Key Findings

The key findings from the project were:

• High school to tertiary assessments represent an abrupt, unclear and substantial shift: first year students tend to struggle with assessments due to large discrepancies in the academic tasks used in high school when compared to university. Among the most commonly referenced problems are recognisable differences in assessment methods between secondary and tertiary classrooms. First-year students often have an unrealistic or inaccurate expectation about university.
• Students lack transferable skills: generally, transferrable skills comprise poor or weak understanding of how to learn. First-year students generally have limited understanding of what it means to be an independent, self-regulated learner.
• Students have weak or inadequate discipline-specific skills: many students enter university without having taken appropriate coursework in high school.
• There are issues with the design of assessments: poorly written or ambiguous instructions can quickly lead to frustration. Problems arise when instructions either lack enough information for the student to fully understand task criteria, or, alternatively, provide too much information so the student is overwhelmed with details.
• Students experience unsupportive learning climates: transitioning students often do not feel comfortable asking the lecturer for clarity. They often lack information about university processes and procedures.

Key Recommendations

The key recommendations for learners (and their families), lecturers, support staff and institutions to consider from the project were:

Share accurate expectations about university | Extend the student orientation period to better familiarise students with the university environment and what it means to engage in university-level study.

Enhance solid transferrable skills | Communicate to students in individual course outlines, what transferrable skills will be required in a course. Teaching staff should familiarise themselves with the New Zealand secondary school system and NCEA requirements.

Develop strong discipline-specific skills | More and closer collaboration between student liaison, academic advisors and academic units will ensure secondary students receive consistent simultaneous advice.

Design and communicate clear, effective assessments | Develop closer collaboration between academics and support staff to ensure that assessments are clear to students. Provide no more than two pages of instructions.

Cultivate a supportive learning climate | Develop a deeper understanding of students’ social and cultural backgrounds, and how these influence assessment (e.g. group work versus individual assessment).