Failure as Opportunity-reflection and Retention: Approaches to Supporting First Year University Students Experiencing Early Assessment Failure

For many first year students, adopting the independent learning behaviours necessary for success in tertiary education can be a challenging experience. An unclear understanding of self-regulated learning, and of the time and commitment required for assessment tasks can result in students encountering early assessment failure. This can affect student confidence, motivation, and ongoing academic performance. This paper examines an early intervention strategy, which provides a framework for assisting at-risk students in reflecting on, and taking responsibility for, their learning practices. The efficacy of this strategy in multiple disciplines is demonstrated by comparing the results of the intervention in a first year interdisciplinary communication course with those from a visual design subject, each with quite different curricula and initial assessment tasks. While the original project focused on first year students' approaches to tertiary study, this paper also considers the contribution of tutors in motivating diverse cohorts of first year students to engage in this valuable, self-reflective process.