Abstract

The Essay Route Map is an institution-wide initiative designed to help improve students’ essay writing skills. The interactive online course guides students through the process of writing an essay and brings together the wealth of resources and tools available at the University of Lancashire. Students can feel overwhelmed due to the volume of information available and do not always know what is expected of them in HE, particularly as many of our students come from non-traditional backgrounds. Students enter university with preconceived ideas about what to expect based on previous schemas, such as school, college or the workplace, and often these do not align with expectations at HE level, leading to low attainment. As McEwan (2017, p.511) highlights, the ‘transition into higher education…and the early experiences of higher education (HE) during the transition period could impact on the academic outcomes of students well into their program of studies’. This has implications for student attainment and retention. The Essay Route Map therefore sought to provide scaffolding to help students with the transition to HE by supporting their development of key academic skills. The course can be embedded on a VLE or completed independently via the Learning Development Team resources webpage. This paper outlined the pedagogical rationale for the Essay Route Map and the pilot of the project with two apprenticeship cohorts. It covered the benefits of embedding the course on the VLE as part of a blended learning approach as well as the inclusivity aspects accounted for throughout the project.