1) The document summarizes a research project examining learning gains of international students in South African distance education.
2) The project aims to assess equitable access, quality of distance education, and theoretical understandings through a postcolonial framework to contribute to UN Sustainable Development Goal 4.
3) The researchers analyzed assessment data from over 240,000 students to estimate learning trajectories and found most variance was within students, suggesting changes should target degree programs and modules.
Learning gains of international students in South African distance education
1. Learning gains of international students
in South African distance education.
http://ideaspartnership.org/
@ESRC_IDEAS
#ESRCIDEAS
Jekaterina Rogaten
Jenna Mittelmeier
Dion Van Zyl
Melis Cin
Dianne Long
Bart Rienties
2. Who are we?
Parvati Raghuram
(UK) Principal Investigator
Ashley Gunter
(South Africa) Principal Investigator
Clare Madge
Co-Investigator
Paul Prinsloo
Co-Investigator
Katharine Reedy
Learning Design specialist
Bart Rienties
Co-Investigator
Jenna Mittelmeier
Post-Doc
Melis Cin
Post-Doc
Dianne Long
Post-Doc
Jekaterina Rogaten
Post-Doc
Adelino Chissale
Post-Doc
3. Project aims:
1. To examine how far IDE in South Africa offers equitable access
to students in Africa through both supply side and demand side
analysis.
2. To assess and improve the quality of IDE and see how it varies
among students.
3. To advance theoretical understandings of IDE though a
postcolonial framework and produce impactful findings that
contribute towards Sustainable Development Goal 4 regarding
equal access to quality education.
4. Assessing trajectories
Using assessment results for estimating learning trajectories has number of advantages:
Assessment data readily available
Widely recognized as appropriate measure of learning
Relatively free from self-reported biases
Allows a direct comparison of research finding with the results of other studies
5. Data exploration
Total 241,090 students enrolled into 216 different
qualifications
% of exams that
student PASSED
% of exams that
student FAILED
% of exams not
attended
Mean Mean Mean
SA living in SA 49.4% 44.8% 5.9%
SA living in another country 67.3% 24.9% 7.8%
International living in SA 61.1% 34.3% 4.6%
International living in another
country
58.3% 34.6% 7.1%
Average Grade for
the module
SA living in SA 65
SA living in another country 71
International living in SA 67
International living in another
country
66
South African Other Nationalities
Female 109,634 93.4% 7,715 6.6%
Male 111,794 90.3% 11,935 9.6%
SA living in SA SA living in another
country
91.1% 0.7%
International
living in SA
International living
in another country
5.1% 3%
6. Sample Characteristics
69,935 student studying in the faculty of Science
60% Male students
40% Female students
90% South African students
10% International students
67% Black students
21% Part-time students
21% Other ethnic backgrounds
30 Undergraduate degree programmes
Between years 2005 and 2016
12. Differences between Home and
International students’ learning
trajectories
63.6
64.8
66.0
67.2
2.3 4.6 6.9 9.2
mean.pred
RNtime.pred
NNationalityGR_1
NNationalityGR_2
South African
International
Intercept 63.105 0.358
Slope 0.393* 0.188
International 0.646** 0.095
International*time -0.107** 0.031
Grade SE
**p<0.01
13. Key message
The largest portion of variance 79% was within-students and additional 18% between students.
This means that changes should be done at the degree programme (between modules) level like changes to
the assessment, module structure and learning design can.
14. Benefits of knowing students’ learning trajectories:
We can make a positive change
Identify students and modules that progress well
Identify students and modules that do not progress well
Predict how certain students will do in certain modules
Implement data informed interventions
Evaluate effectiveness of interventions
Identify most effective routes towards qualification
Level 1 – Grade: repeated measures on students and tell us about students learning trajectory
Level 2 – student: between students variations
Level 3 – Course: between course variation