The Australian Centre for Student Equity and Success acknowledges Indigenous peoples across Australia as the Traditional Owners of the lands on which the nation’s campuses are situated. With a history spanning more than 60,000 years as the original educators, Indigenous peoples hold a unique place in our nation. We recognise the importance of their knowledge and culture, and reflect the principles of participation, equity, and cultural respect in our work. We pay our respects to Elders past, present, and future, and consider it an honour to learn from our Indigenous colleagues, partners, and friends.

Enter website
Back to Publications
You are reading: A fourth generation approach to transition in the first year in higher education: First year in higher education community of practice (FYHECoP)

Written by Sorrel Penn-Edwards, Griffith University, and Sharn Donnison, University of the Sunshine Coast

ABSTRACT

We propose that higher education institutions move beyond the third generation approach to transition pedagogy (Kift, Nelson, & Clarke, 2010) to a fourth generation approach. We argue that higher education institutions are, as Abraham Lincoln extols, of the people, by the people, for the people and that all major stakeholders: educationalists; social groups; and civic bodies should be involved in supporting the transition of the higher education first year student. We suggest that university-community partnerships, specifically, those involving the wider social/civic community, have an integral part to play at each point in the progression of the student through undergraduate studies. Our fourth generation approach extends Kift’s (2008) exhortation that the first year experience is “everybody’s business” by being characterised and driven by a social and civic “community of practice” (Wenger, 1998).

Continue reading…

Penn-Edwards, S., & Donnison, S. (2014). A fourth generation approach to transition in the first year in higher education: First year in higher education community of practice (FYHECoP). The International Journal of the First Year in Higher Education, 5(1). 31-41. doi: 10.5204/intjfyhe.v5i1.190.
General Journal articles
A fourth generation approach to transition in the first year in higher education: First year in higher education community of practice (FYHECoP)
S Penn-Edwards, S Donnison, 2014
Featured publications
The Critical Interventions Framework Part 3: Programs and approaches that enable equity in higher education
Anna Bennett, Ryan Naylor, Jo Hanley, Jo Lewis, Cheryl Burgess​ , 2024
The Critical Interventions Framework Part 3 (CIF 3) focuses on evaluative studies which provide details of the impacts of specific interventions on equity groups in relation to access to and success in higher education.
General
Indigenous
Student’s reported satisfaction at University: the role of personal characteristics and secondary school background
Ian W. Li, Denise Jackson, Paul Koshy ​ , 2024
This study addressed this topic in the Australian context using data from the annual Student Experience Survey (2016–2020 waves) with linkage to administrative records for 24,292 students from seven higher education institutions.
Featured
Journal articles
Indigenous university pathways, WIL and the strengthening of aspirations: Robbie’s journey as a learner
Garth Stahl, Sarah McDonald, Jennifer Stokes​ , 2023
A case study documenting the transition of one Indigenous student, Robbie, from an underprivileged school located in the Western suburbs of Sydney to an urban Australian university.
Indigenous
Journal articles
More publications
The Critical Interventions Framework Part 3: Programs and approaches that enable equity in higher education
Anna Bennett​ , The University of Newcastle​
The Critical Interventions Framework Part 3 (CIF 3) focuses on evaluative studies which provide details of the impacts of specific interventions on equity groups in relation to access to and success in higher education.
General
Indigenous
Low SES
Regional, rural and remote
Research Reports
Feature article
Student’s reported satisfaction at University: the role of personal characteristics and secondary school background
This study addressed this topic in the Australian context using data from the annual Student Experience Survey (2016–2020 waves) with linkage to administrative records for 24,292 students from seven higher education institutions.
Featured
Journal articles
Equity Practitioners
Indigenous university pathways, WIL and the strengthening of aspirations: Robbie’s journey as a learner
A case study documenting the transition of one Indigenous student, Robbie, from an underprivileged school located in the Western suburbs of Sydney to an urban Australian university.
Indigenous
Journal articles