Our focus on HEPPP projects continues with the Online Self-Serve Academic Toolkit project run by Professor Brenda Wolodko as Project Sponsor, Marty Schmude as Project Manager and Lisa Harrison as Project Officer. Read on to learn more.
- What is the academic advisor toolkit project and how did it come about?
The Online Self-Serve Academic Toolkit project recognises the incredible value our UNE academics bring to the learning experiences of our students. The student experience at UNE is special because of the direct connection students have with teaching staff.
This project encourages and supports academics to proactively extend their reach, especially to those students who appear to be disconnecting from their study, as a way to build this connection, offer support to those students, and improve student engagement and retention. The toolkit makes this process simple, effective, and efficient.
Academics are provided with information that helps them better understand their students and ensures students have access to the appropriate academic and pastoral supports throughout their learning journeys. We aim to ensure that this support and engagement matches the student’s needs.
“Retention and engagement at UNE is everyone’s responsibility. What we do together matters. This project shows the importance of building connections and relationships with students as we go on this journey with them. Building resilience and autonomy is key to our students’ success,” Professor Wolodko, Associate Dean Teaching and Learning said.
Recent feedback from Academics in the T2 2021 Academic Toolkit pilot also recommends that the “project needs to be rolled out to other academics throughout the university.”
Professor Wolodko believes that, “the project has implemented a meaningful solution to academics in their efforts to proactively support their students and it is now time to expand. The data collected so far suggests the project has the capacity to improve retention and student satisfaction rates throughout the university.”
- Can you introduce the team working on it? Key skills and expertise?
The team is made up of Professor Brenda Wolodko as Project Sponsor, Marty Schmude as Project Manager and Lisa Harrison as Project Officer. They are deeply passionate about supporting academics in their efforts to support UNE students, especially those included in the HEPPP program. Each of the team has extensive experience working on projects that seek to address disadvantage and marginalisation through educational pursuits. They are committed to providing their UNE students with a community of support and a study environment that fosters the best possible learning experience and success.
- How does it work and what are you hoping to achieve with it?
The Academic Toolkit has three main elements – a dashboard, a knowledge base and a notification system. The primary aim of the project is to increase student engagement. We have learned through the project that engagement improves retention. We are focussed on providing a personalised student learning journey from enrolment through to graduation.
- The dashboard allows academics to easily access their students’ contact details and basic academic information.
- The knowledgebase holds information and tools for academics to help them with the support process. This may be information about wider UNE services, standard texts, UNE glossary and important upcoming dates.
- The notifications are individual messages sent directly to each academic to help them identify students who may benefit from being contacted.
- Current status and next steps?
The research and this current project continue to show, that when students feel connected to and supported in their study endeavours, they are more likely to complete their units, feel satisfied with their learning and be successful in their study, work and personal pursuits.
The next step for this project is to offer it to all teaching staff throughout the university and continue to make a difference by offering our students flexibility to overcome obstacles.
- Any feedback on progress?
Academics who participated in the project in T2 2020 and T2 2021 reported that “the information from the dashboard helped us guide students to complete units successfully rather than risk students getting overwhelmed and continue to prolong their course completions.” and “The project has been really useful. It’s been great to learn more about the support services available to which we can refer students, or ask for help from ourselves. But most importantly, the opportunity to come together with other academics who understand the challenges we face. I have felt very supported.”
An important element of the project has been to support teaching staff to engage in and promote of a Community of Practice. As a team we believe this project has the potential to change the culture of the university and position it as the best place of learning on offer in Australia.