Valuing the Student Voice: Improving retention and the quality learning experience at the School of Education

Synopsis

The School of Education formally commenced the Commencing Student Success Project (CSSP) to address on-going issues relating to the tertiary experiences of commencing students. The CSSP developed and embedded a set of 14 evidence-based principles known as ‘Basic Elements’ promoting student retention and engagement into first year/commencing units centring around the quality of the teaching academic:student relationship. A significant project aim was to shift the Unit Coordinator’s ‘gatekeeping’ mindset, to a ‘facilitating’ one, much sought by students new to the tertiary classroom. This presentation provides an overview of the CSSP guiding principles and shares some of the interim findings from the T1 2021 Pilot.

Dr Ingrid Harrington and Mr Marc Mellors