From Transition to Transformation: students shaping their experience and

their institutions.

Dr Marco Angelini, UCL Transition Manager

13 September 2011, S W I T Symposium , NTU

UCL Transition Programme

Main aims and history of the programme

The Transition Phase

Pre-enrolment engagement

Induction week activities

Social and academic development-terms 1 and 2

“Transformation” as:

1.Ethos2.Process

3.Outcome

Student as “metron”A “Student Centre”, or putting students AT the centre?

As critical practitioners/learners. taking mentoring with you

As the measure of all things (Protagoras). gaining mastery through the student

experience

Senior Mentors Emily and BenLeadership and engagement

Transition is in the detailPrepare, Do and Review: critical reflection leads to agency.

PAL and participation: student agency affects T & L

strategies. Does PAL have an epistemology?

Students as practitioners: taking responsibility for the academy.

Adding it all up

How do you know when it’s working (has worked)?

How do you keep convincing the institution?

Praxis-oriented approaches keep developing.

Progression rates for 1st years into year 2

2002 2006 2007 2008 2009

85% 87% 88% 90% 89%

Mentor feedback- 114 respondents across UCL

“The opportunity to reflect upon my academic studies and my strategy towards approaching various tasks so that I can refine this in my future working life”

“I gained new insight into my own understanding of my course, and surprised myself at times!”

“It was good to focus my mind on what is important in terms of the exams and coursework so that I would apply my own tips to my work as well. I also think that I got more confident as a leader throughout the term”

“I am better organised in my work, and I practice what I advise others to do”

Benefits of PAL for mentor

Benefits of mentoring  Agree Disagree

Development of communication skills

97% 1%

Development of leadership skills

95% 2%

Feeling you are doing something worthwhile

93% 2%

Development of empathy

83% 

5%

Meeting diverse people

84%  5%

Development of facilitation skills

93% 1%

Development of academic skills

79% 8%

Further mentor feedback

74% of mentors will continue engaging in Peer Assisted Learning in the future, either with friends or their mentees

90% would apply to be mentors again

98% would recommend the role to other students

First year survey data646 1st year students across all departments

completed the Student Transition Survey

90% of all respondents attended the Meet your Mentor session during induction week.

68% attended at least one Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) session

88% of all respondents would recommend the programme to other first year students.

59% of all respondents are going to continue with PAL

In what ways have you benefited from Transition Mentoring?

Social aspects 51% agree; 34% neutral; 15% disagree

Having a more experienced student to talk to

85% agree; 10% neutral; 5% disagree

Getting departmental advice

78% agree; 16% neutral; 6% disagree

Getting academic help

66% agree; 22% neutral; 13% disagree

SummaryCollaboration is central- strategically,

ethically, pedagogically. (Does this amount to a model?)

Student engagement teams are the engine of institutional change.

Students can transform themselves, their academic disciplines, the communities they move into.