Transitions into Higher Education: Processes, Outcomes and Collaborations

Induction into university education is identified as crucial to the retention of an increasinglydiverse student body. This paper explores the issues revealed by a qualitative examination ofa series of case studies of Higher Education (HE) induction programmes in UK universities.These case studies represent a cross-section of induction programmes offered by differentdisciplines. Research demonstrates that ineffective induction into higher education can leavelearners shocked, lost, lonely, disorientated and disaffected (Percy, 2001). The analysissuggests that, in response to the increasingly diversified student body, institutions themselvescan respond by, for example adapting induction programmes, learning and teachingapproaches or course management. Alternatively, students can be required to adapt to thelearning environment that is new to them. This paper argues that these issues can morehelpfully be considered a process of transition and that universities can extend their inductionsupport activities beyond the first week and into the first year. Further research, we suggest,should include the development of a benchmarking tool as a means of facilitating institutionsin their development of processes and mechanisms to support learner transitions into andthrough the HE experience, and our initial findings begin to suggest a number of areas ofinduction activity which could well be so benchmarked.