Key Findings

The key findings from the project included:

• The evidence offered varies across summations and includes both student satisfaction and student success data presented in a range of formats: statistical, evaluative comments and personal narratives. Where possible – and this can depend upon the different management systems used by different institutions which allow TLAs access to different types of information and analysis – more than one form of evidence is provided to add strength and rigor to the results described. In some summations, this is already available; for others, it represents the next evolution of the process.
• Almost all of the programmes and support mechanisms described in the report identify ‘critical success factors’. These are the factors that the authors of the summations and/or the providers of the programmes consider as being critical to the programmes’ ability to facilitate the intended improvements in students’ academic performance.
• There are some clear recurring themes in these critical success factors. These include: the attention given to the preparation, organisation, and implementation of the programmes; the knowledge and experience of the TLAs involved in delivering the programmes; the methods used to determine the relevant skills to cover, the teaching materials to use, and the ways of delivering these to students; the relationships considered, developed and/or nurtured between TLAs and students, among the TLAs and/or other teachers involved, among students, with the relevant subject departments and faculties, and so on; the other supporting mechanisms linked to the programmes provided.

Key Recommendations

The key recommendations from the project included:

Sharing best practice | Ideally, this report will provide further encouragement for those working in the TLA profession to continue sharing best practice; to learn from each other, and to constantly improve on programmes and strategies that are being delivered to improve student retention and success outcomes.

Critical success factors | The summations included in the report include not only ‘critical success factors’ but also ‘action plans’ – both aimed at making it more likely that others who may wish to implement similar programmes could benefit from the experiences of those TLAs who have been providing these programmes.

Reporting back on experiences | It would be helpful towards capability building if those who do implement similar programmes, or variations of programmes described here, report back on their experiences and the outcomes they achieve. Facilities for such reporting will be made available both on the Ako Aotearoa website and the Association of Tertiary Learning Advisors Aotearoa New Zealand (ATLAANZ) website.

Regional meetings/hui | TLAs in other regions may also wish to consider conducting a similar meeting/hui to take stock of, and report on, the programmes they are providing that deliver tangible impacts on student retention and success. The authors of, and contributors to, the present report would be more than happy to help towards the planning, organisation, and conduct of such efforts.

Other tertiary institution personnel (outside of the TLA profession) | The authors hope that, for tertiary institution personnel outside of the TLA profession, the report will contribute towards a better understanding of the work that TLAs undertake and will in turn lead to a greater appreciation of the contributions that TLAs currently make – and potentially can make – in tangibly enhancing retention and success outcomes for tertiary students in New Zealand.