Belonging in the first year: A creative discipline cohort case study

Abstract

Drawing on contemporary transition pedagogy, this paper provides a case study of a suite of transition activities piloted by The Belonging Project in collaboration with a creatively oriented academic program in the School of Media and Communication at RMIT University.  Through qualitative research, this case study demonstrates the importance of adopting Kift, Nelson and Clarke’s (2010, p. 6) notion of transition “as a process, not an event.” This paper argues that a sustained program of low cost transition activities that bridge the formal and informal curriculum fosters an essential ”sense of belonging” among first year students. It provides a successful example of an approach that embeds essential social and academic literacies while facilitating positive social, cultural, and academic transitions.