Immersive block model learning: does it work, and how do you do it?

How can a university transform teaching and learning to make a lasting, positive impact on student success and retention? 

This was the critical question faced by Southern Cross University, where pre-pandemic student attrition far exceeded the average across the Australian higher education sector. After much consideration, a cross-Faculty working group settled on a radical solution to this pressing problem: we were going to completely revolutionise the university’s academic delivery model.

Shifting an entire university to immersive blocks 

From 2021-2023, we phased out the traditional 13-week trimester model and replaced it with an immersive block model known as the Southern Cross Model. All students at Southern Cross – in health, education, business, Indigenous knowledges, arts, law, science, and engineering – now learn in 6-week terms. Rather than splitting their attention across four concurrent units (modules), they can focus on just one or up to two units at a time.  

The university’s approach to teaching and learning was transformed across all faculties and colleges as well as across six campus locations. A consistent pedagogy of focused, guided and active learning was introduced, and assessment was redesigned to be authentic, manageable and fit-for-purpose in a 6-week model.  

As a programme of change in a higher education institution, this is perhaps as big as it gets. Was it worth it, and what did we learn? 

Has student success increased? 

The Southern Cross Model has had an immensely positive impact. In the pilot year, success (pass) rates in the university’s business degree increased by nearly 17%. In access/pathways, student success rose by close to 20%. 

We have also found significant increases in pass rates among students from under-represented groups, including students who are Indigenous, with a disability, and from low socio-economic areas. 

Now, nearly four years after the model was introduced, the university’s mean pass rate has risen from 70% to 87% – an increase of 17%. 

What is student feedback like? 

Student satisfaction remains high and is trending upwards. In July 2024, the university’s mean unit satisfaction was at 84% and mean teaching satisfaction was at 87% (up from 81% and 84% respectively in 2019). This indicates that most of our students are satisfied or very satisfied with units and teaching. They tell us they find it “manageable” and “motivating”.  

However, these positive outcomes were not immediate. When the majority of the university moved to the Southern Cross Model in 2022, we saw some declines in satisfaction and uneven outcomes across disciplines. In professional degrees such as nursing, students need adequate time to prepare for and manage practical learning. Some students found the transition between the two models challenging, and “teaching out” students in the original model may have ameliorated some of these difficulties.  

When unexpected circumstances happen it can also be challenging for students. However, a two-week break between terms generally allows time to catch up if needed. And students only need extensions for one or two units, rather than three or four. We have also streamlined the process for special consideration, and removed requisites where possible to prevent enrolment barriers if a grade has not been finalised. Despite some trade-offs, we have seen strong gains in student success and high satisfaction. 

What have we learned?  

Our experiences and research, including interviews with senior leaders at the university, have taught us that introducing an immersive block model at scale is complex. Changing the calendar is not a “magic bullet” for improved student outcomes – a pedagogical revolution, supported by new systems and processes, is also needed. 

At Southern Cross, we’ve learned that this requires:  

1. Consistent and clear leadership, with effective communication at all levels of the organisation. This meant creating new roles, such as an Academic Portfolio Office with executive innovation and quality leads, faculty and college-based Associate Deans Education, an expanded team of digital and educational designers, and change management consultants to guide internal communication and project management. 
2. Refreshed policies and frameworks to drive and streamline change. We agreed to principles underpinning our learning, teaching and assessment. Focused, active, guided, and authentic learning is now part of institutional policy. We also created a new framework for academic integrity, and revised policies and procedures for special considerations and grade ratification, so that students can receive timely advice and decisions.    
3. Communities of practice that foster quality, innovative, and reflective teaching and learning. Students’ experiences are closely tied to how an immersive block model is delivered – our students value engaged and responsive teaching, and curricula that have been carefully re-thought to be fit-for-purpose for the model. Academics should be brought on a journey of transforming not only their curriculum but also their practice, and this takes time. Effective induction, ongoing professional development, and local and institution-wide communities of practice are important for academics to share and hone their pedagogical practices.  
4. The appropriate technology. Changes in policy and process are likely to require faster turnaround of student matters, including grades, academic integrity, and special considerations. We developed new technical infrastructure to ensure we could manage these issues more quickly in 6-week terms. We also developed a suite of dynamic PowerBI dashboards for stakeholders to monitor the impact of the Southern Cross Model throughout the year, providing insights on: recruitment/load, academic performance (pass rate, withdrawal rates, grade point averages), student feedback, and more.  

Was it worth it?  

Student pass rates and satisfaction indicate yes. Immersive block models, not only at Southern Cross but also at Suffolk, De Montfort, and Victoria University in Australia, have brought significant uplift to students’ learning experiences and outcomes. It is, however, a process of continuous improvement that involves investment, innovation, and ongoing reflection. We invite colleagues to take up this worthwhile challenge.