ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the importance of developing a higher education community, underpinned by trust and belonging that enables transition in, through and out of university towards becoming. It highlights how embedding flexible pedagogies into curriculum design can promote the development of community, break down social and cultural barriers, and enable students to be ready for a complex and changing world. The chapter focuses on the "sense of connectedness" and the importance of student–student relationships, student–staff relationships, and how students identify themselves and develop the sense of belonging to their course and institution. Gale and Parker, in their typology of student transition in higher education, identify three main conceptions of student transition: transition as induction, transition as development and transition as becoming. Central to this becoming is the development of an individual professional and personal identity. Central to learner empowerment is the development of knowledge, confidence and identity as successful higher education learners.
