A refreshed welcome for online learners at the University of Leeds

The University of Leeds has enhanced how it welcomes and prepares students studying fully online degrees, with a refreshed induction experience designed to help learners feel confident, supported and ready to succeed from the start.

Helping students find their feet from day one

Starting an online programme can feel daunting, especially as our students are part-time distance learners, with many balancing study with work, family or other commitments. To support this transition, all fully online master’s students begin their journey at Leeds with ‘Pathways to Success’. This online induction course introduces them to how online study works at Leeds, what to expect from their programme, and where to find support.

Responding to staff and student expertise

First created in 2017, Pathways to Success has supported multiple cohorts of online learners to succeed at Leeds. Since then, online education and student needs have continued to evolve, while knowledge of online learning has continued to grow. To better reflect the changing landscape, colleagues in Digital Education’s Academic Practice and Learning Design teams identified an opportunity to refresh the course.

Shaped by student feedback and staff experience of delivering fully online degrees, the update was supported by teams across Student Education and Experience, Recruitment and Retention, Project Management and the Library. Throughout, the focus remained firmly on enhancing the student journey and experience.

The refresh took a strategic view of how effectively Pathways to Success supports learners through their crucial first weeks of online study, reviewing how content is structured and how students are guided through their transition into online postgraduate study. This approach considered not just what information is shared, but how and when it is introduced to best support learner confidence and progression.

To deliver on this, the look, language and core content were refreshed to make the induction more contemporary, clear and engaging. Improving accessibility formed a core part of this work, to support flexible engagement and reduce barriers for a diverse cohort of learners.

What’s new in 'Pathways to success’?

The refreshed induction course is more user-friendly and easy to follow, with content organised more intuitively and making expectations and processes clear. These changes help to demystify the hidden curriculum and build learner confidence from the outset.

Core improvements include:

• A more student-centred structure, starting with programme‑specific information before introducing key study skills,
• Refined and reorganised content so students can find what they need more easily and avoid information overload,
• Clearer guidance around study expectations, including explanations of the UK grading system and a better-defined workload breakdown to help students understand what’s involved in master’s‑level study,
• New student-centered videos and assets with a more contemporary design,
• Clearer signposting to academic, wellbeing and technical support, helping students know where to turn when they need help,
• An enhanced academic success webinar that brings students from all programmes together, fostering a sense of belonging within the wider learning community.

Alongside the wider course refresh, the team also prioritised inclusivity by developing an accessible offline version of Pathways to Success for students on the University’s award-winning Disability Studies, Rights and Inclusion (DSRI) MSc. This version is an important step in ensuring equity of access for learners.

A continued focus on student experience and success

The refreshed Pathways to Success launched across most online programmes in February 2026.

The update sits within a broader ecosystem of support for online learners. The refreshed content better complements other experiences for prospective and new students, including online tasters and programme‑specific support. Together, these create a smoother transition from initial interest through to the start of formal study and reflect a wider commitment to delivering inclusive, high‑quality online education at Leeds.

Since its launch with our first online programme, Pathways to Success has been a staple of our students' online experience. This timely refresh showcases the University of Leeds’ academic and student support strengths while crucially building upon the experiences of our students studying and staff teaching the module. I look forward to seeing students progress through the course and gaining the skills, knowledge and confidence to succeed on their online programme.

- Dr Adam Richardson, Digital Education Manager (Student Education)