About ISHE

Introduction to Study in Higher Education is a 20 credit level 4 unit which was introduced in September 2010 in all UAL undergraduate degrees (some courses will deliver it for the first time from September 2011).

This is a common unit across all UAL Colleges and undergraduate courses. The unit has a single course code whatever degree it is in, and common aims and learning outcomes. However, course teams will design the learning activities, the content and the assessment, and choose the resources recommended to students in accordance with the needs of the specific discipline, course and context.

The aims of the unit are:

• to introduce students to learning at undergraduate level
• to orientate students within their course, the College and the University
• to induct them into the specific practices and knowledge base of their discipline

The unit was developed because of the importance of the first term in higher education to students’ overall chances of completing their degree successfully and fulfilling their creative and academic potential.

Universities in general, and art and design in particular, can be full of unwritten customs and practices which can be hard for new students to pick up, which can be stressful and can lead to them under-performing. This applies particularly to students from minority or international backgrounds. ISHE is intended as time when students can explore with peers and tutors the expectations they need to meet in higher education, and the skills they need to develop to settle in and do well.

Social integration is also very important to students thriving in a university environment, and for some students (again, particularly international students, and students from minority backgrounds) this can present more challenges than for others. The activities available on this site are intended to support staff and students in this aspect of university life at the same time as developing discipline-specific skills and knowledge.

You can download the unit description below.