Students as partners: enhancing employability skills through running transition book clubs

Authors

  • Gianna De Salvo Queen Mary University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.47408/jldhe.vi29.1081

Keywords:

employability, transition, book club, partnership

Abstract

One of the challenges that many students face when they start university is finding a sense of belonging in a new and unfamiliar environment. Feeling connected and supported can have a positive impact on students’ academic success and well-being. That is why the Get Ahead Transition project at Queen Mary University of London launched a book club initiative to help students build a sense of belonging before attending university.

The book club was based on the book The Psychology of Effective Studying by Paul Penn, which offers practical and evidence-based strategies for students to overcome procrastination, improve academic reading and note-taking skills, and produce high-quality assignments. The book also features short YouTube videos that summarize some of the key concepts. The book club was led by current students who facilitated the discussions and shared their personal experiences of studying at university.

The book club was a great success as nearly all the participants had read the chapters and came prepared with questions and insights. The discussions were so engaging that the leaders suggested extending the sessions by an extra 30 minutes to allow time for Q&A. The participants also appreciated the opportunity to learn from their peers and get a glimpse of what university life is like.

The book club leaders also benefited beyond expectation from the experience as they enhanced their leadership, communication, and technical skills. They received feedback and guidance from the project team on how to highlight these skills to future employers. The book club leaders also qualified for two university awards for their contribution to the project.

Author Biography

Gianna De Salvo, Queen Mary University

Gianna De Salvo is the Project Officer for the Get Ahead Transition Programme at Queen Mary University of London. She moved into the role of Library Engagement Manager at Queen Mary in September 2023 but will still be involved in projects that support students in transitioning throughout their journeys in higher education.

References

Petrich, N. R. (2015). Book clubs: Conversations inspiring community. ie: inquiry in education, 7(1), 4.

Downloads

Published

31-10-2023

How to Cite

De Salvo, G. (2023) “Students as partners: enhancing employability skills through running transition book clubs”, Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education, (29). doi: 10.47408/jldhe.vi29.1081.

Issue

No. 29 (2023): Special Edition, ALDinHE Conference Collaborative Proceedings

Section

Conference Proceedings

License

Copyright (c) 2023 Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:

  1. Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
  2. Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
  3. Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).