Engineering graduates for industry - Royal Academy of Engineering

that provides a much broader form of support than simply academic help. It provides a ‘one-stop-shop’ to assist
students with all of their potentially problematic interactions with the University.
Perceived benefits
● Better engagement of students and
staff in the learning experience
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Improved student retention and
progression
Enhanced standards of student
achievement
Increased graduate employment
rates
Confident, self-motivated and
successful members of society
Enhanced reputation leading to
increased student recruitment
Greater staff and student satisfaction
A vibrant learning community
attractive to students and staff.
Of this list, the opportunity to improve student retention and progression rates is seen as particularly important:
“certainly the research visits that we’ve done internationally would confirm that this kind of hands-on approach to pedagogy
actually does, if you do it right, stimulate the student so it does improve attendance, and improve engagement, and if you
improve those two you automatically improve retention and progression rates” (Duncan Lawson, Associate Dean).
Challenges
● A need to refocus the operation of the engineering workshops
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There are student issues with the assessment of group work. WebPA
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has been used successfully in the introductory
six week pilot
Some staff have concerns with the extent of activity led processes within the programme.
What potential difference will activity led learning make?
The hope is that the activity led learning process will engage and stimulate student interest which will, in turn, enhance
student performance and ultimately produce graduates that are confident in their ability and ‘completely employable’.
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WebPA, www.webpa.ac.uk
22 The Royal Academy of Engineering