In their own words: Student stories of seeking learning support

Abstract

Many Open and Distance Learning (ODL) providers report that their students are prone to lower rates of retention and completion than campus-based students. Against this background, there is growing interest around distance-specific learning support. The current research investigated the experiences of students during their first semester as distance learners at Massey University in New Zealand. The overarching methodology was Design-Based Research, within which phenomenological data gathering methods were used to study the experiences of twenty participants from their own point of view. Using video cameras, over twentytwo hours of self-reflections were gathered between July and November 2011 using a technique adapted from previous studies. A grounded theory approach was applied to the process of thematic data analysis. Results revealed how participants varied in their engagement with learning supports, including orientation events, outreach activity, cultural services, learning consultants, library services, fellow students, lecturers, residential courses, and other people. The discussion reflects on clusters of participants who utilised learning supports effectively, moderately and barely. The paper concludes by summarizing how the current research has had an impact on the design of learning support services at one of the world's leading providers of distance education.

Who Graduates From Irish Distance University Education?

“…This differs somewhat from Irish (Darmody & Fleming, 2009) and international research (Brown et al, 2013;Callender et al, 2006) on part-time and distance students which indicates that women are more likely to participate. Overall, however, the finding is consistent with international research confirming that males are more likely to participate in Information Technology related degrees (Carnoy et al, 2012;Coldwell et al, 2008).…”

Influencing mathematics students' academic success through online intervention: A case study

“…However, the success rate of supplemental instruction in the area of mathematics, ranged from being inconclusive (Phelps and Evans 2006) to successful (Dias, Cunningham and Porte 2016). As students in ODL are prone to lower rates of retention and completion than campus-based students, there is growing interest around distance-specific learning support (Brown et al 2013). …”

Massive open online courses (MOOCs): Insights and challenges from a psychological perspective

“…Insight can be gained by examining learners' actual experiences and preferences. A recent qualitative exploration of distance learners' experiences and preferences for seeking support offers interesting insight into individual differences in the support needs of students and how they respond to the support provided (Brown, Hughes, Keppell, Hard & Smith, ). Such findings are consistent with our proposals discussed in the previous section which highlight the importance of learner skills and the importance of recognition of individual differences in the psychological profile of learners.…”