How technologies assist in reducing student drop-out

K S Yuen and Eva Tsang
Open University of Hong Kong
Hong Kong SAR, China

This paper reports on the findings of a research and development project at the Open University of Hong Kong (OUHK) which aimed at reducing student drop-out. The project, which started in May 2007, attempted to:

• identify the reasons for drop-out at the University;
• develop and pilot test measures to reduce it; and
• evaluate the effectiveness of the measures piloted.

The first phase of the study was completed in May 2008 (Yuen et al. 2008), and this paper focuses on the findings in the second and third phases.

Enrolment patterns show that if students complete their first-year course(s) successfully, from a statistical perspective a significantly higher percentage enrol in a new course -- the implication being that if they can be helped to pass in their first year of study, this is likely to increase the chances of their registering for another course in the next semester. Therefore, it was hypothesized that the provision of additional support to students to help them succeed in first-year courses would result in a higher retention rate.

In our study, the reasons given by drop-out students for not continuing with their studies provided a good reference point for the design of a pilot set of measures to assist current students to continue studying at the OUHK. In devising and implementing these measures, attention was paid to cost-effectiveness and many of them were technology-based, requiring students to equip themselves with the appropriate technology. Such measures were implemented at the various stages in students’ studies, viz.

• Before registration -- to help prospective students/enquirers to understand distance learning methods and choose a programme, and provide an option of ‘trying out’ an OUHK course for a month;
• After registration -- to help new students to understand the University’s learning system, and develop their study skills for distance learning;
• During the course -- to help them complete the coursework successfully and pass the course(s); and
• After the examinations -- to congratulate students on their success or express sympathy when they failed, and to help them plan their future studies, even when they failed a course.

The paper describes the implementation of the measures and students’ feedback on them. More important, it provides an initial analysis of whether any of the measures were related significantly to higher student retention. The costs are also identified, in order to assess their cost-effectiveness.