Full Description
Higher education has undergone a massive transformation in teaching and learning in a very short period of time since the onset of Covid-19. Students, teachers and universities have had to adopt online and blended learning, often with little or no experience or models of good practice to draw upon. It is clear that blended and online learning are here to stay. This book draws on research from universities that have adopted online and blended learning to facilitate the expansion and diversification of their intake; which resulted in considerable experience and expertise in online and blended teaching. The book describes a model, tested with qualitative and quantitative data, which shows how teachers can support the retention and success of online and blended learners with four high-quality pedagogical elements: bite-sized videos of interest and relevance; learning materials that are well organised and provide a clear learning roadmap; discussion forums which are set up and moderatedso as to result in lively student-student and student-teacher interaction; and, online teachers being approachable and responsive to communication with individual students through email, phone and online communication platforms. This model is explained and profusely illustrated with examples from the teaching of award-winning teachers.
This book introduces the concept of a spectrum from traditional to contemporary models of admission and course delivery in higher education. It explains how universities which have adopted a contemporary model, with high levels of blended and online learning, have been able to expand their intake and markedly diversify the student body. It discusses how to support the retention and success of online and blended learners. Student support services are examined from the perspectives of service providers and online and blended learners and the case is made for support services being aligned with student needs. The book has a discussion of university management systems which utilise feedback at all levels to improve alignment between support service provision and student needs.
Contents
Chapter 1 Introduction.- Part A: Adopting a contemporary model of admission and course delivery to expand and diversify the student intake.- Chapter 2 Review of schemes for admitting a more diverse student body in higher education.- Chapter 3 Why Tasmania has a particular need to increase educational participation.- Chapter 4 Expanding and diversifying intakes through the adoption of open and online learning.- Chapter 5 Characteristics of the diverse student body and the multiple associated challenges they face.- Chapter 6 Catering for rural, regional and remote students with online learning.- Chapter 7 Coping mechanisms adopted by the diverse student body.- Part B: Supporting the retention and success of online and blended learners.- Chapter 8 Review of support provided by student support services.- Chapter 9 Review of literature on attrition.- Chapter 10 Modelling retention and success in traditional and contemporary universities.- Chapter 11 Comparison of student support services in four universities.- Chapter 12 Perceptions of support services by blended and online learners.- Part C: Implementing a model for the retention and success of online and blended learners.- Chapter 13 International perspectives on the transformation of teaching, learning and support in the new normal.- Chapter 14 Modelling the way teachers can support the retention and success of online students.- Chapter 15 Detailed characterisation of online teaching which optimises student support.- Chapter 16 Supporting blended learners in the new normal.- Chapter 17 Peer student support and the formation of learning communities.- Chapter 18 A teaching quality enhancement initiative which uses evaluation feedback to enable online and blended teaching to provide support to students.- Chapter 19 Practical implications of implementing a model of supporting retention and success for online and blended learners.- Chapter 20 Conclusion.
