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Student Success and Wellbeing Helping Online Students Succeed Dr Cathy Stone , Director, Student Success

Student Success and Wellbeing Helping Online Students Succeed Dr Cathy Stone , Director, Student Success Eleonora Morelli , Academic Pathways and Transitions Coordinator Open Universities Australia. The OUA Community. Our students are a very diverse bunch!. Students by state.

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Student Success and Wellbeing Helping Online Students Succeed Dr Cathy Stone , Director, Student Success

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  1. Student Success and Wellbeing Helping Online Students Succeed Dr Cathy Stone, Director, Student Success Eleonora Morelli, Academic Pathways and Transitions Coordinator Open Universities Australia

  2. The OUA Community

  3. Our studentsare a very diverse bunch!

  4. Students by state VIC, NSW, QLD dominate, but all states and territories represented

  5. How and what do our students study? • Wide range of units and courses: • Arts & humanities • Business • Education • Health • Information Technology (IT) • Law & justice • Science & engineering • Most common study pattern • Students enrol in individual undergraduate units and can track towards a full qualification. • FEE-Help • Commonwealth scheme which allows deferred payment of fees. • Over 70% of OUA students use FEE-HELP

  6. OUA students “non-traditional” • Relatively few come straight from school to study with OUA • Mostly mature-age (>21), in paid employment and/or with parenting responsibilities • Around half of OUA students are first in family to come to university OUA students have multiple responsibilities, often with little prior educational experience, combined with lack of time, money or both….

  7. Student Success and Wellbeing • Academic skills • Online tutorial support • Personal counselling • Career guidance • OUA Connect library program • Student Success Hub • Equity scholarships & subsidies

  8. Academic skills Preparing for Study - PREP units Four units focussed on academic skills to help students in their transition to tertiary studies PREP01– Preparing for University Learning [10 weeks]PREP02 – Start for Success [self-paced, 26 weeks and Free]PREP03– Preparing for University Learning [Intensive, 3 weeks]PREP04 – Preparing for Academic Writing [6 weeks] PREP 03 and 04 are FREE with OUA Pathways

  9. Impact of PREP units Findings: Analysis of data has demonstrated that studying a PREP unit prior to or concurrently with an undergrad unit has a positive impact on students’ success, engagement and grades. Student success: Students starting with a PEP unit 1.43 times more likely to pass their first undergrad unit Student engagement: High level of engagement with LMS in PREP correlates with higher academic performance in subsequent undergrad unit

  10. Impact of PREP units Student grades: students starting with a PREP unit achieved significantly higher proportion of Ds and HDs in both their first and second unit after PREP

  11. Online tutorial support through Smarthinking • 24/7 online tutoring – 4 hours free support per unit studied • Essay assistance - students submit a draft of their writing (assignment) for feedback on structure • Submit a question: Students post a question for e-structors to respond to within 24 hours • Live tutoring in a wide range of subject areas, both in live chat or through a pre-scheduled session

  12. Single sign-on to user-friendly site Tabsfor easy accessto account management Breadcrumbsfor easy navigationthrough the availableservicesfromanyindividualwebpage Sectionbuttonstoeasilyrecognise the services on offer

  13. Impact of online tutorial support (SMT) Since 2010 to the present time, data consistently shows significantly positive effect on student academic outcomes. • Pass rates are strikingly higher for SMT users in ALL study periods, with higher grades also being achieved.

  14. Personal Counselling & Career Guidance • Appointment of full-time in-house Senior Wellbeing Counsellor in 2012; providing telephone and Skype counselling • Online Career & Employment web site – resume writing, interview skills, job seeking, self assessment tools

  15. OUA Connect Library Program • Developing partnerships with local libraries • Piloted in NSW, now extended into Victoria Promoting to students resources/services that each library is offering. e.g. one-off information sessions; weekly drop-in sessions; computer classes etc. • Targeted communication to students within the postcode regions of participating libraries • OUA provides information/resources, training and ongoing contact for each library involved • 18 libraries in 10 local council regions now involved – and growing

  16. OUA Connect Feedback As a new online student I had found the research aspect of learning very overwhelming. My session today helped me understand how to look up and navigate around for my required articles and journals. Great having face-to-face contact and talking with other students about their experiences. I have found this helpful and encouraging especially the advisors and other students helps to keep you focus and aware there are other online students experiencing the same issues or have found ways to overcome these issues. Love the communication.

  17. Student Success Hub (SSH) – what & why? What is the SSH? • Outreach ‘student coaching’ service for new students • piloted through SP3 & 4 2012 – now expanded to all new students Why was the SSH created? • help students succeed with their studies • reduce drop rate • improve pass rates • improve retention

  18. SSH – activities & achievements What does the SSH do? Making outbound calls to first unit students, coaches • establish students’ ambitions and goals • offer advice and support • provide information on appropriate services and tools What has it achieved to date? • reduced drops • improved pass rates • improved retention • high level of student satisfaction

  19. Student Success Hub – 3 levels of support

  20. Impact of Student Success Hub Pilot 2012 Comparing 500 students who were ‘coached’ with 500 students in the control group, the following results were demonstrated: • Unit withdrawal rate (before census date) halved • Proportion of students passing their first unit increased by 18% • Student retention increased by 11% (returning within two study periods)

  21. SSH outreach expanded to all new students • Contact Centre attempts phone contact with ALL new SP3 students within first 3 weeks • Students not contactable by phone are emailed • Team of 15 Student Advisors making initial L1 calls • 3 student coaches taking L2 referrals • Results continue to demonstrate increases in pass rates and student retention • Most recent results: 21.6% improvement in pass rate; retention boosted by 18ppts.

  22. SSH coaching focusing on returning students • Student Coaches contact students who first enrolled in SP1 2013 and have since failed all units • Students enrolled in 2 or more units in the current Study Period are given precedence • 3 student coaches help students understand what the underlying issues are and provide useful suggestions on how to make changes in their study pattern • The pilot for this cohort is starting today for the approaching SP4 2013

  23. Feedback from students Comments provided in the SSH survey Just someone listening makes all the difference. After speaking with the coach today, I felt reassured that I would be able to continue on with my studies and that it is normal to feel some anxiety at the start of online study. I was very impressed with the way coach listened to my concern and discussed solutions, also following through with an email of our discussion. If it wasn't for Student Success hub I would have discontinued study.

  24. Equity Scholarships • ‘Can Do’ Scholarships help students with little or no university experience work towards a place in a Commonwealth-Supported Place (CSP) degree. • Offer up to 4 u/grad units and 2 PREP units free as pathway into CSP • Began only for low-income students – from 2014 being expanded across 6 equity groups: • Low socio-economic status • Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander • Disability • Rural and remote • Non English speaking background • Women in Engineering

  25. Travel subsidies • Financial assistance for low-income students to assist them to travel to exams and compulsory practica • Must be travelling up to 100 km or more • Restricted to undergraduate students

  26. Student Engagement Cycle Enabling units(preparing for university learning) Career place (guiding students to the right choice) Scholarships (assisting students afford education) Enabling units(sharpening academic skills) Smarthinking (online tutorial support) Counselling (online and phone support) Student Success Hub (student coaching) OUA Connect Library (help with resources and feeling connected) Subsidies (helping students afford travelling to exams) Special Circumstances and Resolutions (assisting students in difficult unforseen circumstances) New self-service enrolling system (fully online) My Study Centre & Social Media (connecting with peers)

  27. Student success does not arise by chance. It is the result of an intentional, structured, and proactive set of strategies that are coherent and systematic in nature and carefully aligned to the same goal. (Tinto, 2009)

  28. Questions?

  29. The Student Success Team

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