Re-induction | Staff guide
Supporting returning students’ transition to the next level of study
Returning students benefit from programme level activities that can help them adjust back into university life.
During the first few weeks, teaching teams are strongly advised to engage in re-induction activities. These activities should support students in their new level of study. They can complement specific modules, but they do not need to be timetabled.
Because teaching rooms are limited; use core modules early on to support returning students.
Re-introduce your programme
We suggest saving at least one core module slot for welcome-back activities, such as:
- Introducing the teaching team again, especially anyone new
- Giving students a quick outline of the programme.
- Describing expected activities over the year with a chance to hear from module leaders and ask questions.
- Explaining how this year’s work builds on what they’ve already learned
- Letting students catch up with each other in small groups
- Talking about what it takes to do well at their new level:
- managing time
- good study skills and habits
- understanding assessments
- building academic skills
- Introducing new types of learning, like work experience or project/dissertation work
- Reminding students how Canvas works and expectations for online and classroom learning
- Highlighting support services
- Giving students the chance to chat with students from the year above them.
- A refresher about university processes, e.g. how to request an extension
Early formative assessment
Some students find it hard to switch back into study mode after a break. Simple tasks can help them remember what they learned and get their confidence back. Setting small formative, low-pressure tasks early on can help.
These should be easy to understand and presented with an idea of how long the activity will take. They should be simple—not stressful.
Tasks don’t need to focus on a particular module.
Examples include:
- A quick quiz to go over last year’s topics
- A short reflection on feedback and what they want to improve
- A small written piece about a recent news story linked to the course
- A discussion board post
- Writing down questions to bring to class
To keep things manageable, tasks should stay short. Quizzes with automatic feedback or peer-review activities can reduce marking. Short written tasks can be picked up in personal tutorials.
Personal tutorials
Meeting with Personal Tutors early on helps students get back into study mode. It also lets staff check whether anything is affecting a student’s learning. Tutorials can also be a space to talk through a formative assessment task if one was set. More ideas are available on the Personal Tutor Resource Site on Canvas.
Social activities
It’s helpful to offer some social activities outside of class to help students reconnect. This also helps new direct-entry students feel welcome and included.
At module level
At the start of each module, students need clear information about the module, including how it runs and what the assessments look like. This gives them something solid to work from as the course progresses.
Class explanations and discussions should be backed up with resources on Canvas. This allows students to access them later. Everything should match the “key information” area in Canvas. If something doesn’t align, contact your Associate Registrar to discuss the misalignment.
Academic staff should try not to overwhelm students with too much information or too many activities at the start. Early independent reading or tasks should be light, not confusing or time-consuming. Early homework should help students understand class content—not introduce brand-new ideas that they’re expected to figure out alone. Clear instructions and a realistic estimation of the time taken to complete the exercise should help.
