Page 6 - UWI QUALITY CIRCLE Vol.19 May 2017

From the Vignettes above, it is clear that student success connotes
different meaning for each student. However, the most important
element of student success is the sense of self-actualisation which is
One high impact practice that was recently instituted by the Open Campus to connect students virtually is called Connecting as Students (CAS). CAS is a space for all undergraduate and postgraduate online students to assist, guide and communicate with each other. The idea of this space came about from student reports sent to us from the Quality Assurance Unit, which indicated that students were desirous of a space where they could communicate across programmes about non-academic issues.
Consequently, with the idea of a virtual student union in mind, CAS was conceptualised. So far, students who have tested the space think it is a great innovation. Students are able to use this space to ask, share and get advice, motivate each other and add useful resources from which their peers may bene t. They are able to share tips and encourage each other using the various sections of the space. The CAS does have guidelines which outline the approved use for the space.
The sections that are available in this social space are:
• Mega Student Lounge: - here the students can have discussions based on various interests such as sports, entertainment, food and so on. There are ten (10) forums in this section and students can request others that they think should be included. In addition, there are three (3) Blackboard Collaborate (BBC) Rooms available for them to have synchronous interactions.
• The Guild Executive Members: - here the students and the Guild Executive members and Chapter Chairs can interact.
• Motivating Your Peers: - this is used to share motivational information.
• Time Management:- students may use this space to share their personal time management skills.
• Group Work: - share best practices for effective group work for online students
• Tech Tips - share technology tips that may enhance success for online students.
• Re ection:- consider how the CAS can be improved.
The CAS space was built with a high level of student involvement to ensure that students would enjoy its various amenities. We believe that CAS will prove to be an effective hygiene factor that will contribute signi cantly to student success.
Reference
Tinto, V. (1975). Dropout from Higher Education: A theoretical synthesis of recent research. Review of Educational Research, 45(1), 89 – 125
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the realisation of one’s talents and potentialities. Successful completion of, and satisfaction with, an academic experience is directly related to students’ sense of belonging and connection to the programme and courses (Tinto, 1975).
It is my view that the overall student experience should take into consideration two central features: student behaviours and institutional conditions. Student behaviours encapsulate aspects such as how well students are involved in the learning process, the time and effort students put into their studies, interaction with facilitators and other support staff, and peer involvement. On the other hand, institutional conditions may include, but are not limited to, the resources, educational policies, programmes and practices, and other important support mechanisms.
At the intersection of student behaviours and institutional conditions is student engagement. High emphasis should be placed on promoting student engagement because it represents aspects of student behaviour and institutional performance that the learning institution can do something about to enhance the students’ overall experience. The student experience process is summarised in Figure1.
Figure 1: Student Success Map
High impact student engagement practices can promote student success. These high-impact practices include a number of educational experiences — building learning communities; undergraduate and postgraduate research; collaborative assignments and projects; common intellectual experiences; and a rich induction programme as well as rst-year seminars and experiences. The impact of effective implementation of these practices on the overall student experience should result in superior learning opportunities which should in turn, increase student retention and on-time graduation.
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Student Success