Universities Association for Lifelong Learning
Annual Conference 2014
‘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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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
3
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
82
Conventional institutions
Distance institutions
61.5
39
15.7
22
14
5.3
2.5
0.5
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Conventional and distance graduation rates compared
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‘Educational Passchendaelism’?
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What happens to students who dropout?
- effects of dropout on full-time students in the UK
Probability of:
dropouts
Probability of suffering depression, unemployment and (women) partner
violence, according to educational experience (Bynner, 2002) 6
Importance of learning motivation
“The best predictor of student
retention is motivation. Retention
services need to clarify and build on
motivation and address motivationreducing issues.
“Most students dropout because of
reduced motivation”
Professor
Edward Anderson
1942-2005
(Anderson, San Diego, 2003)
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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
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Proactive student support – evidence
Study
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
Simpson
‘06 UK
Twyford
‘07 Aus.
‘Telecounselling’
5% increase in retention Cost-effective
625% return
5.04%
Cost–effective
460% return
11.7% increase over
control
Huett
‘08 US
Motivational emails
23.4% increase over
control
Simpson
‘01 UK
Phone calls plus
motivational emails
18.9% increase over
control
One phone call before
course start
Motivational emails
Significant at
0.5%
‘Motivational’ emails?
‘Proactive Motivational Support’
(PaMS)
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‘Motivational emails’
‘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 learn
4 Getting organised for study - a Funnel in your mailbox?
5 Finding your best study methods
6 Finding time when getting behind.
7 Getting organised - making lists
8 “I’ve those ‘why-am-I-trying-to-study-blues….”
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‘Motivational emails’ continued
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!’
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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.
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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 fixed
We 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 key
Malleable 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 Simpson
Distance Learning Consultant, University of London International
Programme
1Dweck,
C. (2000) ‘Self-Theories’ Psychology Press
2Hoppe and Stojanovic (2008) Sci. Amer. Mind
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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!
Complete texts on www.ormondsimpson.com
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Results of the motivational email project 2012-13
Students
on 2012-13 Law module
Initial
numbers
Entered
at least
1 exam
Control group
1691
74.4%
66.0%
55.2%
Experimental group
1683
76.6%
68.3%
57.6%
+2.2%
+2.3%
+2.4%
Increase in retention
in experimental group
Sat at Passed
least 1 at least
exam
1 exam
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) > N1P
Or 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
Generates
increased student
fee income from
re-enrolments
Increases
student
retention
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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
Increase in income due to
more students carrying on
to a second module
= 32 students x exam fee
£232
= £7424
= 32 students x regn. fee
£351
= £11,232
Total benefit
= £18,656
Cost of project (approx)
= £600
Profit
= £18,056
Return on Investment
= 3000%
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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 Routledge
http://tinyurl.com/
supporting-students
Website
www.ormondsimpson.com
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