Conference presentation
Reporting the impact of curriculum change: Exploring student success and satisfaction in an immersive block model using performance dashboards
Higher Education Research & Development Society of Australasia (HERDSA) Conference (Adelaide, Australia, 08/07/2024 - 11/07/2024)
09/07/2024
Metrics
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Abstract
Immersive block models aim to increase student engagement and performance by offering a more focused way of learning (McCluskey et al., 2020; Roche et al., 2024). In such models, students study 1–2 units over 4–8 weeks and are typically engaged through active learning pedagogy (Samarawickrema et al., 2022). While evidence has begun to emerge about the effectiveness of immersive block models (Buck & Tyrrell, 2022; Loton et al., 2022; Wilson et al., 2023), there is a lack of longitudinal evidence. This presentation reports evidence from a 3-year period and outlines a method of tracking outcomes of curriculum reform.
Description
From 2021-2023, a 6-week immersive block model underpinned by active learning pedagogy was introduced across all disciplines at a regional, public Australian university.
Method
An institutional dashboard has been developed to enable real-time and longitudinal views of student outcomes in the immersive block model. This dashboard can be filtered for various student cohorts from 2019 onwards. Interviews with university leadership highlight the importance of tracking impact.
Evidence
The dashboard shows statistically significant increases in student pass rates and grade point averages in the immersive block model across all faculties and colleges from 2021 to 2023, and significant decreases in early withdrawals and absent fails. Student satisfaction has not changed significantly but remains high overall.
Contribution
The presentation provides longitudinal, institution-wide evidence of how an immersive block model is affecting student performance and satisfaction across all disciplines at a public university. It also demonstrates how a dynamic institutional dashboard can be used to evidence the impact of curriculum change.
Details
- Title
- Reporting the impact of curriculum change: Exploring student success and satisfaction in an immersive block model using performance dashboards
- Creators
- Thomas Roche (Author) - Southern Cross University, Office of the PVC (Academic Quality)Erica Wilson (Author) - Southern Cross University, Faculty of Business, Law and ArtsElizabeth Goode (Author) - Southern Cross University, Office of the PVC (Academic Quality)
- Conference
- Higher Education Research & Development Society of Australasia (HERDSA) Conference (Adelaide, Australia, 08/07/2024 - 11/07/2024)
- Identifiers
- 991013209112602368
- Academic Unit
- Office of the PVC (Academic Quality); Faculty of Business, Law and Arts; Office of the PVC (Academic Innovation)
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Conference presentation
- Local Fields
- Original Research - SoLT