1. A Balancing Act? Development and Application of a New Model for Retention of Part Time Distance Learners Susan Edwards Student Liaison Officer (Retention) University of Derby

2. Overview of Session Interesting Facts – Student Retention in the UK What is Different? - Generalisations … Why Does the Difference Matter? –Mature and Working Students Why a New Model? Edwards Retention Scales for Part Time Distance Learners – 3 Examples Practical Applications Questions?

3. Interesting Facts - Student Retention in the UK Withdrawal rates not changed significantly since 1982 Select Committee on Education and Employment (2001) UK has 2 nd highest retention rate after Japan McGraw (2002) (2004/05) 91.6% of full time students continued to 2nd year of study (2004/05) 79.6% of part time students continued to 2nd year of study Completion rates not calculated due to lack of consistent course structure and the inherent flexibilities in the patterns of study and time taken to complete a course National Audit Office (2007)

4. What is Different? – Some Generalisations Part-Time Distance Mature Working Outside Commitments Returners to Study

5. Why Does the Difference Matter? – Mature Mature withdraw for different reasons than younger students. one and a half times more likely to make the wrong choice of field of study were much more likely to experience financial difficulty suffer from the demands of employment whilst studying more likely to have dependants (Yorke, 1999)

6. Why Does the Difference Matter? - Working Whilst Studying a marked and significant reduction in the end-of- year average of students who were employed. …. 37.7 per cent of those who had a job could have achieved a higher class of degree result for that year if they had not been in employment. Humphrey (2006) eight out of ten students said working affected the time they spent on academic study Universities UK Student Debt Project Report (2002)

7. Why a new model? Why do some students stay when things are stacked against them? Reflected my own practice Tool to explain Diagnostic Bespoke to the Individual Allow people to exit as well as stay

11. Practical Applications Revised versions can be used in one-to-one sessions with students Infinitely adaptable to individuals circumstances – students appreciate the relevance to their own situation Easy to demonstrate the how additional support for example can affect outcome

12. Questions?

13. Bibliography Adnett, N. (2006) Student Finance and Widening Participation in the British Isles: Common Problems, Different Solutions. In Higher Education Quarterly, Volume 60, Issue 4, pp296–311 Barefoot, B.O. (2004) Higher educations revolving door: confronting the problems of student drop out in US colleges and universities. In Open Learning: The Journal of Open and Distance Learning, Volume 19, Issue 1, pp9-18 Bowl, M. (2003) Non-Traditional Entrants to Higher Education Stoke On Trent: Trentham Books Ltd Edwards, S. and Minton, A. M. (2009) Rethinking the retention of students in part –time distance learning In Young, D. and Garnett, J.(eds) (2009) Work-based learning Futures III Bolton: University Vocational Awards Council Elkins, S. A., Braxton, J. M., Glenn, W. J. (2000) Tintos Separation Stage and its Influence on First Semester College Student Persistence. In Research in Higher Education, Volume 41, Issue 2, pp251-268 Ethington, C. A., Thorn, R.A. (2007) An Examination of Paces Model of Student Development and College Impress. In Community College Journal of Research and Practice, Volume 31, Issue 3, pp183–198 Great Britain (2001) Education and Employment - Seventh Special Report Higher Education: Student Retention, Education and Employment Committee. London: HMSO Humphrey, R. (2006) Pulling Structured Inequality into Higher Education: the Impact of Part-Time Working on English University Students. In Higher Education Quarterly, Vol 60, Issue 3, pp270–286 Student Transition and Retention Conference, 12-15 June, 2007, University of Ulster, Proceedings Liao, L.. (2006) A Flow Theory Perspective on Learner Motivation and Behaviour in Distance Education In Distance Education, Vol 27, Issue 1, pp45–62 Longden, B. (2006) An Institutional Response to Changing Student Expectations and their Impact on Retention Rates. In Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management, Vol 23, Issue 2, pp173-187 Moxley, D., Najor-Durack, N. and Dumbrigue, C. (2001) Keeping Students in Higher Education: Successful Practices and Strategies for Retention London: Kogan Page Ltd. National Audit Office (2007) Staying the course: The retention of students in higher education London: The Stationary Office Quinn, J., Thomas, L., Slack, K., Casey, L., Thexton, W., and Noble, J. (2005) From life crisis to lifelong learning: Rethinking working-class drop out from higher education Joseph Rowntree Foundation: York Richardson, J. T. E. (2000) Researching Student Learning: Approaches to Studying in Campus-based and Distance Education Buckingham: The Society for Research into Higher Education & Open University Press Thomas, L., Quinn, J., Slack, K., Casey, L. (2002) Student Services: Effective Approaches to Retaining Students in Higher Education Staffordshire: Institute of Access Students. Wilcox, P., Winn, S. and Fyyie-Gauld, M. (2005) ''It was nothing to do with the university, it was just the people': the role of social support in the first- year experience of higher education In Studies in Higher Education, Volume 30, Issue 6, pp707- 722 Yorke, M. (2004) Retention, persistence and success in on-campus higher education, and their enhancement in open and distance learning In Open Learning: The Journal of Open and Distance Learning, Vol 19, Issue 1, pp 19-32 Universities UK (2002) Student Debt Project – key early findings - Survey of Current Students – Main findings on students attitudes to debt and term- time working Ruth Van Dyke, South Bank University and Brenda Little, Open University.