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University: University of Newcastle
Lead Researcher: Anna Bennett
Funding Round: 2014
Funding Received: $205,262
This report provided an overview of equity initiatives in Australian higher education that have demonstrated their effectiveness through published impact studies or as part of a national survey. It included two resources to enhance the planning, monitoring and evaluation of university equity initiatives: an Equity Initiatives Framework providing a summary of equity program and evaluation types; and a supplement of featured initiatives.
Lead Researcher: Robbert Duvivier
Funding Round: 2015
Funding Received: $98,015
The low SES student cohort across four universities was profiled to understand the pathway into medical school for students from low SES backgrounds. Students’ perceptions of barriers and enablers to enter medical school were analysed across each stage of the application process within the domains of peer, family, and external support. The project sought to identify best practice career counselling and advice in secondary education.
Lead Researcher: Rachel Buchanan
Funding Received: $107,287
This project established an evidence base for the development of resources and strategies to educate undergraduate students in managing and curating their digital footprints for successful personal and professional outcomes. A multi-pronged, multi-audience communication and dissemination strategy was devised to ensure students from disadvantaged backgrounds (e.g. Low SES; First-in-Family; Indigenous; Regional and Remote; and Disability) could develop essential digital knowledge and skills.
Lead Researcher: Johanna Macneil
Funding Round: 2016
Funding Received: $89,800
This project examined whether differences in expectations about university, or in access to technology, affect the learning experience, retention levels, and academic success of first year low SES and First-in-Family students, compared to other students. Informed by a literature review, a survey of commencing first year students, and focus groups data, this project also developed an evidence base on the blended learning (flipped classroom) model.
Lead Researcher: Peter Howley
Funding Received: $134,278
Project-based learning activities and supporting resources were delivered to low socioeconomic status regional and remote school students, focusing on environmental sustainability and understanding and applying statistics and the sciences. The project aimed to increase student interest, attitudes and aspirations—as well as those of their families and teachers—towards higher education and STEM, and incorporated information on scholarships supporting Indigenous and disadvantaged students.
Lead Researcher: Kathryn Grushka
Funding Received: $119,192
This project addressed the decline in farming, mining and manufacture in regional and remote areas by supporting and educating high school students to aspire to work in the creative industries. A Creative Industries Roadshow engaged university academics, research assistants and university student mentors to inform high school students, career advisors and teachers about the creative industries through information sessions, discussions and hands-on digital media workshops.
Lead Researcher: Elena Prieto-Rodriguez
Funding Received: $187,186
This project created, evaluated and disseminated research-informed digital media resources centred on mathematical concepts known to be problematic for low SES STEM university students. Twenty innovative videos were produced to tackle specific areas of mathematics knowledge, skills, and common misunderstandings. The resources were made available in a central interactive repository in app form and disseminated and embedded within the University of Newcastle and beyond.
Funding Received: $161,151
A suite of research-informed digital media resources was created, evaluated and disseminated to enable students from disadvantaged backgrounds to succeed in a range of STEM and health sciences degrees. A focus of this project was to enable access to these resources for low SES and culturally diverse students in regional and remote locations, with the aim of increasing access and reducing attrition in STEM degrees.
Lead Researcher: Helen English
Funding Received: $63,811
This project focused on developing skills in creative thinking, project design and realisation in the areas of music, visual arts and/or performance among low SES high school students. Addressing the relatively low enrolments into Creative and Performing Arts (CAPA) degrees from this cohort, a series of workshops in the creative arts-technology nexus were conducted for Years 8 and 9 students from seven high schools.
Lead Researcher: Mark Rubin
Funding Received: $67,327
This project investigated the relationships between university students’ socioeconomic status, their social integration at university, and their mental health/wellbeing. Data collected through two online surveys informed policies and approaches to promote the social inclusion of low SES students and students with mental health problems and to reduce mental health problems among university students, increase their satisfaction at university, and reduce their attrition rates.