This video can be seen alongside others from the Learning, Teaching and Assessment Open Lecture series and annual conferences on the EDU Vimeo channel.
The HERE (Higher Education: Retention and Engagement) Project explored how to support students with their transition into the first year, looking primarily at why students stay rather than why they leave. It was one of seven projects funded by HEFCE and the Paul Hamlyn Foundation as part of the ‘What Works? Student Retention and Success’ programme of work.
After three years of study, over 3,000 student survey responses and ten case study studies with academic programmes, the HERE Project has nine major findings and nine key recommendations to improve retention and success. This session will outline these research findings and recommendations, looking in particular at the importance of belonging and what helps students ‘fit in’ on their course.
Sarah was Nottingham Trent University’s lead researcher for the HERE Project. She has extensively researched student transition, retention and engagement and is currently working to use these findings to improve the learning and teaching experience for students at NTU. Her current research interests include: student belonging, the BME student experience and the use of mixed methods in research.