NCSEHE Adjunct Fellow Dr Cathy Stone (University of Newcastle) presents her work on improving student access, participation and success in higher education. Cathy's National Guidelines for Improving Student Outcomes in Online Learning are available on the NCSEHE website: https://www.ncsehe.edu.au/publications/opportunity-online-learning-improving-student-access-participation-success-higher-education/

1. Curtin University is a trademark of Curtin University of Technology
CRICOS Provider Code 00301J
Why do we need to look at online learning?
 External university enrolments rising proportionately faster than internal
students (Australian HE Standards Panel (HESP) Discussion Paper, 2017)
 Poorer rate of completion of u/g degrees compared with on-campus
students
 46.6% external students completing compared with 76.6% for internal
students (DET, 2017 - Completion Rates of Higher Education Students - Cohort Analysis,
2005-2014)
 External students 2.5 times more likely than internal students to
withdraw without a qualification (Australian HE Standards Panel (HESP) Discussion
Paper, 2017)

2. Curtin University is a trademark of Curtin University of Technology
CRICOS Provider Code 00301J
Growth in online higher education 2010-2017
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
2010 2011 2015 2016 2017
Percentage of external students within commencing
domestic cohorts 2010-2017
(DET Student Data Reports)

3. Curtin University is a trademark of Curtin University of Technology
CRICOS Provider Code 00301J
Online students more likely to be:
 Older
 First in their families/amongst their friends, to go to university
 Working in part-time or full-time employment
 Studying part-time
 Time-poor, with multiple other commitments e.g. home/work/family
 Unable to take the time and/or travel the distance to study on-campus
 By necessity, family and paid work responsibilities are prioritised over
their studies

4. Curtin University is a trademark of Curtin University of Technology
CRICOS Provider Code 00301J
How can we give them a better experience?
Research through the National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Education
(NCSEHE) Curtin University (Stone, 2017); aimed to:
National Guidelines for improving student
outcomes in online learning
(Released March 2017)
Investigate engagement, teaching
and support strategies for domestic
u/g online students
Seek combined wisdom of higher
education practitioners on what is
most important to help online
students stay & succeed

5. Curtin University is a trademark of Curtin University of Technology
CRICOS Provider Code 00301J
10 National Guidelines for Institutions
1. Know who the students are – demographics, needs and strengths -
make sure the external, online cohort is well understood across the
institution
2. Develop, implement & regularly review institution-wide quality
standards for online education (continuous quality improvement)
3. Intervene early to address student expectations, build skills and
engagement – contact, connect, prepare
4. Explicitly value and support the vital role of ‘teacher-presence’ – e.g.
training, resourcing, realistic class sizes and allocated teaching time
5. Design for online – ‘online first’, inclusive, accessible

6. Curtin University is a trademark of Curtin University of Technology
CRICOS Provider Code 00301J
10 National Guidelines for Institutions
6. Engage and support through curriculum, content and delivery – institutional
quality standards
7. Build collaboration across campus to deliver holistic student support –
integrated, embedded in curriculum
8. Contact and communicate throughout the student journey – institutional
framework of interventions
9. Make strategic use of learning analytics to inform intervention strategy -
target and personalise student interventions, including personalising
curriculum
10. Invest in online education – ensure it is core business, funded appropriately