1. Development Consultant
Engaging students in online, distance learning and transnational education
Simon Varwell
Development Consultant
sparqs

2. About sparqs Student Partnerships in Quality Scotland.
Scotland’s national agency for student engagement in quality.
Funded by Scottish Funding Council.
Works with all universities and colleges, and their SAs.
Find all our training, guidance and publications
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Submit student engagement practice to our Resource Library!

3. About sparqs Our four strategic areas: Supporting students
Supporting institutions
Supporting the sector
Developing a culture

4. Supporting institutions
Annual Support Visits: request for support on ODL
Ongoing consultancy: our awareness of increased TNE activity
Project work:
Resources and guidance
Training and capacity building
Networking and sharing

5. A definition of transnational education
“higher education institutions deliver their education services in another country rather than the students travelling to the foreign university to study. It can include but is not limited to branch campuses, distance learning, online provision, joint and dual degree programmes, flying in faculty for short courses, or mixed models (known as blended learning).”
The UK Higher Education International Unit, The Scale and Scope of UK Higher Education Transnational Education,

6. Joint and dual degree programmes
Blended learning
Branch campuses
Distance learning
Flying faculty
Online provision
Joint and dual degree programmes

7. Joint and dual degree programmes
Blended learning
Branch campuses
Distance learning
Flying faculty
Online provision
Joint and dual degree programmes
UKHEIU definition
to branch campuses, distance learning, online provision, joint and dual degree programmes, flying in faculty for short courses, or mixed models (known as blended learning

8. UKHEIU definition Blended learning Branch campuses
Distance learning within Scotland and rUK
Distance learning outwith the UK
Flying faculty
Online provision
Joint and dual degree programmes
UKHEIU definition

9. sparqs’ ODL project UKHEIU definition Blended learning Branch campuses
Distance learning within Scotland and rUK
Distance learning outwith the UK
Flying faculty
Online provision
Joint and dual degree programmes
UKHEIU definition

10. sparqs’ ODL project sparqs’ TNE project UKHEIU definition
Blended learning
sparqs’ TNE project
Branch campuses
Distance learning within Scotland and rUK
Distance learning outwith the UK
Flying faculty
Online provision
Joint and dual degree programmes
UKHEIU definition

11. sparqs’ ODL project ? sparqs’ TNE project UKHEIU definition
Blended learning
sparqs’ TNE project
Branch campuses
Distance learning within Scotland and rUK
Distance learning outwith the UK
Flying faculty
Online provision
Joint and dual degree programmes
UKHEIU definition

12. ODL project – 6 universities (plus 1 Irish HEI)
TNE project – 6 universities
2016 meetings to explore concepts and practice
Individual and collective institutional work, background research and development
Autumn 2017 review meeting
Winter 2017/18 final materials

13. ODL project Engaging students: Supporting institutions:
Individual engagement; Representation
Supporting institutions:
Strategy; Technology; Development
Sector perspectives:
Data; Sharing

14. TNE project
Students working with their institution in shaping the direction of learning
Feedback; co-creation; review; delivery; course representation; SA connectivity 
Formal mechanisms for quality and governance
Oversight; staff development; SA responsibilities; SA support
Influencing the student experience at national level
Enhancement activity; SA networks; Data

15. Student Engagement Framework Focus on enhancement and change
Valuing the student contribution
Appropriate resources and support
A culture of engagement
Students as partners
Responding to diversity

16. Practices Recognition of the issue: Focussed engagement:
Audits and reviews of provision (Dundee, RGU)
Dedicated committees (Dundee, Edinburgh Napier)
Focussed engagement:
Specific communication channels and officers (RGU)
Adapting campus provision to ODL/TNE world, not vice-versa:
Online course rep training (Edinburgh, Stirling and others)

17. Challenges
Definitions – aren’t all students online students (even partly)?
Diverse global views of SAs and student engagement.
Staff-led forums versus student-led forums:
Value of both, but importance of sharing.
Resources
For students’ associations at all levels of operation.
Diverse student cohorts:
ODL has high numbers of mature, part-time and PGT students…

18. Talking of PGT…
A quick advert!

19. PGT course rep training
New training materials for course reps on taught postgraduate courses.
See our poster!
Resource pack (including materials and guide) available at the sparqs stall…
…along with lots of other goodies!

20. End of advert

21. Opportunities National drivers: Non-traditional becoming mainstream:
Growing research
Strong culture of sharing
National documentation – TNE review handbook; Quality Code B10
Non-traditional becoming mainstream:
Thinking outside box
Diverse student experiences
Core sector culture of partnership:
If students are fully involved, the solutions won’t be far away.

22. Contact Simon Varwell, Development Consultant
ODL and TNE projects page:
Find out more at our stall