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Cathy Stone

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Dr Cathy Stone is a Conjoint Associate Professor with the University of Newcastle, Australia and works as an Independent Consultant and Researcher in the higher education sector. She was a 2016 Equity Fellow with the National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Education (NCSEHE) and has had many years’ experience in developing and managing programs and strategies to improve student success and retention for both on-campus and online students in the Australian higher education sector. Much of Cathy’s research focuses on the experiences of mature-age and first-in-family students, in which she has a number of publications. Her most recent research has been aimed at improving outcomes for online students, amongst whom there is such diversity of experience and background, including students from regional, rural and remote locations. Cathy is also an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker with the Australian Association of Social Workers.

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Lisa Loutzenheiser

University of British Columbia

Ramesh Chander Sharma

Ambedkar University Delhi

Hunter College, CUNY

Patrick Lowenthal

Boise State University

Bahcesehir University

University of Canterbury/Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha

University College Dublin

NMIT (Australia)

Swarnima Sharma

Panjab University, Chandigarh(India)

Stavroula Kaldi

UNIVERSITY OF THESSALY, GREECE

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Papers by Cathy Stone

The Online Student Experience: New Challenges for Engagement and Support

Springer eBooks, Sep 23, 2023

Opportunity through online learning: improving student access, participation and success in higher education

Setting the Scene

Palgrave Macmillan UK eBooks, 2017

Concluding Thoughts

Palgrave Macmillan UK eBooks, 2017

The Lack of What …?: First-in-Family Learners and Their University Experience

Palgrave Macmillan UK eBooks, 2017

This chapter explores how the first-in-family (FiF) cohort is theorised and defined in various ge... more This chapter explores how the first-in-family (FiF) cohort is theorised and defined in various geographical and cultural contexts. Beginning with a critique around a lack of clarity of this cohort, the chapter moves to a review of related topics within the broad field of university participation and student engagement. O’Shea, May, Stone and Delahunty demonstrate the ways in which the FiF group is collectively framed as ‘lacking’. This deficit is articulated through reference to cultural, social, familial, academic and economic capitals. The chapter discusses how this focus on lack only serves to further disenfranchise these learners, arguably contributing to a pervasive sense of dislocation within the higher education environment. Chapter 3 continues this discussion by ‘disrupting’ this deficit framing through reference to narrative vignettes derived from the research projects.

Disrupting the Deficit: Beyond Notions of Lack for First-in-Family Students

Palgrave Macmillan UK eBooks, 2017

This chapter draws upon a strengths perspective that seeks to frame first-in-family (FiF) student... more This chapter draws upon a strengths perspective that seeks to frame first-in-family (FiF) students not as ‘lacking’ or as ‘deficit’ but rather as a cohort replete with cultural wealths. Building on Bourdieuian theories and referring explicitly to the work of Yosso (2005), the capabilities and cultural strengths of this older FiF cohort are revealed. The chapter provides a relational understanding of this student experience that considers the wider dynamics of learners’ lived realities. In exploring these unique contexts, three richly descriptive vignettes are featured and these are discussed collectively. This discussion reflects both upon the constraints that are expressed by the older learners as well as the personal strengths each story reveals about the narrator.

Parents Managing University and Family Life

Palgrave Macmillan UK eBooks, 2017

Many first-in-family (FiF) students begin their university journey not as traditional school leav... more Many first-in-family (FiF) students begin their university journey not as traditional school leavers, but as mature-age students who have busy family lives, often with young children, as well as working lives to manage. While families can be powerful sources of inspiration, support and encouragement, their demands and expectations can also be problematic and stressful, at times needing careful negotiation. This chapter explores the role that family played in the lives of the mature-age students with children, who formed a significant part of the cohort in Study B. The positive contribution of family, the challenges arising from family needs and demands, and the implications of gendered practices of child care and domestic responsibilities are examined. This chapter also points to the need for institutions to better understand and accommodate the particular needs of parent-students.

Trailblazing: Motivations and Relationship Impacts for First-in-Family Enabling Students

This chapter investigates the experiences of first-in-family (FiF) enabling students as they refl... more This chapter investigates the experiences of first-in-family (FiF) enabling students as they reflect on their participation in university. Due to the widening participation agenda, this cohort is increasing annually in Australia although they are little researched. The data have been harvested from interviews and surveys and analysed using biographical method to explore these enabling students’ motivations and relationship impacts. The chapter shows how their motivations are deeply embedded and complexly formulated within temporal and relational contexts as well as within their broader social, cultural and economic locations. Their trailblazing engagement in higher education (HE) is shown to be a social as much as an individual action, having impacts far beyond the transformations that the enabling learner personally experiences.

What Am I Waiting For?

Entering formal university study as the first person in one’s immediate family to do so is inevit... more Entering formal university study as the first person in one’s immediate family to do so is inevitably a major challenge. This chapter discusses some of the key factors that influenced the first-in-family (FiF) students who participated in Study B (as discussed in Chap. 1) to make the decision to undertake formal study at university level. It also examines the process of adjustment for these students and others around them to their new role as students. In the process of becoming a university student and identifying themselves as such, there were significant personal changes and transformations that emerged for these students. These are explored, along with the role that the institution can play in helping to transition the student into this new environment and in continuing to support the student’s journey.

Motivated Men: First-in-Family Male Students

While first-in-family (FiF) women’s experience of attending university has been examined in a gro... more While first-in-family (FiF) women’s experience of attending university has been examined in a growing body of literature, there has been little attention to the experiences of FiF males. This chapter presents an account of the motivations, transitions and participations of FiF male students using a narrative gender framework. The analysis especially privileges the idea of situated and relational masculinities (Hopkins and Noble, 2009). Age was found to be the chief organising category of their experiences structuring their embodied life course. Three main age and relational masculine performances emerged from these men’s stories, namely those of the Fathers, the Self-Starters and the Sons. Working to achieve or enact the breadwinner model of masculinity was found to be the dominant motivator behind their gender performances.

‘So How Was Big School Today?’ Family Perceptions of HE Participation

O’Shea, May, Stone and Delahunty have indicated how attending university for first-in-family (FiF... more O’Shea, May, Stone and Delahunty have indicated how attending university for first-in-family (FiF) students can lead to significant personal transformation but highlight how the embodied nature of this experience can remain hidden or overlooked in the literature. Equally, the effects that university participation has on those around the student remain unclear, particularly understandings about how their attendance impacts upon the perceptions and ambitions of significant others. This chapter seeks to explore the reactions of family members to this higher education (HE) odyssey, particularly how this decision reverberated within the household. Findings indicate that university participation does not only impact on students in an emotional and potentially transformative sense but also on those closest to them, leading to new conversations in the home place and in some cases, broader educational futures.

The Online Student Experience: New Challenges for Engagement and Support

Online learning has an important place in widening access and participation in higher education (... more Online learning has an important place in widening access and participation in higher education (HE) for diverse student cohorts. One cohort taking up online study in increasing numbers is that of mature-age first-in-family (FiF) students. This chapter looks at the experience of 87 FiF students, for whom the opportunity to enrol in online undergraduate studies through an open-entry pathway, made it possible for them to embark on a university education. In-depth interviews and surveys were conducted with these students as part of a wider study into FiF students described in Chap. 1 of this book (Study B). Findings include the important role that opportunity plays in providing the impetus for study, as well as the importance of support and encouragement from family, friends, colleagues and institutions in being able to continue the journey.

Equal or Equitable? The Role of Flexibility Within Online Education

The Australian and International Journal of Rural Education, Jul 24, 2022

Online study is generally associated with the terms flexible and flexibility. Many students choos... more Online study is generally associated with the terms flexible and flexibility. Many students choose to study online specifically for the flexibility that is offered, hoping they can combine their studies with multiple other responsibilities in their lives. For students living in regional and rural areas, such flexibility can be even more important, given the additional difficulties they face in accessing campus facilities. While a flexible learning environment has the potential to contribute positively towards equity in higher education, this equity can be compromised when university policies and processes that have been designed for on-campus students are applied equally to online students. This paper examines the experiences of a group of regional and rural Education students who have chosen to study online, to a large extent because of online learning's promised flexibility. Their experiences demonstrate that equal treatment may in fact undermine flexibility and result in an inequitable student experience.

From the margins to the mainstream: The online learning rethink and its implications for enhancing student equity

Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, Dec 19, 2022

From being largely at the margins of higher education for many years, online learning now finds i... more From being largely at the margins of higher education for many years, online learning now finds itself in the mainstream. This paper offers a critique of the online learning literature both pre-and post-2020, looking at changes in response to this shift. Evidence tells us that online learning plays a significant role in enhancing student equity, widening higher education access and participation for many students who would have found it difficult, if not impossible, to attend university on campus. This includes students from governmentidentified equity backgrounds, as well as other student cohorts underrepresented at university, such as older working students, parents, and others with caring responsibilities, and those from families with no previous experience of university. The mainstreaming and normalising of online learning now presents an opportunity for universities to learn from both past and emerging evidence, to evaluate past practice and offer a more flexible learning experience that better meets the needs of an even wider range of students. Keeping online learning firmly in the mainstream, while taking an evidence-based approach to ensuring the quality of its design and delivery, has the potential to enhance student equity on a much broader scale. Implications for practice or policy: • Improving the quality of online learning, using evidence-based research to design and deliver it more effectively, will enable more students to stay and succeed at university. • Continuing to offer online study options for all students, that is, keeping it in the mainstream, will further enhance student equity. • Mainstreaming online learning options as part of standard university practice will enable more students to benefit from the greater flexibility of both fully online and hybrid models.

They just give us the shiny picture, but I want to know what it's really like: Insights from regional high schools on perceptions of university outreach in South Australia

Education in rural Australia, Nov 18, 2022

Across Australia, students at regional, rural and remote high schools are considerably less likel... more Across Australia, students at regional, rural and remote high schools are considerably less likely to go to university than their metropolitan counterparts. One of the ways in which universities try to help to bridge this gap is to organise visits to such schools, with the purpose of familiarising students with the idea of university and encouraging them to consider going on to university after school. These visits range in purpose, from direct marketing to a genuine effort to widen access to university more generally. The key purpose of university visits is not always made explicit to the schools or the students, leading to a mismatch between university intentions and school and student expectations. Recent research with regional high schools in South Australia, using a mixed-methods approach, reveals the impact of this mismatch, with university visits being regarded by students and schools as, at best, disappointing and, at worst, as nothing more than marketing exercises and hence to be treated with suspicion. These research findings are discussed, and recommendations made for ways in which university visits may be more effectively geared towards meeting the needs of students, schools and parents. This paper recommends that universities work more closely with regional schools, parents and communities more broadly, with a greater emphasis on providing useful, practical information about what 'going to university' entails. We argue that, through this, more regional students may consider university as a viable post-school option.

Transformations and self-discovery: mature-age women's reflections on returning to university study

Studies in Continuing Education, Nov 1, 2011

Research has highlighted the challenges that women face as mature-age students in higher educatio... more Research has highlighted the challenges that women face as mature-age students in higher education. The challenges are particularly acute when a woman is the first in her family to go to university. Many women begin their journey as students with considerable self-doubt and lack of confidence. They also frequently face an ongoing struggle to find a way to combine their studies with other family responsibilities. This article presents the reflections of 18 women enrolled as mature-age students at an Australian university campus. Their triumphs, achievements and self-discoveries, as well as their struggles whilst undertaking their studies, are explored. In presenting the reflections of this group, the transformative nature of these experiences is highlighted, not only for the women themselves, but also potentially for their families, particularly their children. These narratives of achievement and transformation ultimately provide inspiration to other women contemplating such a step as well as insight for academic administrators and teaching staff regarding the significant personal change this decision can engender.

Conceptualising and building trust to enhance engagement, achievement and feedback-seeking behavior of under-served students: exploring instructor antecedents in online tertiary education

Online educators must establish the kinds of trust that are uncommon in didactic, mechanical peda... more Online educators must establish the kinds of trust that are uncommon in didactic, mechanical pedagogies. This conceptual paper asserts the importance of building and sustaining trust between higher education students and their instructors within the online environment. Instilling trust can construct sustainable learning environments that are abundant with collaborative inquiry and dialogue. The themes explored in this paper highlight and investigate the conceptual construct of trust and its antecedents. We address the nature and purpose of interpersonal trust in student/instructor relationships within online higher education institutions. We also explore several factors (in particular, performativity, casualisation of teaching staff, neoliberalism, non-traditional student identities and the digital divide) which influence the development of trust. We investigate the role of trust in influencing student feedback-seeking behaviour, engagement and achievement, in terms of attainment of academic goals. Notably, we highlight the importance of further inquiry into methods of rapport-building in higher education. Theoretical foundations have been drawn from Indigenous scholarship as well as organisational and socio-psychological literature. We close by welcoming further discussion of and reflection on institutional practices and performance measures in the digital environment and whether they allow instructors to embed relational aspects and elicit cognitive and affective trust from their students. Implications for practice As higher education (HE) shift to online, decision-makers must acknowledge the importance of relationship-building between under-served students and instructors HE institutions (HEIs) must recognise the nature of this online cohort through more tailored approaches that consider both the needs and the strengths of this diverse group of students

Improving Student Engagement, Retention and Success in Online Learning

Ch. 9 in Shah, Kift, Thomas. Student Retention & Success in Higher Education. Springer eBooks, 2021

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020, universities worldwide were already increasingly offering... more Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020, universities worldwide were already increasingly offering online, distance modes of study, including open access courses such as MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) alongside degree programs. Students from backgrounds and circumstances historically under-represented in higher education have been traditionally more highly represented in online studies, indicating the potential opportunity for further widening of participation in higher education. However, the recent imperative for online learning to replace face-to-face classes during the pandemic means that, at the time of writing this chapter in mid-2020, the majority of higher education students worldwide are studying in a remote, online mode. The higher attrition rates in online learning have been a cause of concern for some time, indicating that the diverse cohort of students attracted to online learning needs to be better understood and supported, both within teaching and learning practices and broader support mechanisms. With online learning now expanding even more rapidly, there is an urgent need to address this issue. This chapter focuses on the student experience of online learning, examining recent Australian and international research from both the student and institutional perspective. It makes recommendations for the sector on ways to improve online student engagement, retention and success.

Beyond busy work: rethinking the measurement of online student engagement

Higher education research and development, Mar 10, 2020

To combat high failure and student drop-out rates, universities have developed strategies to moni... more To combat high failure and student drop-out rates, universities have developed strategies to monitor online student engagement through measurable activities. In this study, we explore if and how these monitoring activities accurately measure online engagement. We interviewed nine highly engaged online thirdyear students throughout a semester to find out more about what engagement meant for them and how they enacted it in the online space, both visibly and invisibly. According to students in this study, traditional measures of online engagement were not perceived as valuable to their learning. The students complained about the 'busy work'tasks that kept them busy or that monitored their engagement through a metrics-based tool. The students reported a number of other activities that prompted their engagement in learning; many of these would not be picked up by the usual ways of measuring engagement. These findings invite educators to move away from having fixed ideas about where and how and when online students should be engaging. They invite critique of the superficial, descriptive, tick-the-box exercises that are usually designed to monitor engagement by computer rather than through human interaction. They offer educators an opportunity to explore other ways of understanding student engagement in the online space.

Chronicling engagement: students’ experience of online learning over time

Distance Education, Apr 3, 2019

Although there is ample research into student engagement in online learning, much of this investi... more Although there is ample research into student engagement in online learning, much of this investigates the student experience through surveys administered at a fixed point in time, usually at the exit point of a single unit of study or course. The study described in this paper, by contrast, aimed to understand online student engagement over a whole semester, guided by two overarching questions: What factors impact students’ engagement over a semester? What factors account for fluctuation in engagement levels over time? This paper presents results from weekly feedback on online education students’ engagement over the length of one semester at a regional Australian university. It also chronicles in more depth the experiences of one student across the same semester. The findings offer longitudinal accounts of student engagement, demonstrating that levels of engagement fluctuate and are influenced by a variety of factors.

The Online Student Experience: New Challenges for Engagement and Support

Springer eBooks, Sep 23, 2023

Opportunity through online learning: improving student access, participation and success in higher education

Setting the Scene

Palgrave Macmillan UK eBooks, 2017

Concluding Thoughts

Palgrave Macmillan UK eBooks, 2017

The Lack of What …?: First-in-Family Learners and Their University Experience

Palgrave Macmillan UK eBooks, 2017

This chapter explores how the first-in-family (FiF) cohort is theorised and defined in various ge... more This chapter explores how the first-in-family (FiF) cohort is theorised and defined in various geographical and cultural contexts. Beginning with a critique around a lack of clarity of this cohort, the chapter moves to a review of related topics within the broad field of university participation and student engagement. O’Shea, May, Stone and Delahunty demonstrate the ways in which the FiF group is collectively framed as ‘lacking’. This deficit is articulated through reference to cultural, social, familial, academic and economic capitals. The chapter discusses how this focus on lack only serves to further disenfranchise these learners, arguably contributing to a pervasive sense of dislocation within the higher education environment. Chapter 3 continues this discussion by ‘disrupting’ this deficit framing through reference to narrative vignettes derived from the research projects.

Disrupting the Deficit: Beyond Notions of Lack for First-in-Family Students

Palgrave Macmillan UK eBooks, 2017

This chapter draws upon a strengths perspective that seeks to frame first-in-family (FiF) student... more This chapter draws upon a strengths perspective that seeks to frame first-in-family (FiF) students not as ‘lacking’ or as ‘deficit’ but rather as a cohort replete with cultural wealths. Building on Bourdieuian theories and referring explicitly to the work of Yosso (2005), the capabilities and cultural strengths of this older FiF cohort are revealed. The chapter provides a relational understanding of this student experience that considers the wider dynamics of learners’ lived realities. In exploring these unique contexts, three richly descriptive vignettes are featured and these are discussed collectively. This discussion reflects both upon the constraints that are expressed by the older learners as well as the personal strengths each story reveals about the narrator.

Parents Managing University and Family Life

Palgrave Macmillan UK eBooks, 2017

Many first-in-family (FiF) students begin their university journey not as traditional school leav... more Many first-in-family (FiF) students begin their university journey not as traditional school leavers, but as mature-age students who have busy family lives, often with young children, as well as working lives to manage. While families can be powerful sources of inspiration, support and encouragement, their demands and expectations can also be problematic and stressful, at times needing careful negotiation. This chapter explores the role that family played in the lives of the mature-age students with children, who formed a significant part of the cohort in Study B. The positive contribution of family, the challenges arising from family needs and demands, and the implications of gendered practices of child care and domestic responsibilities are examined. This chapter also points to the need for institutions to better understand and accommodate the particular needs of parent-students.

Trailblazing: Motivations and Relationship Impacts for First-in-Family Enabling Students

This chapter investigates the experiences of first-in-family (FiF) enabling students as they refl... more This chapter investigates the experiences of first-in-family (FiF) enabling students as they reflect on their participation in university. Due to the widening participation agenda, this cohort is increasing annually in Australia although they are little researched. The data have been harvested from interviews and surveys and analysed using biographical method to explore these enabling students’ motivations and relationship impacts. The chapter shows how their motivations are deeply embedded and complexly formulated within temporal and relational contexts as well as within their broader social, cultural and economic locations. Their trailblazing engagement in higher education (HE) is shown to be a social as much as an individual action, having impacts far beyond the transformations that the enabling learner personally experiences.

What Am I Waiting For?

Entering formal university study as the first person in one’s immediate family to do so is inevit... more Entering formal university study as the first person in one’s immediate family to do so is inevitably a major challenge. This chapter discusses some of the key factors that influenced the first-in-family (FiF) students who participated in Study B (as discussed in Chap. 1) to make the decision to undertake formal study at university level. It also examines the process of adjustment for these students and others around them to their new role as students. In the process of becoming a university student and identifying themselves as such, there were significant personal changes and transformations that emerged for these students. These are explored, along with the role that the institution can play in helping to transition the student into this new environment and in continuing to support the student’s journey.

Motivated Men: First-in-Family Male Students

While first-in-family (FiF) women’s experience of attending university has been examined in a gro... more While first-in-family (FiF) women’s experience of attending university has been examined in a growing body of literature, there has been little attention to the experiences of FiF males. This chapter presents an account of the motivations, transitions and participations of FiF male students using a narrative gender framework. The analysis especially privileges the idea of situated and relational masculinities (Hopkins and Noble, 2009). Age was found to be the chief organising category of their experiences structuring their embodied life course. Three main age and relational masculine performances emerged from these men’s stories, namely those of the Fathers, the Self-Starters and the Sons. Working to achieve or enact the breadwinner model of masculinity was found to be the dominant motivator behind their gender performances.

‘So How Was Big School Today?’ Family Perceptions of HE Participation

O’Shea, May, Stone and Delahunty have indicated how attending university for first-in-family (FiF... more O’Shea, May, Stone and Delahunty have indicated how attending university for first-in-family (FiF) students can lead to significant personal transformation but highlight how the embodied nature of this experience can remain hidden or overlooked in the literature. Equally, the effects that university participation has on those around the student remain unclear, particularly understandings about how their attendance impacts upon the perceptions and ambitions of significant others. This chapter seeks to explore the reactions of family members to this higher education (HE) odyssey, particularly how this decision reverberated within the household. Findings indicate that university participation does not only impact on students in an emotional and potentially transformative sense but also on those closest to them, leading to new conversations in the home place and in some cases, broader educational futures.

The Online Student Experience: New Challenges for Engagement and Support

Online learning has an important place in widening access and participation in higher education (... more Online learning has an important place in widening access and participation in higher education (HE) for diverse student cohorts. One cohort taking up online study in increasing numbers is that of mature-age first-in-family (FiF) students. This chapter looks at the experience of 87 FiF students, for whom the opportunity to enrol in online undergraduate studies through an open-entry pathway, made it possible for them to embark on a university education. In-depth interviews and surveys were conducted with these students as part of a wider study into FiF students described in Chap. 1 of this book (Study B). Findings include the important role that opportunity plays in providing the impetus for study, as well as the importance of support and encouragement from family, friends, colleagues and institutions in being able to continue the journey.

Equal or Equitable? The Role of Flexibility Within Online Education

The Australian and International Journal of Rural Education, Jul 24, 2022

Online study is generally associated with the terms flexible and flexibility. Many students choos... more Online study is generally associated with the terms flexible and flexibility. Many students choose to study online specifically for the flexibility that is offered, hoping they can combine their studies with multiple other responsibilities in their lives. For students living in regional and rural areas, such flexibility can be even more important, given the additional difficulties they face in accessing campus facilities. While a flexible learning environment has the potential to contribute positively towards equity in higher education, this equity can be compromised when university policies and processes that have been designed for on-campus students are applied equally to online students. This paper examines the experiences of a group of regional and rural Education students who have chosen to study online, to a large extent because of online learning's promised flexibility. Their experiences demonstrate that equal treatment may in fact undermine flexibility and result in an inequitable student experience.

From the margins to the mainstream: The online learning rethink and its implications for enhancing student equity

Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, Dec 19, 2022

From being largely at the margins of higher education for many years, online learning now finds i... more From being largely at the margins of higher education for many years, online learning now finds itself in the mainstream. This paper offers a critique of the online learning literature both pre-and post-2020, looking at changes in response to this shift. Evidence tells us that online learning plays a significant role in enhancing student equity, widening higher education access and participation for many students who would have found it difficult, if not impossible, to attend university on campus. This includes students from governmentidentified equity backgrounds, as well as other student cohorts underrepresented at university, such as older working students, parents, and others with caring responsibilities, and those from families with no previous experience of university. The mainstreaming and normalising of online learning now presents an opportunity for universities to learn from both past and emerging evidence, to evaluate past practice and offer a more flexible learning experience that better meets the needs of an even wider range of students. Keeping online learning firmly in the mainstream, while taking an evidence-based approach to ensuring the quality of its design and delivery, has the potential to enhance student equity on a much broader scale. Implications for practice or policy: • Improving the quality of online learning, using evidence-based research to design and deliver it more effectively, will enable more students to stay and succeed at university. • Continuing to offer online study options for all students, that is, keeping it in the mainstream, will further enhance student equity. • Mainstreaming online learning options as part of standard university practice will enable more students to benefit from the greater flexibility of both fully online and hybrid models.

They just give us the shiny picture, but I want to know what it's really like: Insights from regional high schools on perceptions of university outreach in South Australia

Education in rural Australia, Nov 18, 2022

Across Australia, students at regional, rural and remote high schools are considerably less likel... more Across Australia, students at regional, rural and remote high schools are considerably less likely to go to university than their metropolitan counterparts. One of the ways in which universities try to help to bridge this gap is to organise visits to such schools, with the purpose of familiarising students with the idea of university and encouraging them to consider going on to university after school. These visits range in purpose, from direct marketing to a genuine effort to widen access to university more generally. The key purpose of university visits is not always made explicit to the schools or the students, leading to a mismatch between university intentions and school and student expectations. Recent research with regional high schools in South Australia, using a mixed-methods approach, reveals the impact of this mismatch, with university visits being regarded by students and schools as, at best, disappointing and, at worst, as nothing more than marketing exercises and hence to be treated with suspicion. These research findings are discussed, and recommendations made for ways in which university visits may be more effectively geared towards meeting the needs of students, schools and parents. This paper recommends that universities work more closely with regional schools, parents and communities more broadly, with a greater emphasis on providing useful, practical information about what 'going to university' entails. We argue that, through this, more regional students may consider university as a viable post-school option.

Transformations and self-discovery: mature-age women's reflections on returning to university study

Studies in Continuing Education, Nov 1, 2011

Research has highlighted the challenges that women face as mature-age students in higher educatio... more Research has highlighted the challenges that women face as mature-age students in higher education. The challenges are particularly acute when a woman is the first in her family to go to university. Many women begin their journey as students with considerable self-doubt and lack of confidence. They also frequently face an ongoing struggle to find a way to combine their studies with other family responsibilities. This article presents the reflections of 18 women enrolled as mature-age students at an Australian university campus. Their triumphs, achievements and self-discoveries, as well as their struggles whilst undertaking their studies, are explored. In presenting the reflections of this group, the transformative nature of these experiences is highlighted, not only for the women themselves, but also potentially for their families, particularly their children. These narratives of achievement and transformation ultimately provide inspiration to other women contemplating such a step as well as insight for academic administrators and teaching staff regarding the significant personal change this decision can engender.

Conceptualising and building trust to enhance engagement, achievement and feedback-seeking behavior of under-served students: exploring instructor antecedents in online tertiary education

Online educators must establish the kinds of trust that are uncommon in didactic, mechanical peda... more Online educators must establish the kinds of trust that are uncommon in didactic, mechanical pedagogies. This conceptual paper asserts the importance of building and sustaining trust between higher education students and their instructors within the online environment. Instilling trust can construct sustainable learning environments that are abundant with collaborative inquiry and dialogue. The themes explored in this paper highlight and investigate the conceptual construct of trust and its antecedents. We address the nature and purpose of interpersonal trust in student/instructor relationships within online higher education institutions. We also explore several factors (in particular, performativity, casualisation of teaching staff, neoliberalism, non-traditional student identities and the digital divide) which influence the development of trust. We investigate the role of trust in influencing student feedback-seeking behaviour, engagement and achievement, in terms of attainment of academic goals. Notably, we highlight the importance of further inquiry into methods of rapport-building in higher education. Theoretical foundations have been drawn from Indigenous scholarship as well as organisational and socio-psychological literature. We close by welcoming further discussion of and reflection on institutional practices and performance measures in the digital environment and whether they allow instructors to embed relational aspects and elicit cognitive and affective trust from their students. Implications for practice As higher education (HE) shift to online, decision-makers must acknowledge the importance of relationship-building between under-served students and instructors HE institutions (HEIs) must recognise the nature of this online cohort through more tailored approaches that consider both the needs and the strengths of this diverse group of students

Improving Student Engagement, Retention and Success in Online Learning

Ch. 9 in Shah, Kift, Thomas. Student Retention & Success in Higher Education. Springer eBooks, 2021

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020, universities worldwide were already increasingly offering... more Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020, universities worldwide were already increasingly offering online, distance modes of study, including open access courses such as MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) alongside degree programs. Students from backgrounds and circumstances historically under-represented in higher education have been traditionally more highly represented in online studies, indicating the potential opportunity for further widening of participation in higher education. However, the recent imperative for online learning to replace face-to-face classes during the pandemic means that, at the time of writing this chapter in mid-2020, the majority of higher education students worldwide are studying in a remote, online mode. The higher attrition rates in online learning have been a cause of concern for some time, indicating that the diverse cohort of students attracted to online learning needs to be better understood and supported, both within teaching and learning practices and broader support mechanisms. With online learning now expanding even more rapidly, there is an urgent need to address this issue. This chapter focuses on the student experience of online learning, examining recent Australian and international research from both the student and institutional perspective. It makes recommendations for the sector on ways to improve online student engagement, retention and success.

Beyond busy work: rethinking the measurement of online student engagement

Higher education research and development, Mar 10, 2020

To combat high failure and student drop-out rates, universities have developed strategies to moni... more To combat high failure and student drop-out rates, universities have developed strategies to monitor online student engagement through measurable activities. In this study, we explore if and how these monitoring activities accurately measure online engagement. We interviewed nine highly engaged online thirdyear students throughout a semester to find out more about what engagement meant for them and how they enacted it in the online space, both visibly and invisibly. According to students in this study, traditional measures of online engagement were not perceived as valuable to their learning. The students complained about the 'busy work'tasks that kept them busy or that monitored their engagement through a metrics-based tool. The students reported a number of other activities that prompted their engagement in learning; many of these would not be picked up by the usual ways of measuring engagement. These findings invite educators to move away from having fixed ideas about where and how and when online students should be engaging. They invite critique of the superficial, descriptive, tick-the-box exercises that are usually designed to monitor engagement by computer rather than through human interaction. They offer educators an opportunity to explore other ways of understanding student engagement in the online space.

Chronicling engagement: students’ experience of online learning over time

Distance Education, Apr 3, 2019

Although there is ample research into student engagement in online learning, much of this investi... more Although there is ample research into student engagement in online learning, much of this investigates the student experience through surveys administered at a fixed point in time, usually at the exit point of a single unit of study or course. The study described in this paper, by contrast, aimed to understand online student engagement over a whole semester, guided by two overarching questions: What factors impact students’ engagement over a semester? What factors account for fluctuation in engagement levels over time? This paper presents results from weekly feedback on online education students’ engagement over the length of one semester at a regional Australian university. It also chronicles in more depth the experiences of one student across the same semester. The findings offer longitudinal accounts of student engagement, demonstrating that levels of engagement fluctuate and are influenced by a variety of factors.

Enhancing Academic Achievement in Online Open Education

There is a wealth of both anecdotal and sound research evidence which demonstrates a clear link b... more There is a wealth of both anecdotal and sound research evidence which demonstrates a clear link between a student's engagement with their learning community and their academic outcomes. Having a sense of connection and engagement with the institution, through their contact with lecturers, fellow students, other university staff, can make all the difference between persistence and academic success; and disillusionment, disappointment and abandonment of studies. With the expansion of online studies, an additional challenge for all of us working with tertiary students is to develop and implement strategies through the use of appropriate technology, by which students can be successfully engaged and supported. This paper discusses some of those challenges for the Student Success and Support Services team at Open Universities Australia and the strategies being developed in order to meet them.

First-in-Family Students, University Experience and Family Life: Motivations, Transitions and Participation

by Janine Delahunty, Sarah O' Shea, Cathy Stone, and Josephine May

This book examines the university experiences of first-in-family university students, and how the... more This book examines the university experiences of first-in-family university students, and how these students’ decisions to return to education impact upon their family members and significant others. While it is well known that parental educational background has a substantial impact on the educational levels of family and dependents, it is unclear how attending university as a first-in-family student translates into the family and community of the learner. With the continuing requirements for higher education institutions to increase the participation of students from a range of diverse backgrounds and educational biographies, this is a major gap in understanding that needs to be addressed.
Exploring how this university participation is understood at an individual, familial and community level, this book provides valuable insights into how best to support different student requirements. This book will be of great interest to students and researchers in the fields of education and sociology, as well as policy-makers in education and diversity initiatives.

http://www.palgrave.com/us/book/9781137582836#aboutBook
DOI: 10.1057/978-1-137-58284-3