student success with starfish

S t u d e n t S u c c e s s w i t h S t a r f i s h

Benjamin SteinHobsons Plc

London, UK | 24 February 2016

A holistic approach to student success

Student success and engagement with Starfish

Q&A

The approach

The context

Students at the centre

Converging factors driving student engagement

Retention = sustainabilityInstitution finances are reliant on student tuition fees for continued operation

Policy shiftsAt a minimum, the TEF will boost the importance of retention and satisfaction

Changing enrolment patternsIncreased access means more students need more and more varied support

Student expectationsEngagement must occur through various channels to reach busy students

Perception of valueThe debate continues about the consumerisation of higher ed

The shift toward student-centricity

Closer to home

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Insufficient tech resources

Too many tech resources

No student buy-in

Lack of executive support

Insufficient financial resources

No academic buy-in

Not knowing what works

Poor cross-dept coord

Data silos

Cultural barriers

Importance

Importance

Others receiving votes

• OFFA-relevance• Complex IT systems

and processes• UKVI demands (2)• Personalised support

for students • Entry levels of

students• Lack of agreement on

what the goal is

Findings from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

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4 Academic faculty and professional services must work together for student success

Measure effectiveness and scale what works

Students own their own success

Change management and the proper culture are critical to any student success initiative

Students fail to succeed for a complicated combination of academic, financial, motivational and other reasons

Lessons of success

Findings from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

5

1

2

3Academic faculty and professional services must work together for student success

Measure effectiveness and scale what works

Students own their own success

Change management and the proper culture are critical to any student success initiative

Students fail to succeed for a complicated combination of academic, financial, motivational and other reasons

Lessons of success

4

What works?

Make the HE experience relevant to students’ goals.

Develop identity as successful HE learners

Nurture engagement with peers, tutors and staff

The Starfish Student Success Partnership

Academic study supports this approach

Draw on the experience and skills of 300+ partner institutions

A community of practice

Starfish in context

Data-driven, action-oriented

“At the end of the day, even the best system and the best data depend on people to translate them into actions and behaviors that can influence student retention and completion.”

“…simply knowing who is at risk and why is not enough...if you don’t have an action strategy that goes with the predictions, knowing who is at risk is almost a liability.”

Melinda Mechur Karp, Senior Research Associate at Community College Research Center

Inside Higher Ed, 13 Jan 2014

Ellen D. Wagner, Chief Research and Strategy Officer, PAR Framework. “Moving the Needle on Predictive Analytics,” ACE

May 2015

Correctly balancing analysis and interventionMoving past analysis paralysis

The Starfish approach

A holistic picture of every student Intelligent data integration

VLE Starfish OthersSRS

Put students at the centreA digital hub connects dozens of success factors

Match intervention to riskQuickly determine who needs help and take action

Show next steps and resourcesOffer specific tasks that connect to other providers

Give students a voiceLet students initiate their own help-seeking

Remove obstacles between students and supportLet students know when and where they can have your undivided attention

Connect, record and share appropriatelyOnline appointments synched with your external calendar

Capture academic feedback without disruptionHarness critical academic relationships

Next steps

Help us shape the Starfish UK community

Seeking UK foundation partners

Every student matters

Lead in advance of TEF

Identify resource gaps

Immediate impact

• 300+ institutions, 2 in the UK:

seeking 4-6 pilot institutions

• Gather a quorum of diverse

institutions to shape

• Contribute to best practice in

student engagement and

success

• Guide roadmap

Starfish pilot project

Establish infrastructure

Build on success

Act while analysing

Create culture change

Generate early wins

Focus on adoption

Modular approach

Measure outcomes

Questions?

benjamin.stein@hobsons.com

0207 250 6619

What are your current student-centered priorities at the institutional level?

What resources and initiatives have you invested in to address those priorities? Which are the most successful?

What are the biggest obstacles to meeting your goals for student success?

How do you currently identify disengaged students (or staff)? How do you get them back on track?

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Key questions to consider

NSS, TEF, league rank, employability

People/teams, physical spaces, technology resources

People/teams, physical spaces, technology resources

Early warning/alert system, referrals, self-identifiers