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FDT PORTAL FDT PORTAL
Supporting students transition to H.E
Why? Who For? How? What Effect did it have? Problems & Successes
FDT PORTALFDT PORTAL
Working towards improving student retention, progression & satisfaction
Working towards improving the first year student experience
Working towards EQAL (Enhancing Quality & Assessment for Learning)
2011 Curriculum Structure
Why?Why?
FDT PORTAL FDT PORTAL Provision of pre-entry transitional support Provision of opportunity for early social & academic integration
Encourage early engagement
Encourage pre-entry academic preparation
FDT PORTAL FDT PORTAL Studies investigating into the student experience of induction have found a tendency towards information overload (Edward,2003; King and Wessel, 2004, Purnell, 2004).
FDT PORTAL FDT PORTAL 2009/10 first year student cohort - BA (Hons) Fashion Design and Technology program 45 students with a gender ratio 8:1 (female to male)
Students arriving from a range of educational experiences including: ‘A’ level, Art Foundation, BETEC & HND courses
Age range 18 - 25
Who for?Who for?
FDT PORTALFDT PORTAL
FDT PORTALFDT PORTAL
“The first year is really hard I think to deal with like being away from home and being with these people you don’t know and stuff. I found it really lonely”
FDT PORTALFDT PORTAL
“I think the web page would be really good…I never talked to anyone for the first few days” “There was a lot of negativity in our course in the first year…i think that’s why so many people end up quitting or not coming in”
FDT PORTALFDT PORTAL
“I just bought saucepans…and bed sheets I didn’t do anything else” “I shopped at IKEA”
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“Be prepared…not for anything to be spoon fed to you like it was in college or on foundation” “Everything is not given to you anymore. It’s like you’re an adult now your kind of expected to do everything for yourself”
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Online survey sent to students via their private email address before arriving at uni – to further support content design of the portal
‘Adjusting to life at university: help in early preparation’
www.surveymonkey.com
Students acknowledged
interest in a number of
areas
Just 3% of students
expressed feelings of
stress
94% of students
were excited
FDT PORTALFDT PORTAL
Designed using Adobe Golive (HTML authoring application)
Adobe Photoshop (image manipulation app.)
Adobe Illustrator (graphics app.)
Forumotion (app. to build chat room)
Uploaded to Art & Design server (web development staff)
How?How?
Designed by
Julie Haslam 2009
www.artdes.mmu.ac.uk/fdt/welcome
FDT PORTALFDT PORTAL
An invitation to the portal was included in a welcome letter sent out 3 weeks before students were due to arrive at university
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Online survey - two weeks in
‘Transition to University: how is it for you?’
What effect did it have?What effect did it have?
77% of responders felt meeting tutors within the portal before arriving at
uni made the first day less
daunting
80% of students felt the portal helped them
understand the course better
83% of students felt they had peer
support to help with study problems
70% of students had made social friendships after two weeks at uni
After two weeks 82% of students
acknowledged course friends
helped them cope in times of
stress
FDT PORTALFDT PORTAL
Online survey - six weeks in
‘Adjusting to uni: how are you finding it six weeks in?’
65% of students now had feelings
of stress
a rise of 62%
Despite a rise in stress levels
51% of students were
still excited
Reasons for rise in stress levels:
70% were finding the workload more than expected
92% acknowledged concern about their time management skills
69% of student responders expected to receive more help from tutors
84% were finding lack of money a real problemIllustration adapted from ‘Nemi’
comic strip, written and drawn by Lise Myhre
FDT PORTALFDT PORTAL
It is now widely suggested that friendship networks work as essential support during periods of difficulties and indications are that peer engagement and support improves the first year experience
(Anderson and Boud, 1996; Austin, 1984; Heagney, 2008; Keenan, 2008; Morda et al., 2007; Sampson and Conhen, 2001; Thomas, 2002; Tinto, 1997; Trotter and Roberts, 2006; Urquhart and Pooley,1991; Yorke and Longden, 2004)
82% of survey
responders use peer friendships
to help them cope in times of
stress
71% were still enjoying the
challenge of university study despite the
large rise in stress levels and
changes in course expectations
Analysis of qualitative research found the portal has served in
supporting social integration and in
gaining peer friendships
Illustration adapted from ‘Nemi’ comic strip, written and drawn by Lise Myhre
These friendships provide an emotional buffer during what is
evidently a highly stressful and emotional
experience
Illustration adapted from ‘Nemi’ comic strip, written and drawn by Lise Myhre
FDT PORTALFDT PORTAL
The study allowed a thorough understanding of transitional difficulties students face
The study allowed a deeper understanding of students expectations
The study allowed the discovery of a wide range of information to support immediate & future management of transitional support
FDT PORTALFDT PORTAL
Not all students received an invitation to the portal
Some students experienced difficulties:
“I found the portal confusing to use”“wasn’t sure how to use it and couldn't get on”“ I didn’t use it before I came to uni”
Problems facedProblems faced
FDT PORTALFDT PORTAL
Disparity within ICT staff support
Time consuming
Needs staff commitment – monitoring, updating etc Despite the pre-entry support misconceptions towards study at H.E. were still very evident - clearly an area for continual study & development
Problems facedProblems faced
FDT PORTALFDT PORTALSupport provision is not always utilized to its full advantage (Harvey et al., 2006:online)
Institutions may need to take a more proactive manner (Cuseo, undated:online)
MMU pre-entry information guide lines set out for 2010 should help with this
Problems facedProblems faced
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Findings from the study agree with the concept that student induction needs to be a long & thin series of processes delivered throughout the entire first year experience.
Although students did still experience difficulties during transition to H.E. study - the portal clearly supported students friendships and positive attitude towards this challenging period of adjustment
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