A student’s first few days at university can shape their entire experience. If you’re looking to build a sense of belonging, support student wellbeing from day one, and drive engagement, then a thoughtfully designed onboarding experience is essential, and eLearning could be the ace up your sleeve.
If you want to refresh your approach, we’ll guide you through the key elements of a standout student onboarding journey – and how bespoke eLearning can help you deliver it.
In this article:
- Why onboarding matters in higher education
- What makes bespoke eLearning the right choice for student induction?
- Key elements of a successful onboarding experience for students
- Common pitfalls to avoid
- How to measure impact and improve over time
Why onboarding matters in higher education
Student onboarding is important because it's one of the first experiences that can shape a learner's trajectory. First impressions matter.
How students are welcomed into university life can impact their confidence and sense of belonging. A strong, positive induction experience ensures students are informed, supported and feel connected - long before they set foot on campus.
Student induction is about reassurance, inclusion and setting the right tone for what they can expect at your institution. Not to mention, it's one of the first mature interactions they'll experience after leaving school and can be a great learning moment.
David Marshall, managing director and founder of Marshalls, a Ciphr company, commented: "In this digital age, there has never been a more important time for a university to invest in a compelling induction. With the highest record of university dropouts, induction is a perfect time to engage students – and as each new cohort joins, the university has an opportunity to change its culture and challenge long-standing behaviours that have stood as norms for decades.”
As far as learning moments go, we're reminded that every learner has unique needs. And one of the best ways to accommodate various individual needs is through a tailored approach.
Why choose bespoke eLearning for student onboarding?
The biggest benefit of bespoke eLearning content is how it reflects your university’s unique culture, values, and student demographic.
Personalised eLearning can lead to:
- Higher engagement from students
- Better understanding of university policies and support systems
- A stronger emotional connection to the university
- Improved knowledge retention
- Better wellbeing outcomes
Our specialist in-house eLearning team curates content that resonates with students. We work with the majority of university institutions across the UK and beyond. We’ve collaborated with these universities to create onboarding modules that reflect the lived experiences of students, promote inclusion and belonging, and educate learners about the support available to them in an accessible way.
Following the delivery of bespoke EDI eLearning for Newcastle University, Vi Parker, the EDI training lead shared: “The bespoke programme enables colleagues to confidently engage with EDI principles in a way that resonates with Newcastle’s unique environment.” This demonstrates how bespoke eLearning is specially tailored to meet the specific needs of the university, reflecting their culture and values. You can learn more here.
Want to learn more about the benefits of bespoke eLearning? Watch our on-demand webinar to discover the benefits our clients enjoy and our design approach.
What are the key elements of a successful student onboarding journey?
Personalisation
Impersonal, generic content doesn’t accurately reflect your university or feel authentic. It’s simply not going to cut it. Students want to feel recognised and understood. An impersonal onboarding journey could do more harm than good – leaving learners with a poor first impression that lasts.
How can you personalise student onboarding?
- Include a welcome message from the University Vice Chancellor, course leaders, or other faculty members
- Tailor the content based on level of study or student background (e.g. designed for international students)
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Prioritise inclusive and accessible language and imagery that accurately reflects your university’s ethos, vision, and values
Interactivity
eLearning should be interactive to be engaging. Fun elements, like quizzes, real-world scenarios and interactive screens are a great way to encourage active participation and can further help learners retain more information.
An example of this would be a scenario-based quiz on acceptable behaviours vs unacceptable behaviours that can help students apply knowledge in a meaningful way – while also reinforcing university values.
Navigation
University students are no stranger to information overload. A clear, structured eLearning module, with bite-sized units packed with key information, can help students navigate university life – much like a digital roadmap.
Signposting to support
It’s important that students know where to go if they need help. Embed links and resources into eLearning to help make support more visible and accessible to students. With the OfS E6 condition now in force, eLearning can be a valuable medium to help protect students from harassment and sexual misconduct.
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Create belonging through student induction
Onboarding is about more than introducing policies and procedures. It’s about connection. It’s an opportunity to use storytelling, student experiences and relatable content to build an emotional connection and sense of belonging as they transition to university life.
Common pitfalls to avoid
Even with the best intentions, student induction can fall flat if:
- Students are overloaded with content and information
- Content feels irrelevant or generic
- There’s no information reflecting the wider student experience
Avoiding these pitfalls requires designing with empathy and purpose.
As an instructional designer, designing eLearning with empathy and purpose means creating experiences that not only inform but also connect. In this case, you want the learners – university students – to feel connected to their institution which is why you use the real-life context and challenges students may face to create eLearning that’s relevant, respectful and empowering.
Learn more about digital learning as a way to tackle complex topics.
Ciphr eLearning helps avoid these pitfalls with bite sized, designer-led courses that avoid information overload; bespoke content developed in collaboration with SMEs to ensure content is relevant, topical and timely; and all content is created with the learner in mind.
Measure impact
The student experience can be transformed by onboarding. It’s more than a tick-box exercise, it’s an asset that will benefit you, your learners, and your university.
Measuring the impact of student induction eLearning can help you continuously evolve your offering over time.
Key metrics to pay attention to include completion rates, follow-up support usage and satisfaction scores. These metrics matter because they offer tangible insights into the engagement and effectiveness of your induction content. The completion rates indicate reach; support usage highlights the practical value of the content and the satisfaction scores reflect the emotional resonance of the experience. All factors are helpful to refine and improve the student experience over time.
Final thoughts
A standout student onboarding experience sets the tone. It’s your opportunity to welcome students and make a lasting impression during one of the most important times of their lives.
By investing in bespoke eLearning, universities can create memorable induction journeys that are inclusive, engaging, and impactful – helping students to thrive from day one.
Ready to elevate your student onboarding experience?
Our team are here to discuss how bespoke student induction eLearning can support your goals and make the best first impression possible.