Paper presented at HERDSA 2013, Auckland, 2nd July.

1. Stories of Learning Spaces
From Distant Places
HERDSA Conference
2nd July, 2013
Mark Brown, Mike Keppell
Helen Hughes, Natasha Hard & Liz Smith

2. The challenge of
attrition, progressionandcompletion
Background…

3. 72%
58%
Background…

5. Background…

6. • Wealth of literature
• Issues around attrition and completion are complex
• Further investigation required of the „soft‟ factors
• There is a growing body of literature on first year
experience
• Gap in the literature on the experiences of (first-time)
distance learners
• Dearth of research that presents the learner voice
Background…

7. To improve the supports and services available for first-time
distance learners. More specifically…
Research objective…
Research Design…

8. To improve 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
Research Design…
Research objective…

9. To improve 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.
Research Design…
Research objective…

10. • Design-based research
• Mixed method approach
• Strong phenomenological dimension
Methodology…
Research Design…

11. • Phase 1 - Audit of existing services
• Phase 2 - Baseline and end of semester survey
• 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™
Method…
Research Design…

12. The stories…
Gender Female (13) Male (7)
Age Under 25 (4), 25-29 (4), 30-39 (6), 40-49 (4), 50-59 (2)
Ethnicity Pakeha / European (12), Māori and/or Pasifika (8)
Location A campus town (11), Other urban town (3), Remote (4),
Overseas (2)
Delivery Mode Distance only (17), Mixed mode (3)
Total Papers (Units) Undergraduate: One (6), Two (6), Three (0), Four (6);
Postgraduate (2)
Discipline Business (8), Humanities (6), Education (3), Sciences (3)
Prior Education High school (8), Diploma (2), Degree papers (5), Degree (5)
Employment Full time (11), Part time (3), Casual (1), None (3), Full time
mother (2)
Dependents None (11), One (1), Two or three (5), Four or more (3)

13. 30 – 39 years
Maori
4 papers (units)
College of Humanities
Remote location
Not employed
7 children
The stories…

14. 30 – 39 years
Maori / Pasifika
4 papers (units)
College of Business
Wellington
FT employment
1 guardianship
The stories…

15. 20 – 29 years
European
2 papers (units)
College of Humanities
Urban location
FT employment
0 children
The stories…

16. 50 - 59 years
Maori / European
2 papers (units)
College of Business
Auckland
Seeking employment
The stories…

17. 60+ years
European
1 paper (unit)
College of Education
Remote location
Employed 3 days
The stories…

18. The soft factors…
“I have also had thoughts that this is not the right time to
study because I can't get my children around giving me the
time to study; my family is not on the same page as me.”

19. “I've had a lot of money problems this week. That has to be
my biggest stress of the week. It really upsets me and
distracts me completely. It makes studying really hard
when you're worrying about how to buy the groceries.”
The soft factors…
“I have also had thoughts that this is not the right time to
study because I can't get my children around giving me the
time to study; my family is not on the same page as me.”

20. “I've had a lot of money problems this week. That has to be
my biggest stress of the week. It really upsets me and
distracts me completely. It makes studying really hard
when you're worrying about how to buy the groceries.”
The soft factors…
“I have also had thoughts that this is not the right time to
study because I can't get my children around giving me the
time to study; my family is not on the same page as me.”
“Unfortunately I'm going through a relationship break-up,
which involves changing everything in my life so university
study is far, far away in my mind.”

21. "I've finished my paper [unit], which is such a
relief because, in the last six weeks, I just
wasn't really interested in it. Other things in
my life meant it went on the back-burner and
was something that was frustrating and it got in
the way of... well, life got in the way."
The soft factors…

22. 1. Stories „add flesh‟ to the „soft factors‟of what it means
to be a distance learner.
Key takeaways…

23. 1. Stories „add flesh‟ to the „soft factors‟ of what it means
to be a distance learner.
2. Distance learning is perceived to enabletertiary study
to fit around other life commitments; but first-time
distance students have relatively little conception of the
actual demandsof studying from a distant place.
Key takeaways…

24. 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 commitments; but first-time
distance students have relatively little conception of the
actual demands of studying from a distant place.
3. Models of curriculum design need to be more attuned
with the challenges of navigating new digitalised
„virtual‟ learning spaces; as distinct from campus
spaces, from a learners‟ perspective.
Key takeaways…

25. 1. Shared goals
2. Personal agency
3. Adaptive empathy
4. Personalisation
5. Transactional engagement
6. Networked learning
7. Spaces for knowledge generation
For distance providers…
Guiding principles…

26. Video diaries, coupled with the researcher‟s
role, influenced student engagement by
metaphorically providing a new cave,
campfire, watering hole and mountain
top for active learning and fostering a stronger
sense of belonging.
Final comment…

27. http://www.dehub.edu.au
Acknowledgement…
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.

28. Questions…
“He [she] who asks a question
is a fool for five minutes; he [she] who
does not ask a question remains a fool forever.”
Chinese Proverb

29. Tertiary Intervention
What do we do for
failing students
Secondary Intervention
What do we do for at-risk
students?
Targeted/Selective Primary Intervention
What do we do for targeted groups of students?
General/Primary Intervention
What do we do for all students?
Intervention Pyramid
Adapted from Wilson (2009)
Outcomes…

30. Student Success Framework
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Study Life Cycle
Outcomes…