Being successful at Abertay: first year belonging through personalised micro-credentials

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted many knowns and unknowns of transitioning first year students. The ability to prepare for university has been untraditional, such as the availability of visiting campus at open days etc. The main challenge is preparing students who have had 18 months of disrupted education to be successful at university. Abertay University has embarked on a transformational journey to personalising students learning. Putting the student at the centre of a personalised academic and social curriculum. The aim is to foster a sense of purpose at university and belonging within the curriculum (Lizzo, 2006; Thomas, 2012).

This starts with ‘Being successful at Abertay’ a 5 credit (50 Hour) micro credential. In this module, students consider their motivations for studying at higher education, negotiate what is expected of them, how to be an independent learner, develop healthy study habits and identify strengths and areas for development. Through the learning materials and module assistants, this module highlights and provides space for students to reflect on specific elements of success (academic writing, digital skills, employability, wellbeing etc). Students negotiate their university Identity, support services, and resources available to them throughout their university career (Wainwright, Chappell & McHugh, 2020).

Through diagnostic testing students make an informed choice in personalising their optional choices within a social and academic approach. These options include:
•Success Writing at Abertay – Writing academically at university with a focus on structure and integrity.
•Digital Skills for University & Beyond – Understanding of key university systems, digital environments, collaborations, ways of communicating.
•Dundee & Me – Getting to know the city of Dundee and engaging in the opportunities available.
•Research & Enquiry Skills for the Digital Age –Finding and evaluating sources with a focus on referencing.
•Planning your future career – Considering future career with a focus on self-awareness.
•Welcome to the CommuniTAY – Led by the students’ association with a focus on engaging with social aspects of university life including student representation, societies, sports & peer mentoring
•Wellbeing tools & tricks – Focus on the 5 ways of wellbeing.

Several Module assistants were employed from the student body to support the delivery of these modules. This peer-to-peer support has helped to increase belonging to the university as well as share experiences of personal, professional, and academic identities. This new approach to personalised learning links with the Humble learning sub-theme for the conference.

This session will showcase Abertay’s response to a personalised approach to belonging in supporting the individual student needs. Using theoretical underpinning and qualitative and quantitative data captured from the implementation of these modules, the session will discuss how students’ sense of belonging, identity, and connectedness (Lizzo, 2006; Thomas, 2012; Kift, 2015) to university has increased.

References:
Kift, S. (2015). A decade of transition pedagogy: A quantum leap in conceptualizing the first year experience. HERDSA Review of Higher Education, 2(1), 51-86. https://doi.org/10.5204/ssj.v11i3.1144
Lizzio, A. (2006) Designing an Orientation and Transition Strategy for Commencing Students. A Conceptual Summary of Research and Practice. First Year Experience Project. Griffith University, Brisbane.
Thomas, L. (2012). Building student engagement and belonging in Higher Education at a time of change. Paul Hamlyn Foundation, 100, 1-99.
Wainwright, E., Chappell, A., McHugh, E. (2020) ‘Widening participation and a student “success” assemblage: The materialities and mobilities of university’, Population space and place, 26(3). doi: 10.1002/psp.2291.