No full-text available
To read the full-text of this research,
you can request a copy directly from the authors.
The Student Experience of Higher Education
... Diverse authors maintain that students' perceptions of their global experience in HE play a pivotal role in their performance and consequent success, as well as in their degree of commitment to the institution they are enrolled in [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8]. This perception and how students experience their path have psychological, sociological, cultural, economic and other influences, some of which cannot be controlled by the HEI. ...
... This experience is conditioned and influenced by students' individual traits, articulated with the organizational context in which it takes place. The students' global experience develops in the balance between these diverse forces, and the result of this balance will shape their academic performance, their commitment to their goals and, ultimately, their present and future commitment to the HEI, which corroborates the conclusions of previous studies [4,26,63]. The model developed in this work seeks, therefore, to offer an integrated and, consequently, a holistic perspective of students' experience and its drivers, as well as how it Based on the results of this research, as well as on the several approaches on higher education student performance, satisfaction and success produced in recent decades, a multidimensional model of analysis of student experience was developed (Figure 1). ...
... This experience is conditioned and influenced by students' individual traits, articulated with the organizational context in which it takes place. The students' global experience develops in the balance between these diverse forces, and the result of this balance will shape their academic performance, their commitment to their goals and, ultimately, their present and future commitment to the HEI, which corroborates the conclusions of previous studies [4,26,63]. The model developed in this work seeks, therefore, to offer an integrated and, consequently, a holistic perspective of students' experience and its drivers, as well as how it affects their academic performance. ...
In the current higher education context, higher education institutions need, more than ever before, to compete for students, attracting, retaining and, ultimately, graduating them. To this end, actions are increasingly developed, and conditions are created to promote student success. The literature demonstrates that there is a strong link between the students’ experience and success. However, students’ experience cannot be controlled by the higher education institution, given the existence of previous subjective experiences that students bring when they enroll in higher education, which act as filters of their current experiences. The central goal of this study is to unveil the factors that students perceive as influencers on their global experience in higher education, which are reflected in their path, performance and success. The methodology used is qualitative, with in-depth interviews with students and institutional leaders from four Portuguese higher education institutions, complemented with documentary analysis. The results reveal that individual and organizational factors, alongside the students’ global experience, clearly influence their definition of a successful higher education student. Students build their representations of success based on the multiplicity and complexity of their experiences in higher education, affected by the features of the higher education institution and mediated by their personal history and life project.
... However, studies of the relationship between TEL and age are scarce and inconclusive, and the ones that do exist use different definitions, measures, and methods. Some studies have found that, while mature students (usually defined as those over 21 years-of-age) use fewer technologies less frequently than younger students, they tend to have similar, or even slightly more positive, attitudes towards technology [38,39]. Other studies found that age is not a significant predictor of technology use or attitudes, and identified other variables, such as computer experience, self-efficacy, and perceived usefulness, to be more important [40]. ...
“Immersive technology” is a broad and evolving term that encompasses various kinds of technologies and viewpoints, and has applications in various fields, such as education, healthcare, entertainment, the arts, and engineering. This research paper aims to compare the effectiveness of two teaching methods, namely the conventional method (using PowerPoint slides), and the immersive technology method (initiating a mixed reality with a HoloLens 2 device). The experiment involved two groups of students, aged between 19 and 52 years-of-age, who received different types of instruction: the first group viewed a PowerPoint slide with an image of the human muscular system, and the second group viewed a 3D hologram of the human body that displayed the same muscle groups as in the PowerPoint slide. The researchers wanted to examine if mixed reality devices could improve students’ cognitive abilities and explore if the age of the participants had any impact on the effectiveness of the instruction method. The main findings of this study are that the instruction method that used mixed reality technology, the Microsoft HoloLens 2 device, was more suitable for younger participants, and that traditional instruction methods, such as PowerPoint slides, are more appropriate for older students. While this research provides some valuable insights into the factors that influence student performance in anatomy tests, it has some limitations that should be considered.
... First one is aptitude of students and other one is efforts put by students. Further, expectations about higher education depend upon the student's preparation in school life ( Billington, 1984;Clark E. and Ramsay, 1990;Lewis, 1984). The first year students are narrowly prepared for higher education, having no concept of team work ( Roberts and Higgins, 1992). ...
The students getting entered in colleges and universities for their higher education have some sort of
motives and expectations towards their degree programs. They also have some degree of preparedness towards
their educational institute and mainly towards their major subjects. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the
differences in motivation, expectations and preparedness towards the higher education among first-year students
on gender basis having accounting as a major subject. Data have been collected from the educational institutions
of Multan. It is found that students either male or female, have same level of motives, expectations and
preparedness towards higher education. The results of this study revealed no significance differences on the basis
of gender among the first year students of college and university.
... Further, expectations about higher education depend upon the student's preparation in school life (Billington, 1984;Clark E. and Ramsay, 1990;Lewis, 1984). The first year students are narrowly prepared for higher education, having no concept of team work (Roberts and Higgins, 1992). ...
The students getting entered in colleges and universities for their higher education have some sort of motives and expectations towards their degree programs. They also have some degree of preparedness towards their educational institute and mainly towards their major subjects. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the differences in motivation, expectations and preparedness towards the higher education among first-year students on gender basis having accounting as a major subject. Data have been collected from the educational institutions of Multan. It is found that students either male or female, have same level of motives, expectations and preparedness towards higher education. The results of this study revealed no significance differences on the basis of gender among the first year students of college and university.
... processes have a positive effect on retention and subsequent student experiences, it appears that no study to date has provided empirical evidence to demonstrate this.Cook (2006)contends that universities are excellent at preparing students for professional life, but not as good at preparing them for academic life. Often the amount of information presented to students during induction can be quite overwhelming (Cook, 2006), and the process has occasionally been criticised for being confusing and 'overly bureaucratic' (Harvey & Drew, 2006;Lewis, 1984). This is evidenced in the amount of information that students get during induction, which is often supported with a range of hand-outs, such as contact lists, business cards, DVDs, USB memory sticks, booklets and paper hand-outs. ...
Campus discovery is an important feature of a university student induction process. Approaches towards campus discovery differ from course to course and can comprise guided tours that are often lengthy and uninspiring, or self-guided tours that run the risk of students failing to complete them. This paper describes a campus self-discovery induction game (Geospatial Crypto Reconnaissance) which aims to make students aware of campus resources and facilities, whilst at the same time allowing students to make friends and complete the game in an enthusing and exciting way. In this paper we describe the game construct, which comprises of a location, message, and artefact , and also the gameplay. Geospatial Crypto Reconnaissance requires students to identify a series of photographs from around the campus, to capture the GPS coordinates of the location of the photograph, to decipher a ciphered message and then to return both the GPS coordinates and the message for each photograph, proving that the student has attended the location. The game had a very high satisfaction score and we present an analysis of student feedback on the game and also provide guidance on how the game can be adopted for less technical cohorts of students.
... While the mechanisms employed by each group to achieve their goals might differ, the level of commitment was consistent for all students in the informant cohort. There is a great deal of literature that emphasises the roles and responsibilities of the students in retention and often this literature suggests that non-completion is the result of a failure on the part of the student to meet the standards required (Etter, Burmeister, & Elder, 2000; Evans, 2000; Evans & Peel, 1999; Lewis, I., 1984; Long, Carpenter, & Hayden, 1995; McClelland & Kruger, 1989; McInnis, 1998; McInnis et al., 2000a; McInnis & James, 1999; McInnis et al., 2000b). The results from this study suggest that there also needs to be a Q Study level of commitment from the university to the students to assist him or her to achieve. ...
Much of the existing literature investigating non-completion in the university sector focuses on the demographic characteristics of the students while failing to adequately apply the same degree of scrutiny to the institution itself. In this paper we present the findings from the final stage of a three phase investigation into retention in a Western Australian university that utilises Q Method to understand the subjective interpretation and meaning of the student experience and how this relates to retention. The sample of 45 undergraduates was drawn from each of the four years of the psychology programme at Edith Cowan University and so provides an opportunity to examine how the student experience might change over time. This approach also offers some insight into the experience of the contemporary student in relation to the diversity of the student population, and the multiplicity of demands he or she might manage in the course of completing an undergraduate degree. Findings from this research identify three distinct profiles among the cohort: The Navigator, The Juggler, and The Analyst. Each of these profiles describes a different type of student in relation to the external demands he or she might face in addition to the role of student, and the strategies they develop to assist them in achieving their goal(s). Identifying these profiles provides the school of Psychology with the opportunity to tailor their student support systems more closely to the needs of their specific students and therefore increase overall retention rates within the programme. The findings also offer the opportunity to other schools and departments to engage in similar domain specific research in order to identify and remove potential barriers to retention within their own learning contexts.
Both the first and second year cohorts (session 1989/90) of the Department of Occupational Therapy of The Robert Gordon institute of Technology, formerly the Grampian School of Occupational Therapy, took part in the study. Each group comprised almost equal numbers of standard-aged students and students aged 21 years and over and were observed for 12 hours of normal classes to quantify each student's verbal participation. The classroom observation was supplemented by questionnaires to the students to probe their perceptions of answering and asking questions and taking part in discussion. The results of the observation were statistically significant, demonstrating that the older the student the more likely he/she was to speak in class. The questionnaires confirmed that the quieter students perceived themselves as participating less, the main reason for their reticence being communication anxiety.
This literature review forms the first of two articles on a study to determine the effect of age on the verbal participation of occupational therapy students in the classroom. The literature was reviewed to establish the relevance of studying the implications of having students of a wide range of age and experience in the same classroom; to examine what already has been studied in relation to adult and mature students; to establish the importance of discussion to learning; and, finally, to identify the factors that affect students' participation.
Growing diversity among international students requires analysis of the experience of particular groups of international students, which would provide implications to understand other groups of students. Changes in the society encouraged the Japanese to seek professional training on postgraduate courses in Japan as well as overseas. Employing a qualitative approach, semistructured interviews were conducted with mature Japanese students and staff to illustrate how these students negotiate their experiences. Among several findings identified in the research are the gaps in assumptions among stakeholders of international higher education. The stakeholders appear not to appreciate fully that these students learn from their experience and improve in four competencies: knowledge, communication, academic expectation, and learning from experience. The research reveals the potential of training courses on the awareness of these assumptions, and the crucial role of institutional leadership of universities to implement these training courses for staff and students.
The transition to university has never been more challenging both for students and tutors, and there is a commensurate need to understand students' experience at this critical point. Research suggests that students' performance is powerfully influenced by perceptions and responses conditioned by previous experience of learning in their subject. This, however, is still too rarely taken into account by tutors, who commonly possess only a sketchy knowledge of their students' stage of development. This article examines the student perspective at the point of entry to a history degree programme in order to help university tutors to understand more fully their students' interest and rationale for studying history, views on effective teaching and learning, and preparedness and motivation. The findings lead to some practical suggestions for constructing a learning context which can act as a springboard to effective learning in the subject.
The challenges to humanities teachers in higher education have dramatically intensified in recent years. Changes in teaching methods are clearly required but what these should be is a matter of urgent debate. Recent educational research suggests that any response should begin with a careful consideration of student perceptions and needs. This paper attempts to address this issue for one subject, history, though it should possess a wider relevance. It is written in the hope that the student voices it records will facilitate a more informed and positive approach to the changes facing the subject.
Few studies have addressed the experiences of a graduate’s transition from university to the world of work. Understanding how graduates react and respond to this journey will provide universities with the ability to prepare and equip students for the road ahead. The purpose of this particular Australian case study was to extend understanding of the experience of making the transition from university to work, and to identify questions for further study. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews, which were transcribed and analysed for clusters of common themes. Four themes emerged from the case study: “an uncertain feeling”, “inflated expectations”, “the work experience paradox” and “a low time”. It is hoped that understanding this graduate’s experiences will assist higher education institutions, recruiting companies and students to better understand and prepare for this significant life passage.
The article reports results of a longitudinal survey, which assesses the importance of decision-making attributes by potential higher education students. Conjoint analysis is applied to establish candidates’ utilities of identified key decision-making attributes – course content, location and reputation – on two separate occasions over a 14 month period. The full profile approach is employed in order to capture all the alternative combinations present. The main contribution of this article is the assessment of changes in the weightings of the key attributes over the period. Findings indicate that in the early stages of the decision-making process, prospective students view course content as the most significant factor, but that as the consumption process nears, location becomes increasingly important. Reputation is an exchangeable element throughout and is considered less important. Implications for the marketing of higher education courses are discussed.
It is suggested that major studies of mature student experience are limited by the epistemological underpinnings of their approach and that the representations they offer do not permit an adequate sociological understanding. It is then argued that conceptual tools derived from Bourdieu's sociology can facilitate such an understanding. Two segments of qualitative data from interviews with mature students and their tutors in a UK university department are used to illustrate the potential for a sociological approach which, by focusing on both the constituting and constituted nature of practices, avoids the pitfalls of objectivism and subjectivism apparent in some previous research.
The aim of this research is to establish students’ perceptions of the international hospitality industry and, specifically, to establish the likelihood of the student seeking employment in the industry after graduating, the region/country where the student intends seeking employment, the functional area/sector which is most attractive to the student and the position which the student expects to hold five and ten years after graduating. The research is based on a questionnaire administered at two universities offering hospitality management degrees, one in the UK, the other in The Netherlands. The main findings are that students have a distinct preference for certain hotel departments, hotel chains and sectors of the industry. Most expect to be general manager/corporate manager ten years after graduating. As the degree progresses, the students’ perception of the industry deteriorates. The paper concludes by examining issues relating to the image of the industry and the development of hospitality curricula.
Although mature students are often said to be deficient in study skills, most research into approaches to studying in higher education has ignored age as an important explanatory variable. There is nevertheless a consistent suggestion in research using inventories and questionnaires on study processes that mature students exhibit more desirable approaches to academic learning. In particular, mature students seem to be more likely than younger students to adopt a deep approach or a meaning orientation, and conversely they seem to be less likely to adopt a surface approach or a reproducing orientation towards their academic work. Three explanations for this are: that mature students are more motivated by intrinsic goals; that younger students acquire a surface approach to learning in the final years of secondary education; and that the prior life experience of mature students promotes a deep approach towards studying in higher education.
Changes to the education and training for social workers in England, UK since 2003 have increased the number and widened the pool of students encouraged to enter the profession via higher education. Social work education is very much linked to increasing diversity in work-force development where an agenda to build a well-motivated and skilled work-force can in turn provide good quality services and interventions reflecting the diverse needs of service users and carers. This paper reports on a small-scale study which explored factors affecting the potential success of students following a vocational education programme leading to the degree in social work. Using in-depth face-to-face interviews with a sample of seven students and a focus group with eight social work tutors, within a qualitative framework, the experiences of learning and teaching were explored from the participants’ subjective viewpoints. The study highlighted several factors found to potentially impact on student success in social work education and compared these with the published literature relating to both widening participation and diversity in learning. Factors impacting were student organization and time-management skills; access to study skill support; their relationships with tutors and peers; and the impact of affective factors on the learning process. This study forms a useful basis for determining areas for intervention to improve the potential of success on the degree and the challenges anticipated in implementing these for students from diverse and non-traditional backgrounds. Although this study related specifically to social work education, the findings may be transferable to other vocational education professions in the health and social care sector.
Under various guises, the concept of the quality of student life (QSL) has received much attention in the higher education literature. Unfortunately, its various uses have in common that they all lack conceptual coherence. In an effort to remedy this situation, and render QSL useful for researchers, administrators and student services personnel, this paper does three things. First, a conceptual framework is used as a means of organizing a wide-ranging review of relevant literatures across several disciplines. Integration of the inferences derived yields a new formal definition of QSL. Next, building on a critique of four theoretical models of QSL, a new ecological formulation is advanced which stresses the need to consider various on- and off-campus contexts if efforts to assess student satisfaction and happiness are to be meaningful. Third, a number of salient methodological issues are examined in light of this formulation. To the extent that these approaches collectively yield a more coherent conceptualization of QSL, it is concluded that the idea of QSL deserves much greater prominence than it now enjoys.
ResearchGate has not been able to resolve any references for this publication.