Paper presented at International Higher Education First Year Experience Conference, June 2012.

1. Superficial Social Inclusion:
Reflections from First-time Distance Learners
Mark Brown, Helen Hughes,
Natasha Hard, Mike Keppell & Liz Smith
IFYHE Conference
June, 2012

2. Research Partnership…
http://delfa.massey.ac.nz

3. Acknowledgement…
http://www.dehub.edu.au
Support for this project and the production of this report has been provided by DEHub,
funded by the Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and
Workplace Relations (DEEWR). The views expressed in this report do not necessarily
reflect the views of the DEHub, Australian Government or DEEWR.

4. Introduction…
How many of you have been distance
learners?
Tell us about your experience…

5. Background…
Distance education is historically
deeplyrootedin the goals of social
justice by increasing educational access
and promoting lifelong learning and
development.

6. Background…
Distance education is historically
deeplyrootedin the goals of social
justice by increasing educational access
and promoting lifelong learning and
development.
Highly relevant to participation targets…

7. Background…
But Distance Education faces significant
challenges as issues of attrition (retention)
and completion are particularly acute and
have come into sharp relief.

8. Background…

9. Background…
67%
54%

10. Background…
72%
58%

11. Background…
Publication of league tables:
- attrition
- completion
- progression
http://www.tec.govt.nz/

12. Literature…
What does the literature say?

13. Literature…
• Issues around student engagement are complex
• Further investigation required of the „soft‟ factors
• Need to move away from „goulash‟approach
• There is a growing body of literature on first year
experience – led in Australia
• Gap in the literature on the experiences of first-time
distance learners
• Dearth of research that presents the learner voice

14. Research Design…
Objective…
To enhance the supports and services available for first-time
distance learners. More specifically…

15. Research Design…
Objective…
To enhance the supports and services available for first-time
distance learners. More specifically…
• To investigate the experiences of being a first time distance learner
„in their own words‟ from a student perspective
• To develop a set of overarching principles for enhancing distance
learner engagement and success;
• To develop a conceptual framework for identifying the most
effective use of various intervention tools, supports and resources
at early stages of the study lifecycle.

16. Research Design…
• Design-based Research
• Phase 3 - Stories of first-time distance learners
• 140 volunteers from pool of 850 potential participants
• 20 participantsbroadly representive distance learners
• Obtained full human ethics approval process
• Weekly video diaries using Sony bloggie™

17. Research Design…
Video Diaries…
• Adapted from JISC (2006), Arnold & Riddle (2007) and
Cashmore, Green & Scott (2010)
• Aim for video diary of ≥ 5 m/pw for ≤ 6 wks
• Actual video diaries were 2 – 16 m/pw for 7 – 16 wks
• Participant withdrawals: 2 early, 5 in W7, 5 in W14, 8 in
W16
• Data collection aided by „reflective prompt framework‟

18. Participants – Libby…
30 – 39 years
Maori
4 papers (units)
College of Humanities
Remote location
Not employed
7 children

19. Participants – Libby…
„As for assignments, I'm looking at getting a tutor
as they don't seem to be going the way they are
supposed to be. I've done a lot of research on
how to do an assignment but it doesn't seem to
make a lot of sense to me‟

20. Participants – Libby…
„I didn't realise when I took everything on how everything
is so close together – you've got quizzes and assignment
and you've got to read this and that... Didn't realise how
hard it is to find 1500 words. I can do it verbally but
putting on paper, not working... Having to find so many
words without rambling is pretty hard.

21. Participants – Libby…
„I didn't realise when I took everything on how everything
is so close together – you've got quizzes and assignment
and you've got to read this and that... Didn't realise how
hard it is to find 1500 words. I can do it verbally but
putting on paper, not working... Having to find so many
words without rambling is pretty hard.
As much as a couple of weeks ago I was ready to give
up, my goal is to be a social worker and I'm not ready to
give up. So I'm going to rest, maybe sleep‟.

22. Comments…

23. Participants - Jack…
50 - 59 years
Maori / European
2 papers (units)
College of Business
Auckland
Seeking employment

24. Participants - Jack…
„Things are crunching up. I've fallen a bit behind in some
of my studies. As usual, I feel tired. At the end of the day,
to study, it's just trying to slog it. I think it's I've not done
as much study as I wanted to do in the last couple of
weeks.

25. Participants - Jack…
„Things are crunching up. I've fallen a bit behind in some
of my studies. As usual, I feel tired. At the end of the day,
to study, it's just trying to slog it. I think it's I've not done
as much study as I wanted to do in the last couple of
weeks.
It's combination of things. I'm tired from work, it sucks it
out of me a bit. And pressure at home don't help as well.
So that's not all rosy all the time. Physically, I'm not in
great shape...‟

26. Participants - Jack…
„Unfortunately I did not do as well I had hoped. I faded
badly towards the end of the study program mainly
because of time constraints. I was busy up to my eyeballs
at work.
Plus I had problems to deal with at home. I don't think the
problem is I am not smart enough, the problem is finding
the time to study while my brain is fresh and not tired‟.

27. Comments…

28. Participants – Ursula…
60+ years
European
1 paper (unit)
College of Education
Remote location
Employed 3 days

29. Participants – Ursula…
„I would like to continue [participating] but not being
able to send the video misses the point of the
exercise. It highlights a concern for online learning
doesn't it? There are people who don't know the
technology well enough to be able to work it with
ease.‟

30. Comments…

31. Key Questions…
1. How do we nurture a sense of belonging and
connectedness amongst distance learners that will
help to sustain deep levels of engagement?

32. Key Questions…
1. How do we nurture a sense of belonging and
connectedness amongst distance learners that will
help to sustain deep levels of engagement?
2. How do we support distance students to engage
effectively with their study amid other commitments;
whilst being mindful that, to survive (and thrive)
across the distance, they need to be independent,
self-motivated learners?

33. Key Takeaways…
1. Stories „add flesh‟ to the „soft factors‟ of what it means
to be a distance learner.
2. Distance learning is perceived to enable tertiary study to
fit around other life, work and family commitments but
little understanding of the reality of study.
3. Learner stories affirm the importance of the first few
weeks of study but evidence of a second critical at
risk phase.

34. Key Takeaways…
4. There is variable digital literacy among first time
distance learners which can be a real barrier.
5. Value of supporting opportunities for engaging in regular
interaction and reflection over the initial stages of
study.

35. Final Questions…
“A prudent question is one-half of wisdom.”
Francis Bacon
http://www.slideshare.net/mbrownz/
m.e.brown@massey.ac.nz