Fostering first-year students’ engagement and well-being through visual narratives

Abstract

This article reports on a qualitative study that explored the learning outcomes from an innovative instructional method, visual narratives, used in a first-year seminar. Fifty-three students enrolled in a mandatory first semester student success course were instructed to use visual images to tell the story of the first-year experience. Data generated from visual narratives and reflection papers were analyzed to identify emergent themes. The findings extend current understandings of student engagement and well-being, and document the significant role pedagogical strategies can play in shaping meaningful learning experiences that facilitate first-year students’ transition to university. The study's findings have implications for policy and practice at the institutional and classroom levels.