The need for online orientation for regional and distance students in higher education

Quite recently a number of studies and investigations have been made in the area of first year student retention and completion unveiling a number of interesting observations and interpretations. Many students face difficulties because of the sudden change in the eduscape, the transition from secondary schools to higher institutions made more difficult because of the mutually exclusive lifestyles and expectations. The lower pass rates in first year courses, is especially noticeable for special cohorts such as distance students, late registrants, and students based in peripheral campuses and centres. The paper investigates the need for an online orientation module for regional and distance students in higher education. This ICT based initiative is designed to address the new students’ anxieties and fears, and ease adaptation to higher education. The module allows students to understand the dynamic environment of higher education, be well informed about the academic and social issues, recognize the skills needed to succeed, be engaged with their courses and programmes, know where and who to go for help, and also have the ownership of the University. The analytics of a pilot study are discussed with the strengths, challenges and opportunities

FSTE Refresher and Induction Programme

In this new era of ICT driven education, the developing countries are finding it increasingly difficult to cope with the heavy and continuous changes brought to the area of higher education. Currently, the University of the South Pacific(USP) has witnessed the advert of multiple learning tools in ICT. These tools are relatively new, unheard of and sparingly utilized in most of the USP region. A consequence of this is the difficulty faced by students adapting to the university environment. High attrition rates, subdued interests, mixed views of the Learning Management System (Moodle), unfavorable or lukewarm response to mLearning and eLearning tools, etc. are subsequently noted. The Faculty of Science, Technology, and Environment in USP has embarked on a new initiative to introduce new students to a Refresher and Induction Programme before they embark on their journey at USP. It is suggested that these types of programmes make the transition from secondary schools to tertiary Institutions easier and smoother. This new Refresher and Induction programme consisted of ten modules: 1) ICT Tools, 2) Understanding course outlines, 3) Mathematical Software, 4) Mobile Learning, 5) Time management and Study skills, 6) Moodle learning Management system, 7) Learning Labs, 8) Early Warning System, 9) Turnitin and Plagiarism and 10) Remedial Mathematics. The paper showcases the pilot run and highlights its strengths and opportunities. Results from student surveys are discussed

Development of an Online Orientation Tool for First Year Science Students: Transitioning for Success

This paper investigates the implementation of an Online Orientation module for students new to the University of the South Pacific. Many incoming students face difficulties because of the sudden change in the eduscape, the transition from secondary schools to higher education institutions made more difficult because of the mutually exclusive lifestyles and expectations. The lower pass rates in first year courses is especially noticeable for cohorts such as distance students, late registrants, and students based in peripheral campuses and centres. This ICT enabled tool is designed to address the new students’ anxieties and fears, and ease the adaptation to higher education. The module also allows students to understand the dynamic environment, be informed about the academic and social issues and also have the ownership of the University. Based on the findings, the paper provides recommendations on the design, development and implementation of the module

Success of At-Risk Students through Adaptive Interventions in First Year University Courses in Pacific Region

Improving the experiences of first year students of the Faculty of Science, Technology and Environment at the regional multi-campus University of the South Pacific is a complicated, challenging yet intriguing problem. The complexity of the problem is compounded by the fact that this regional university operated from 12 different countries isolated geographically in the Pacific Ocean. There are many issues the first year student’s face and adjustments they make as they step in to their new learning environment. This paper essays the need and impact of new intervention programmes for the different cohorts of first year students that fall into the at-risk student category. The paper also addresses the internal and external factors that place these cohorts at risk for academic failure and the creative measures churned to bring back on track the derailed students. Effective interventions and adaptive works require the collaborative efforts of students, teachers, scholarship officers and faculty champions in order to address the needs of at-risk students, hence curb and curtail the attrition rates and ultimately increase programme retention. The strengths and challenges of these adaptive interventions are highlighted with relevant observations, interpretations and recommendations

Online Mathematics Diagnostic Test and Remediation for New Entrants in Higher Education in the Pacific Region

This paper highlights the pilot of an online diagnosis of the mathematics knowledge of secondary school graduates enrolling in a tertiary institution. Most institutions miss identifying the knowledge gaps and differences between students from different curriculum and backgrounds, hence fail to factor these in their at-risk intervention programmes. While such issues are addressed in the retention crusades, they may be arriving a little too late to curb and curtail the attrition rates. This newly developed online mathematics diagnostic tool (OMDT) provides an early indication of the varying mathematics knowledge students bring from their secondary school and the inbuilt system intelligence directs the individual students to relevant online remediation based on their performances. This new cutting-edge ICT tool hosted on Moodle, has built-in certification, rewards through gamification, surveys and analytics, support mechanisms, and online remedial modules crafted into a complete package

Test Your Knowledge

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The Need for Online Orientation for Regional & Distance Students in Higher Education

Quite recently a number of studies and investigations have been made in the area of first year student retention and completion unveiling a number of interesting observations and interpretations. Many students face difficulties because of the sudden change in the eduscape, the transition from secondary schools to higher institutions made more difficult because of the mutually exclusive lifestyles and expectations. The lower pass rates in first year courses, is especially noticeable for special cohorts such as distance students, late registrants, and students based in peripheral campuses and centres. The paper investigates the need for an online orientation module for regional and distance students in higher education. This ICT based initiative is designed to address the new students’ anxieties and fears, and ease adaptation to higher education. The module allows students to understand the dynamic environment of higher education, be well informed about the academic and social issues, recognize the skills needed to succeed, be engaged with their courses and programmes, know where and who to go for help, and also have the ownership of the University. The analytics of a pilot study are discussed with the strengths, challenges and opportunities

Success of the First Year At-Risk Students in University Mathematics Courses through Adaptive Interventions

Improving the experiences of first year math students of the Faculty of Science, Technology and Environment is a complicated, challenging yet intriguing problem. The complexity of the problem is the growing number of first year online courses in the University of the South Pacific operated from 12 member countries isolated geographically in the Pacific. This paper explains the impact of new at-risk intervention programmes on mathematics courses at different modes. The Science faculty has not implemented any definite measures for at-risk students. However, the faculty has piloted activities in maths courses especially face to face courses. After this implementation the pass rates compared to the past pass rates has improved which shows the benefits of the at-risk intervention programme. However, the at-risk programme seems not to have benefitted the online courses. The strengths and challenges of these adaptive interventions are highlighted with interpretations and recommendations

Faculty Orientation Online Tool For First Year Science Students: Transitioning For Success

This paper investigates the design implementation of a discipline specific online orientation tool for new students of higher education. Many incoming students face difficulties because of the sudden change in the eduscape, the transition from high schools to higher education institutions made more difficult due to attributes such as different learning styles, lifestyles and traditional and cultural practices. In general, the lower pass rates in first year courses are especially noticeable for students who register late and those based in peripheral campuses and centres. This is also the case for many students who arrive to a new campus away from their countries for programmes not offered in their local campuses. This ICT enabled tool is designed to address the new students' anxieties and fears, and ease the adaptation to Science Programmes in higher education. The tool also allows students to understand the dynamic environment, be informed about the academic and social issues and also have the ownership of the University. Based on the findings, the paper provides recommendations on the design, development and implementation of the Faculty Orientation Online tool (FOOT)