Guidelines for Improving Student Success in Higher Education

National Guidelines for Improving Student Outcomes in Online Learning  have been released by NCSEHE and  University of Newcastle. There is also a Report detailing the research the guidelines are based on and Executive Summary. I had the pleasure of meeting Dr Cathy Stone when she was conducting this work as 2016 Equity Fellow at the National Centre for Student Equity inHigher Education (NCSEHE). While intended for on-line learning, I suggest these guidelines are equally applicable to learning in general. We are at the e-learning tipping point, where students will be spending little, if any of their time in conventional lecture theaters (ANU is demolishing its central lecture theater building in July).

1. Know who the students are
2. Develop, implement and regularly review institution-wide quality standards for delivery of online education
3. Intervene early to address student expectations, build skills and engagement
4. Explicitly value and support the vital role of ‘teacher-presence’
5. Design for online
6. Engage and support through content and delivery
7. Build collaboration across campus to offer holistic, integrated and embedded student support
8. Contact and communicate throughout the student journey
9. Use learning analytics to target and personalise student interventions
10. Invest in online education to ensure access and opportunity

From National Guidelines for Improving Student Outcomes in Online Learning  , Cathy Stone, NCSEHE and University of Newcastle, March 2017.

Improve Student Retention in Australian On-line Higher education

Dr Cathy Stone, a Fellow at the National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Education, dropped in this week to talk about how student retention could be improved for on-line students. On-line courses provide access to education for students who would otherwise be excluded. However, like paper-based distance education courses which preceded them, on-line courses have a lower completion rate than face-to-face courses.

Cathy is and is undertaking research for "improving student transition, participation and success in online higher education". She has visited Open University UK (OUUK), as well as University of New England (UNE),  and other Australian on-line institutions.  I pointed out to Cathy that some of the techniques later used by OUUK were developed in Australia at UNE.

While focusing on students from specific backgrounds undertaking on-line education the same techniques for helping these students can help students more generally. Some techniques suggested in Cathy's latest bulletin are to welcome the students, post regular bulletins and follow up missing students. These and other techniques are now incorporated into training for educators, but regrettably many academics do not receive this training and fewer implement it.

Cahty is currently in Canberra and is keen to talk to educators about improving on-line education.