Student learning journey : supporting student success through the student readiness questionnaire

Students enrolling at university expect to succeed. The Student Learning Journey is a Central Queensland University (CQU) initiative to support students in achieving this goal. This paper explicitly examines an important “first step” in the process where on enrolment it is intended that students complete the Student Readiness Questionnaire (SRQ). This questionnaire was developed following over a thousand hours of interviews with students identified as being “at academic risk ”, and as part of a working group of the Student Learning Journey. The development and use of this questionnaire as part of CQU’s initiative to help all students be successful in their studies are discussed in this paper. The questionnaire will build a student profile in areas including mode of study, age, educational preparedness, lifestyle and cognitive and emotional readiness. These factors tell a powerful story about essential elements of a student’s expectations, motivation to succeed and persistence to seek help. From this, personalised learning programs can be designed. By knowing the profile of our student community and what that means in relation to the academic journey, it is possible to identify what particular structural and systemic solutions are required to support further student retention.