Seen and Heard: How Western Sydney University Used Adobe Express to Foster Belonging at Scale
- Jul 27
- 5 min read
Updated: Aug 3
For many first-year college students, the biggest challenge isn't the coursework. It's finding a sense of belonging. At Western Sydney University (WSU), creating that sense of connection can be especially difficult. Some first-year subjects enroll more than 1,300 students, many of whom balance full-time work alongside full-time study, and some students spend up to two and a half hours commuting to campus by public transport.
Research consistently shows that students who feel connected early in their university experience are more likely to stay enrolled, seek support when they need it, and succeed academically. But in large classes, how can educators foster meaningful connections?
As part of a redesigned first-year nursing course, WSU explored whether digital storytelling and intentional course design could help bridge the gaps. By starting classes with a low-stakes reflective Adobe Express activity instead of a graded assessment, the teaching team gave students an opportunity to introduce themselves to both their instructors and classmates. Paired with other scaffolded teaching practices, the approach resulted in a substantial improvement in student outcomes, including a reduction in the subject's failure rate. Faculty interested in implementing a similar approach can explore the Faculty Resource Kit for practical guidance and ready-to-use resources.
During a recent Adobe Academic Innovation Café session, Dr. Kristen Wiese, Director of Learning Experience at WSU, and Aileen Lane, Associate Lecturer in the School of Nursing and Midwifery, shared how the initiative came together. They also discussed why building a sense of belonging has become central to the university's approach to student success.
Introducing the "Moments That Matter" framework
Rather than relying solely on survey results, WSU invited students to help interpret what those results actually meant. As part of the university's Engaged Teaching Project, student partners were asked to explain the experiences behind common survey measures, such as perceptions of teaching quality and engagement.
The result was a framework students called Moments That Matter - a collection of key experiences throughout a course that influence whether students feel supported, valued, and connected. The framework has since become a cornerstone of WSU's retention strategy.
"We wanted to acknowledge that connecting with students is a retention strategy, and it is arguably the first and most core retention strategy," said Dr. Wiese. "Without it, none of the other ones work."
To help educators apply those principles across subjects of any size, WSU partnered with Adobe to develop a library of relational pedagogy templates in Adobe Express. These ready-to-use, customizable activities allow teaching staff to incorporate reflective exercises, icebreakers, collaborative activities, and assessments without having to build them from scratch.
Reflection as a tool for connection
One of the first opportunities to apply this framework came in a first-year nursing subject coordinated by Lane, where more than 1,200 students were enrolled.
Working alongside WSU's Learning Experience team, she introduced a short "About Me" activity using Adobe Express. Completed in class one week before students began a graded e-portfolio assessment, the exercise invited students to introduce themselves through a combination of storytelling, imagery, and personal reflection.
The goal extended well beyond learning a new digital tool. "I think it's the idea of being heard and being seen," Lane said. "I think that's the biggest thing for students... it really gives them a voice."
To encourage participation, Lane completed and shared her own "About Me" page before asking students to do the same. By modeling openness first, she created a safer environment for students to share their own experiences.
Students then published their work to a shared Padlet, where classmates could view and respond to each other's stories before meeting face to face. What might otherwise have been an anonymous lecture cohort began to feel much more like a learning community.
Fostering belonging at scale
The redesigned approach also had measurable academic benefits. After introducing the scaffolded "About Me" activity before the graded portfolio assessment, Lane noticed significantly fewer last-minute emails from students seeking clarification about the assignment format. At the same time, overall student outcomes improved.
"In the previous year, there was about a 9.4% failure rate for the subject," Lane said. "I actually brought it down to 4.3%... especially since I later found out this subject was traditionally quite difficult for students."
While multiple elements of the redesigned subject contributed to these outcomes, the experience reinforced how intentional relationship-building and thoughtful scaffolding can help students feel more confident before completing high-stakes assessments.
Student feedback reflected that shift. Many said they felt supported by tutors and coordinators they’d never met in person, while teaching staff reported that reading the reflective portfolios became a genuinely rewarding part of the marking process.
For institutions looking to create more personalized learning experiences without dramatically increasing staff workload, WSU's experience offers several practical lessons:
Scaffold before you assess. Give students an opportunity to practice using a new tool or assessment format before it contributes to their grade. Early familiarity builds confidence and reduces confusion.
Model vulnerability first. By sharing her own story, Lane demonstrated the type of reflection she was asking students to undertake, making the activity feel authentic and psychologically safe.
Use digital spaces to encourage early participation. Allowing students to share their stories online before interacting in person helped establish connections that later carried into the classroom.
"We wanted [personalization] to be reciprocal," said Wiese. "Using digital tools not as a mode of delivery, but as a mode of interaction."
What's next for WSU
Today, the "About Me" activity is just one of approximately 24 relational pedagogy templates developed by WSU and Adobe. The collection includes activities ranging from future-self podcast interviews to collaborative mosaics and data visualization exercises, giving educators flexible ways to foster interaction across a wide range of disciplines.
Looking ahead, Lane plans to introduce the activity during the first week of the semester rather than week five, allowing students to establish connections even earlier in their university journeys. To support academic integrity, students also submit companion Word documents alongside their Adobe Express portfolios, giving markers an additional way to verify originality while preserving the creativity of the assessment.
WSU's experience demonstrates that creating a sense of belonging doesn't necessarily require smaller class sizes or additional staffing. Thoughtfully designed learning experiences supported by digital tools that encourage reflection, interaction, and self-expression can help students feel connected from the very beginning, even in courses with over a thousand learners.
To hear more from Wiese and Lane, watch the full webinar recording and explore the Faculty Resource Kit for templates and ideas you can adapt for your own institution.
Interested in more examples of innovation in higher education? Explore the rest of our Academic Innovation Café series.
