Support for students. Increasing student success and mitigating academic integrity issues with discipline-specific tutors

    Research output: Other contribution to conferenceAbstractpeer-review

    Abstract

    Background
    The Australian Government is working on major tertiary education reforms via the Australian Universities ACCORD introducing new legislative requirements for higher education providers including a Support for Students Policy. The policy requires universities to have in place support to enable students to successfully complete their studies and for identifying at-risk students. The timing and tone of support for students are crucial. In addition, recent advances in AI have the potential to significantly disrupt the higher education sector. Australian universities are required to submit a ‘credible action plan’ to mitigate the risk of the use of generative and other AI in higher education (TEQSA, 2023).

    Description
    Content expert tutors provided one-on-one draft assessment feedback to support students using a pedagogy of kindness to enable transformative learning. A responsive strategy using this pedagogical approach was implemented to decrease the incidence of student academic misconduct including the use of generative AI.

    Method
    Tutors were embedded in 24 first-year units to provide one-on-one draft assessment feedforward. Tutors received training on using the principle of the pedagogy of kindness; showing concern, compassion and empathy when interacting with students, and raising academic misconduct concerns. Tutors proactively contacted students who were identified as at risk of failing their unit.

    Evidence
    Of the 704 draft assessments, 51 students discussed academic integrity; with only one receiving a formal allegation. At-risk students who met with a tutor were more likely to pass their subject and achieved a higher average cumulative mark (51% vs 41%, p<0.05). Embedded support improved the student experience and student success.

    Contribution
    Tutoring students with a pedagogy of kindness increases meaningful and transformative learning.

    Conference

    Conference2024 Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia (HERDSA) Conference
    Abbreviated titleTogether we innovate
    Country/TerritoryAustralia
    CityAdelaide
    Period09/07/2411/07/24
    OtherOn behalf of the HERDSA Annual Conference 2024 organising committee, we thank you for attending HERDSA 2024 from Monday 8 July to Thursday 11 July 2024.

    We hope you found the conference both professionally and personally rewarding and look forward to seeing you at HERDSA 2025. Please save the date for 7–10 July 2025 in Boorloo (Perth).
    Internet address

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