‘Enhancing retention in distance education through ‘Proactive Motivational Support’

Tom Inkelaar and Ormond Simpson

Centre for Distance Education, University of London International Programmes

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Universities Association for Lifelong LearningAnnual Conference 2014

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The Centre for Distance Education - part of

- University of London International Programmes (the old External Degree)

- 45,000 students- in 180 countries.- 90 programmes

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University of London International Programmes are supported in two ways:

- Via a local teaching institution (132 of them)

- At a distance – teaching is entirely via books sent by post

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82

39

61.5

15.722

5.3 2.5 0.514

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0102030405060708090

100

Conventional institutions

Distance institutions

Conventional and distance graduation rates compared

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‘Educational Passchendaelism’?

Probability of suffering depression, unemployment and (women) partner violence, according to educational

experience (Bynner, 2002)

Probability of:

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What happens to students who dropout? - effects of dropout on full-time students in the UK

dropouts

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Importance of learning motivation

“The best predictor of student retention is motivation. Retention services need to clarify and build on motivation and address motivation-reducing issues. “Most students dropout because of reduced motivation”

(Anderson, San Diego, 2003)

Professor Edward Anderson

1942-2005

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Proactive Contact ‘Student self-referral does not work as a mode of promoting persistence. Students who need services the most refer themselves the least.

“Effective retention services take the initiative in outreach and timely interventions with those students.’

(Anderson, US)

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Learning motivation

1. What motivates students to learn?

2. Can we help them enhance their motivation by proactive support?

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Learning motivation theories

John Keller – ARCS Theory

Carole Dweck - Self Theory

Martin Seligman - Positive Psychology

Proactive student support – evidenceStudy Method Finding Notes

Rekkedahl ‘82 Norway

Postcards 46% increase in retention

 

Case & Elliot ’97 US

Phone calls 15-20% increase in retention

2 - 5 calls most effective

Visser ‘90 UK

Postcards 27% increase in retention

Small scale study

Chyung‘01 US

Phone calls Dropout reduced from 44% to 22%

 

Mager‘03 US

‘Telecounselling’ 5% increase in retention

Cost-effective625% return

Simpson‘06 UK

One phone call before course start

5.04% Cost–effective460% return

Twyford‘07 Aus.

Motivational emails 11.7% increase over control

 

Huett‘08 US

Motivational emails 23.4% increase over control

Significant at 0.5%

Simpson‘01 UK

Phone calls plus motivational emails

18.9% increase over control

 

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‘Motivational’ emails?

‘Proactive Motivational Support’ (PaMS)

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‘Study Tips’ – Introduction

1 Are you ‘fixed’ or ‘malleable’?2 What to expect from studying the LLB with the London University International Programme?3 Motivating yourself to learn4 Getting organised for study - a Funnel in your mailbox?5 Finding your best study methods6 Finding time when getting behind.7 Getting organised - making lists8 “I’ve those ‘why-am-I-trying-to-study-blues….”

‘Motivational emails’

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9 Survival Guide for You and Your Family

10 Managing your procrastinitus

11 Self-Discipline!

12 Learning to concentrate on learning

13 Are you a lucky student?

14. ‘Study Anxiety Syndrome’

15 Tactics In The Exam Wars

16 ‘Don’t stop now!’

‘Motivational emails’ continued

Subject: Study Tip 1 - Are you ‘fixed’ or ‘malleable’? Dear << >>As I promised I’m sending you my first study tip. I hope you find it useful! Recent findings1 in psychology suggest that how we think about our own intelligence or IQ is the most important factor in how successful we are when we try to learn. Psychologists say that people fall into two groups – • ‘Fixed’ intelligence people – people who believe that their

intelligence is fixed at birth and can’t be changed by external factors or their own efforts.

• Malleable’ intelligence people – people who believe that their intelligence is not fixed and that it can be changed through effort. 15

These beliefs affect how people learn, particularly when they run into difficulties or fail an exam. People who believe that their intelligence is fixed may work hard. But when they run into difficulties or failure they tend to believe that they’ve reached the limit of their intelligence and give up. People who believe that their intelligence is malleable will see difficulties as a sign that they need to try harder. This is because they believe that effort will overcome such difficulties in the end.

Your intelligence is not fixedWe now know that (despite what psychologists used to believe) that intelligence is not a fixed quantity for life. It can be developed by personal endeavour.As psychologists2 now say “People often overestimate the important of intellectual ability. Practice and perseverance contribute more to accomplishment than being smart”. In other words the malleable people are right.

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Malleability is the keyMalleable people don’t see something hard to understand or a poor grade as a comment on their basic intelligence. They just see it as a sign that they need to ask for help and try again. So remember – your intelligence is malleable. With effort and support you can succeed on this course. Good Luck!Ormond SimpsonDistance Learning Consultant, University of London International Programme

1Dweck, C. (2000) ‘Self-Theories’ Psychology Press 2Hoppe and Stojanovic (2008) Sci. Amer. Mind  Please do not reply to this email. Send any queries to the Information Centre enquiries@london.ac.uk To opt out of receiving these emails click here

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 Dear << >>Catching up - Almost every student gets behind with their studies at some point. Life just happens! So here’s the world’s shortest guide on how to catch up - the 3S model S = Skim. Sometimes when you need to catch up it’s ok

to skim what you’re reading and just get a feel for it without reading it word for word.

S = Skip. Sometimes it’s ok the skip some material all together if you need to and if it’s not vital for the next bit of study.

S = Scrape. If you’re behind doing an assignment then occasionally it’s ok to aim to just scrape through. You don’t have to do everything perfectly!

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Complete texts on www.ormondsimpson.com

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Studentson 2012-13 Law

module

Initial numbe

rs

Entered at least 1 exam

Sat at least 1 exam

Passed at least 1 exam

Control group 1691 74.4% 66.0% 55.2%

Experimental group 1683 76.6% 68.3% 57.6%

Increase in retention in experimental

group

  +2.2% +2.3% +2.4%

Results of the motivational email project 2012-13

Average increase in retention 2.3% points

(32 students)

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The Cost Benefits of Retention Activities Project

If F = students fee per year, S = institutional expenditure per student, V = total institutional overhead then if the number of students in year 1 is N1 and in year 2 is N2

Income Year 1 = N1F – (N1S + V) Income Year 2 = N2F – (N2S + V)

Reduction in income due to student dropout between years = N1F – (N1S + V) – [N2F – (N2S + V)] = (N1 – N2)(F – S)

Then if there is a retention activity costing £P per student it will cost N1P. If that increases retention by n students so that N2 becomes N1 + n then the reduction in income is now:

[N1 – (N2 + n)](F - S)

So the reduction is itself reduced making a saving of (N1 – N2)(F – S) – {[N1 – (N2 + n)](F - S)} = n(F – S)

For the retention activity to be self-supporting n(F – S) > N1POr np > 100P/(F – S) where np is the per cent increase in retention

For example P = £10 F = £2500, S = £1000 then np > 100x10/(2500-1000) = 0.67%So if a retention activity costing £10 per student produces an increase in retention of more than 0.67% it will be self-supporting.

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Funding learner support £ Fund a retention activity

Increases student

retention

Generates increased

student fee income from

re-enrolments

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Cost Benefits of the Proactive Motivational Support Project

Increase in income due to more students sitting and paying the exam fee

= 32 students x exam fee £232 = £7424

Increase in income due to more students carrying on to a second module

= 32 students x regn. fee £351 = £11,232

Total benefit = £18,656

Cost of project (approx)

Profit

= £600

= £18,056= 3000%Return on

Investment

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Looking to the future:

• Make the emails more interactive eg with online questionnaires.

• More personal eg by linking to personal data

• Make the cost-benefit case for proactive phone calls

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'Supporting Students for Success in Online

and Distance Education' (2013) - now out with

Routledgehttp://tinyurl.com/

supporting-students

Website www.ormondsimpson.com