Enabling the transition

into Higher EducationMr Simon Brooks (AD(S) CCI)

Dr Denise Meyer (Interim Head of Wellbeing)

Dr Jason Oakley (AD(S) Science)

Dr Stephen Webb (DCQE)

Enabling the transition into Higher Education

• Your chance to participate• The induction working group• The Induction Survey (2016 starters)• Induction 2017

– The New Students’ Webpage– The role of MyPort– Additional and course level materials– Mentoring pilot

• Next steps• Discussion and Questions• Your chance to participate

Your chance to participate

Five areas for you to consider:

1. What do you think students want from induction/transition?2. What do we want from induction/transition?

3.What do you currently do that works well?4.What do you think that we should do in the short term (1 - 3

years)?5.What should our longer aims be?

The induction working group

Induction/transition

Secondary

Education

Further

Education

Higher

Education

• Higher education - a managed transition to adulthood

(Lord Willets, UoP, 2017)

The induction working group

• UoP Learning and Teaching conference 2016• Wide range of staff including UPSU• Previous induction surveys• 2016 induction survey

• What should induction look like this year?• What should induction look like in the future?

The Induction Survey

(2016 starters)

Autumn 2016 Survey: OverallOverall Survey Demographic Data

Category Number/Percentage

Gender

Male 297 (44%)

Female 368 (54%)

Other/Prefer not to say 13 (2%)

Nationality

UK 600 (88.5%)

EU 47 (7%)

Non-EU 31 (4.5%)

Race/Ethnicity

White 507 (75%)

BME 148 (22%)

Prefer not to say 23 (3%)

Age

Traditional Age (17-19) 484 (71%)

Mature (20+) 194 (29%)

First Generation 374 (55%)

Survey: 678 first year respondents out of 5775 new starters, which is about a 12% response rate

Focus Groups: 44 participants so far

Did you attend any Induction Week/Freshers' Week activities?

Why Not? % Count

Activities conflicted with my work schedule 28% 21

I had family or caring responsibil ities 15% 11

I did not think the activities would be useful 32% 24

Other (please specify) 35% 26

Total 100% 75

12%, 15No

As a result of attending Induction Week/Freshers’

Week sessions/events/activities...

Answer % Count

I felt prepared to start my course 64% 385

I learned what is expected of me in my course 63% 377

I felt confused about my course 9% 53

I learned my way around 63% 380

I became confident in using the online tools and resources available to me (e.g. Gmail, Drive, Moodle, MyPort)

60% 359

I learned how to find resources at the library (online and in person)

42% 254

I learned who to contact if I have questions or problems 53% 322

I feel like I am a part of the university community 39% 235

I learned how to balance my studies with my work schedule, social life, family obligations and/or other responsibilities

19% 115

I felt overwhelmed by the amount of information shared 18% 110

Other (please specify) 2% 13

Total 100% 603

Given the amount of information that needs to be

presented during Induction Week, what feedback do you have on the length of time of Induction:

If you think it should be spread out over a longer period of

time, how long do you think would work best for students?

Which sessions/events/activities did

you find most effective or memorable?

Freshers’ fair was my most memorable as it was really fun and

brought me closer to my new friends, as well as learning what's

around Portsmouth and opening opportunities to join societies.

Meeting my lecturers was great, and they really made you feel

part of the course.

Though not necessarily an official event our lecturer … took a

small group of us out to The Fleet for food and a chat. This set

many of us with enthusiasm and an already cohesive friendship group that has lasted till now. It has inspired us to continue to

remain motivated and was incredibly important yet most people did not have this opportunity.

The first personal tutor session as I was able to meet my personal

tutor and talk to him about any concerns or worries I was having.

Which sessions/events/activities did

you find most effective or memorable?

The quiz of Portsmouth helped us to get to know where everything in the city

that we would need was.

The cardboard chair building activity was a fun way for everyone to get to

know each other better.

The presentation that we had to prepare and do on a game idea. We

choose groups to think of the idea together and present together.

One in which we shared info about ourselves with others in our class stands

out as the most important, as it meant we all worked better together.

Our induction week project (paper dress) was so much fun and very creative!

The group problem solving helped make friends and meet people.

The World of Marketing session … where we associated ourselves with a

company which represents us

Creating a short film with other students was the most memorable.

Transition to Higher Education

When I applied to come to university my mum and dad had absolutely no idea how to even begin to go about it. … They just don’t have the knowledge of how to actually go about applying or what universities to look at or just anything like that, just don’t

really have the knowledge ‘cause nobody … has done it before.

In the first week or so I found … or like just before we got here I found it was very unclear what preparation stuff we had to do, like if there was any forms that we had to fill in or anything. … There wasn’t an

email that gave us a checklist. … It was very -- a piece of information in one and a piece in the other and you had to try and work it all out

for yourself, but it was still in the back of my mind that had I done everything that I needed to do? And it wasn’t just me, it was a load of people that I made friends in halls with that said the same, that it

wasn’t totally clear what the whole procedure was, to make sure that everything was done before we got here.

Transition to Higher Education

Fear of not making friends. <laughs> You just get here and

you’re just on your own and it’s quite a long time, and

especially as it’s a completely new process.

A less talked-about area of that is the transitions and just

cutting yourself off from friends and family for a long period

of time, to pursue study.

I thought it would have been more of a struggle to live

independently, live on your own, but I found it flowed quite well.

You find that being independent isn’t as hard as you thought

and especially when everything’s within reach. It’s definitely

not as bad as I was expecting.

Supporting Transitions

“Prevalent discussions about transitions to HE position working-class students as needy, in the

sense of personally inadequate and unable to

cope with the rigours of transition. In rejecting this

position, we should talk more of rights: the right to

enter university successfully and succeed. This is a common right of all students, but structural

disadvantage ensures that many students require

support if they are to take up this entitlement”

(Quinn, 2010, p. 125).

Have you arranged to meet with or have you already met with your personal tutor?

% Count

Yes 85% 578

No 13% 86

I don’t know who that is 2% 14

Total 100% 678

Have you completed a Personal Development Plan (PDP)?

As a result of your experience during Induction

Week/Freshers’ Week, are you happy that you chose to attend the University of Portsmouth?

Induction & Transition

Discussion

➢ Reflect upon current Induction practices in your

Faculty/School/Department

• What do you believe is the purpose of Induction?

• How can Induction activities:

• Support students in their transition into HE?

• Prepare students for their first year?

• Help students develop a sense of belonging?

• Engage a diverse range of students, including: BME,

LGBTQ, first generation, international, mature, part-

time, religious, students with disabilities, students who

do not drink, working students, students with caring

responsibilities, estranged students, students from care

backgrounds

➢What should Induction look like?

➢ Feedback and discuss

Induction 2017 - Background

• In recent years, DCQE has offered PrepUP to support induction

• PrepUP:–Moodle based (password-protected)–Gave links to central sources of information–Gave course-level info (provided by CLs)–Facilitated 18 Facebook groups

• PrepUP was innovative when it began, but problems increased over time...

Induction 2017 - Background

Induction 2017 - Background

Induction 2017 - Background

•Problems with PrepUP: –Extremely resource-intensive–CLs being asked to provide information twice–Replication of info (possible inconsistency?)–DCQE contacting students (Uni lawyer!)–Students confused about passwords–Facebook groups too broad to be truly useful–Doesn’t work for DL courses (e.g. ICJS)–Some courses already doing great stuff–Useful material inaccessible after switch-off–Only 42% thought it useful; 33% unaware!

Induction 2017 - Background

• Clearly, a new approach is needed! • This year we can only take interim

measures (timescales/rebrand etc)• But the principles are:

–DCQE should not be contacting students–DCQE should instead focus on where it can add value (mindsets, academic skills, …)

–Important info should be on an open website–Course/dept info should be provided at the course/dept level

Induction 2017 – New Students’ Webpage

• “Information for New Students” webpage - follows best practice at other HEIs

• Cleaner & improved experience for students wanting info (it’s being updated)

• Lots of links, including to:–Essential checklist–Money & finance–Accommodation–Life at university–Studying at university

Induction 2017 – DCQE platform

• One of the links from the New Students page will be to a DCQE platform, with interactive learning materials on:

–Growth mindsets–Digital literacy–Academic skills–Maths support

•We will be developing this over time•Any requests for development?

Induction 2017 – The role of MyPort

• MyPort is the digital “one stop shop” for all student service info

• Research suggests students value MyPort• Links on PrepUP re-routed to MyPort

anyway• Non-duplicated PrepUP info (Who’s who

at Uni, jargon buster etc) should be on MyPort

• Put this info in context for new students

Induction 2017 – Guidance for CLs

• The course info on PrepUP came from CLs - so CLs should already have material (typical week, induction info etc)

• If not, contact DCQE for help• We can offer guidance (but not admin) if

you want to set up Facebook groups• We can offer a video service if you’d like

to record a welcome message

Induction 2017 – Mentoring pilot

• Proposal made by UPSU President, James Belmonte, following a model pioneered at Leicester University

• Mentoring focused on the transition period and settling in process

• Student Wellbeing Service providing training as part of strategic aim to oversee more consistent model for peer support

• Ensuring a well-supported, robust and ethical use of peer support

Induction 2017 – Mentoring pilot

Induction 2017 – Mentoring pilot

Induction 2017 – Mentoring pilot

• Aiming to have 30 successfully completing the training

• Maximum of 4 ‘mentees’ per mentor• Pilot offering mentoring to students

confirming a place from clearing on a first-come first-served basis

• Email contact and discussion to answer pre-arrival questions

• Small group meet ups in first few weeks• Evaluate and roll out more widely next

year

Next Steps

• Roll out of induction materials and support for 2017 • Review of additional consultations (such as this

seminar)• Review of the mentoring scheme pilots• Review of new student landing page usage• Students induction survey 2017• Staff feedback on the induction process• Planning for 2018 induction

Thank you for listening

Questions, observations and discussion

1. What do you think students want from induction/transition?2. What do we want from induction/transition?3. What do you currently do that works well?4. What do you think that we should do in the short term (1 - 3

years)?5. What should our longer aims be?

Thank you for taking part

1. What do you think students want from induction/transition?2. What do we want from induction/transition?3. What do you currently do that works well?4. What do you think that we should do in the short term (1 - 3

years)?5. What should our longer aims be?

Please use the post-it notes and place them

on the wall as you leave