Glasgow Essentials: redeveloping induction resources to improve the students’ sense of inclusion and belonging

Abstract

driving positive results in attainment, retention, and wellbeing. The ability of students to belong and self-identify as members of the academic community has been referred to as a key ‘intangible asset’ (Smart et al., 2020) in Higher Education. Indeed, MacFarlane (2018) asserts that this sense of belonging is closely aligned with learner identity and student engagement, and that students who do not feel properly engaged or that they belong are unlikely to successfully transition into university. It is therefore crucial that universities begin to foster feelings of inclusion and build a sense of belonging among students at the earliest stages of the induction process. This presentation showcased the reevaluated and redesigned ‘Glasgow Essentials’ resource produced by the newly formed Induction and Transitions team at the University of Glasgow. The resource follows the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) Hidden Curriculum model (Birtill, Harris and Pownall, 2022), utilising the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) (Rose and Meyer, 2000) to promote new students’ sense of inclusion and belonging and improve their experience of transitions through each stage of their studies. Glasgow Essentials is an interactive and informative online resource, covering both academic and non-academic aspects of induction, and is shared with all offer holders as they prepare to begin their studies. It is therefore likely to be the first resource they will engage with at the University, playing a crucial role in new students’ induction into the institution and setting them up for success in their studies. The presentation explained the evaluation undertaken in redeveloping Glasgow Essentials and the rationale for its redesign before showcasing the resource itself and discussing our plans to evaluate its impact on students’ inclusion, belonging, and – hopefully – success going forward.

Keywords

• inclusion
• induction
• belonging
• student support
• learner identity