2019
DOI: 10.14742/ajet.3913
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Older, online and first: Recommendations for retention and success

Abstract: The university student population in Australia contains increasing numbers of older students returning to learning after a significant gap in their educational journey. Many are choosing to enrol online to combine their studies with other time-consuming responsibilities. This article examines the nature of this online student experience with a focus on those aged 25 and over who are the first in their families to embark on university studies. Drawing on interviews conducted with both staff and students operati… Show more

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Cited by 108 publications
(107 citation statements)
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“…Online students are less likely than on-campus students to be school-leavers, and more likely to be older, mature-age learners, engaged in regular ongoing employment, either full or part-time, with substantial family responsibilities and to be juggling multiple responsibilities in their lives (Moore & Greenland, 2017;Signor & Moore, 2014;Stone & O'Shea, 2019). There is evidence that online learning, particularly at undergraduate level, is contributing significantly to the Australian Government's student equity agenda, with this cohort containing higher proportions of students who are first in their families to study at university level as well as those from the government-identified higher education equity categories (DET, 2017a), of low socio-economic background, regional and remote students, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, and students with a disability (Cardak et al, 2017;Kent, 2015;Pollard, 2018;Stone, O'Shea, May, Delahunty, & Partington, 2016;).…”
Section: Introductionmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…Online students are less likely than on-campus students to be school-leavers, and more likely to be older, mature-age learners, engaged in regular ongoing employment, either full or part-time, with substantial family responsibilities and to be juggling multiple responsibilities in their lives (Moore & Greenland, 2017;Signor & Moore, 2014;Stone & O'Shea, 2019). There is evidence that online learning, particularly at undergraduate level, is contributing significantly to the Australian Government's student equity agenda, with this cohort containing higher proportions of students who are first in their families to study at university level as well as those from the government-identified higher education equity categories (DET, 2017a), of low socio-economic background, regional and remote students, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, and students with a disability (Cardak et al, 2017;Kent, 2015;Pollard, 2018;Stone, O'Shea, May, Delahunty, & Partington, 2016;).…”
Section: Introductionmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…Walker and Greaves (2015) point out that most scholarship pertaining to this subjective issue relates to studies in secondary school settings. However, a growing body of literature attests to the importance of creating a sense of belonging for students in higher education settings (see, for example, Hellmundt & Baker, 2017;Kahu, 2014;Lane & Sharp, 2014;Leach, Zepke, & Prebble, 2006;Lisciandro & Gibbs, 2016;Naylor, 2017;Shields, 2015;Stone & O'Shea, 2016;Tinto, 2017;Wimpenny & Savin-Baden, 2013), and the value of communities of care (Crawford et al, 2018). Further evidence of this notion can be found in research by Relf et al (2017) who refer to the 'hidden curriculum' in their investigation of curriculum design within an Australian pre-university enabling program.…”
Section: Literature Reviewmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…In this environment of heightened awareness of digital equity issues and institutional retention activities, it is important that researchers and academics do not assume that all students experience online learning in the same way. Factors which help or hinder online learning may differ between subgroups of students, with previous studies exploring the specific experiences of mature-age students (Stone & O'Shea, 2019) and students who are first-in-family (Stone, O'Shea, May, Delahunty, & Partington, 2016). The teaching team of a postgraduate online degree program at an Australian university noted that students with a diagnosis on the autism spectrum were reporting different experiences and difficulties with their course (unit of study) materials and interactions from those of the rest of the cohort.…”
Section: Contextmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…Institutional decisions to increase the number of online offerings across the Australian higher education sector are reflected in the proportion of commencing domestic student enrolments studying online increasing from 17.5% in 2010 to 22.8% in 2016 (Stone & O'Shea, 2019). This growth has occurred within the context of universities concentrating on the student experience across all modes offered and how to provide a learning environment that retains more students through to completion of their studies.…”
Section: Introductionmentioning
confidence: 99%