ERGA WORKSHOP
Verifying a SESR-MM: a reality check!
2012 ERGA Conference
19-21 September 2012
Karen Nelson, John Clarke & Ian Stoodley, QUT
Establishing a framework for transforming student engagement, success and retention in HEIs:
An Australian Government Office for Learning and Teaching funded project ID11-2056:2011-2013
The need for an holistic view ...
.... We have now reached the stage where universities

must recognise the need for institution-wide
approaches to enhancing the first year experience.
Responsiveness to the needs of demographic and
cultural subgroups demands that student support
staff, academics and administrators work together to
integrate their efforts and initiatives for the benefit of
all students...
Krause, Hartley, James & McInnis, 2005, ¶8.8.6
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Establishing a framework for transforming student engagement, success and retention in HEIs:
An Australian Government Office for Learning and Teaching funded project ID11-2056:2011-2013
Workshop Activities
Part 1: Setting the scene
 Background to project:

rationale, significance, & objectives
Beyond the transition pedagogy
Overview of maturity models


Part 2: The SESR-MM
 Parts of the SESR
Model
 A worked example
Part 3: Verifying the model
 Developing a maturity assessment scale
 Assessing the maturity of one institutional practice
 Discussion
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Establishing a framework for transforming student engagement, success and retention in HEIs:
An Australian Government Office for Learning and Teaching funded project ID11-2056:2011-2013
Part 1: Setting the scene
Focusing on the project ....
4
Establishing a framework for transforming student engagement, success and retention in HEIs:
An Australian Government Office for Learning and Teaching funded project ID11-2056:2011-2013
Rationale
Existing bodies of work report on students perceptions
and their experiences in higher education (e.g. AUSSE,
CEQ, FYEQ, UES, ISB...)
No similar attention to sector-wide assessment of
institutional activities designed to enhance students
learning experiences
Timing for the sector – WP, performance based funding,
compacts, increased attention to HE reputation, quality ...
Concept of a maturity model appealing:







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Focus on sustainable processes
Enable contextual interpretation of activities
Assess other organisational imperatives (e.g. Quality, BPM)
Establishing a framework for transforming student engagement, success and retention in HEIs:
An Australian Government Office for Learning and Teaching funded project ID11-2056:2011-2013
Project Activities & Timeline
Key Activities
Timeframe
Develop a SESR Maturity Model (SESR-MM)
Oct 2011 - Sept
2012
• Conceptual model from literature analysis (top down)
• Categories derived from practices and processes identified
through workshops in team institutions (bottom up)
Design a SESR Maturity Inventory
Feb – Dec 2012
Conduct SESR Maturity Assessments in 3 institutions
Develop a series of Case Studies to explain & describe
SESR maturity in the context of each institution.
Feb – April
2013
March - May
2013
Publish Institutional Maturity Reports (team institutions)
June - July 2013
Develop & publish a Sector SESR Maturity Model Report
(model, case studies & tools)
August - Sept
2013
• 3 stage process: desk-top audit, workshops & interviews.
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Establishing a framework for transforming student engagement, success and retention in HEIs:
An Australian Government Office for Learning and Teaching funded project ID11-2056:2011-2013
Informing Literature
Capability
Maturity
Models
Transition
Pedagogy
Student
Engagement
(AUSSE)
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SESR-MM
FYEQ Data &
Reports
Model of
student
engagement
Establishing a framework for transforming student engagement, success and retention in HEIs:
An Australian Government Office for Learning and Teaching funded project ID11-2056:2011-2013
Maturity Models
Precursors in Maslow’s (1954) Hierarchy of Needs and
Nolan’ (1973, 1979) Stage Theory
Influenced by TQM and the evolutionary stages of
practice adoption (Crosby, 1979)
Emergence of Capability Maturity Models


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Key concepts of org. Mgt derived from TQM
Notions of sequential and progressive stages
Ideas about capability of s/ware development orgs
CMM frameworks map an improvement path from ad-hoc
immature to a mature disciplined processes

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Establishing a framework for transforming student engagement, success and retention in HEIs:
An Australian Government Office for Learning and Teaching funded project ID11-2056:2011-2013
Features of Maturity Models
Precursor Influences
Theory, practice, background and history of maturity models
Content:
Discipline
theory and
practice
Categories
Processes
Practices
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Dimensions
of maturity
Maturity of
key
practices
interpreted
for each
dimension
Measures
Adequacy
(scale of 4
points)
Establishing a framework for transforming student engagement, success and retention in HEIs:
An Australian Government Office for Learning and Teaching funded project ID11-2056:2011-2013
Content of models
Category (5)
Process (n)
Practices
(Nn)
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Establishing a framework for transforming student engagement, success and retention in HEIs:
An Australian Government Office for Learning and Teaching funded project ID11-2056:2011-2013
Planned
Defined
Managed
categories
Fully adequate
Ad hoc Delivery
processes
Largely adequate
practices
Adequacy
Partially adequate
Dimensions
Not adequate
Content
Optimising
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Establishing a framework for transforming student engagement, success and retention in HEIs:
An Australian Government Office for Learning and Teaching funded project ID11-2056:2011-2013
What we have found so far ?
SESR Category
Curricula that engage
students in learning
Access to support
A sense of belonging
Example Processes
-engaging pedagogies
-authentic assessment
-feedback processes
-proactive monitoring
-extended service ‘hours’
-inclusive language & practice
-develop successful identity
-flexible delivery
Example Practices
-role plays
-collaborative learning
-monitoring student
learning engagement
-academic advising
-peer programs
-cultural competence
-communication
strategies
-orientation and
transition as a process
-technologies that
support flexible learning
-whole of course design
-academic & professional
-staff development
Capacity, resources,
-promotion policies
infrastructure, policy
Establishing
a framework for transforming student engagement, success and retention in HEIs:
12
-physical
& virtual
An Australian Government
Office for Learning and Teaching funded project ID11-2056:2011-2013
Transition pedagogy
Part 2: The SESR Maturity Model
Introducing the SESR Maturity Model ....
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Establishing a framework for transforming student engagement, success and retention in HEIs:
An Australian Government Office for Learning and Teaching funded project ID11-2056:2011-2013
A worked example ...
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Category
Ad hoc Delivery
Transition
Planned
to Uni
Defined
The
delivery /
provision/visibility
Managed
of Orientation
Optimising
Programs
Integrated suite of programs /
a holistic approach
Process
Generic & discipline programs
Orientation
programs are
available to
students
Maturity Assessment:
Pervasiveness & Adequacy
Limited discrete programs
Practice
Dimensions
No programs are provided
Content
Access to
Support
Establishing a framework for transforming student engagement, success and retention in HEIs:
An Australian Government Office for Learning and Teaching funded project ID11-2056:2011-2013
SESR Content ... an example
Access to
Support
Extended
service
hours
Orientation
Program
Transition
to
University
Virtual
learning
advisers
On-line
resources
Accessible
information
Oevaluation
informs
design
AH –
discipline
programs
P – Suite
of ongoing
activities
D–
policies:
type and
quality
M–
outcomes
are
monitored
Not adequate: No discipline programs available
Partially adequate: Some disciplines offer programs
Largely adequate: Most disciplines offer programs
Fully adequate: All faculties / disciplines have programs
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Establishing a framework for transforming student engagement, success and retention in HEIs:
An Australian Government Office for Learning and Teaching funded project ID11-2056:2011-2013
Indicators of Maturity
Assessing Maturity
Processes First year experience & transition
Practices Orientation activities
Pervasiveness: Indicator
Faculty / discipline
orientation and / or
transition programs are
available to support
students.
Reach
Defined Policies define program quality & type
Managed Outcomes are monitored
Optimised Evaluation information informs design
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Partially
adequate
Planned Part of suite of transition activities
Not adequate
Ad hoc delivery Faculty/discipline programs
Fully adequate
Categories Access to support
Largely adequate
Content:
Establishing a framework for transforming student engagement, success and retention in HEIs:
An Australian Government Office for Learning and Teaching funded project ID11-2056:2011-2013
Indicators of Maturity
Practice Example:
Reach
Orientation programs are available for students
N
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Pervasiveness
Ad Hoc Delivery
(Dimensions)
Planning
Defining
Managing
Optimising
(Adequacy)
P
L
F
Establishing a framework for transforming student engagement, success and retention in HEIs:
An Australian Government Office for Learning and Teaching funded project ID11-2056:2011-2013
Part 3: Applying the model
Assessing the maturity of SESR processes
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Establishing a framework for transforming student engagement, success and retention in HEIs:
An Australian Government Office for Learning and Teaching funded project ID11-2056:2011-2013
Your turn to map a practice
Content:
Assessing Maturity
Categories Name a category
Processes Name of one process in this category
Name one dimension of one
practice.
Practices Name one practice
Planned
Defined
Managed
Optimised
19
Not adequate
Ad hoc delivery
Fully adequate
Reach
Largely adequate
Indicator
Partially adequate
Pervasiveness:
Establishing a framework for transforming student engagement, success and retention in HEIs:
An Australian Government Office for Learning and Teaching funded project ID11-2056:2011-2013
ERGA WORKSHOP
Verifying a SESR-MM: a reality check!
http://studentengagementmaturitymodel.net/
Thank you
for participating in this workshop
Please contact the authors or refer to the project web site for further
information about this project.
Establishing a framework for transforming student engagement, success and retention in HEIs:
An Australian Government Office for Learning and Teaching funded project ID11-2056:2011-2013