Online student support: a framework for embedding support interventions into the online learning cycle

Support is one of the crucial elements of online students’ success. Although many support strategies have been documented in the past, less is known at what stages of the learning cycle suggested interventions can be embedded into the online learning curriculum. This paper offers a systematic review of the 28 empirical studies on effective support strategies and interventions that are indexed by the SCOPUS database between 2010 and 2020. Following an Inclusive Student Services Process Model framework, identified strategies are allocated across different phases of student learning to indicate where and when they can be delivered to online students. The analysis suggests that the effectiveness of the support provision depends on the time when support is offered. Furthermore, it was found that two areas support delivery, namely support at transitions and measurement of support interventions, remain under-researched. Finally, the analysis showed two emerging trends in online students support: an increasing role of technology and social network sites to design support interventions and a shift to a more personalised yet holistic approach to student support.

Student Support and Transition Through a Buddy Programme to Foster Social Integration

The University of Pretoria (UP) began offering formal academic student support in 2011 when the first faculty student advisor (FSA) was appointed. Although many more FSAs were subsequently appointed, assistance to all the students in need of support remained insufficient. However, financial assistance through the collaboration grant received from the Department of Higher Education and Training in 2018 made it possible to explore new areas of support. The UP was able to pilot four innovations due to the availability of additional funds. These included generic workshops across faculties; the creation of a hub in the library, which served as a common contact point for students requiring assistance; the appointment of peer advisors; and a Buddy Programme for first-year students. This article explains the Buddy Programme as perceived by the senior students who mentored the first-year students. The mentors are known as “big buddies”. Our work on this programme is based on Tinto’s (1975) ideas about social integration. The Buddy Programme was introduced to assist first-year students in their transition from school to university life. This paper highlights the challenges that first-year students faced and it explains how the concepts could become institutionalised once university activities have been normalised in the post-pandemic future.

Developing Mindsets: A Qualitative Study among First-Year South African University Students

This article reports on a qualitative study that evaluated first-year students’ lived experiences of attending a 12-week student support programme focused on fostering mindsets. Participants included 545 first year Engineering students enrolled for academic studies at a South African university. All participants completed qualitative narrative sketches depicting their experiences. A random sample of 300 students’ narrative sketches was included as data in the qualitative study. The data were analysed using thematic analysis, and Dweck’s theory on mindsets served as the theoretical lens through which the data were interpreted. The results indicate that the majority of students experienced significant personal growth from attending the student support programme. Additionally, the findings point to the relevance and importance of offering student support programmes focused on exploring mindsets to first-year students. The results of this exploratory study suggest that mindset theory should be considered as an essential component when advising first-year South African Engineering students. Furthermore, we make a case for the relevance of positive psychology-based development programmes for first-year students.

Exploring New PLTL Modalities, Forging New Alliances

This essay focuses on rethinking and reimagining elements of a PLTL program, and on the new modalities to meet challenges of online undergraduate mathematics courses and rising demands for flexible student support. It examines advantages and challenges as found in the Integrated PLTL and Virtual Peer-Led Mathematics Study Groups, including issues such as meeting protocols, and the selection and training of peer leaders. Finally, it discusses an alliance with the college’s mathematics education program, which allows the PLTL program to draw on senior prospective teachers to co-organize and facilitate virtual study groups supporting undergraduate mathematics courses.

Students’ Perceptions of higher education in Sāmoa: Finagalo fa’aalia o alo ma fanau a’oa’oina ile Iunivesetē Aoao o Sāmoa

<p>This thesis evaluates and analyses Sāmoan student perceptions of higher education in Sāmoa. This work offers an insider’s account of Sāmoan education in particular, focussing on current students belonging to the National University of Sāmoa (NUS). A Pasifika and Sociological framework was used in this study, employing Pasifika research methods of talanoa and aspects of Fa’afaletui. Nineteen NUS students and one student support staff were interviewed for this study. This thesis is not focussed on exploring linear pathways instead it focusses on student resilience in prioritizing their education. Thus, important of this work is to inform the National University of Sāmoa of their students’ needs and the challenges they face in order to provide appropriate support that are culturally and socially responsive to a Sāmoan student’s worldview.</p>

Students’ Perceptions of higher education in Sāmoa: Finagalo fa’aalia o alo ma fanau a’oa’oina ile Iunivesetē Aoao o Sāmoa

<p>This thesis evaluates and analyses Sāmoan student perceptions of higher education in Sāmoa. This work offers an insider’s account of Sāmoan education in particular, focussing on current students belonging to the National University of Sāmoa (NUS). A Pasifika and Sociological framework was used in this study, employing Pasifika research methods of talanoa and aspects of Fa’afaletui. Nineteen NUS students and one student support staff were interviewed for this study. This thesis is not focussed on exploring linear pathways instead it focusses on student resilience in prioritizing their education. Thus, important of this work is to inform the National University of Sāmoa of their students’ needs and the challenges they face in order to provide appropriate support that are culturally and socially responsive to a Sāmoan student’s worldview.</p>

Opportunities to improve learning analytics for student support when using online assessment tools

Knowing when a student is being productive in an online learning environment is challenging to discern from online trace data. Custom built assessment tools, integrated into a learning management system (LMS), offer a way to obtain finer-grained data not commonly available in existing systems. An exploratory observational study of 1,822 assessment submissions in an online course of 500 students was conducted. All assessments were submitted utilising a new online assessment tool that offered embedded resources, feedback and tracked when words were typed or pasted into the tool. Students were hesitant to consistently use the online editor, moderately used the embedded resources and heavily utilised the feedback. There was moderate evidence that whether or not a student viewed the previous assessments feedback was a better indicator of future assessment success than LMS activity.