Timetable Tactics: Boosting Level 3 Engagement and Retention in Built Environment Courses

Effective management of a student timetable plays a crucial role in fostering student engagement and retention, particularly at Level 3 in Higher Education. This research explores the strategic utilisation of timetables as a powerful tool to enhance student outcomes and mitigate attrition rates. Timetables serve as the structural backbone of academic programmes, shaping the distribution of modules and other enhancement activities. By strategically designing timetables that prioritise optimal learning journeys and student well-being, educational institutions can significantly impact student engagement and retention at Level 3. A block-hybrid approach has been introduced in Built Environment courses for level 3 students at the University of South Wales (USW), marking a departure from the 'block teaching' model used elsewhere in the sector, namely DeMontford, (2023); Victoria University (2018); Southern Cross University (2021). Key considerations in block-hybrid timetable design include balancing course load, allocating sufficient time for study, integrating diverse learning modalities to accommodate different student needs and preferences and more recently, the need to adjust approaches to reflect changing student habits and external factors. The strategic implementation of block-hybrid timetable offers a promising avenue for educational institutions to bolster student engagement and retention at Level 3. This study collected Examining Board data to assess whether timetable tactics and modes of delivery were able to improve academic success.