Making Connections

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Making Connections

• Kyriaki Anagnostopoulou, Head of e-Learning
• Deeba Parmar, Researcher
• Centre for Learning and Quality Enhancement
• Middlesex University

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Quiz

• Who is most likely to suffer from depression, ill
  health and higher levels of unemployment in later
  life? Those with qualifications
• ? Below A level
• ? A level or equivalent
• ? Non-completers
• ? Graduates
• ? Masters degree

?
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Quiz

• What are the top 2 reasons reported on HESA
  returns as reasons for leaving University?
• ? Successful completion of course
• ? Academic failure/left in bad standing/not
  permitted to progress.
• ? Transferred to another institution.
• ? Health reasons.
• ? Death.
• ? Financial reasons.
• ? Other personal reasons and dropped out.
• ? Written off after lapse of time.
• ? Exclusion.
• ? Gone into employment.
• ? Other.
• ? Completion of course - result unknown.
• ? Unknown.

?
?
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Quiz

• How soon after the start of their HE courses do
  students withdraw from them?
• ? 6 weeks
• ? 3 months
• ? 1 semester
• ? 1 year
• ? After they fail for the first time
• ? After they acquire 2 or more fails

?
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(No Transcript)
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Research questions

• How does the identity of students at risk of
  withdrawing from HE manifest itself online?
• Is there an associated behaviour of at risk
  students specific to the online learning
  environment?
• What are the characteristics of at risk
  students and how do they differ from students who
  are not at risk?
• Does the online behaviour differ depending on
  students access route to HE (direct, UCAS,
  partner institutions)?

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Research Methodology

• Literature review
• Sampling of modules/programmes to be studied
  (cross-disciplinary, degree of blended learning,
  rate of retention/progression, entry routes)
• Observation and analysis of online interactions
• (quantitative and qualitative)
• Interviews with students who have withdrawn

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Proposed Outcomes
Immediate Short term Intermediate Medium term Final Longer term
Focus Learning Action Conditions
Results Awareness of how at risk students manifest themselves online Build knowledge on the type of date that needs to be collected to inform practice Report on lessons learnt with practical advice for the sector Produce toolkit (checklist guidelines) focusing on online behaviours which will can be used to flag up potential at risk students as early as possible Report on use of toolkit within Middlesex, applicability to other contexts, etc with practical advice for the sector Incorporate this toolkit appropriately into academic workloads within Middlesex Make toolkit available to other HEIs along with guidelines on its use and further customisation as required. The toolkit will be launched at a one day conference which will bring together research related to the topics of e-learning and retention.
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Benefits

• Students
• Wellbeing
• Experience at University provide appropriate
  support structures
• Institutional and Sector
• Meeting student expectations
• Financial

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Timeline
Recruit P/T researcher August 2007
Establish Project Team Sept 2007
Create detailed project plan Sept 2007
Website Sept 2007
Extensive literature review Sept-Nov 2007
Sampling of modules to be studied Sept-Oct 2007
Observations - online interactions Oct-Dec 2007
Analysis of tracking data January 2008
Interviews February 2008
Analysis of interview data March 2008
Authoring of toolkit April May 2008
Pilot phase - Use and testing of toolkit within Middlesex June July 2008
Revision of toolkit
Design and print toolkit August 2008
Conference and launch April-Sept 2008
Publications, conference presentations Dependant on external factors
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HEA concerns

• Focus on learner experience how can at risk
  learners be supported
• Ethical and practical considerations - interviews
• Role of partner institutions
• Possibility of poor data set due to lack of
  student engagement online

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Questions?

• K.Anagnostopoulou_at_mdx.ac.uk
• D.Parmar_at_mdx.ac.uk