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In this Issue:

• Project update • Examples of pilot Student Support Teams • Award­based services project • 28 recommendations

Student Support Review­ Implementation & Pilot Phase

The purpose of the SSR newsletters is to keep Open University staff and students informed about the progress of the implementation & pilot phase of the project.

Student Support Review (SSR) Project update

As reported in the previous newsletter, nine pilots have been given initial approval to trial the support of students through Student Support Teams. These pilots will last from 2009 until July 2011. Because of OUBS presentation patterns, a decision has been made to start the OUBS pilot in May 2009, with the remaining 8 pilots beginning in October/November 2009. The early start of the OUBS pilot is an excellent opportunity for the Project Team to test new student support systems at an early stage of the project.

On 20 th January, the first pilot team workshop was held at Kent’s Hill. All pilot team members met with staff from Student Services and AACS to discuss the development of the pilots. The OUSA President, Lisa Carson, and the Chair of the AL Committee, Isobel Faulkner, also attended.

The Student Support Review is not just concerned with developing pilot teams, although this is the bulk of its work at this stage of the project. It is also tasked with co­ordinating the other recommendations approved by Senate. For more details, please see page 4.

The nine provisional pilots are: 1. Arts & Humanities – Supporting Progression from Entry to Award 2. FELS – Foundation Degree in Sport, Fitness and Health 3. HSC – Pathway study support for HSC students in Scotland 4. MCT – Engineering Undergraduate Pathways and Progression Support 5. OUBS – Global online Certificate in Management 6. Science – Team based proactive contact with Level 1 Science students 7. Science ­ Support and Assessment changes for Level 2 and 3 physical

science students 8. Social Science ­ Level 1 Guidance, Pathway Support & Progression 9. Postgraduate Social Sciences

For more details on some of these pilots, please see page 2 & 3.

http://www.open.ac.uk/student­support­review/

Issue 2, February 2009

Issue 3 due April 2009

The Student Support Review Implementation & Pilot Phase Project Team:

Steve Swithenby – Academic Director

Christine Wise and Richard Allen – Academic Advisers

Rachel Burn – Programme Manager

Roddy Grant – Systems Co­ordinator

Dawn Patton – Personal Assistant

We are based in South West Building, Room 030 Email: Student­Support­ Review@open.ac.uk

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in Management Student Support Team pilots – a few examples: FELS pilot – Foundation degree in Sports, Fitness and Health This project will focus on support for students on the FD in Sports, Sports, Fitness and Health (G10), with a particular emphasis on students new to the Open University with planned early interventions at key points between initial enquiry and post TMA01.

This subject based team will supervise student communication, manage a UK­wide TSA process and provide personalised and pathway support. It will investigate innovative ways in which to adjust the current support model to target those who need assistance. Key tuition features will include synchronous conferencing via Elluminate with inter­regional day schools at crucial periods of study.

Level 1 Science pilot The project will explore how teams working in Region R04 and Scotland can provide proactive induction, progress checking and course choice advice to the range of students entering and studying level 1 science courses. It will aim to foster a science community that will support both students and tutors. The project envisages the following activities:

• All enquirers directed to online ‘Are you ready for level 1 Science?’ diagnostic quiz to confirm preparedness and appreciation of the time required for study of their course of choice. Build referral mechanism both from website to support team for advice and guidance where a prospective student wishes this and from website to tracked progress if registered students have engaged with the diagnostic quiz and if their course choice is consistent with the results.

• Proactive contact generated at registration by phone or email with script or text tailored to elicit reasons – input from Pathway Tutor.

• Monitor progress on course with project team to initiate action once any assignment was overdue (contact via AL /designated Study Adviser/pathway tutor).

• Proactive intervention at appropriate point in course to consider future study plans and invite personal contact, if required; tailored to student­stated pathways

• React to student difficulties / special requirements / personal circumstances brought to attention of the project team.

• Monitor next course choice and intervene if it appears inappropriate. Update information on pathway choice if this has changed.

• Be responsive to special requirements indicated by future study choice. • Develop a focused area on the Science web site – interactive for pilot group

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How to contact us:

Student­Support­Review@open.ac.uk

http://www.open.ac.uk/student­support­review/ or

Please call us on 55525 or 55393

Pilot Teams continued from page 2

Levels 2 & 3 Physical Sciences pilot This project has two areas of activity: on­course support and pathway guidance. The model for on­course support builds on existing plans to alter the assessment strategy of Level 3 physical science courses to shift towards both e­assessment, e­tuition and to more frequent formative feedback of both iCMAs and short tutor marked assignments. These data will feed into dynamic student profiles that describe progress and prompt targeted intervention. Alongside this reform will be the reorganisation of tutorial/day school/conferencing support to create a coherent overall programme with the aspiration that this will nurture a more effective learning community. The team will have an additional responsibility to provide pathway support to all existing and putative physical science students. The mechanisms for doing this remain to be defined but will include physical and virtual events, as well as social networking and enhanced communication about pathways.

OUBS pilot – online route to the Certificate in Management This project will demonstrate effective and efficient team­based support of open entry online undergraduate study at Level 3, using automated proactive support, tracking of student progress and the role of the pathway tutor.

The project will integrate Student Services and Business School support for students taking the online (BZX) route to the Certificate in Management. It will use automated proactive support and tracking. A pathway tutor will moderate an online environment which improves support for student induction, learning and progress and progression through the three courses of the award and beyond. We have chosen this programme for piloting because it is open entry with many students beginning OU study at Level 3; because it is globally available, and our experience of supporting such students is that they are more prone to being affected by systems constraints (such as the need to organise overseas examinations) than UK students; and because the programme is modular, requiring registration for the next course before the current course is completed.

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28 recommendations were approved by Senate in April 2009. They are all listed on the SSR website. Recommendations 9­13 refer to the Award­based services project.

The relevant recommendations are:

9 The University will offer every student support to define their study goals, and to plan and move along a pathway of courses to achieve those goals.

10 All students will be required to specify either an award objective, or that they have no award objective, or that they have not yet decided on an award objective.

11 All students will be linked to a University approved subject area or subject. 12 The University will offer every student support to choose their next course. 13 All students will be able to record their planned next course and the future

courses they are considering.

Award­based services project http://intranet.open.ac.uk/studentservices/business/pages/as­home.php The Award­based Services project has a remit to deliver on recommendations 9 to 13 of the Student Support Review. Award­based Services is a three year programme of activity rather than a single project, and has five interdependent strands:

Strand 1. Managing award intentions The purpose of the first strand is to reform the processes of collecting information on students’ subject and qualification intentions, determining the eligibility of students for qualifications and offering students the qualifications for which they are eligible.

Strand 2. The Qualifications ‘SatNav’ The purpose of Strand 2 is to create a means for students to record their planned next and future courses along a pathway and to improve systems­based personalised Information, Advice and Guidance (IAG), such as recommended study routes and checks on the appropriateness of their study choices.

Strand 3. Managing course choice: This strand will encourage course choice and student registration from course to course along their study route in a way which builds students’ continuing relationships with the Open University. The purpose is to help make ‘course choice’ for continuing students more effective and efficient by grounding it in the information captured about their study goals and pathway plans.

Strand 4. Reports and analyses The purpose of Strand 4 is to improve the provision of progression analyses and award­related management information.

Strand 5. Fees and financial services This strand will assess the potential of award­based pricing and financial incentives to encourage student progression and take forward any agreed recommendations.