documents/retention/What_works_final_report.pdf • HEA Retention and Success Resources http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/retention-and-success • Student retention and success change programme: Implementing and evaluating the impact of the ‘What works?’ programme http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/resources/detail/change/SRS_12-13/SRS_info funded by the HEA and Paul Hamlyn Foundation