Professor Pat McGorry on student mental health at this year’s Symposium and much more!
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The reinvigorated national conversation around student experience | Professor Pat McGorry on student mental health at this  year’s ‘Students First’ Symposium | 77% of students are stressed every week | The move to 24/7 marks a world first | Why digitise peer-assisted learning? |

 

Universities to shape the 2020 student experience at the 2019 ‘Students First’ Symposium

Universities have many roles to fulfil, and duty of care to students is paramount. For Australia, student success triggers positive change for families, for the environment, for developing new research, for industry and commerce, and politics, in short, every facet of the social fabric. The annual Symposium creates a space to discuss the changing student experience in higher education. This year the event is hosted by La Trobe University, with a speaker line-up worthy of emerging national conversations into the student experience and their wellbeing. Our annual event is still free, and Studiosity Partners are given priority registration, with 2019 Keynotes Professor Pat McGorry and Associate Professor Phillip Dawson.

 

What the Productivity Commission's “mixed report card” means for the student experience

The Productivity Commission’s report offered many conclusions, depending on interpretation. Overall, it represents a reinvigorated national conversation about the importance of higher education, and, within the sector, a refocus on measuring the student experience. It also marks the start of student success and satisfaction metrics becoming increasingly visible to the public.  For university leaders, any investment in student services must therefore be proven to offer genuine return for students, the university, and ultimately, the country.

 

More students are going to uni, but more support is needed to help them succeed

With over 6 in 10 school leavers attending university by the age of 22, the importance of nurturing these students is now more pressing, according to Andrew Norton of the Grattan Institute. Due to the government policy of, demand driven funding, enrollments in bachelor degrees increased by 45% across a decade, meaning ‘the system needs to put in place better measures to help students at risk of dropping out.’

 

Student mental health and early intervention; Professor Pat McGorry at ‘Students First 2019’

Professor Pat McGorry is known worldwide for his development of mental-health interventions for young people, and he will address the specific combination of study stress, well-being, and early intervention in his talk:‘The opportunity and waste of human potential: Managing the mental health of tertiary students’. Student emotional wellbeing and academic confidence and achievement are two sides of the same student journey, making this exclusive discussion particularly interesting to the student experience leaders and other university educators attending the Symposium this year.

 

77% of students feel stressed at least every week, and universities are doing more to help

In a study commissioned by Studiosity analysing student well-being, students voiced their feelings towards stress and university with 46% attributed stress to the amount of study they have followed by 18% concerned on how to pay for it. Talking to SBS radio, Michael Larsen, CEO of Studiosity noted, “The data and commentary clearly highlight that students are craving additional support balancing the amount of study. However, in good news for the sector, 72% of students feel supported by their university, which indicates that a large number of universities are already doing a great job of nurturing students through stressful periods.” 

 

Early intervention, at scale; how universities are able to evaluate entire cohorts level of academic writing before the first assessment

Accessible for Studiosity partners by special arrangement, the Academic Writing Evaluation (AWE) service provides visibility into the academic writing skills of an entire student cohort, allowing your institution to identify specific areas in which students could benefit from additional support early in the semester. Students submit a short writing task, which is then assessed based on a comprehensive evaluation framework developed by the Studiosity Academic Services team. Insights are also available to your university via a self-service reporting system.

 

Inside the life of a Studiosity user - juggling kids, life & study

Naomi is raising two children whilst expertly studying a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Primary Education at Macquarie University. With a variety of alternative study modes now available to students, people are now easily able to up-skill, cross-train or completely change career, while balancing family and work. By offering a flexible student experience, universities are able to attract high-achievers like Naomi who otherwise might be restricted from participation.

 

In a national first, study help moves to 24/7, unlocking the benefits of timely help on student outcomes

Now students can access Studiosity’s live chat help anytime, to better suit their study-life balance, to further unlock the benefits of timely help with learning, and to generally put the decision back in their hands. In 2019, 24/7 support is normalised across the vast majority of services and sectors, from finance to telecommunications to retail.  So whenever your students choose to seek help, we’re ready. In early trials, students took advantage of the ‘anytime’ access to get more study support in later hours and earlier mornings, seven days a week. This suggests that there is a persistent need for online study support where their regular, on-campus support is closed for the day. Universities are keeping pace with service expectations in other sectors by offering anytime, anywhere support, at a time when government scrutiny on the student experience is greater than ever.

 

"Flexible and accessible": How to make online learning effective

Online education holds several benefits, and when done well, can bring learning to more people than ever, but it needs to be flexible, accessible and timely. A few of the benefits include; bringing education to rural areas, allowing students to work as well as study whilst opening up the modes and choices of study, so how do we improve attrition in online learning and grow flexible learning opportunities?

 

Online, peer-assisted learning rolls out to Australian Universities in 2019

Featured in The Australian earlier in the year, Studiosity announced the upcoming release of a new peer-to-peer learning application. In June, Michael Larsen was also invited to present at EdTechX in London, where he  discussed the world-first platform, highlighting the need and immense potential for the student experience and outcomes. Currently in trials, the platform gives students earning power from offering flexible peer-assisted-learning to other students, all within specific units at their own university. The ‘Students First’ Symposium will provide the next forum for universities to see first previews of the new service.

 

The other side of the Cash Cow, duty of care and evidence for better student support

Universities contribute extensively to quality of life and economic growth in Australia and New Zealand, so ABC’s 'Cash Cows’ 4 Corners report was, at best, uncomfortable. Notably absent from the story were the support mechanisms that many universities are proactively offering, ensuring that all students who have enrolled are provided with one-to-one, 24/7 help to an Australian education standard. It is in the best interests of Australia’s economy, and universities' continued viability, that international students keep coming here to study, confidently, and with equal chances for success.

 

How are universities meeting students’ employment expectations?

"In a survey of 1,000 Australian students, three-quarters said that universities had a responsibility to help them find employment." Part of this solution must be a student's literacy, numeracy, and writing skills gained throughout their time at university. The ability to communicate effectively (especially as verbal and written standards seem to be declining with technology prevalence) will continue to be a core hiring filter for employers. Professor Judyth Sachs spoke to John Ross at the Times Higher Education about the survey findings and the responsibility universities have to students. Read on, here.

 

Helping schools and communities around Australia

We talked to school Principals around Australia to see what impact Studiosity has had on their school communities, and how it has helped students improve their own marks and increase self efficacy.

 

How to keep up with student demands while maintaining academic integrity

Students are the lifeblood of a university. They drive our professionals to seek great outcomes and shape Australia's future, which is why their demands should shape the way universities provide educational support services. So, are universities understanding how the students of today want to learn?

 

To learn more about anything in this newsletter, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

 

Best regards,

Chris Fitzpatrick

General Manager, Asia Pacific

studiosity.com