Mainstreaming inclusive learning and teaching to enhance student engagement, retention and success Professor Liz Thomas Academic Lead for Student Retention and Success Higher Education Academy

Overview Improving student retention and success: What works? programme Conceptual model Key messages Importance of learning and teaching Developing an inclusive institution: HEA Summit programme What HEIs did Engaging managers Engaging academic staff

What works? Student retention and success programme NAO (2007) and PAC (2008): Lack of progress and lack of evidence about what works. £1 million (Paul Hamlyn Foundation and HEFCE) to support 7 projects involving 22 HEIs to identify, evaluate and disseminate effective practice. The primary purpose of the programme is to generate robust, evidence-based analysis and evaluation about the most effective practices to ensure high continuation and completion rates.

Academic ServiceSocial Pre-entry In HE Beyond HE Student capacity building Staff capacity building Institutional management and co-ordination

What works? Key messages Between 1/3 and 2/5 of students think about withdrawing from HE. Academic issues are a primary reason why students think about leaving. Not all students leave, and some programmes have better rates of retention than would be predicted on the basis of entry grades. Particularly effective interventions are situated in the academic sphere and have an overt academic purpose, while also developing peer and staff/student relations.

Improving the academic experience A number of aspects of the academic sphere are identified in the projects as having an impact on retention and success. Staff/student relationships Peer relations Curricular contents and related opportunities Learning and teaching Assessment and feedback Personal tutoring

Engaging learning Active learning: real life projects (H/B) Small group teaching / collaborative learning including sharing own experiences (S, H, N) Enthusiastic lecturers (H, N) Varied learning experiences (H) Work placements (N)

Effective learning and teaching examples Engineering teams, School of Mechanical and Systems Engineering, Newcastle. Problem-based learning in groups, BA Hons Psychology, Sunderland. Field trip during induction week, BA Hons Tourism, Sunderland. Social science summer school, University of Hull. PASS, Life Sciences, Oxford Brookes University

HEA Inclusive learning and teaching summit programme

Inclusive learning and teaching An inclusive approach uses mainstream approaches and practices to meet the entitlements, interests and aspirations of all students in order to maximise their success in HE. This is in contrast to relying on additional practices and interventions for particular student groups, such as those from a WP background or equality groups, and focusing exclusively on the retention of students at risk of withdrawing.

HEA Summit programme cross-institutional teams worked together to implement more inclusive learning and teaching. Inclusive learning and teaching in higher education: a synthesis of research. Final report: Inclusive learning and teaching in higher education Developing inclusive cultures programme.

What HEIs did Define inclusive learning & teaching Review current situation Develop strategic framework Secure senior manager engage- ment Engage and develop staff Engage students Use data, evaluation &research

Engaging senior managers Involvement in the change programme Link to other institutional priorities Presenting to strategic committees Development al workshops

Staff engagement Staff consultation or research Champions in schools/ faculties Working groups or committees Staff develop- ment Induction & training for new staff (PG cert) Dissemin- ation Student voices Resources/ guidance on key topics Institutional processes

Conclusions Good quality learning and teaching is essential to student retention and success. Some specific interventions improved retention by up to 10 percentage points. Inclusive learning and teaching seeks to mainstream effective practice. It is reliant on staff engagement: awareness, understanding and change. The Learning to Teach Inclusively resources support this.

More information Student retention and success resources: -and-success -and-success Inclusive learning and teaching synthesis: videnceNet/Syntheses/inclusive_teachi ng_and_learning_in_he_synthesis_ pdf videnceNet/Syntheses/inclusive_teachi ng_and_learning_in_he_synthesis_ pdf

What works? Two-day Conference 28 th and 29 th March 2012, University of York International key note addresses Presentation of findings Workshops to learn about practical tools Evidence-informed interventions from other institutions in the UK and beyond. For further information