FIRST YEAR IN HIGHER EDUCATION: NEW TOOLS TO SUPPORT STUDENTS IN TRANSITION

The focus of this paper is the development of a CD-ROM as a means of supporting undergraduate students beginning their first year of study in the Faculty of Education at the University of Wollongong. The CD, entitled Dive In: A Guide for Beginning Students, has been developed as a tool to support the engagement of students during their transition to university life. From a Vygotskian perspective, effective learning is more likely to take place when individuals are afforded opportunities to grow into the culture that surrounds them (Vygotsky, 1978). The CD supports this objective by providing relevant information in ways that allow new students to engage with the culture of the university and the demands that this entails. One of a number of innovative features of the CD is the degree of involvement of experienced students at every level of its development. By drawing on the wisdom of continuing students as well as staff within the faculty and across the university, it has been possible to develop a comprehensive body of information to support the needs of new students. The result is a portable resource using informal language and engaging graphics that makes the information presented both relevant and readily accessible to students in transition