Source: Tertiary Education Commission
University of Canterbury
The University of Canterbury is making a transformational investment in moving the dial on equity, as well as learner success for all, via Kia Angitu – the change programme tasked with delivering the student success framework.
The TEC is providing funding to support two of the Kia Angitu projects – ACE and Takere.
Analytics for Course Engagement (ACE) is a student service with an associated Learning Management System (Moodle) plug in. The service consists of the monitoring and following up with ākonga. Ākonga are proactively tracked and followed up through a coordinated outreach programme
Takere is a specific, tailored and culturally responsive transition initiative that aims to enhance equity at entry by increasing access and enhancing transition for Māori and Pacific ākonga. Starting with a four-week residential wānanga, Takere is designed for ākonga to develop their academic mindset, including skills and confidence necessary to navigate university. Consistent and proactive engagement with the cohort includes regular academic and career advising and tailored learning plans.
Total funding – $540,000
University of Waikato
Building on the first pilot project, this phase of the University’s project aims to improve the student experience, retention rates, and the academic success of all first year undergraduate students, but especially Māori and Pacific students, and those with disabilities. This will be done through progressing two key initiatives:
Learner Success Dashboard – to add additional functionality to establish a single method of recording and tracking student support and interactions, automate communications to students, establish a process to gather additional student data, and create consistency of data entry across the LMS.
Enhanced Study Advising Programme – so that every new undergraduate student is allocated a Study Advisor who will interact with them over their first year of study, monitor progress and proactively intervene where necessary.
Total funding – $239,000
Solomon Group
The TEC is funding the Solomon Group to trial the Learner Success Framework with a large cohort of foundation level learners. The focus of the Learner Success Project is on developing and testing a strategy to help retain Māori and Pacific students more effectively right through the student journey, including enrolment, study commencement, attendance, assessment, pathway progression and employment.
Key outcomes sought from the funded project are:-
A detailed and insightful understanding of the key reasons why Māori and Pacific foundation students engage, progress and ultimately succeed at a lower rate compared to their non-Māori/non-Pacific counterparts
To develop an understanding of the early warning signs and forward predictors of students who are at risk of disengagement or non-completion, including any that may be specific to Māori or Pacific
Use these findings and experience gained from TEC’s Learner Success Framework pilot projects to date to develop, implement and measure the success of a region-wide programme in Tāmaki Makaurau which closes the parity gap for foundation learners.
Total funding – $250,000
Te Wānaga o Aotearoa
In partnership with Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, the TEC is providing funding to support ongoing development and implementation of the Te Ata Hāpara project. This two-year, research-based project commenced in 2019 to improve the provision of support services to tauira at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa with the aims of increasing retention and progression of tauira, along with ensuring a sustainable future for the organisation and continued focus on the successful transformation of tauira and their whānau.
Specifically, TEC funding will be used to:
Support the transition of the tauira services model to scale
Support research activity that extends knowledge of attrition pathways through risk identification
Fund the initial establishment of a remote tauira support layer
Investigate appropriate support technologies for the new model.
Total funding – $377,000
