Tag: higher education

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Gender differences in online participation: Examining a History and a Mathematics Open Foundation online course

Author: Annette Morante, Valerie Djenidi, Helene Clark & Susan West

Newcastle University

Edition: Volume 57, Number 2, July 2017

Summary: With enrolment and completion rates in the University of Newcastle’s online Open Foundation enabling program being considerably higher for women than for men, this case study investigates the engagement of male and female students in two different subject areas. History and Mathematics students’ online behaviour is examined to identify whether they differ and if there is a correlation between time spent online and student results. Is low-level, or no online interaction a problem or does it differ for the two genders, and the two subjects?  It is generally accepted that women engage more but does this lead to higher results for them? Students do not always appreciate how different the world of online learning is, and, in addition, some experience difficulties in understanding how to use Blackboard effectively. By examining students’ online engagement we seek to identify the behaviours that lead to retention of students and ultimately to their successful completion of the program.

Keywords: gender, Blackboard, Higher Education, online learning, online participation

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This article is part of AJAL, Volume 57_2. The entire volume is available in .pdf for purchase here.

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Just another student survey? – Point-of-contact survey feedback enhances the student experience and lets researchers gather data

Author: Warren Lake, William Boyd, Wendy Boyd and Suzi Hellmundt

Southern Cross University

Edition: Volume 57, Number 1, April 2017

Summary: When student surveys are conducted within university environments, one outcome of feedback to the researcher is that it provides insight into the potential ways that curriculum can be modified and how content can be better delivered. However, the benefit to the current students undertaking the survey is not always evident. By modifying Biggs’ revised two-factor study process questionnaire (R-SPQ-2F), we have provided students with immediate point-of-contact feedback that encourages students to consider their own cognitive processes. The main purpose of the modified tool is to provide immediate benefit to the student, whilst retaining the functionality of the survey for the researcher. Two versions of the survey were presented to students, a feedback version and non-feedback version, with results indicating that the participants of the feedback version had a significantly higher opinion that the survey helped them to be a better learner. In general, the importance students place on feedback, regardless of the version of the survey completed, was evident in the study. The point-of-contact survey model implemented in this study has successfully allowed a tool that was once exclusively researcher focused to be oriented towards current students, introducing an additional layer of feedback, which directly benefits the current student, whilst retaining its usefulness as a diagnostic research tool.

Keywords: Feedback, survey feedback, student feedback, point-of-contact feedback, immediate feedback, R-SPQ-2F

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This article is part of AJAL, Volume 57_1. The entire volume is available in .pdf for purchase here.

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Diversity and achievement: Is success in higher education a transformative experience?

Authors: Robyn Benson, Margaret Heagney, Lesley Hewitt, Glenda Crosling and Anita Devos; Monash University

Summary:  This paper reports on a longitudinal project examining how a group of students from diverse backgrounds succeeded in higher education. The project explored participants’ pathways into higher education, how they managed their studies, and their reflections at course completion. In this paper, the concept of perspective transformation is used to consider the extent to which their success in higher education was a transformative experience. Data from the project’s first stage identified the role of perspective transformation in influencing participants’ pathways to higher education, while here we focus on the impact of their university study on perspective transformation, comparing evidence of transformative experiences during study with those that led to enrolment. Analysis of participants’ reflections at course completion indicated that higher education success was a transformative experience for most of them and that perspective transformation affected more participants during study than before it. Participants identified several aspects of the course that contributed to the changes experienced in their perspectives. We consider some implications for university staff, which may help others involved with students from diverse backgrounds.

Keywords: Higher education, perspective transformation, transformative learning, student diversity, student success

 

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This article is part of AJAL, Volume 54_2. The entire volume is available in .pdf for purchase here.

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Older undergraduate students bringing years of experience to university studies: Highlights, challenges and contributions

Author: Bronwyn J. Ellis, University of South Australia 

Edition: Volume 53, Number 3, November 2013

Summary: Undergraduate students enrolled through two regional locations were surveyed on their experience of being university students in later life. Students aged 55 and over were invited to complete an anonymous online questionnaire. This collected demographic information, and sought, through open-ended questions, information on their study motivations and university experience. Participants had the opportunity to describe the highlights and challenges of their study experience, including any needs for additional support and facilities. They were also asked to identify the contributions made possible by their greater life experience, and to comment on their relationship with academic and administrative staff and other students.

Most respondents (70%) aimed to use their new knowledge, skills, and targetted qualification in a vocational context; self actualisation goals also played a part for some. They reported generally relating well to others at university. Challenges arose from conflicting priorities and some technological issues. Their accumulated experiences helped them contribute significantly to class discussions as they understood the context for the theory they were learning.

Keywords: lifelong learning, older learners, motivation, higher education, equity, diversity

 

 

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This article is part of AJAL, Volume 53_3. The entire volume is available in .pdf for purchase here.

 

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Identifying and addressing the needs of adult students in higher education

Author: Karen L. Milheim, Doctoral Student, Penn State University, Harrisburg

Edition: Volume 45, Number 1, April 2005

Summary:  As the number of adult students enrolled within higher education programs increases, educational institutions must respond by addressing their needs on a continual basis. Adult learners possess a wide variety of characteristics which are not common to a traditional student, including personal life barriers, financial responsibilities and different learning styles. This article identifies some of these characteristics, and discusses ways for administrators and educators within higher education to address them in order to cultivate a positive learning experience for the adult student.

Keywords: adult student, learner, higher education, barrier,

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Faces in tertiary places and spaces: experiences of learning in both higher education and VET

Author/s: Roger Harris

Edition: Volume 48, Number 3, November 2008

Summary: The development in today’s society of knowledge workers for tomorrow is of critical importance. Worldwide, there is considerable interest in the respective roles of higher education (HE) and vocational education and training (VET) in building human capability. This paper is designed to provoke such questions as: what kinds of learning places and spaces are Australia’s HE and VET institutions? and how do individuals make sense of the learning and teaching in these sectors? The paper focuses on the experiences of those learners who have studied in both sectors – faces who are therefore in a unique position to analyse them as learning places and spaces. A survey was undertaken of 556 learners who commenced study in technical and further education (TAFE) and universities in South Australia. Subsequent interviews with 69 of these students explored their educational histories in greater depth. The data reflected important differences in the learners’ experiences within the sectors. The findings can provide policy-makers and institutional leaders with insights into how best to position these two sectors to the advantage of learners with changing needs, expectations and desired pathways. They suggest that greater recognition could be afforded to the different but increasingly complementary roles that HE and VET play.

Keywords: learning places, survey, role, higher education, vocational education

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