Enhancing online learning: Promoting student engagement through partnership with local libraries Dr Cathy Stone, Director, Student Success Open Universities Australia

About Open Universities Australia Offers open entry, online higher education Over 250,000 students across Australia since 1993 Owned by 7 Australian universities (Curtin, Griffith, Macquarie, Monash, RMIT, Swinburne, UniSA) Offers over 1700 units and 180 qualifications from 13 leading Australian Universities Qualifications awarded by the university or tertiary institution Qualification is identical to that awarded to an on-campus student

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

How and what do our students study? FEE-Help –Commonwealth scheme which allows deferred payment of fees. –Over 70% of OUA students use FEE-HELP 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.

Open 2 Study Open 2 Study – 49 four week courses offered online and free to all Non-accredited, for interest, ‘tasters’ for online study Science, arts, business, finance For anyone interested in learning for the sake of learning Also for those wanting practice in online study Certificates awarded to students who complete the course Assessed by online quizzes

Our students are a very diverse bunch!

Relatively few come straight from school to study with OUA Mostly mature-age (>21), in paid employment and/or caring for children 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…. OUA students “non-traditional”

Importance of support Support is a condition that promotes student retention. Research points to several types of support that promote retention, in particular academic and social support. (Tinto, 2009)

Online Orientation Academic support Personal counselling Career guidance Student Success Hub – outreach and study coaching Disability Support Helping our students succeed – online support

Importance of student engagement Student Engagement is closely linked with student satisfaction & success (Australasian Survey of Student Engagement; ACER, 2008, 2009, 2010) Student engagement in educationally purposeful activities is positively related to academic outcomes. (Kuh et al., 2008)

Online Student Engagement Challenges How do we engage with students in a meaningful way when we never see them face-to-face? How do we help students engage with each other when they never come together as a group? How do we engage them with a learning community when they may be studying across two or more institutions?

‘OUA Connect’ Pilot Promoted 4 local libraries in NSW (Wyong & Shellharbour) as places where OUA students could: – Find out about the library resources which can assist them with their studies and how to access them – network with other OUA students OUA delivered a training session and provided information about OUA, its study patterns and support services, to library staff Libraries ran weekly drop in sessions for OUA (and other online students) in their local communities

‘OUA Connect’ Pilot Sessions focussed on informing student about what their local library can offer in terms of resources (journal databases, computer and internet access, quite place to study) Provided opportunity for discussion amongst students Library staff able to inform students of OUA support services (academic and personal) if students need assistance – flyers provided for this purpose Evaluated the program based on student attendance and satisfaction

How did the pilot operate? OUA advertised and promoted the sessions to all enrolled OUA students whose postcodes fell within the Wyong and Shellharbour regions Information sent by to each student individually at start of study period, with reminders during the study period Libraries also did their own publicity through local papers, posters in libraries etc Students attending were asked to complete evaluation sheet at end of each session Survey sent to all students who attended at end of Study Period

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Facebook posts

Twitter feeds

Evaluation from SP3 20 individual students attended at least ONE session Session Attendance No. of sessions attended No. of students

Evaluation from SP3

Evaluation from SP3 – Post SP 3 Survey Results

Outcomes Approximately 5% of the total student cohort living within the library regions attended at least one session (20 students out of 400) Weekly evaluations positive Evening sessions better attended than day sessions Attendance diminished over the study period, particularly where only a day session was offered Results from end of pilot study period very positive

Progress through 2013 Expanded partnerships across other libraries in NSW and into Victoria NSWVICTORIA LithgowMt Waverely NewcastleSydenham KiamaBox Hill Branch AuburnDoncaster Branch HurstvilleNunawading Branch Parramatta CityThe Pines Branch Sutherland Cronulla Chatswood

Progress through 2013 Libraries have offered a range of services for online students – One-off “Welcome to your library” sessions proving to be best attended, followed by open invitation to visit and make appointment with library staff as required – Promotion of existing services/programs to online students OUA has provided information/resources pack and training, with staff visiting libraries to participate in sessions where possible

Website

INCITE magazine Nov 2013: Digital Libraries

Results through AttendanceFeedback Study Period 328 students“Loved the opportunity to meet others in my degree close to home” “Appreciated the library’s assistance with their edatabases” “Curious to know what this program is all about” “Really liked that I can come to the library and get help I need with my studies” “I am now utilising my library more now”

Results through AttendanceFeedback Study Period 423 students“Good turn out of students in area studying through OUA. Didn’t meet anyone in my degree, but good to meet face to face” “Found 2 textbooks in my upcoming units” “OUA and libraries are cool” “Great help seeing what resources are available at my local library”

Successes so far Small, but regular attendance of students at sessions each study period Students finding library information sessions the most helpful Libraries enjoy assisting local students showcasing available resources for their online studies Students like to know there is frontline assistance for their studies in their communities

Challenges we face Atttendance patchy (free service) Managing student expectations around academic support Some sessions are structured, some unstructured Not all libraries collect feedback data at sessions Student feedback mostly provided by word of mouth Some students want to connect with others and disappointed if low attendance

Where to in 2014? Program continues to expand across NSW and Victoria as well as expressions of interest from Queensland, South Australia and Tasmania for later this year. We will promote to our students whatever resources/services each library is willing to offer! – Via website: – And by targeted communication to students within the postcode regions of participating libraries.

Where to in 2014 NSWVICTORIAQLDACT & SATAS LithgowMt WaverelyMoreton BayState LibraryDevonport NewcastleSydenhamSunshine Coast KiamaBox Hill BranchMaryborough AuburnDoncaster Branch HurstvilleNunawading Branch Parramatta CityThe Pines Branch SutherlandWyndham CronullaCity of Melbourne ChatswoodHume Council City of Sydney Campbelltown 2012/2013/2014 Gordon Started 2014 SP1 Fairfield Starting 2014 SP2

Off to a good start… New library to the program – Gordon, NSW – hosted a ‘Welcome to your Local Library’ session for online students Did own community publicity (posters etc) as well as publicised by OUA 18 people at first session, with contact from 3 others not able to attend. Showed OUA slides, discussed library resources and other ways to assist students Library tour Q&A session – sharing information on who is studying what At least two study groups were formed, one has booked a meeting room for a future catch-up 8 signed up as new library members “I had to ask the last couple of people to leave so I could lock up our meeting room, they were happily swapping tips and contact details” (Alan, Gordon Library, NSW)

Questions & Discussion