The level of preparedness for engagement is critical to a smooth transition into tertiary studies. For this reason, many tertiary institutions offer preparatory programs to help beginning students to transition and equip them with fundamental skills they need to succeed (James, 2016). These initiatives are often referred to as enablers, kickstarters, or getting-ready programs. Regardless of such programs, many first-year students appear unprepared, which is likely exacerbated by today s increasingly diverse student population (Benson et. al, 2022). With this shifting demographic, it is more important than ever to better prepare students for tertiary studies in order to support and improve their experience and performance (OECD, 2021).
This presentation will centre on current research on the impact Unit Warm-Ups (UWU) in a first-year nursing unit had on students' ability to navigate unpreparedness and anxiety. Moving to a six-week delivery model, it is important that we incorporate the identified beneficial parts of the UWU project into the current Module O of the Southern Cross Model (SCM) to increase students' preparedness and decrease anxiety as they work in this new learning format. This is especially true for larger class sizes which our research suggests benefit from using unit warm-ups to increase preparedness and reduce anxiety. The class size for this first-year unit ranged from 300 to 500 students over the four years. The analysis of the pre- and post-survey showed a positive trend in students understanding and preparedness after participating in the UWU over the baseline year of 2018. Students also had an increased pass rate after the UWU was integrated into the unit in 2019. Incorporating the UWU into the current unit orientation (Module O) will be discussed to demonstrate what parts are already there and what parts need to be added to help support student preparedness and reduce anxiety in the SCM.?
Benson, J., Chaseling, M., Emmanuel, E., Markopoulos, C., & Paredes, J-A. (2022). Your success is our goal: An intervention for failing students, Journal of University Teaching & Learning Practice, 19(2), 147-164. https://doi.org/10.53761/1.19.2.10?
James, T. (2016). The juxtaposition of STEPS to the undergraduate arena: The lived experience of transitioning into undergraduate study. Australian Journal of Adult Learning, 56(2), 250 267. https://search.informit.org/doi/10.3316/informit.198215992470328?
Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). (2021). To what level have adults studied? In Education at a Glance 2021: OECD Indicators, OECD Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1787/e7fdaf2e-en?