Access and retention: experiences of non-traditional learners in higher education: literature review: final extended version (August 2011)

The RANLHE (Access and Retention: Experiences of Non-traditional Learners in Higher Education) project looks at how non-traditional students in higher education experience the processes of learning. The project involves eight universities from seven countries: Ireland, Spain, Poland, Sweden, England, Scotland and Germany. This literature review sets out to outline the wider policy context of access and retention from a global and European perspective. It seeks to identify and unpack international patterns of retention whilst also clarifying different understandings and contexts of access, retention and drop-out across Europe, more particularly project partner countries. It examines different theoretical approaches to investigating and understanding retention and drop-out with a view towards identifying key issues within and between these different approaches.

Excerpt from publication with additional information. Show less