Moving beyond transition pedagogy:
Maturity models & student engagement
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
Inspiration
“stop tinkering at the margins of institutional academic life
and make enhancing student success the linchpin
about which they organize their activities ...
... establish those educational conditions on campus
that promote the retention of students, in particular
those of low-income backgrounds”.
Tinto,V (2009) Taking Student Retention Seriously: Rethinking the First Year of University.
Keynote address ALTC FY Curriculum Design Symposium, QUT, Brisbane, Australia, February 5, 2009.
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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
Topics
Background to project:
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rationale, significance, & objectives
Beyond the transition pedagogy
Overview of maturity models
A SESR example
Findings so far ...
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
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
Significance
Student success largely determined by experiences in first
year
Increasing evidence that factors beyond students control
influence success and success
Engagement  success & retention
Institutions striving to strengthen / implement strategies
to foster and promote learning engagement
Need for a comprehensive framework to benchmark
within and between institutions
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 Student Engagement Success and Retention (SESR)
Maturity Model (SESR-MM)
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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
Project Objectives
Develop a SESR Maturity Model (SESR-MM)
Design a SESR Maturity Assessment Inventory
Implement the SESR Maturity Survey and develop a
series of Case Studies that explain and describe SESR
practices in context
Publish Institutional Maturity Reports (for project
team institutions)
Develop & publish a Sector SESR Maturity Model
Report (model, inventory findings, case studies, tools)
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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
Generational approaches to the FYE
(Kift, 2009; Wilson, 2009; Kift, Nelson & Clarke, 2010;)
1st generation FYE
Essentially co-curricular – professionals on curriculum’s
periphery
2nd generation FYE
Curriculum focus – recognizes entering diversity and
supports student learning experience via pedagogy,
curriculum design, & L&T practice – requires faculty &
professional partnerships
3rd generation FYE
1st and 2nd generation FYE quality assured and seamless
across institution, across all its disciplines, programs &
services via faculty & professional partnerships
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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
Transition pedagogy
A guiding philosophy for intentional first year
curriculum design and support that carefully
scaffolds and mediates the first year learning
experience for contemporary heterogeneous
cohorts.
Kift & Nelson (2005) http://conference.herdsa.org.au/2005/pdf/refereed/paper_294.pdf
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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
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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 of
Quality
(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
SESR Content
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
For example ...
Timely
Access to
Support
(1/5)
Transition
to
University
Orientation
Program
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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
For example ...
15
Category
Ad hoc Delivery
Transition
Planned
to Uni
TheDefined
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
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:
16
-physical
& virtual
An Australian Government
Office for Learning and Teaching funded project ID11-2056:2011-2013
Transition pedagogy
Project Progress / 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 team institutions :
3 stage process.
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
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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
Moving beyond transition pedagogy:
Maturity models & student engagement
http://studentengagementmaturitymodel.net/
Questions & Discussion
Thank you for participating in this session.
Please contact the authors for more 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