mainstreaming inclusive learning and teaching to enhance student engagement, retention and success
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Mainstreaming inclusive learning and teaching to enhance student engagement, retention and success. Professor Liz Thomas Academic Lead for Student Retention and Success Higher Education Academy. Overview. Improving student retention and success: What works? programme Conceptual model - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Mainstreaming inclusive learning and teaching to enhance student engagement, retention and successProfessor Liz ThomasAcademic Lead for Student Retention and SuccessHigher Education Academy
Overview• Improving student retention and
success: What works? programme• Conceptual model• Key messages• Importance of learning and teaching
• Developing an inclusive institution: HEA Summit programme• What HEIs did• Engaging managers• Engaging academic staff
What works? Student retention and success programme• NAO (2007) and PAC (2008): Lack of progress
and lack of evidence about what works.• £1 million (Paul Hamlyn Foundation and
HEFCE) to support 7 projects involving 22 HEIs to identify, evaluate and disseminate effective practice.
• The primary purpose of the programme is to generate robust, evidence-based analysis and evaluation about the most effective practices to ensure high continuation and completion rates.
Academic
ServiceSocial
Pre-entry In HE Beyond HE
Student capacity building
Staff capacity building
Institutional management and co-ordination
What works? Key messages• Between 1/3 and 2/5 of students think about
withdrawing from HE.• Academic issues are a primary reason why
students think about leaving.• Not all students leave, and some programmes
have better rates of retention than would be predicted on the basis of entry grades.
• Particularly effective interventions are situated in the academic sphere and have an overt academic purpose, while also developing peer and staff/student relations.
Improving the academic experience• A number of aspects of the academic
sphere are identified in the projects as having an impact on retention and success.• Staff/student relationships• Peer relations• Curricular contents and related
opportunities• Learning and teaching• Assessment and feedback• Personal tutoring
Engaging learning• Active learning: real life projects (H/B)• Small group teaching / collaborative
learning including sharing own experiences (S, H, N)
• Enthusiastic lecturers (H, N)• Varied learning experiences (H)• Work placements (N)
Effective learning and teaching examples
• Engineering teams, School of Mechanical and Systems Engineering, Newcastle.
• Problem-based learning in groups, BA Hons Psychology, Sunderland.
• Field trip during induction week, BA Hons Tourism, Sunderland.
• Social science summer school, University of Hull.
• PASS, Life Sciences, Oxford Brookes University
HEA Inclusive learning and teaching summit programme
Inclusive learning and teaching• An inclusive approach uses mainstream
approaches and practices to meet the entitlements, interests and aspirations of all students in order to maximise their success in HE. This is in contrast to relying on additional practices and interventions for particular student groups, such as those from a WP background or equality groups, and focusing exclusively on theretention of students at risk of withdrawing.
HEA Summit programme 2009-10• 15 cross-institutional teams worked
together to implement more inclusive learning and teaching.
• Inclusive learning and teaching in higher education: a synthesis of research.
• Final report: Inclusive learning and teaching in higher education.
• 2010-11 Developing inclusive cultures programme.
What HEIs did
Define inclusive
learning & teaching Review
current situation
Develop strategic
framework
Secure senior
manager engage-
ment
Engage and
develop staff
Engage students
Use data, evaluation
&research
Engaging senior
managers
Involvement in the change programme
Link to other institutional
priorities
Presenting to strategic
committees
Developmental workshops
Staff engagement
Staff consultationor research Champions
in schools/ faculties
Working groups or
committees
Staff develop-
ment
Induction & training for new staff (PG cert)
Dissemin-ation
Student voices
Resources/ guidance on key topics
Institutional processes
Conclusions• Good quality learning and teaching is
essential to student retention and success. Some specific interventions improved retention by up to 10 percentage points.
• Inclusive learning and teaching seeks to mainstream effective practice.
• It is reliant on staff engagement: awareness, understanding and change. The Learning to Teach Inclusively resources support this.
More information• Student retention and success
resources: http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/retention-and-success
• Inclusive learning and teaching synthesis: http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/assets/EvidenceNet/Syntheses/inclusive_teaching_and_learning_in_he_synthesis_200410.pdf
• Email: [email protected]
What works? Two-day Conference• 28th and 29th March 2012, University
of York• International key note addresses• Presentation of findings• Workshops to learn about practical tools• Evidence-informed interventions from
other institutions in the UK and beyond.• For further information email
retention&[email protected]