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Narrowing student retention gaps through immersive block learning: Findings from a six-year case study at an Australian university
Conference paper   Open access

Narrowing student retention gaps through immersive block learning: Findings from a six-year case study at an Australian university

Thomas Roche, Erica Wilson and Elizabeth Goode
Higher Education Advances (HEAd), 12 (Valencia, Spain, 15/06/2026–18/06/2026)
17/06/2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4995/HEAd26.2026.21727
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Narrowing Student Retention Gaps through Immersive Block LearningView
Open CC BY-NC-SA V4.0

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Abstract

Southern Cross Model student retention immersive scheduling block model retention attrition active learning curriculum reform
This study examines whether a radical institution-wide curriculum reform integrating immersive block scheduling with active learning pedagogy can improve student retention at scale. Using a retrospective observational design, we analysed six years of data (2019–2024) related to student retention and attrition at a public Australian university (N = 108,237) across course level, student group, resident status, gender and study mode. Findings reveal increased retention and decreased attrition overall and for all cohorts following the introduction of immersive block learning. Particularly strong outcomes were observed for postgraduate, commencing, international, male, and internal students, indicating that immersive block learning has contributed to a narrowing of student retention gaps across the institution. We posit that reducing cognitive load through focused scheduling while implementing active learning can catalyse measurable improvements to persistence. The results indicate that systemic, research-informed, curriculum-led approaches can improve retention across diverse student populations in higher education.

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