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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
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
TRANSITIONS
Managing transition
End point
Start point
Independent, enthusiastic, involved, communicative, present, reflective
?
sober
University
Parent
Teacher
Student journey
Choosing pre entry qualificationsChoosing subject
Choosing institutions
Choosing degree subject
Applying
Selecting
Passing
Enrolment
Engaging
Induction
Succeeding
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
The effect of A level score
R2 = 0.9754
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14
% non-continuance
A le
vel p
oin
ts o
n e
ntr
y
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.
Disadvantage
• Mostly first generation students
– Lack of cultural capital
• Poor advice
• Low expectations of themselves
• Inaccurate expectations of University.
Causes of poor transition
• False prospectus
• Buyer’s remorse/ survivor’s syndrome
• Events
Solutions
• Better information to applicants
• Courses delivering what is advertised
• Developmental teaching of literacy and numeracy
• Better communication of standards through formative assessment.
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
Effect of pre entry mentoring
December 2003
First term
retention
June 2004Year One retention
June 2005Year Two retention
Subject group(56)With mentors
54 (96%) 51 (91%) 51 (91%)
Control group (34)Without
mentors
30 (88%) 26 (76%) 22 (65%)
Dan Bennett (2009) Brighton
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.”
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.
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
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
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
