Supporting personalised learning with ResLife at Newcastle University

Session Outline

The ResLife curriculum introduced in September 2019 saw the collaboration between accommodation services, student health and wellbeing, careers service, the students union, sports centre and academic units. Step Change and Changing the Culture informed this with staff and student training in regards to sexual violence, consent, bystander training and mental health. As such students in the accommodation receive life skills training, support, a range of extra-curricular activities and the opportunity to ‘get the most out of’ their programme, pastoral support and academic support in their academic units, as well as signposting to student services – including finance, visa, chaplaincy, and wellbeing. Student Assistants were recruited to offer peer support, peer assisted learning and pastoral peer mentoring. The aim is to support all students making the transition into Higher Education and feel a sense of belonging and part of an educational identity. Being a good neighbour in the student community will support their preparation to live independently, support attendance and their retention; as well as supporting anxiety, stress and concerns over assessments, examinations and living away from home. Cross-cultural competences have been introduced as students are encouraged to become more aware of the diversity of their peers and the benefits from positive interactions. ResLife is student-centred around the supporting of Identity

• Becoming Independent and Independent Living
• Building Relationships
• Education/University
• Health
• Sustainability
• Community
• Next Steps

The conference information identifies that TESOF (formerly known as TEF) encourages a focus on personalised learning. As such the ResLife model introduced allows students to attend a host of seminars around the key themes of Get to Know, How do I, Be Green, Be Kind, In need of help?, Stay Safe and Study Group; with individual sessions on: Care for the community, Your sleep and the joy of napping, Accommodation for next year, Having difficult dialogues, Making new friends, What’s hiding under your bed?, Your Kitchen and the laundry, Don’t lose your keys and other top tips, Finances for next term, Time Management, Your guide to all things money, You and alcohol, Bibliographies and all that, and How to make lecture notes. These sessions allow students to explore and define their own purpose and goals to achieve developmental outcomes, whilst encouraging an environment that respects diverse perspectives through inclusive practices and policies. In the first 8 weeks of ResLife being implemented there have been approx.8,000 individual student interactions through a number of events, activities, drop-ins, and the educational curriculum with both ResLife staff and ResLife Student Assistants (RSAs).