Post on 19-Dec-2015
Retention Management & Disability Accommodation Strategies in Online Social
Work EducationThe MSW@USC Experience
Presenters
Brad Adams, MA EVP, Post Enrollment Services - 2U, Inc.
R. Paul Maiden, PhD, LCSW Executive Vice Dean & Professor, USC
Leslie Wind, PhD, LCSWAssociate Dean, Academic Programs, USCClinical Associate Professor
The MSW@USC is a collaborative effort between the USC School of Social Work and 2U, Inc:
Goals for Session Outcomes
• Understand the USC-2U model
• Understand difference in supporting online versus traditional students
• Gain insight into interventions and analytics
• Gain First-Hand learning from actual student experiences
• Key questions to consider in online retention management
The MSW Program at USC: N=3,674
• 120 Full time faculty, 250+ part time and adjunct faculty
• Five Academic Centers
• University Park (1920): N=908
• Orange County Academic Center (1984): N=289
• Skirball Academic Center (2003): N=36
• San Diego Academic Center (2009): N=211
• Virtual Academic Center (2010)
• Cohort 1: N=80; Cohort 18: N=2230
World’s Preeminent Programs2009
2010
2011
2013
2014
2015
Live Classes
DynamicContent
SocialEngagement
Real-World Experience
Comprehensive Student
Support
The Five Pillars of the MSW@USC Student Experience
USC-2U Model: Shared Roles & Accountability
USCJoint
FundingContent
DevelopmentTechnology
PlatformStudent
Acquisition
Admissions &
Financial AidFaculty
Student & Faculty Support
Granting Degrees
USC Owns- Program (Content, Curriculum, etc)- Faculty - Admissions Criteria & Decisions- Accreditation- Degree Requirements/Granting
2,230Enrolled Students
49States Represented
72%Part-time Students
85%Women
1,646 Graduates
25%Majored in Psychology
The Virtual Academic Center Snapshot
The Online Student
• Student Success• Student/Faculty
Satisfaction• Retention• Great Field Experiences• Graduation• Employment
Our Goals Are Our Students Goals
Wrap-around SupportStudent Support Advisor
Field Placement Team
Academic Resources
Faculty
Student
Student Perspective
A unique combination of data analytics, relationship building, and resources to drive student outcomes and help each student reach their potential.
Extensive Time Constraints
Academic Preparedness
Career Motivation & Aspirations Work-Life Demands
Proactive Approach to Student Advising
Enroll Program Onboarding Register
Ongoing Coachin
gRetentio
n Graduate Alumni
Successful retention encompasses the entire student lifecycle
Engagement and Relationship-Building
Prior to Program start
• Welcome call
• Orientation session
• Initial advising assessment
• Writing Assessment
Semester One
• Targeted advising meetings
• Writing & Academic Support
Proactive Approach to Student Advising
• Early outreach• Continuous & purposeful contact prior to program start and during
semester one• Training and skill-building• Identification of student strengths• Identification of student’s motivation for completing the program• Celebration of successes• Referral to resources:
• Writing support• Peer tutoring• Brief counseling
Preventing Attrition
• Online education presents exciting new possibilities• Many of our accommodations have enabled an MSW
degree for students unable to attend a campus based program
Accessibility Interventions
Accessibility Examples
Closed CaptioningCaptioning for online coursework
https://s3.amazonaws.com/usc-msw/0Captions/cc_example1.html
Audio DescriptionsContextual/body language descriptors
https://s3.amazonaws.com/usc-msw/Audio+Description+videos/503/503_2.5.html
Other Examples of Accommodations
Note-takers Wheelchair accessibility at placement site Interpreter Live Captioning
• Writing support is available to all students – regular admits and conditional admits
• This starts with a three part writing assessment: APA, grammar, organization
• The writing assessment is mandatory for conditional admit students – overall undergrad GPA < 3.0
• A word about ‘mandatory’• Professional writing staff and 2nd year peer tutors
Writing Support Services
• Conditional admit students who completed the writing assessment and received ongoing writing support achieved a GPA of 3.0> by the end of the first semester.
• Conditional admit lifted! (4 semesters of mid and final grades
• Regular admit students who took advantage of writing support achieved higher GPAs than those who did not.
• Conditional admit students who did not complete the writing assessment did not achieve the minimum grade necessary to remain in the MSW program.
Student achievements with writing support:
Class Attendance Report Last Activity Report
Class attendance is recorded and SSA’s can reach out to students who
aren’t attending classes.
SSA’s can easily see which students are logging into the LMS and reach
out before problems arise.
Using Analytics to Support Interventions4
Case Study - LeannStudent Situation: In Leann’s 1st semester her brother passed away unexpectedly. Earlier on, she shared with her advisor that her brother was her main source of support so this was especially devastating for her.
Intervention:• Advisor had strong rapport with Leann and was there for her. • Advisor offered a referral to counseling services and, with the
student’s consent, completed a warm transfer to the counseling team.• Advisor & Student Support Director worked with Executive Vice Dean
& staff to determine additional supports that could be offered to the student.
• Advisor provided ongoing support via weekly phone meetings throughout the remainder of the term.
Outcome: Leann completed her first semester and elected to take a leave of absence to allow her time to cope with her grief. She remains committed to returning to the program.
Case Study - MartinStudent Situation: Martin is enrolled in the program part-time and works 30 hours per week. At the start of the term, he expressed concerns about being successful in the research course. Martin’s professor reported in week 8 that he was in danger of failing.
Intervention:• Advisor helped Martin to meet with his professor to determine his
standing in the course and a path for performance improvement. • Advisor referred Martin for peer tutoring services.• Advisor assisted Martin with locating a study group and exam
preparation sessions available in the Virtual Academic Center.Outcome: Martin accessed peer tutoring and attended several study and exam preparation sessions. He also met with his Professor and was able to resubmit one of his assignments in order to improve his grade. He successfully passed the course.
Case Study - LisaStudent Situation: Lisa, a mother of 3 young children, completed her BA 10 years ago and has not written an academic paper since. She feels overwhelmed by the volume of required reading and has fallen behind.
Intervention: • Advisor encouraged Lisa to communicate with her Professors and
role-played what that conversation might look like.• Advisor used notes about strengths and social supports to make
suggestions for possible solutions.• Advisor partnered with Lisa to create a schedule for completion of
reading and coursework.Outcome: Lisa was able to implement the plan she created with her Advisor and pass both of her classes with B grades. She is currently performing and is in her third semester at USC.
Outcomes - Satisfaction
USC & 2U use these scores systematically to identify opportunities/needs for improvement on an ongoing basis. Survey scores are compiled at the end of each semester and are used to create action plans in partnership with USC leadership. We ask their overall impression of the program, student support, placement, curriculum and technology, incorporated into a standard end of semester survey.
Q1 2012
Q2 2012
Q3 2012
Q4 2012
Q1 2013
Q2 2013
Q3 2013
Q4 2013
Q1 2014
Q2 2014
Q3 2014
Q4 2014
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
All Program - Avg Student Net Promoter Score
Q1 2012
Q2 2012
Q3 2012
Q4 2012
Q1 2013
Q2 2013
Q3 2013
Q4 2013
Q1 2014
Q2 2014
Q3 2014
Q4 2014
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
All Program - Avg Faculty Net Promoter Score
Outcomes – 2nd Semester Sequential Registration
2010 2011 2012 2013 20140%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Outcomes – Employment
83%
7%
4%
5%
1%
Employed FT in SWWorking FT - non SWNon Traditional SWNot Seeking (Addl School, Family, etc)Other
• 9 month post graduation outcomes• Over 1600 graduates to date• National presence and impact
11%
89%
Unemployed and Seeking Employed
• USC-2U Integration = 1 team• Holistic Student Focus • Information Drives Results• Integrated Support/Academic Advising• Strong Relationships• Coaching• Targeted Interventions
Keys to Success
Q&A
THANK YOU!