Using student engagement initiatives to invigorate a graduate program: A case presentation

Student engagement initiatives

Abstract

Student engagement is the amount of time and effort students dedicate to specific educational based activities . The quality of the engagement is thought to influence student success both within and outside of the academic setting. Universities are constantly being challenged by governments to provide graduates with the skills they need to adapt and succeed in the workforce by developing, testing, and evaluating innovative approaches to teaching and learning. In many instances, the amount of government-based grants a university receives is based on how successful an institution is in terms of student engagement outcomes that relate to student graduation rates, post-graduation employment, overall student grade point average, and attrition rates. Student engagement and other educationally purposeful activities are linked to student learning. The purpose of this discursive paper will be to critically examine a case study in which a purposely designed series of student engagement activities are considered in an attempt to reinvigorate a graduate program.The program in question will be briefly discussed in which challenges that underlie key issues will be presented. A focused student engagement initiative will be put forth as a possible solution to these issues, in which a preliminary examination of the effectiveness of these solutions will be discussed in addition to areas for future refinement and revision.