JISC

Edge Hill University has a clear strategic imperative to improve student success and retention and has a current focus on enhancement of the first year experience from acceptance of a place, to transition into the second year. The project will identify and selectively deploy JISC processes, technologies and online solutions to impact positively on these aspects.

Overview

The identification and selection of extant JISC artefacts and processes germane to the purposes of first year success and retention will be informed by a series of reconnaissance and intelligence gathering processes related to expressed needs and advice from an audience of students, academic and support staff and JISC advisers. Our approaches will involve a systematic alignment between the purposes above and the form of technology related solutions. This will involve harvesting and adapting existing JISC project outcomes, have an emphasis on cross-university working between Faculties, Registry and Admissions, Learning and IT Services and the Teaching and Learning Development Unit.

Aims and objectives

1. To enhance alignment of admissions, registration, induction and transition into university (by appropriate deployment of technologies) – with focus on the student journey to first assessment points, skills and study support, including English as an additional language.
2. To improve assessment and feedback by adopting electronic solutions and streamlining existing processes and to use the NSS as a way of measuring the outcome.
3. To complement 1 above, with improved support for international students through web-based media
4. To add value to current learning resources, supported self-study opportunities, student support and guidance (including student led aspects/peer support, and to review (online) accessibility and the deployment of assistive learning technologies

Project methodology

• Scoping of connections between extant JISC projects and current University strategy related to the student experience and retention
• Establish elaborated project plan and web site and secure JISC consultancy; convene planning and steering group
• Disseminate Project and approach across the University and formally commence Project Plan
• Deploy induction related components for new UG cohorts, with skills packages harvested from JISC projects with a rollover plan to extend into the new admissions cycle.
• Final outputs will be published in collated form for JISC and posted to website. (Collated Case Study and Reflective Ethnography in publishable form)

Anticipated outputs and outcomes

• Case Study Phase 1- Shortlist of JISC project artifacts in situ, and details of the selection methodology developed in house for alignment of project with retention and student success
• Early conference presentation/dissemination events of work in progress
• Web-based architecture in situ, based upon enhancement of the first year student experience from acceptance of a place to the point of transition to second year. This will be focused on adding value to students’ social integration, peer-communications, induction into the university and study, information access and support and guidance.
• Collated Case Study and Reflective Ethnography in publishable form.