Two studies on monitoring and assisting students at risk are presented
against a contemporary perspective in higher education: that of monit
oring and developing the quality of student learning. A basis for risk
categorisation at an individual level is outlined, and the effects of
an intervention aimed at students at risk are evaluated in two contra
sting settings. 'At risk' in the present study represents, in conceptu
al terms, a relatively extreme set of learning behaviours. The first s
tudy approximates an ideal set of circumstances in which an individual
-level intervention for students conceptually at risk is described. Th
e second study reflects the uncompromising reality of a large first-ye
ar service course, in which a reduced form of the same intervention wa
s pragmatically attempted. In both interventions the emphasis was on a
ssisting students to engage manifestations of their own self-reported,
contextualised study behaviour. This was the starting point of a deve
lopmental and reflective programme in which students were not taught '
study skills,' but were rather assisted to develop deeper contextual p
erceptions, metalearning awareness, and internal locus. The targeted s
tudents in these studies, and the basic nature of the intervention emp
loyed, differ considerably from those used in other intervention studi
es. The first study produced positive results, while the second study
did not. An overall conclusion is that, while interventions of the typ
e described can assist students to develop their learning potential, t
hey can only do so in carefully managed circumstances that are sensiti
ve to individual students' learning problems and the discipline-specif
ic context in which these occur.