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Active 9 years ago
Description
This poster reports on an externally funded research and development project currently in progress in the Republic of Ireland. The project seeks to address the problem of effective transitions and the foundations for student success during the initial stages of the study lifecycle with a specific focus on adult, undergraduate, flexible learners. Enhancing retention and completion rates of this group of flexible learners is a significant problem both globally and within the Irish context. Although the number of flexible learners in Ireland is relatively low in comparison to many other countries, around 17% of all undergraduates (HEA 2012), there are increasing concerns about their ability to progress towards successful completion. Set against this backdrop and with support from the National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education [teachingandlearning.ie], the project involves an initiative to address this problem by four partner institutions. The particular focus of this project is on providing (open) educational resources to institutions/discipline teams to help them support their flexible learners through key transitions in the early stages of the study lifecycle: from thinking about study, making choices, the registration process and through to the first few weeks. This crucial transition period may be enhanced by the availability of appropriately designed openly available digital readiness and preparation tools, which help to scaffold both prospective students and those about to embark on online/distance study for the first time.