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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.

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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).

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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
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