1. Enhancing the Student Learning
Experience with technology
Manchester | Jul 2013
Professor Mark Stubbs
Head of Learning & Research Technologies
m.stubbs@mmu.ac.uk http://twitter.com/thestubbs
http://slideshare.net/markstubbs
2. The importance of getting it right
Student Retention
Success &
Satisfaction
Student Intake
(Aspirations, Attitude
& Abilities)
Learning, Teaching, Assessment
& Personal Development
Processes, Facilities
& Resources
Reputation
Marketing &
Recruitment
Processes
All Year Numbers
Resource allocation
League table rankings
A
A Recruit to target
B
B Improve satisfaction, retention & success
C
C Inform decision-makers
3. Understanding how best to make a difference
Careful diagnosis of (diverse) learning experiences
• Recurrent messages
– NSS analysis: course organisation determines Q22
– Mobile surveys: deadlines, timetables… (m-admin)
– Focus groups: consistent, easy to find info
• Great (and not-so great) expectations
– “engaging, well-organised courses”
– “inspirational tutors who know me”
4. Coordinating our response
B Improve satisfaction, retention & success
Great
Online Experience
(Seamless, personalised)
Great
Learning Spaces
Great
Teaching
Simplify
Unwieldy
Curriculum
5. • A coordinated strike for step-change improvement
EQAL
New Curriculum
• designing new units, …
New Admin Systems & Processes
• personal timetabling, …
New Virtual Learning Environment
• Moodle & myMMU web/mobile, Talis Aspire…
New QA & QE Processes
• facilitating curriculum transformation
In the current climate
Diminishing unit of resource
Everything depends on everything else
We are large and risk averse
7. Wrapping the institution around the learner
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megamashup
mws
8. 8
Wrapping the institution around the learner
Student ID
Timetable
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Sync to
personal
device
9. Wrapping the institution around the learner
Student ID (+ Unit code)
Hand-in dates / extensions / marks
Personalised submission sheet
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10. Wrapping the institution around the learner
Unit code
Resource list
Relevant resource
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11. Wrapping the institution around the learner
Unit code
Past exam papers
Past exam paper
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NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 licence
13. NSS quartile improvements
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
The
teaching on
my course
Assessment
and feedback
Academic
support
Organisation
and
management
Learning
resources
Personal
development
Overall
Satisfaction
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
The teaching
on my course
Assessment
and feedback
Academic
support
Organisation
and
management
Learning
resources
Personal
development
Overall
Satisfaction
I am satisfied
with the
Students'
Union
(Association or
Guild) at my
institution
2011
MMU result
Similar institution results (Leeds Met, Birm. City, UCLan, LJM, De Mont, Northumbria, Nott. Trent, Sheff. Hall)
2012
14. Listening carefully to the student voice
• Personalised online survey on portal homepage
– Nov 2011: 10,716 left 58,000+ comments
– Nov 2012: 10,186 left 48,000+ comments
– All data tagged with unit / course codes
• Unit/Course leaders see their anonymised feedback
– Statistical analysis identified top 3 predictors of overall
satisfaction…
The course helped me develop the confidence and skills to succeed
The course is well organised and running smoothly
Staff on my course are good at explaining things
Hygiene factors
Stimulating pedagogy
15. Prioritising our IS/IT investments
• Projects grouped into portfolios
– Facilities; Finance & HR; Learning, Students &
Curriculum; Portals, Content & Collaboration; IT
– Exec reviewing importance, status, cost, risk etc
• “Top trumps” workshop at Directorate
16. Our “Priorities”
Our “People,
Processes,
Buildings &
Systems
Objectives”
Our “Bottom Line”
Our “Positioning” Maximise our reputation
Recruit to UG &
PG targets
Improve UG &
PG
retention, satisf
action &
success
Diversify our
portfolio of
viable learning
opportunities
Maximise
research, innov
ation &
enterprise
income &
impact
Comply with
our legal &
statutory
obligations
Operate
effective, eff
icient, well-
understood
business
processes
Provide a
sustainable, s
afe, high
quality
working
environment
for our staff
& students
Attract, recr
uit, develop,
value &
retain high
performing
staff
Promote a
culture that
embraces
change, pur
sues
excellence &
fosters well-
being &
respect
Remain a sustainable university
17. Our “Priorities”
Our “People,
Processes,
Buildings &
Systems
Objectives”
Our “Bottom Line”
Our “Positioning” Maximise our reputation
Recruit to UG &
PG targets
Improve UG &
PG
retention, satisf
action &
success
Diversify our
portfolio of
viable learning
opportunities
Maximise
research, innov
ation &
enterprise
income &
impact
Comply with
our legal &
statutory
obligations
Operate
effective, eff
icient, well-
understood
business
processes
Provide a
sustainable, s
afe, high
quality
working
environment
for our staff
& students
Attract, recr
uit, develop,
value &
retain high
performing
staff
Promote a
culture that
embraces
change, pur
sues
excellence &
fosters well-
being &
respect
Remain a sustainable university
18. VLE & Portal: Moodle2
upgrade
1.9 2.4
extend
video
e-submission
e-portfolio
train
inspire
research
engagement tracking