Early departure from a tertiary bridging program: What can the institution do?

This study examined the early departure of students between the ages of 18 and 25 years from an on-campus tertiary bridging program at a regional university. Participants comprised 20 students who had dropped out of the program within the first four weeks of study. Data were collected by semi-structured interviews, which examined the student experience and the reasons for departure. It was concluded that participants comprised two general groups: those who have no clearly defined long-term career goal prompting their attendance at university with an associated low level of commitment to university study, and those who were committed to completing a university degree, but for whom a change in circumstances prevented them from continuing. Participants indicated that attendance in the bridging program was a generally positive experience and that there was little that could have been done to prevent their departure. It was concluded that a certain level of early departure was inevitable in the tertiary bridging program. Where intervention was attempted, it should be addressed towards the development of long-term employment and career goals for which university study was an essential prerequisite

Enabling retention: processes and strategies for improving student retention in university-based enabling programs: final report 2013

This project was funded by the Australian Teaching and Learning Council Ltd and, latterly, the Australian Government Office for Learning and Teaching, to investigate the nature and causes of student attrition in enabling programs and, in particular, to determine any similarities and differences in these processes in undergraduate programs, and to recommend measures to enhance student retention. The project was undertaken by academics from five Australian universities prominent in the delivery of enabling programs: The University of Newcastle (lead institution), the University of Southern Queensland, the University of South Australia, the University of New England and Edith Cowan University. These programs represent a cross-section of Australian university-based enabling programs

Should we include study-management skills in the curriculum of pre-tertiary bridging programs?

The study reported here was essentially exploratory. It had two aims. The first aim was to investigate whether the ATOMS Test (Roberts et al., 2001) and/or Vermunt’s (1994) ILS (ILS) were potentially useful instruments for the purpose of assessing the effectiveness of the teaching of study-management-related skills in the Tertiary Preparation Program (TPP), a pre-tertiary bridging program offered in a print-based distance education mode by the University of Southern Queensland (USQ). The term ‘study-management-related skills’ refers generally to a set of skills that have been identified in the literature as being necessary for the effective management by students of any formal program of study in which they attempt to engage. The second aim of the study was to identify relationships of potential heuristic interest between students’ study-management-related skills and their academic achievement and persistence with study in the TPP. The sample was drawn from students enrolled in the two compulsory core courses of the TPP, who voluntarily agreed to participate in the study. The ATOMS Test and the ILS were administered to all participating students by mail at the start of semester 2, 2005 (the pre-test) and again near the end of the semester (the post-test). The sample sizes were 142 for the first administration and 58 for the second administration. Various statistical analysis methods were used to test for the significance of difference between pre-test and post-test mean scores on each of the scales of the instruments, and for associations of significance between scores on the scales, scores on course assessment items, and students’ persistence with, or non-completion of, the courses. The ATOMS Test and the ILS appeared to be not useful, in their present forms, for the purpose of assessing the effectiveness of the teaching of study-management-related skills in the core component of the program, and to be not useful as predictors of students’ academic achievement in, persistence with, or completion of, the core courses. Interpretation of the results of the study was dependent on the assumption that the measurements obtained by the use of the instruments were valid for TPP students. This assumption was not tested in the study. It is recommended that further studies be carried out to test the validity of the factor structures underlying the ATOMS Test and Vermunt’s (1998) learning styles for the entrant TPP population, and to further investigate relationships between variables measured by the instruments and student achievement/progress in the TPP core component, and changes in students’ self-ratings on various scales of the instruments ostensibly associated with experience of studying

Beyond our control?: Pre-tertiary bridging program students' perceptions of factors that affect their progress with study

The general purpose of the research study reported here was to gather students’ perceptions of factors which influenced their progress with Tertiary Preparation Program (TPP) studies at the University of Southern Queensland. A considerable body of research has been published on factors that affect the progression of undergraduate students. No similar studies with pre-tertiary bridging program students have been found in the literature. The main methodology employed in the study was analysis of data gathered by the use of a self-report questionnaire. Construction of the questionnaire was based on the outcomes of a study, undertaken by the author and a colleague in 2004-5, of factors which influence undergraduate student progression. The questionnaire was delivered to all students enrolled in the core course TPP7120 in a sample of semesters in a sample of years from 2006 to 2009. The results of the study reported here indicate that factors perceived by students to have most strongly influenced them to discontinue their studies were those relating to personal circumstances that were beyond the control of the course teaching team or the University. Factors which were perceived by students to have most strongly influenced them to continue included factors related to personal volition, social/family support, institutional support, and the quality of the teaching-learning experience. Based on the results of the study, suggestions are made as to how retention rates in pre-tertiary bridging programs could be increase

Bridging the digital divide: bringing e-literacy skills ot incarcerated students

Incarcerated students face a number of additional challenges to those faced by most other students studying at a distance. Lack of internet access is especially problematic for those studying in a sector that is increasingly characterised by online course offerings. This paper reports on a trial project that will attempt to address the digital challenges that hinder access to higher education by incarcerated students, and to provide them with inclusive learning experiences. The trial utilises Stand-Alone Moodle (SAM) and eBook readers with a small sample of incarcerated students participating in the Tertiary Preparation Program (TPP) at the University of Southern Queensland (USQ). This project potentially addresses the digital divide experienced by incarcerated students as compared to the general student population. It is anticipated that students will participate in learning experiences more closely related to those experienced by students who study in online environments, that and they will acquire relevant e-literacy and e-research skills

Early departure from a tertiary bridging program: what can the institution do?

This study examined the early departure of students between the ages of 18 and 25 years from an on-campus tertiary bridging program at a regional university. Participants comprised twenty students who had dropped out of the program within the first four weeks of study. Data were collected by semi-structured interviews which examined the student experience and the reasons for departure. It was concluded that participants comprised of two general groups: those who have no clearly defined long term career goal prompting their attendance at university with an associated low level of commitment to university study, and those who were committed to completing a university degree, but whose circumstances changed which prevented them from continuing. Participants indicated that attendance in the bridging program was a generally positive experience and that there was little that could have been done to prevent their departure. It was concluded that a certain level of early departure was inevitable in the tertiary bridging program. Where intervention was attempted, it should be addressed towards the development of long term employment and career goals for which university study was an essential pre-requisite

Initial approaches to studying by open access university students: implications for program curriculum and delivery

This paper reports a study of initial approaches to studying by students enrolled in two open access programs of the University of Southern Queensland (USQ). The potential importance of students' initial approaches to the work of studying, in terms of student engagement and progression in a higher education study program, is briefly discussed. The results of two studies, one with award diploma students and the other with non-award enabling program students, are compared. Results obtained from the earlier of the two studies (with non-award program students) influenced teaching staff to review and modify the curriculum and delivery of the program. This paper presents a test of this assumption. Students' self-reported data on their study-behaviour patterns within four categories of approaches to studying in higher education were used in the two studies. The paper concludes with a brief discussion of implications for curriculum that appear to arise from the data

Staff perceptions of factors related to non-completion in higher education

Non-completion of higher education is a growing concern and has prompted increasing research into its causes. This study aims to investigate academic staff's understanding of student retention and progression issues. Results from a questionnaire and interviews suggest that staff focus on student-based factors related to non-completion rather than on factors related to teaching practice and curriculum design

Bridging the digital divide: bringing e-literacy skills to incarcerated students

Incarcerated students face a number of additional challenges to those faced by most other students studying at a distance. Lack of internet access is especially problematic for those studying in a sector that is increasingly characterised by online course offerings. This paper reports on a trial project that will attempt to address the digital challenges that hinder access to higher education by incarcerated students, and to provide them with inclusive learning experiences. The trial utilises Stand-Alone Moodle (SAM) and eBook readers with a small sample of incarcerated students participating in the Tertiary Preparation Program (TPP) at the University of Southern Queensland (USQ). This project potentially addresses the digital divide experienced by incarcerated students as compared to the general student population. It is anticipated that students will participate in learning experiences more closely related to those experienced by students who study in online environments, that and they will acquire relevant e-literacy and e-research skills

ICT for prisoner education: the story of a trial project

This paper tells the story of a collaborative trial project between the University of Southern Queensland (USQ) and Queensland Corrective Services, from its inception to the present stage of near completion. The project involved the use of internet-independent ICT for prisoner education. A major aim was to enable prisoners to greatly enhance their employment and further education prospects by developing their e-literacy/learning skills. The project involved the development of an internet-independent form of a USQ course Moodle site that could be placed on a correctional centre server intra-netted to computer labs for educational use by prisoners. Additionally, participating prisoners were individually supplied with internet-independent e-readers containing the course study materials. The trial commenced at the start of semester 2, 2012. Student support in the use of the Moodle site and the e-readers was provided by correctional centre staff and through regular visits by USQ Tertiary Preparation Program (TPP) teachers. The evaluation plan for the trial included gathering weekly feedback from the students via an evaluation instrument in the Moodle site, and from the correctional centre staff. The paper provides an account of the numerous challenges encountered and overcome by the project team, and a summary evaluation of the trial project