1. Turning up the volume on the distant learner voice
One of the UK’s top 30 universities (The Times/Sunday Times Good University Guide 2019)
Turning up the volume on the distant learner voice
Dr Susie Schofield & Stewart Squire
The importance of the student voice at all stages of development and delivery of Higher & Further Education provision is increasingly recognised. Monologic tutor-created module evaluations have given way to much more sophisticated and effective approaches through partnerships, leading to transformative learning experiences for all involved. However, full engagement with one group of students continues to be challenging across the sector – the distance learner. These students tend to be part-time, balancing study with heavy time commitments elsewhere. Historically many institutions have used their on-campus student representatives model for distance learners, with limited success. Challenges have included difficulties motivating student representatives to apply, involving them with training and support, and communication channels between the rep and the students they represent. This paper reports on a partnership developed between DUSA (Dundee University Student Association) and University staff. A working group was created with the remit: ‘to review and enhance distance learning student representation to ensure distance learners have an appropriate voice in improving their student learning experience.’ We present the ensuing internal audit of the distance learning experience, our engagement with the SPARQS Distance Learning toolkit, different models being used across our distance learning programmes, and how the partnership is evolving.
March 2019

2. Outline of talk
Importance of dialogic student <-> staff evaluation
Challenges of distance learning
Partnership between DUSA and staff at the University of Dundee
Engagement with sparqs’ distance learning toolkit
Some initial findings at the University of Dundee

3. What contributes to the student experience?

4. Importance of student voice

5. Kirkpatrick Pyramid for Programme Evaluation (after Phillips 1996)

6. Student Representation

7. A useful starting point
Formality Formal Informal Leadership Staff-led Student-led Activity Reactive Proactive Content Themed Issue-led Ethos Democratic Partnered Student membership Limited Inclusive Frequency Frequent Infrequent Format Face-to-face Online

8. University of Dundee World Top 250 University
Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2019
1 in World World’s most influential research institution in pharmaceuticals
Clarivate Analytics 2017
4th in UK
for impact of scientific research
CWTS Leiden Rankings 2018
Numbers
c.16,000 students
> 3,000 staff
> 5,000 ODL
Top 10 in UK National Student Survey 2017
and 2018

9. Challenges of hearing the distance learning voice
Less homogeneous than F2F
Competing time pressures
May have very different motivations for contributing
Often already in jobs
Sense of belonging – where does it lie?
Equipment
Sense of safety sharing online
Often study is asynchronous
Often (though not always) at a distance
All these contribute to risk of voice being ‘distant’

10. Enhancing DL Representation
Set up in response to internal audit recommendations: “There is a risk that there is a lack of engagement and regular communication between the University and distance learning students, due to the lack of distance learning student representatives.” The audit recommended: “The University should work in partnership with DUSA to ascertain ways of improving the number of distance learning student representatives. The University may wish to introduce incentives for students to volunteer to become student representatives.”

11. DLRWG Working group was created
Remit to: “review and enhance distance learning student representation to ensure distance learners have an appropriate voice in improving their student learning experience.”
Important piece of work was the creation of a survey looking at DL experience of representation
142 responses recorded with 47% of responders based in Scotland, 20% in England and 27% from “other” locations

12. Findings: Understanding our students
Why were they doing the course? How much study did they do per week?

13. Representation (or not…)
The survey provided an important insight into the DL student experience.
71% said they had been asked to provide ideas/suggestions on how to improve their learning experience.
Only 6 responders were representatives (3 appointed, 2 elected, 1 unspecified)
65% responders believed they had not been asked for feedback from their reps
Popular ways to feedback was social media and

14. Ways they liked to communicate

15. Ways they are updated

16. DL Toolkit
Simon Varwell was invited to the DLRWG
UoD colleagues contributed to the development of the toolkit
Toolkit has been embed into the Joint Agreement of Student Representation as a source of best practice

17. How it has impacted
From this work DUSA is beginning to develop its access to class rep training
Based on St Andrews approach, a flipped classroom has been used for class rep training
Working with sparqs we have developed a PGT class rep workshop
Work has started on working to identify and get feedback from DL reps on how best to engage them in the training

18. Using the tool
Formality Formal X Informal Leadership Staff-led-X Student-led Activity Reactive X Proactive Content Themed X--- Issue-led Ethos Democratic X Partnered Student membership Limited--X Inclusive Frequency Frequent X Infrequent Format Face-to-face---X Online Timing Synchronous---X Asynchronous

19. Where are we now?
Where are we now?
Where do we want to be?
Where do we want to be?
How do we get there?

20. Case study from University of Dundee
Masters in Education, totally distance learning (c. 400), 3 intakes p.a. of c. 50 each
Three student reps, all distance (currently Scotland, Africa, Far East)
Programme board meets twice a year
Staff and student representation body meets twice a semester
Advertised for in handbook, but also identified by programme director in 1st module
Stewart’s training, skyping in
Tried blog, working much better, also student facebook group
Report from student reps -> programme lead who presents at programme board
Minutes shared back, but can be slow and impersonal
Programme lead now feeds back quickly ‘what we celebrated, what needs sorting’

21. Case study from University of Dundee
Masters in Medical Education, distance learners (c. 1000), 3 intakes p.a. of c. 150 each
Small face to face cohort (12)
Asked for volunteer from F2F cohort to represent distance learners
Programme board meets monthly
Stewart’s asynchronous online training
Blog to collect student comments
F2F student presented at board, fed back to students in blog
F2F student not keen to continue
Full time f2f is very intense – seen as extra work
English not first language – barrier?
Blog within vle – try facebook?

22. dundee.ac.uk