Stages of learner support

an annex to the CETIS 10 conference session Cheaper, flexible, effective institutions: community and learner support

In all of these stages, the question is, how can technology help in the processes of the stage, either directly or through facilitating communities who can support the processes? In each case, who would be the members of the relevant community, and how can technology work for them?

Social software and e-portfolio tools are prime candidates to help with community and learner support, but how? Can other learning technologies help as well, towards the goal of cheaper HE provision that is more flexible and still effective?

Initial self-awareness
Who am I, where am I, where I want to be, what do I want, what are my values?

This stage of recognising values, determining goals and analysing needs is vital to selecting a learning opportunity that is likely to be completed. Drop-out is more likely if the course does not properly match values, goals and needs. What options are there for supporting self-awareness before the learner even applies for higher education? Some of this work is done in schools, but how can we support learners who are not supported by such a good prior institution?

One area to explore is working together with community groups that the learner is already part of, if they have a positive attitude towards greater personal self-awareness, personal growth, and HE.

Application
What learning opportunities fit the learner's needs and preferences; is the learner fit for them (in terms of pre-requisites); can they demonstrate that to secure admission?

Where possible, school-level institutions routinely take this on, as it is usually in their interests for their learners to progress to HE. But what about situations where the learner does not come from a supportive institution? Could technology allow the learner's communities to play more of a role?

Acclimatisation
Given where I come from, how do I find community associated with my familiar culture, or if I want to explore new cultures, how do I assess the many new cultures that can be entered?

If and when core values are understood, how can learners be supported in choosing new cultures that are in keeping with those core values (otherwise there may be regrets)? Can learners be supported in gaining acceptance into new cultures, perhaps in terms of developing their identity in new ways?

There are many ways in which learners can be supported as people, and their needs (other than direct learning needs) met. HEIs have traditionally been involved in this area a little, perhaps arranging a peer mentor or arranging initial social activities, but rarely beyond that. Student bodies have also long been involved in student orientation, thinking of the many university clubs and societies that provide a social network that might offer some support. Could they use technology more effectively?

Getting into the learning culture
There is often just one culture, though occasionally more, focused around practices of higher education, and around the learning processes shared between learners working towards the same learning objectives or outcomes. Mostly these are arranged by the HEI, but there may also be informal or non-formal arrangements. What support is there for discovering what practices take place in HE cultures, for learners to adapt themselves so that they can effectively fit in, and "can cope with the demands of HE learning"?

HEIs often have an induction process that may be designed to meet these needs. But the induction process may be primarily conceived in terms of physical presence. How might induction be broadened, to be more flexible, to use less resource, and perhaps to be even more effective? A failure here can easily increase the likelihood of dropout.

Updating self-awareness
Has what I have learned, the learning process, the learning culture, or other communities in which I have chosen to be involved, changed my perception of my goals or directions from the goals and needs I established as part of the initial self-awareness raising?

It is widely recognised that values and life outlook can change as a result of the HE experience. This is one area of personal development planning where HEIs have tried to be involved in during recent years. It is obviously important to do this in order to make something enduringly useful out of the HE experience. The challenge of supporting this may be similar to the challenge at the first stage of initial self-awareness, but quite possibly the approaches need to be different, as the goal-posts have moved.

Benefiting from HE outcomes
What support is there to help learners take the outcomes from the learning (both formal HE and informal/non-formal), and present these as “qualifications” for their next stage in my life? This is like rather like the application process to HE, but now focuses on marshalling evidence of what is required for entry to the next stage and presenting it to the gatekeepers.

This is an area that is often addressed in some way by HEIs, but surely there are ways of helping individual learners to manage these processes more flexibly and effectively, without needing to provide more one-to-one staff time?

Ones that the learner is already a part of
Learners taking HE opportunities locally to where they have been living may already be part of local community groups. The important question is whether the group is both positive about personal growth, and about HE. If it is, then it should be possible to recruit that community to support the processes involved in bringing a learner to the point where they are genuinely ready to participate in HE. Schools clearly should be undertaking this role, but typically they are more oriented towards getting able students onto a course that will accept them, so boosting their "success rate". Individuation is not always well supported in schools, as resources may be lacking, and schools may be too regimented to encourage individual differentiation.

Other possibilities that may or may not help include:
 * youth clubs
 * religious groups
 * scout / guide / etc. groups
 * trades unions
 * charities with educational aims

Existing ones for the learner to join
As mentioned under acclimatisation, the process of student orientation may offer learners the chance to join several student clubs and societies. This could in principle help with support while in the HEI, though is unlikely to.

The main candidates would appear to be the same communities as above, that the learner may join as part of their exploration of new openings along with coming to university. Although it is too late to assist the initial self-awareness process and the application, the same groups could potentially help a great deal with supporting the learner in the processes of education, which may also include guidance to take options or openings better suited to newly recognised goals and self-identity.

Facilitating the formation of new ones
If there are no suitable communities that the learner is already in, or wants to join, the obvious option is to support groups of learners in forming their own groups, perhaps a bit like mutual support or study groups. The key issue here will be to connect learners who find each others' company congenial and helpful towards the goal of higher educational achievement.

Earlier work
Some earlier work was done in 2007 by the CRA for JISC about the earlier stages of this process: "Study 3: Good practice in supporting learners throughout application to and induction in higher education, and the use of supporting technology" (available as PDF). Extending from pre-enquirer to post-applicant, the support required seemed to fit into these more detailed stages (see page 16 of that report):
 * 1) Supporting learners in becoming more self-aware:
 * 2) * recognizing their own achievements, skills and qualities
 * 3) * understanding their own (developing) preferences, motivations and values
 * 4) * constructing their own goals;
 * 5) Making sure they have accessible and comprehensive information about various pathways (location of institutions, course offerings, course requirements etc.)
 * 6) In relation to a shortlist they might consider, supporting them in evaluating the information about the characteristics and requirements of different pathways / institutions;
 * 7) Supporting them in presenting themselves to institutions;
 * 8) Supporting them in understanding the nature of the HE experience and in particular HE learning.

Comparison
The wider analysis above adds more emphasis to the community, and to aspects of the HE experience that are not directly to do with learning. Also, logically, the learner needs to be supported through into the next stage of life, as higher education is rarely an aim in itself.
 * Stage 1 compares closely to the initial self-awareness.
 * Stages 2, 3, and 4 are to do with preparation for and support through the application process.
 * Stage 5 seems mainly to do with the learning culture.