Maintaining The Momentum: Transition Pedagogy to sustain Widening Participation and Student Success
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Seminar presented at NCSEHE 9 May 2018 Maintaining the Momentum:Transition Pedagogy to sustain Widening Participation and Student Success. In 2018, we know a lot about what works for student learning, success, and retention. And, thanks to widening participation’s years of patient outreach work, which has delivered thousands more under-represented students to our virtual and physical classrooms, our higher education (HE) focus on assuring diverse cohorts’ learning success has also sharpened significantly. However, just as we should be celebrating the zenith of equity group participation in Australian HE, the government’s re-imposition of caps on student places and the enormous pressure on university budgets to do more with less, while pursuing ever more aggressive research agendas, have now seen the first cracks appearing in what had been, for the most part, unwavering commitment to the sector’s social justice and equity agenda. As Australian HE is challenged to respond to the new normal of finite resourcing, increased competition, endemic disruption, and high turnover of equity, support, and teaching-focussed staff, it will be suggested that Transition Pedagogy, harnessed strategically and holistically across an institution, provides a longer-term and sustainable response to maintaining our transformative HE aspirations. Transition pedagogy (TP) is “a guiding philosophy for intentional first year curriculum design and support that carefully scaffolds the first year learning experience for contemporary heterogeneous cohorts” (Kift, 2009, p. 2). Since its inception over a decade ago, it has been well received, adopted and adapted, both nationally and internationally, across many disciplines, institutions and aspects of the student lifecycle (Kift, 2015). Particularly for the widening participation context, TP focuses on what students have in common—their learning experiences mediated through curriculum—rather than problematising their diversity and difference. This seminar will discuss TP, and its framing around six First Year Curriculum Principles, and will then facilitate consideration of examples and strategies to promote inclusion and retention of non-traditional students. Attendees will be taken through the distinctive and enabling features of TP’s integrative framework in the equity context, which are suggested to be threefold: first, an intentional and inclusive curriculum focus to mediate the coherence and quality of the student experience equitably over the student lifecycle; secondly, a whole-of-institution and whole-of-student emphasis that delivers coordinated and integrated engagement and just-in-time, just-for-me support; and, thirdly, the enabling capacity of academic and professional staff working together in cross-institutional partnerships to assure the seamlessness of student success as everybody’s business. The seminar will conclude with time for questions and discussion.
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Maintaining The Momentum: Transition Pedagogy to sustain Widening Participation and Student Success
- 1. Maintaining the Momentum: Transition Pedagogy to sustain Widening Participation and Student Success Professor Sally Kift PFHEA President, Australian Learning &Teaching Fellows Discipline Scholar: Law @KiftSally
- 2. Maintaining the Momentum: WP and Student Success In 2018 – what’s sustainable???? • An integrative framework • Academic & professional partnerships • Focus on success • Intentional, holistic, coordinated, coherent… • Harness curriculum as glue • For all students, with students Whole-of-institution Whole-of-student Transition Pedagogy But first a word (or two) from our sponsor (-ing context) …
- 4. http://www.ey.com/au/en/industries/gov ernment---public-sector/ey-university-of- the-future-2030 https://www.smh.com.au/education/university- degrees-obsolete-report-ernst-young- 20180501-p4zcn5.html “Equity" mentioned once (p28): policies that created equity & access are "now constraining evolution" in context of need to assure "competitive workforce"
- 7. The Grattan Institute developed a model to use these [part-time study] and other factors (field of study, admission marks, age, sex, disability, nationality, [I]ndigeneity, postcode during year 12 study, failed courses and study in person or online) to predict an individual’s chance of completing university. … For example, the Grattan model calculated that a non-Indigenous male who moved from a remote area in Western Australia to a metro area, studied off-campus and took four subjects a year has a 72% chance of dropping out within eight years. But taking a full load of subjects and studying on-campus more than doubles that student’s chances of completing, slashing the risk of failure to 32%. https://www.campusreview.com.au/2018/04/one-in-four-uni-students-drop-out-report/ https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/apr/30/will-you-drop-out-of-university-report-reveals-australian-students-at-risk
- 9. Andrew Norton on Twitter: "Many students avoid a HELP debt by leaving before the first census date. https://t.co/jUlJbWYQAG… " p. 40 https://grattan.edu.au/report/dropping-out/
- 10. 9007 remote (& very remote) students engaged in university in 2015 have the following characteristics: https://www.ncsehe.edu.au/event/the-clever-country-the-importance-of-investing-in-regional-and-remote-students/
- 11. “Even if trends from the last two years continue for both areas, we would see less people participating in education and training across the whole tertiary sector as there would still not be enough growth in higher education to offset a steep fall in VET.” http://www.mitchellinstitute.org.au/wp- content/uploads/2018/04/Participation-in- tertiary-education-in-Australia.pdf
- 12. http://www.mitchellinstitute.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Crunching-the-number_Exploring-the-use-and-usefulness-of-the-ATAR.pdf 2014: 13% https://www.education.gov.au/news/release-higher-education-standards-panel-report-improving-transparency-higher-education 2014: 31% 2014: 12% 2014: 6% 2014: 13% 2014: 25% 2014: 1%
- 13. Rightly or wrongly, [students] absorb the message that the way to boost their ATAR is to drop down a level in mathematics. ATAR as a driver of aspirations is further complicated by the common misconception that the range of the percentile ranking is 0 to 99.95 with a median score of 50. However, because the ranking is relative to the starting Year 7 cohort, in practice the range is closer to 40 to 99.95 with a median score nearer to 70. Teachers, parents and businesses agree: we need a better conversation about the purpose of the ATAR; with an emphasis not just on getting into university, but getting in prepared to do well. (2018, 7) ATAR: A Long Shadow STEM Forum chaired by Chief Scientist Dr Alan Finkel http://www.educationcouncil.edu.au/
- 16. Tinto (2009): “…establish those educational conditions…” “stop tinkering at the margins of institutional academic life and make enhancing student success the linchpin about which they organize their activities ... [E]stablish those educational conditions on campus that promote the retention of students, in particular those of low- income backgrounds”. Tinto, V (2009) Taking Student Retention Seriously: Rethinking the First Year of University. Keynote address delivered at the ALTC FYE Curriculum Design Symposium, QUT, Brisbane, Australia, February 5, 2009 https://web.archive.org/web/20170218144541/http://www.fyecd2009.qut.edu.au/resources/SPE_VincentTinto_5Feb09.pdf http://soe.syr.edu/about/member.aspx?fac=64
- 17. Why do students leave in FY? “Complex inter-relationship between course dissatisfaction, course preference, limited engagement, and student perceptions of academic staff and of the quality of teaching” (Krause et al, 2005, at 64) https://theconversation.com/student-success-why-first-year-at-uni-is-a-make-or-break-experience-21465
- 20. UK: What Works? (2012, 2017) Student Retention & Success • Nurture a culture of belonging (academic & social) • Institutional commitment, planning & leadership • Is a mainstream priority for institution & staff • Staff accountability, development, recognition & reward • Student capacity: clear expectations; skills development; engagement & interaction opportunities • Quality institutional data; monitoring for at-risk • Partnership between staff & students https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/system/files/what_works_final_report.pdf https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/system/files/hub/download/what_works_2_-_full_report.pdf
- 21. • Celebrate success • Whole of institution, holistic approaches with success focus • Connectedness important; ‘Ako’ – Strong relationships based on trust, respect & reciprocity – Engagement with family, partners & community • Culturally safe, inclusive & effective learning environment – EG: culturally relevant content & pedagogy for relevance, motivation & engagement; culturally engaged teachers & support staff; personalised • Culturally relevant peer mentoring, peer support & role models • Encourage self-directed learning & self-motivation • High, realistic & consistent expectations (with support to achieve) • Regular data monitoring processes in place & feedback provided Common Themes https://akoaotearoa.ac.nz/download/ng/file/group-5797/lifting-our-game-achieving-greater-success- for-learners-in-foundational-tertiary-education.pdf http://www.education.govt.nz/assets/Documents/Ministry/Strategie s-and-policies/PEPfoldup12Feb2013.pdf
- 22. Increasing maturity of our FYE approaches (Kift, et al., 2010; Kift, 2009; Wilson, 2009; Kift, 2015) • 1st generation FYE – Siloed co-curricular – professionals on curriculum’s periphery • 2nd generation FYE – Curriculum focus – recognises entering diversity and supports student learning experience via pedagogy, curriculum design & L&T practice – requires academic & professional partnerships • 3rd generation FYE – 1st and 2nd generation FYE quality assured, joined-up and seamless across institution, across all its disciplines, programs & services via academic & professional partnerships = Transition pedagogy – a guiding philosophy for intentional first year curriculum design and support that carefully scaffolds and mediates the first year learning experience for contemporary heterogeneous cohorts. Kift & Nelson (2005) http://conference.herdsa.org.au/2005/pdf/refereed/paper_294.pdfhttp://transitionpedagogy.com/
- 23. Comprehensive, integrated & coordinated whole-of-institution approaches, with a success (cf deficit) focus Just-in-time, just-for-me interventions enacted seamlessly over student lifecyle by academic & professional staff partnerships Assure Tinto’s “educational conditions”. Harness the curriculum as the “glue” and the academic and social “organising device” (McInnis, 2001) Intentional curriculum design with embedded, contextualised support for all but especially for time-poor equity group students Not leaving success to chance! Transition Pedagogy: An Integrative Framework
- 24. Curriculum Redesign Associate Dean, L&T First Year Experience Coordinator Careers & Employment Educational Designer Teaching Staff Academic Developer Learning Advisor Librarian Student Voice Program Coordinator Data/ Analytics Academic, Professional and Student Partnerships Equity Practitioner
- 27. Kift Senior Fellowship: 6 Curriculum Principles (2009) 1. Transition 2. Diversity 3. Design 4. Engagement 5. Assessment 6. Evaluation and Monitoring [Higher Education word bingo] For a curriculum that does serious transition and retention work! [Concurrent with good teaching, good support and student buy-in] http://transitionpedagogy.com/ Transition Pedagogy
- 28. 1. Proactive Management of Transition What being successful looks like… http://www.successfulunistudent.com.au https://www.jcu.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/198995/Parents-and-Partners-Guide-2017.pdf
- 30. (2) Acknowledging & mediating Diversity What’s required for success: “Mastery of the [tertiary] student role...” https://www.jcu.edu.au/students/learning-centre
- 33. (3) Intentionally Designed Curriculum Coherent, Inclusive, scaffolded, relevant... http://mams.rmit.edu.au/r7tygoobioey.pdf
- 34. National Guidelines: Improving Student Outcomes in Online Learninghttps://www.ncsehe.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/CathyStone_EQUITY-FELLOWSHIP-FINAL-REPORT.pdf
- 35. http://www.jcu.edu.au/diploma/index.htm http://www.jcu.edu.au/diploma/readiness/index.htm IDL = Individual Learner Plan “Every week we had a resilience strategy, by understanding and using these strategies, each of my subjects has been made more comfortable.“
- 36. Digital Literacy Core subject in JCU Diploma Pathway course https://secure.jcu.edu.au/app/studyfinder/?subject=cs1022
- 37. http://digitalcapability.jiscinvolve.org/wp/files/2015/06/1.-Digital-capabilities-6-elements.pdf Digital capabilities: the 6 elements defined (JISC, 2015) Digital Literacies/ Capabilities (critical use) (creative production) (participating)(learning) (self- actualising) “Digital literacies are those capabilities which fit an individual for living, learning and working in a digital society.” (Jisc, n.d.) https://www.jisc.ac.uk/guides/developing-digital-literacies https://studentsuccessjournal.org/article/view/431/416
- 38. • O’Shea & Stone: “Engaging Families to Engage Students”: the important role of “Family Capital” (after Bourdieu’s social & cultural capital). – How might we engage with the family & communities of learners in a productive & ongoing, supportive sense? http://www.firstinfamily.com.au/ (4) Engagement Engaging pedagogies; peer-to-peer; student-to-staff… More recently: Engaging Influencers
- 40. Career Development Learning First Year: Develop Vocational Identity and Sense of Purpose https://www.jcu.edu.au/careers-and-employment/career-action-plan http://www.careers.qut.edu.au/student/careerbooks/FirstYearBooklet_April2015.pdf Middle Years: Undertake Professional Engagement and Skill Development Final Year: Assure Professional Transitions
- 41. (5) Aids transition to tertiary Assessment Clear expectations; early feedback; feedforward • Explanation and consistent use of assessment verbs; consistent naming of assessment tasks; • Explicit clarification of assessment expectations: eg, how to write, research, orally present in different discipline genres; • Explicit & consistent advice & assistance with referencing & paraphrasing expectations; • Instruction & proactive support for teamwork; • Assist students to make use of examples & model answers; • Well written criterion referenced assessment (CRA) sheets AND ‘dialogue’ about way criteria and standards will be applied (ASKe, 2008: http://www.brookes.ac.uk/aske/resources/feedback/); • Assistance with ‘what feedback is’ & how best to use it (ASKe, 2007: http://www.brookes.ac.uk/aske/resources/feedback/)
- 42. Kift, Sally M. and Moody, Kim E. (2009) Harnessing assessment and feedback in the first year to support learning success, engagement and retention. In: ATN Assessment Conference 2009 Proceedings, 19 – 20 November, 2009, RMIT University, Melbourne. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/28849/1/28849.pdf “At the very minimum, if we expect first year students to become independent and self-managing learners, they need to be supported in their early development and acquisition of tertiary assessment literacies…” https://www.jisc.ac.uk/guides/transforming-assessment-and- feedback/assessment-literacies “…process of making academic judgements, how this may be achieved and the benefits and limitations of different approaches. Both staff and students need to develop this understanding….The term assessment literacy is still uncommon. We talk increasingly about study skills, graduate attributes and digital literacies but none of these fully addresses student understanding of, and engagement in, the overall assessment process.
- 43. (6) Evaluation (QA & QI) & Monitoring (for at-risk early departure) https://www.jcu.edu.au/learning-and-teaching/designing-for-learning/blended-learning/learning-analytics
- 45. “…under-represented students are disproportionately likely to withdraw from university, and to receive no recognition for partial successful completion. Increasing the number of formal exit pathways within undergraduate degrees may be therefore an important way of reducing attrition, promoting student mobility, and reducing inequities across the higher education sector.” http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/ceehe/index.php/iswp/article/view/24 (1) UG Exit Pathways
- 46. (2) Diverse Program Choices https://www.ncsehe.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Southgate_Fair-connection-to-professional-careers.pdf ‘…students from equity groups are far more likely to be enrolled in a high-status degrees in less elite universities … these students make up a remarkably small percentage of their FoE cohort in Go8 universities in particular. From an equity perspective, such patterns of unequal distribution require concerted attention.” Entrenched inequity in Australian schooling requires urgent attention… Career education is often at the curriculum margins and implemented in ad hoc ways…
- 52. (4) Employability 2.0 A networked approach to graduate employability http://www.graduateemployability2-0.com/
- 54. (6) BI Cohort Tracking 2010 starting cohort Outcomes as at Sem 2 2013 B New Media Arts Begin Cohort 76 No future enrollment (total attrition) 43% Retained in Same Course 13% Original Course Completed 33% Changed Course 18% Retained in different course in Sem 2 2013 11% Different Course Completed 1% Data-Driven, Evidence-Base: Cohort Maps
- 57. 1. Intentional & inclusive curriculum focus to mediate coherence & quality of student experience equitably over student lifecycle; 2. Whole-of-institution & whole-of-student emphasis to deliver – coordinated & integrated engagement – just-in-time, just-for-me support; 3. Enabling capacity of academic and professional staff cross-institutional partnerships to assure seamlessness and student success as everybody’s business. Transition Pedagogy: An Integrative Framework Distinctive & Enabling for Student Success & Equity Focus on what students have in common —learning experiences mediated through curriculum— rather than problematising diversity & difference. http://transitionpedagogy.com/
- 58. Maintaining the Momentum: Transition Pedagogy to sustain Widening Participation and Student Success Professor Sally Kift PFHEA President, Australian Learning &Teaching Fellows Discipline Scholar: Law @KiftSally