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Student Retention and Transition STAR

Student Retention and Transition STAR. Tony Cook STAR@ulster.ac.uk. The STAR project (Student Transition and Retention). Documenting and disseminating good practice associated with student transition . Guidelines STAR Studies Web site (www.ulster.ac.uk/star ) Active dissemination.

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Student Retention and Transition STAR

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  1. Student Retention and TransitionSTAR Tony Cook STAR@ulster.ac.uk

  2. The STAR project(Student Transition and Retention) • Documenting and disseminating good practice associated with student transition. • Guidelines • STAR Studies • Web site (www.ulster.ac.uk/star ) • Active dissemination

  3. Take home messages • Students have to change quickly and in many different ways • Some of the problems are of our making • Solutions can be applied before and after entry

  4. TRANSITIONS

  5. Managing transition Independent, enthusiastic, involved, communicative, present, reflective End point sober ? Start point

  6. Teacher Parent University Student journey Choosing subject Choosing pre entry qualifications Choosing degree subject Choosing institutions Applying Selecting Passing Enrolment Induction Engaging Succeeding

  7. Dimensions of Transition • What changes do we expect of our first year students? • Social adjustment to independence • Work/study/student lifestyle balance • Intrinsic motivation • Curriculum changes • Assessment changes • Cope with staff relationship changes

  8. The effect of A level score

  9. Pre entry qualifications • Most do precisely what they say • And no more. • Many students are ill prepared • Pre-HE performance can be a proxy for other background variables • Pre-HE performance may not measure what we value.

  10. Disadvantage • Mostly first generation students • Lack of cultural capital • Poor advice • Low expectations of themselves • Inaccurate expectations of University.

  11. Causes of poor transition • False prospectus • Buyer’s remorse/ survivor’s syndrome • Events

  12. Solutions • Better information to applicants • Courses delivering what is advertised • Developmental teaching of literacy and numeracy • Better communication of standards through formative assessment.

  13. Information to applicants • Start induction on application • Influence the advisors • Parents and teachers • Get prospective students on campus in term time (interviews, taster courses) • Put them in contact with existing students

  14. Effect of pre entry mentoring Dan Bennett (2009) Brighton

  15. Homestart • Aimed at students living at home • A programme of workshops and social events • “good, because in Freshers’ week, people in Halls had made friends already, and we had friends through Homestart.” • “It gave me a sense of belonging and a chance to meet others who understood the travelling.”

  16. Induction • Start at Application… sometimes before • Newsletters/ information • Interviews/ visits/ taster courses • Initial induction • Extends to semester 2. • Social events -student/ student- student /staff • Small group teaching • Study skills Don’t lose sight of the goal- independence.

  17. Longer term solutions • Merge full-time and part-time students • Accounting at the module level • Funding • Student success • Post Qualification Application • Start at Christmas? • Design a course to suit those who attend it

  18. STAR Products • Davies, Cook & Rushton (2007)How to get your kids through University. Accent Press • Cook & Rushton (2009)How to Recruit and Retain Higher Education Students: a handbook of good practice. Routledge • STAR Studies- www.ulster.ac.uk/star

  19. And finally • Life is pleasant. Death is peaceful. It's the transition that's troublesome." • Isaac Asimov • Of course there's a lot of knowledge in Universities: the freshmen bring a little in; the graduates don't take much away, so knowledge sort of accumulates • Lawrence Lowell

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