Glasgow Essentials: redeveloping induction resources to improve the students’ sense of inclusion and belonging

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.47408/jldhe.vi32.1448

Keywords:

inclusion, induction, belonging, student support, learner identity

Abstract

driving positive results in attainment, retention, and wellbeing. The ability of students to belong and self-identify as members of the academic community has been referred to as a key ‘intangible asset’ (Smart et al., 2020) in Higher Education. Indeed, MacFarlane (2018) asserts that this sense of belonging is closely aligned with learner identity and student engagement, and that students who do not feel properly engaged or that they belong are unlikely to successfully transition into university. It is therefore crucial that universities begin to foster feelings of inclusion and build a sense of belonging among students at the earliest stages of the induction process.  

This presentation showcased the reevaluated and redesigned ‘Glasgow Essentials’ resource produced by the newly formed Induction and Transitions team at the University of Glasgow. The resource follows the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) Hidden Curriculum model (Birtill, Harris and Pownall, 2022), utilising the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) (Rose and Meyer, 2000) to promote new students’ sense of inclusion and belonging and improve their experience of transitions through each stage of their studies. Glasgow Essentials is an interactive and informative online resource, covering both academic and non-academic aspects of induction, and is shared with all offer holders as they prepare to begin their studies. It is therefore likely to be the first resource they will engage with at the University, playing a crucial role in new students’ induction into the institution and setting them up for success in their studies. The presentation explained the evaluation undertaken in redeveloping Glasgow Essentials and the rationale for its redesign before showcasing the resource itself and discussing our plans to evaluate its impact on students’ inclusion, belonging, and – hopefully – success going forward.  

Author Biographies

Stuart Purcell, University of Glasgow

Stuart Purcell is Induction and Transitions Manager at the University of Glasgow. He has extensive experience in learning development and academic literacies within the UK higher education sector, having taught widely in these areas at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. He has worked in various roles across the University of Glasgow and in his current role focuses on key points of student transition into, through, and out of higher education, developing programmes and resources to help students make these transitions successfully. While he now concentrates on the aforementioned areas in his research, his research background is primarily in literature and media studies, the latter of which continues to inform a great deal of his work.  

Clare Brown, University of Glasgow

Clare Brown is an Induction and Transitions Adviser at the University of Glasgow. Clare has substantial experience as a learning developer in Scottish higher education, with a particular interest in working with students entering university from ‘non-traditional’ backgrounds and entry routes, including mature students and students from refugee and asylum seeker backgrounds. Her own career history spans from third-sector advice work to research in the field of visual culture.   

Lucy McCormick, University of Glasgow

Lucy McCormick is an Induction and Transitions Adviser at the University of Glasgow. Lucy has worked extensively with diverse student groups transitioning into, through and out of UK higher education. Her career encompasses teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) in the UK and overseas as well as teaching, student engagement and learning development roles across further and higher education. Lucy’s academic background is in French and Religious Studies, with postgraduate research focused on the influence of Buddhist traditions in the French interwar avant-garde.  

References

Birtill, P., Harris, R. and Pownall, M. (2022) ‘Student Guide to the Hidden Curriculum: Expanded Edition’, QAA Membership, 4 October. Available at: https://www.qaa.ac.uk/news-events/news/new-resources-for-supporting-successful-student-transitions (Accessed: 7 March 2024).

MacFarlane, K. (2018) ‘Higher education learner identity for successful student transitions’, Higher Education Research and Development, 37(6), pp.1201-1215. Available at: https://doi-org.ezproxy1.lib.gla.ac.uk/10.1080/07294360.2018.1477742

Rose, D. and Meyer, A. (2000) ‘Universal Design for Learning’, Journal of Special Education Technology, 15(1), pp.67-70. Available at: https://doi-org.ezproxy1.lib.gla.ac.uk/10.1177/016264340001500108

Seary, K., Smith, A., Toth, G., & Flanders, M. (2023) STEPS, LEAPS and bounds: Is there a recipe for success? Journal of University Teaching & Learning Practice, 20(4). Available at: https://doi.org/10.53761/1.20.4.08

Smart, F., Cleaver, E. and Robertson, A. (2020) ‘Beyond the metrics: the importance of intangible assets in the HE context’, Journal of Perspectives in Applied Academic Practice, 8(2), pp.3-6. Available at: https://doi.org/10.14297/jpaap.v8i2.432

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Published

31-10-2024

How to Cite

Purcell, S., Brown, C. and McCormick, L. (2024) “Glasgow Essentials: redeveloping induction resources to improve the students’ sense of inclusion and belonging”, Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education, (32). doi: 10.47408/jldhe.vi32.1448.