student success with starfish
TRANSCRIPT
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
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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
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