Get Set for Success: Applications for engineering and applied science students

Abstract

With increased participation in higher education, student diversity has increased, and many students currently enrolled in applied science and engineering degrees commence their studies without the assumed knowledge. Universities have a duty of care to ensure students successfully transition into the higher education learning context. The Get Set for Success quiz was developed across five Australian institutions to enable commencing first year engineering students to self-test their readiness to study their chosen degree. The quiz comprises two parts. Part 1 measures cognitive abilities (i.e., maths, physics and chemistry) and Part 2 measures non-cognitive factors (i.e., approaches to learning and motivations for study). Both parts have been shown to predict academic success. Individualised feedback was provided to 97 students enrolled in engineering technology and applied science courses at the University of New England, a regional Australian university, that directed students to both on campus and online support to help them develop an individual study plan to address knowledge and skills gaps. This approach helps to empower students to begin their academic journey with confidence – it enables them to reflect on their approaches to learning and to seek support to address any identified gaps. This paper reports on the application of the Get Set for Success quiz to both engineering and applied science students and results show that the quiz is perceived to be a valuable learning tool for commencing students.