Questions are posed on the causes of student drop out and recent research is highlighted.  It seems to indicate that the quality of pre-course guidance and of the teaching have some impact on student drop-out.  However, other factors are also influential e.g. age, level of course studied and late enrolment.

Guidance and retention full text of stimulus material

To provoke discussion around the theme, participants in the earlier stages of this website development, responded to the stimulus material provided here.

Full text of the discussion

Guidance and Retention discussion summary

<p>"Student Services Guidance people keep sending us the wrong students, students who don’t really understand what the course is all about and students who are not particularly up to it; no wonder we get so many dropping out. It was different in the past when we could recruit our own students."</p>