The Student Participation Map: A tool to map student participations, engagements, opportunities and extra-curricular activities across a Higher Education Institution

A development at the University of Winchester and Winchester Student Union has led to a perception that student participations, engagements, opportunities and extra-curricular activities all have some impact on the student experience in varied ways and often institutional perspectives prioritise some activities over others (Lowe and Shaw, 2015). Astin suggests a highly involved student who is involved in extra-curricular activities tend to have a better student experience (Astin, 1984). With this in mind the Student Participation Map has been developed as a tool, which seeks to widen awareness of all categories of participation and extra-curricular activity involving students on campus. This paper will give the context around the original thinking behind the Student Participation Map, as well the proposed applications of the tool, which are being explored in depth at Winchester and beyond.