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Transition: using NextLevel to develop a sense of belonging amongst University of Greenwich students
Get PDFNextLevel as a source of support for transition
We in the Academic and Digital Skills Team (ADS) at the University of Greenwich understand that transition into higher education (HE) may be challenging for some students, regardless of their background and educational context; the COVID pandemic certainly made matters worse. Burns et al (2020) highlighted significant issues in transition, whereby students’ wellbeing is negatively affected (in Allen et al 2023). Social integration is a key worry for new students, not only those commuting whilst living at home, but also mature and part-time students. If we work closely with students when using NextLevel, a Moodle-based course which aims to drive engagement and ease transition to HE, they become familiar with university systems. They also learn what support is available and how to access it; at the same time, we promote the value of interpersonal interactions. By offering them the opportunity to experience NextLevel through a series of online live sessions, we aim from the start to deploy relational pedagogy to stimulate a sense of belonging, so enhancing relationality and encouraging mutual respect.
Student feedback
Our pre-induction NextLevel questionnaires reveal that students do worry about making friends and that they also frequently suffer varying degrees of anxiety. Our NextLevel Live sessions over ten weeks seek to match the students’ continuing university experiences with timely information, tools, and skills to help them deal successfully with the uncertainties they face.
We also point out relevant parts of the University, encouraging students to join societies, to engage with others and to find their way around campus. Students tell us they feel comfortable in our sessions: they ask questions, find out answers and generally feel settled. The importance of a sense of belonging – related to improved retention and overall student success – is a much-researched discourse. NextLevel surveys indicate that 79% of students did not feel a sense of belonging in term one. Thomas et al. (2018) noted that ‘students who feel a strong sense of belonging are more likely to persist in their studies, leading to improved retention rates’ (in AdvanceHE 2024a). NextLevel student feedback shows increased levels of confidence: “My confidence level has certainly increased as a result of the settling into University NextLevel guide” (feedback survey). Moodle NextLevel enables students to engage early in their studies and remains available to them throughout their courses, including access to NextLevel Live sessions.
NextLevel Community
Our approach for engaging students is an important part of creating that sense of belonging early in students’ studies. During the online live sessions, we ensure that students engage with our relaxed pre-session chat and, though this involvement does not always happen in the first few sessions, we aim to foster an informal atmosphere to nurture engagement. Creating an inclusive space where students can feel comfortable is an important part of our strategy, for we know that students can feel a sense of anxiety and a change in, or loss of, their identity when moving to HE. Tett et al. (2017) note that building positive relationships between staff and peers may, at this time, help students to manage and overcome their fears and concerns. Once we have that rapport in place, a sense of settling occurs.
By using NextLevel to support transition, we engage students as soon as we can and prior to programme induction, so providing a community in which students gain confidence in becoming resilient professionals and creating a bond that cultivates a true sense of belonging. Kenney (2023) recognises the importance of belongingness and its significant benefits, which lead to the establishing of a community in which students can flourish and, consequently, the likelihood of academic success and enhanced graduation rates. Informal interactions build and sustain rapport, enabling and empowering students to negotiate their way around their new learning environment: the frequent meetings allow them to acclimatise to what is unfamiliar, to build relationships and to gain the confidence to ask for help as they need it. Creating a comfortable community with an informal rapport does not compromise professionalism – a balance is created. Students are valued, as are their opinions and comments.
Our commitment to students, ensuring they belong
Within an ever-changing HE landscape, the ADS team is committed to supporting students throughout their university learning. Research-driven, NextLevel originally came into being to bridge an identified student skills’ gap with clear correlation to under-achievement. NextLevel Live sessions have proved to do very much more for students than foreseen. Our having supported students in our weekly live sessions has fostered a sense of belonging by developing a positive community atmosphere, essential for constructive involvement. Students who feel they belong are more likely to stay on track and realise their potential (Thomas et al., 2018, in AdvanceHE, 2024a).
As well as student/teacher interactions in an online setting, students also have opportunities to engage with one another (social learning) to create stronger connections to the university community (Wonke in Advance HE 2024b). Our NextLevel Live sessions include discussion, online forums and Teams chat, all of which shape our support, enabling students to acquire independent learning skills, build resilience and address academic confidence issues.
NextLevel Live practice
NextLevel Live supports peer-to-peer connections, enabling interactions with other students not studying on their courses. As well as focusing on study skills, students in NextLevel Live engage in informal conversations with one another and, when students open up about their learning experiences, we have found that other students begin supporting each other, sometimes with evident humour, too. Bye et al. (2019) suggest that peer-level social capital in term one results in a higher level of respect and trust and a satisfaction with university. Such interactions during our sessions help students to build social capital and, importantly, their being able to see concomitant improvements in their academic skills results in their increased confidence.
NextLevel has shown us that early intervention and early opportunities help to create a friendly environment in which students may begin to feel settled. Though their transition has created varying levels of anxiety, they may thrive in, gain confidence in and feel part of a purposefully created collegiate and non-judgemental atmosphere. They have certainly told us that they feel comfortable and able to ask questions:
“[NextLevel] is an excellent initiative, supporting [us] to a great extent”;
“… shows how to relate well with the other students, other organisations in the university, the lecturers and wellbeing and support resources”;
“… [students] feel very included, the available information is so much and so relevant”.
Such positive comments have reassured us that our strategy helps our students to feel that they belong. Taking a relational pedagogical approach has stimulated students’ engagement, creating meaningful interactions soon after transition, and has helped the settling-in process.
Where to from here?
We shall follow up on initial surveys to assess how far belonging has changed for students. We also intend to hold a planned event for students to network face to face, so helping them to acquire meaningful affirmative relationships with others. Thirdly, we shall investigate other online connective tools to deploy in our online teaching environment as a means of improving practice
Chapter 4. Accelerating entrepreneurship and innovation for sustainable tourism in Africa through a co-created youth-centered ecosystem
No full textThe tourism industry is increasingly important in the global economy and is expected to grow by 4.2% per annum to US$ 278 billion by 2028, creating over 235 million jobs globally. In Africa, tourism export revenues have risen threefold and have a unique potential to create over 12 million jobs by 2028. Despite the opportunities the tourism sector offers to create jobs for the youth in Africa, highly skilled tourism graduates are still disadvantaged in securing employment in an industry that appears to prefer a less skilled workforce. In Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), there is a need to expand entrepreneurship opportunities in tourism by creating innovative ecosystems and networks as a remedy to address highly skilled youth unemployment and underemployment in the region. The purpose of this chapter is to share critical reflections on the co-creation process and practices of a British Council - Innovation for African Universities (IAU036) programme, aimed at accelerating entrepreneurship and innovation for sustainable tourism in Africa that led to the formation of a youth-centred ecosystem for sustainable tourism development SSA. Framed by Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Open Innovation (OI) thinking, the project employed a hybrid methodology drawing upon the Rapid Situation Analysis (RSA) and the Peer-to-Peer co-constructed and participatory research techniques involving 45 tourism bachelors students registered in Higher Education Institutions (HEI) in Kenya, Ghana, and South Africa and critical knowledge exchanges between partners from Kenya, Ghana, and the UK. While the research identified key challenges and opportunities associated with entrepreneurship in tourism in Kenya, Ghana, and South Africa, a co-created youth-centred ecosystem was the main outcome of the active engagement of tourism, innovation, and entrepreneurship researchers and industry players, offering knowledge exchange, mentorship, and coaching. The project led to new critical understandings of the complexity of operating in a challenging SSA tourism business environment and an ad hoc review of the tourism curricula delivered at the 3 SSA HEIs involved in the project. A training and impact evaluation toolkit and establishing digitally interconnected Sustainable Tourism Innovation Hubs and a more comprehensive industry network are proposed as possible ways forward
An integrated process-oriented framework of low-carbon manufacturing networks: evidence from multiple cases
Get PDFDue to both a sharp volatility increase across the global economy and increasing signs of resource depletion, a growing push for decarbonisation at both organisational and supply network levels has emerged. This article answers the following question: ‘How can manufacturing companies effectively implement carbon reduction projects within their supply networks?’ The article draws upon multiple case studies on ten manufacturing companies. Through within-case and cross-case analysis, we generate a process framework that highlights four key stages of the carbon reduction project implementation. Further discussions integrate three important dimensions of carbon reduction projects in a supply network context, namely supply network stages, emission reduction factors, and process change types. This article contributes to the existing sustainable supply chain literature and provides empirical evidence that captures the complexity and dynamics of decarbonisation activities. The carbon-related improvement activities analysed provide a multi-level model of cooperation possibilities between participants, both in the supply chain and across the chain. Practically, our proposed framework connects low carbon practice to organisational change by suggesting the importance of the carbon special task team alongside behavioural, managerial, technological and systematic changes that are implemented simultaneously with the carbon reduction projects
Magnetic induction spectroscopy-based non-contact assessment of avocado fruit condition
Get PDFThis study demonstrates that the ripeness of avocado fruits can be analyzed using frequency-dependent electrical conductivity and permittivity through a non-invasive Magnetic Induction Spectroscopy (MIS) method. Utilizing an MIS system for conductivity and permittivity measurements of a large sample set (N=60) of avocado fruits across multiple frequencies from 100 kHz to 3 MHz enables clear observation of their dispersion behavior and the evolution of their spectra over ripening time in a completely non-contact manner. For the entire sample batch, the conductivity spectrum exhibits a general upward shift and spectral flattening over ripening time. To further quantify these features, normalized gradient analysis and equivalent circuit modeling were employed, and statistical analysis confirmed the correlations between electrical parameters and ripening stages. The trend characteristics of the normalized gradient parameter �� provide a basis for defining the three ripening stages within the 22-day period: early pre-ripe stage (0–5 days), ripe stage (5–15 days), and overripe stage (after 15 days). The equivalent circuit model, which is both physically interpretable and fitted to experimental data, revealed that the ripening process of avocado fruits is characterized by a weakening of capacitive structures and an increase in extracellular solution conductivity, suggesting changes in cellular integrity and extracellular composition, respectively. The results also highlight significant inter-sample variability, which is inherent to biological samples. To further investigate individual conductivity variation trends, Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM) clustering and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was conducted for exploratory sample classification and visualization. Through this approach, the sample set was classified into three categories, each corresponding to distinct conductivity variation patterns
Defender or outsider? Understanding individual, social, and contextual factors in cyberbystander behavior in cyberaggression
Get PDFBystanders’ responses play an important role in cyberaggression incidents among youth. This study examines factors differentiating cyberbystander roles as defenders or outsiders. Individual factors (gender, age, self-efficacy, and digital skills), social factors (parent, teacher, and peer mediation), contextual factors (victim’s age relative to the bystander, perceived victim’s emotional (upset) response, and bystander-victim relationship quality), and types of incident modalities are explored. Data from 736 Czech adolescents ( M age = 14.4 years, SD age = 1.69, 51.9% boys) who acted as defenders or outsiders in cyberaggression incidents in the preceding year were analyzed using hierarchical binary logistic regression. Being a defender versus an outsider was significantly associated with younger age, active peer mediation, good relationship with the victim, higher perceived victim’s emotional (upset) response, and no video modality. The study underscores the multifaceted nature of online bystander behavior, offering insights for prevention and intervention targeting specific factors to promote defending behavior in adolescent cyberaggression
Barriers and challenges for disabled students when engaging with non- compulsory placements: a systematic literature review
Get PDFThe literature on the barriers and challenges faced by disabled students in accessing and undertaking placements remains limited and fragmented. This systematic literature review addresses this gap by identifying key obstacles encountered by disabled students seeking, or on placement. The review maps current knowledge, highlights areas of under-exploration, and proposes a future research agenda. Four primary barriers emerged: organisational processes and systems, low expectations, bio-social factors, and the nature of the placement itself. Our analysis demonstrates that the medical model of disability manifests across all four domains, with interactions between each domain, highlighting the fluid and linked nature of barriers and challenges within placement settings
Risk factors for developing hypertension in patients with type 2 diabetes: a cross-sectional study
Get PDFThis study explores the prevalence of hypertension in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and identifies the potential risk factors associated with the development of hypertension. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 699 T2DM patients. Demographic data and clinical parameters were collected using structured questionnaires and physical examinations. Binary logistic regression was used to assess associations between hypertension and potential risk factors, adjusting for confounders. Body mass index was positively associated with uric acid levels and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c) in the non-hypertensive group. In the hypertensive group, HDL-c was positively correlated with fasting insulin, postprandial insulin, and triglycerides. The primary factors associated with hypertension in patients with T2DM include glycosylated hemoglobin A1C (odds ratio [OR] = 0.54, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.32–0.92, P = .02), HDL-c (OR = 0.54, 95% CI: 0.23–0.86, P = .02), education level (OR = 0.44, 95% CI: 0.23–0.82, P = .01), lactate dehydrogenase (OR = 1.01, 95% CI: 1.00–1.02, P = .01), urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (OR = 0.97, 95% CI: 0.94–1.00, P = .03), and microalbumin (OR = 1.01, 95% CI: 1.00–1.01, P = .02). Hemoglobin A1c, HDL-c, lactate dehydrogenase, urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio, microalbumin, and postprandial insulin are critical predictors of hypertension in individuals with T2DM. In conjunction with lifestyle modifications aimed at weight management and glycemic control, regular monitoring of these biomarkers is recommended to prevent hypertension in diabetes management
Spatial and temporal dependence framework in multi-site precipitation modelling
Get PDFMulti-site stochastic models consist of a rich class of models that can be utilised to analyse environmental data and provide a range of possible inputs to hydrological models to quantify uncertainty and assess risk in environmental systems. We develop a class of multi-site hidden Markov models that incorporate a copula to capture the characteristics of the daily precipitation process across a network of stations. The construction of the likelihood function of the proposed multi-site precipitation models is described. A copula with appropriate dependence structure is selected from the family of Archimedean copulas. The maximum likelihood method is used to estimate the parameters of the models. The proposed class of models is used to analyse twelve years of daily rainfall data from four weather stations in London, England. The copula-embedded multi-site models captured the properties of the daily rainfall well and reproduced the correlation structure of the daily precipitation better than the other hidden Markov models
Value-centric leadership and corporate social responsibility
Get PDFValue-centric Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) can mean different things to different people. Much can depend upon the context in which discussion or consideration of them arises, attitudes towards them, and whether and how they are adopted and deployed. What people, organisations and leaders do, and the consequences of their individual and collective decisions, behaviours and lifestyles, may or may not link to or reflect the values they espouse or which they claim are important to them. Given the extent of negative externalities and irresponsible behaviour, and their consequences, values, ethics and morality are sometimes difficult to discern in the conduct of businesses, driven primarily by core corporate interests and legal, regulatory or power-based imperatives. Values associated with solvency and immediate requirements often take priority over those related to longer-term issues and a wider public good. Despite CSR policies and statements of values, most board decisions reflect perceived realities such as capabilities, opportunity, constraints and relative power, self and influential vested interests, and costs and benefits from the perspective of what is thought to be in the best interests of an entity and its stakeholders
Ameliorating war's shadows: the role of war-related memories and meta-humanization on intergroup reconciliation
Get PDFPeople in post-conflict settings often carry traumatic memories that exacerbate dehumanization and obstruct reconciliation. We investigated these processes through three studies in post-war Kosovo. Study 1 (N = 200), correlational, found that disturbing war-related memories negatively predicted openness to contact and peace with former adversaries through increased meta-dehumanization and outgroup dehumanization. Study 2 (N = 201), experimental, manipulated meta-humanization and revealed an interaction between disturbing war-related memories and meta-humanization (vs. meta-dehumanization and control) on openness to contact and peace, mediated by outgroup dehumanization. Study 3 (N = 201) replicated Study 2 and extended the interaction to competitive victimhood, showing that meta-humanization reduced competitive victimhood only for individuals with low levels of disturbing war memories. Additionally, Study 3 demonstrated that outgroup dehumanization mediated the effect of meta-humanization on all outcomes, with stronger effects for those low (vs. high) in disturbing war memories. These findings held after controlling for prior intergroup contact
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