Edinburgh Napier University

  As education continues to be interrupted, we must now consider how we support our wider student body, our associate and direct-entry students. This paper presents empirical work exploring the impact of moving interventions to support the transition experience of direct-entry students online. The study is situated in the Associate Student Project (ASP), a transition programme which focuses on preparing students in Computing and Engineering for the transition to the second and third year of a degree programme whilst studying at College (Meharg & Fotheringham 2013). The programme includes academic workshops and support sessions led by student ambassadors and lecturers. Students following this path face transitional barriers as they overcome academic and social integration issues and tackle the challenges faced by groups such as widening access students without a family tradition of HE. The research is framed by Davis (1989) Technology Acceptance Model and the study follows a peer methodology employing mixed methods evaluation. Data was collected in the form of surveys, focus groups (led by student ambassadors) and learning analytics. This study found that the students’ perceptions and experiences of online transition support were diverse. Support that provides information about their transition to universities such as requirements for university transfer and study skills are valued. The findings will contribute to the body of work exploring transitions and blended learning and make important recommendations for practice within Universities and in the wider community.