Blackboard not Blackbored: Engaging and enabling students in the Tertiary Enabling Program at Charles Darwin University | Janelle Marrington, Amander Dimmock & James Valentine (CDU) | TLCANZ17
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The Tertiary Enabling Program (TEP) at Charles Darwin University is a semester long university preparation program for students unable to directly enter undergraduate study. With a cohort consisting of 80% of students studying online, Blackboard plays a central role in engaging and enabling TEP students with the necessary skills and knowledge for undergraduate study. To increase student engagement in TEP, a number of initiatives have been put in place this year designed to maximise the use of interactive digital technologies and changing pedagogies. One of the main drivers for these new initiatives was the analysis of data captured in Blackboard showing that early engagement by students increases their likelihood of successfully completing TEP as well as identifying critical points of engagement during the semester. To maximise early engagement and prepare students for TEP studies, the first week of study for all new TEP students has been devoted to a new online initiative called TEP Start which is the focus of this presentation. TEP Start was specifically developed for the online learner to improve the student experience, build their confidence and give them the skills to succeed. TEP Start was developed with the expectation that students would engage and interact with the learning materials on Blackboard, thus moving away from the traditional method of ‘content based’ online learning. This online engagement includes classes hosted in Collaborate Ultra, game-based learning activities and short micro-lectures. Hosted on a dedicated Blackboard site, TEP Start was specifically developed using design principles such as colour coding, visual hierarchy, repetition, images, icons in addition to limited text; all to direct the student’s eye to what is important and to influence how they interact with the content. The initial results of the TEP Start initiative are highly encouraging. The majority of students completed all components of TEP Start and the feedback from students and staff on TEP Start is overwhelmingly positive.
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Blackboard not Blackbored: Engaging and enabling students in the Tertiary Enabling Program at Charles Darwin University | Janelle Marrington, Amander Dimmock & James Valentine (CDU) | TLCANZ17
- 1. Blackboard not Blackbored: Engaging and enabling students in the Tertiary Enabling Program at Charles Darwin University Janelle Marrington James Valentine Amander Dimmock
- 2. 22 What is TEP @ CDU? TEP – Tertiary Enabling Program. Over 1000 enrolments each year. 4 semester long units (3 core units + 1 elective unit). On campus and online.
- 3. 33 Who are our students? 12% identify as ATSI 10% from NESB 67% are female 40% under 24 years 74% under 34 years
- 4. 44 What are the challenges for enabling students? Independent learning. Using a learning management system. Time poor. Family / social support. (Bonk & Khoo, 2014) Students are not prepared for tertiary study. (Hodges et al., 2013)
- 5. 55 Benefits of early engagement Students are more likely to persist if they have engaged by week 2 (Hodges et al., 2013). Valentine & Lambrinidis (unpub. data) Academic Language and Learning Bioscience Percentage of students engaging for the first time each week who received a passing grade.
- 6. 66 Redeveloping the TEP course Week 1 for all students = TEP Start TEP Start focus: 1. The external student – online learner. 2. Engaging students early. Blackboard plays a central role in TEP Start.
- 7. 77 How did we do it? TEP Start modules
- 8. 88 Inside TEP Start modules Videos Games Activities Workshops
- 9. 99 TEP Start student feedback Being a student that have never studied, TEP Start was a great stepping stone before beginning units. Completing modules was a great way to build some confidence. I found it to be an excellent way of learning from home, interactive and an easier way to meet students…
- 10. 1010 Design principles used in TEP Start
- 11. 1111 •housed TEP Start •includes a variety of supporting resources. •is made available to students early. Blackboard site for all TEP students - TEP Central
- 12. 1212 Outcomes – TEP Central email Over 1000 emails were replied to. Students used the dedicated email address throughout the semester.
- 13. 1313 Outcomes – student engagement with TEP Central 83% of students accessed TEP Central by end Week 2
- 14. 1414 Outcomes – TEP Central general feedback from students The chance to familiarise yourself with all the online systems before starting study so it's not so overwhelming and being able to connect with other students. The fact that I had one week to prepare for classes, to start interaction with tutors and to overcome fear of going back to study.
- 15. 1515 Outcomes – Game and activity completion High level of interaction 67% completed at least one activity 34% completed all activities Students who accessed TEP Central & completed each activity.
- 16. 1616 Outcomes – Game and activity feedback from students The activities and quizzes helped to keep me motivated and focused and gave me better understanding in regards to the whole online learning scene.
- 17. 1717 Outcomes – TEP Start workshop attendance 61% attendance at least one workshop 50% attendance at all workshops TEP Start workshop attendance for students who accessed TEP Central
- 18. 1818 Outcomes – workshop attendance feedback from students I found the three online classes and talking to some students and teachers the best aspects of TEP Start. Meeting people online and realising how much support there is for every student to succeed. I now feel like my tutors and others are real human beings instead of some distant people I do not know.
- 19. 1919 Outcomes – online class attendance Computing for Tertiary Study
- 20. 2020 General feedback about TEP start from students I would like to thank you all for the support you have given to me as a continuing TEP student. At first, I was accepted as an undergraduate student, but unfortunately I felt I did not know how to write academically, reference etc. These units have helped me understand what is required at university….last year I was completely overwhelmed and had no understanding at all, at least this will give me an insight into what is expected.
- 21. 2121 General feedback about TEP start from students I thought it was a great way to introduce students to the basics and what they should expect. I found it great as I learnt my way around [Blackboard] and online classes prior to the actual subjects starting. I think I would have struggled with learning these things at the same time as starting subjects and this gave me confidence.
- 22. 2222 The external student – online learner Engaging students early Emails (1000) Accessing TEP Central (83%) Completion of games and activities Workshop attendance Feedback Summary Blackboard not Blackbored
Hinweis der Redaktion
- Thank you so much for selecting this session to join today. We are really excited to be here and share our journey with you. Before I start I would like to introduce my team members - Today we are going to be talking about a new Week 1 initiative we have introduced to better engage with students and prepare them for studying in TEP at Charles Darwin University. We are going to provide an overview of our program, the changes we have made and the outcomes we have seen. Blackboard plays a key role in this new initiative and we are determined to ensure that our students are not bored in Blackboard.
- What is TEP@CDU The Tertiary Enabling Program or TEP is a free program designed to prepare students with the skills and knowledge required for undergraduate university study. Enabling programs are based on the principle that every citizen regardless of cultural factors, socio economic factors, prior educational disadvantage, lack of pre-tertiary educational achievement or previous life choices should have the opportunity to attempt Higher Education. TEP at CDU consistently has over 1000 enrolments each year (the 2nd largest course enrolment at the university). Consists of 4 semester long units, 3 core and 1 elective that can be completed in one semester for students studying full time or they can choose to study part time. The units can be completed on-campus or externally. For all students, Blackboard plays a central role in the learning in each of our units.
- Who are our students We have a diverse student cohort that includes a large number of non-traditional students, especially those from equity groups and ‘first in family’. Our students come from all over Australia. Some characteristics of our students in first semester this year include: 12% identifying as ATSI 10% from NESB 67% are female 40% under 24 years of age and 74% in total under 34 years of age The majority, or 64% study full time and 75% or ¾ are external students. Again you can see that Blackboard plays a central role in learning in TEP.
- As non traditional students, enabling students come with a different set of challenges compared to undergraduate students that need to be met so they can successfully complete their enabling studies and move into undergraduate study. The Hodges et al. (2013) report on enabling programs in Australian universities identified a number of challenges facing enabling students, but one that directly relates to the subject of our presentation is that enabling students are frequently unprepared for the realities of tertiary level study. Other challenges that face enabling students include some of those identified by Bonk & Khoo (2014) in their review of attrition and retention among online learners: Being able to learn independently. Learning how to use a learning management system due to low levels of computer literacy. They’re frequently time poor due to excessive work hours, family commitments and poor time management skills. Little support in the home environment from family and friends. The last two of these points were also identified in the Hodges et al. (2013) report.
- Hodges et al. (2013) also identified that enabling students who display some level of engagement by the end of Week 2 are more likely to persist. This finding supports our own research that indicates the earlier students access Blackboard for the first time the more likely they are to complete a unit successfully. For example, the two graphs show the percentage of students who accessed Blackboard for the first time each week in two of our units, Academic Language and Learning on the left and Bioscience on the right, who then went on to pass. In Week 0, when Blackboard unit sites were made available to students 3 days before the semester started, ~40% of students who accessed the Blackboard site for Academic Language and Learning subsequently went onto pass the unit as did ~45% in Bioscience. In contrast, only about 10% of students who accessed Blackboard for the first time in Week 3 went onto pass either unit.
- So we have given you a bit of an outline of who our students are and the challenges they may face. When the opportunity came to redevelop TEP we looked at the identified challenges and recommendations to help our students succeed, we introduced a number of new initiatives to meet these, one of which we’re going to talk about today. We created a Week 1 program ALL TEP students would complete as their first week of study before beginning their units, and this we called TEP Start. This program took on board all the common and (in the past) repeated elements of a first week of study in a unit - such as how to access and use a LMS, how to join an online class, how to send an email from a student email account and generally how to get organised and ready for study. We based our changes on 2 key principles: TEP Start was developed for the online leaner first. Our external student, (being 75% of our student cohort) and therefore being classed as an online learner and Engaging the online learner early. For TEP@CDU this meant through Blackboard, our Learning Management System. So our challenge was to develop a rich and engaging online learning environment .
- How did we do it? TEP Start consists of six interactive modules. Each module has a specific focus. First Things First focuses on getting students ready by setting up their computer with Office 365 and ordering printed materials. Talk – Write – Connect looks at effective communication with lecturers and peers. Ready – Set – Learn introduces students to the requirements for successful online learning including how to use Blackboard. Study – Life – Balance looks at identifying goals, prioritising and time management. Tools for Success informs students about their preferred learning styles, motivation and the importance of developing a study support network. eLibrary introduces students to the services available through the CDU Library and academic integrity. What you can see is that each module has a specific focus and is designed around the challenges identified by Bonk and Khoo and recommendations from Hodges et al report. The modules encourage early engagement and focus on independent learning, using a LMS, time management and the importance of support networks.
- Each module has a carefully designed pedagogical focus to engage the online learner and provides a structured framework for learning and consist of Activities - All of the activities are scaffolded, have a specific purpose, clear expectations of the required level of achievement and are low risk to help build students’ confidence in their ability to succeed in online learning. For example, ZeeMaps was used, where students place a pin on a map enabling other students to see where they live and perhaps even find a nearby student who they can meet for study support. Games - Game-based learning activities developed using Articulate Storyline that provide immediate feedback to students. This particular game provides the student the opportunity to learn about and identify their preferred learning style and strategies to help them in their study. Each game can be completed multiple times and provides immediate feedback to students. Videos - Short, focused videos, each with a call to action for further engagement. For instance, there was a video on ‘Creating and using a semester planner’ to assist with time management skills and another on communication. Workshops - From the six TEP Start modules, three 50 minute online workshops run in Collaborate Ultra. The workshops were designed to be interactive, engaging and innovative using polling tools, sharing applications and screens.
- Feedback from students gathered in a post-TEP Start survey showed overwhelming support for TEP Start. This particular comment made by one of our students highlights two common messages in the feedback we received – TEP Start was a good way to transition into TEP and it helped to develop student confidence.
- https://youtu.be/I13pFdZx7fE We placed a lot of attention on the design of our Blackboard LMS Here is a sneak peak: Snapshot video using the TEP Start site as the model: use our videos, our activities, our games, icons Colour White space Contrast Repetition Alignment Proximity Info cards
- TEP Start had to be made available to all TEP students so we created a ‘Central’ site in Blackboard and this is known as TEP Central. In addition to TEP Start, TEP Central includes additional supporting materials including links to support services within CDU and access to basic unit information. TEP Central is made available to students 2 weeks before the semester starts and 10 days before Unit Blackboard sites are made available. The opening of TC is complemented with a targeted email program. The emails provide guidance to students on how they can prepare for study and steps that are important to take in the first few weeks of their study in order to be successful in their study. As part of TEP Central, a dedicated email address was set up to provide a point of contact for students to ask questions. We ensured emails were responded promptly, although this proved a challenge as you’ll see in a moment. TC is a vibrant, interactive site
- Over 1000 emails were responded to over the course of the semester. Most of these occurred in the first couple of weeks of the semester when TEP Start was running, but students continued to use the TEP Central email throughout the semester for a wide variety of queries. For example, we received general enquiries about units, students needing reassurance about their study, requests for information on how to re-enrol for next semester for part-time students and transitioning into undergraduate studies. There were also a lot of complimentary emails from students about TEP Start. The quantity of emails received was unexpected, but this indicates a need for enabling students to have a clear point of contact so they can receive support whenever they need it throughout the semester. Now that we’ve told you a bit about our new initiative, let’s have a look at the outcomes. This leads us into other outcomes – like – access to TEP Central.
- From the moment TEP Central became available to students, two weeks before the start of the semester, students started accessing this site. Indeed, over 20% of students enrolled in TEP in first semester had accessed TEP Central in the first week it became available. A high level of activity in TEP Central was maintained up to and including when TEP Start was run. Having 83% of out students accessing the TEP Central Blackboard site before the end of the second week of the semester is a fantastic result and an important steps towards early engagement – a factor likely to assist students in succeeding as identified by Hodges et al. (2013). In TEP, historically, we have around 50% of our students not completing their study each semester and of these students, on average, 25% never actually access Unit Learnline sites. With a focus on engaging students early, TEP Start is showing promise. – I’m not sure we need to say this.
- A common comment made by students, as shown in these two pieces of feedback, was that they appreciated the opportunity to engage and become familiar with the online environment before they had to start study.
- We also linked some of the activities that formed part of TEP Start to the grade centre in TEP Central so we could measure the level of engagement with these activities. The graph on this slide shows the percentage of students who accessed TEP Central and completed each of the activities. We were very pleased to see at least a 45% completion rate for each of the TEP Start activities that we tracked by students who accessed TEP Central since none of these tasks were assessable. From the data we collected we also able to ascertain that two thirds of students who accessed TEP Central completed at least one TEP Start activity and 34% of students who accessed TEP Central completed all 5 of the TEP Start activities that we tracked. Again, we were pleased with this level of engagement considering none of these activities were assessable.
- We also tracked students attendance in both the online and face-to-face workshops by external and internal students that formed part of TEP Start. The graph on this slide shows the percentage of students who accessed TEP Central and attended each of the workshops. This shows a consistent level of attendance at each of the workshops. At least two thirds of students who accessed TEP Central attended at least one online or face-to-face workshop and most of these students attended all three workshops. Again, this demonstrates early engagement by our students.
- Considering the majority of our students are external and are studying online, we also looked at attendance in the TEP Start online workshops compared to previous offerings of our units in Week 1 and what the flow on effect was for online classes in first semester this year. The results of this are shown in the graph on this slide for one of our core units, Computing for Tertiary Study are typical of each of our core units in particular. On average, 43 students attended each of the online workshops for TEP Start. This is an unprecedented proportion of students attending an online class compared to online classes offered in Week 1 during previous semesters. In the weeks following TEP Start, we also observed an increase in the proportion of students attending unit online classes compared to previous offerings of our. For example, you can see in the graph about our computing unit, attendance in first semester online classes this year is higher than in previous offerings. The change may only be a few percent, but when you have a unit with over 600 students enrolled, even a 2 or 3 percent increase still represents a few 10s of students. This compares with data gathered anecdotally from all lecturers that attendance in TEP Unit online classes after TEP Start were higher than they had been in previous offerings. So not only were we able to engage students early with TEP Start, but we have also been able to maintain a higher level on engagement then we have previously.
- The outcomes to date indicate that the students are engaging and enabling in the TEP program at CDU. Large numbers of emails sent from students High level of early engagement in TEP Central Learnline site by week 2 High level of interaction with TEP Start activities High and consistent level of attendance at workshops Feedback