Transforming lives: the power of an Australian enabling education

Syme, Suzi; Roche, Thomas; Goode, Elizabeth; Crandon, Erin

doi:10.1080/07294360.2021.1990222

Cited by 20 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…Cavanagh et al, 2012;Bunn, 2019). Syme et al (2022) argue that in the tertiary enabling context, high quality outcomes require "a trusting and open studentteacher relationship" (p. 2428). In this study, there was little association between the Engagement variable and the nature of the interaction with instructors ( = 0.037, p = 0.606).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A key goal for tertiary enabling education is to "assist academically underprepared learners to acquire the necessary knowledge, skills and confidence to transition to and succeed in higher education" (Willans & Seary, 2018, p. 48). Strategies identified to help increase the likelihood of success in enabling programs include building appropriate supportive relationships with university, academic staff and peers (Lisciandro & Gibbs, 2016;Pham, 2022), developing an appropriate learning environment in which to study (Shah et al, 2014) and providing students with the ability to maintain commitment, motivation and self-belief related to their study and learning goals (Syme et al, 2022;Whannell & Whannell, 2015). One of the key challenges in enabling education, in addition to managing the diversity of students in such programs, is the challenge of retaining them (Willans & Seary, 2018).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Impact of the Online Learning Readiness Self-Check Survey with Australian Tertiary Enabling Students

Whannell,

Parkes,

Bartlett-Taylor

et al. 2024

EJEL

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This study reports on two key aspects relating to the use of the Online Learning Readiness Self-Check (OLRSC) survey, which has been proposed as identifying non-traditional students’ readiness for online learning, and their strengths and weaknesses in six key areas. The first aspect validates the use of the instrument based on data from 199 students engaged in an online tertiary enabling course at a regional university in Australia. Factor analysis verified the scale structure of the instrument; however, two items were removed prior to the final analysis due to low communality and/or high cross loading with other items. This is followed by an examination of whether the instrument might be useful for the early identification of students who are at risk of disengagement from the enabling program. While it was hypothesised that the instrument, which measured factors such as the quality of interaction with peers and instructors, their capacity to manage technology and how well they managed learning, should have been a useful tool to identify early disengagement, the hypothesis was not supported. No significant associations were identified between any of the instrument’s scales and early withdrawal from the course or completion of the first unit of study. Future recommendations for educators are made with a view to improving student engagement.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Impact of the Online Learning Readiness Self-Check Survey with Australian Tertiary Enabling Students

Whannell,

Parkes,

Bartlett-Taylor

et al. 2024

EJEL

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“…Enabling programs in Australia provide non-traditional students an entry pathway into university, equipping them with the skills to access and participate successfully in undergraduate study (Syme, Roche et al, 2021). Enabling programs have long been part of the widening participation agenda (Bradley et al, 2008) with the aim to disrupt educational disadvantage with access to higher education (Hattam et al, 2022).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The students are typically First-in-Family, Indigenous, and from equity groups such as low socioeconomic, or rural and regional backgrounds who have often experienced disadvantage in their schooling and would be otherwise excluded from higher education (Jarvis, 2021;Pitman et al, 2016). Enabling programs provide the opportunity for non-traditional students to learn skills to navigate the academic conventions and expectations of higher education and transition successfully into undergraduate study (Syme, Roche et al, 2021).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Benchmarking Australian Enabling Programs for a National Framework of Standards

Davis

Cook

Syme

et al. 2023

SUCCESS

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Enabling education programs in Australia assist students, who would otherwise have been excluded from higher education, to transition into undergraduate study. These programs emerged independently in response to the needs of individual universities and the varying cohorts of students they serve. The exclusion of these programs from the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) has meant they remain unregulated, with no national framework for standards. The development of academic standards is a dynamic, consensus driven process, and benchmarking provides a method through which academics from across institutions can work in partnership to reach shared understandings and improve and align practices. This practice report outlines the results of the first comprehensive cross-institutional benchmarking project involving nine Australian universities and demonstrates there is shared understanding of the standards of enabling programs between institutions. These findings will contribute to the establishment of national standards for enabling programs in Australia.

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