2.7 STUDENT SUPPORT
2.7.8 C OMMUNICATING STUDENT SUPPORT INTERVENTIONS TO STUDENTS
The objective, which this study strives to achieve, is to determine what communication strategies do higher education institutions develop and execute in addressing the needs of students so that they are able to adjust with the demands linking to furthering studies in higher education institutions. Barker and Angelopulo (2013) describe communication as the glue that binds sections of the organisation together. Benson and Samarawickrem (2009, p. 6) argue that a two-way communication and the application of new media technologies are some of factors that define the recent operations of distance education in providing support to students.
Existing views on student support in the literature also dwelled on the significance of communication element in delivering supports in the context of higher education. In the words of Saba (2007), classroom communications are integral in learning processes and should be insisted. It is, therefore, integral to communicate support programmes to all students so that they become aware of the range of support services available to them. This is, however, not always the case in higher education institutions. Research has indicated that while support interventions are abundantly available for students in their institutional environments, many students are not aware of them. Directly parallel to this viewpoint, Tas, Selvitopu, Bora and Demirkaya (2013, p. 1563) delved into reasons for student dropout in the context of vocational high school and divulged that, while other students do not want to receive counselling form of support interventions, others were simply unaware of such support services in their learning environment. As posited by Moore’s (1993) theory of transactional distance that guides this study, communication in student-lecturer, student-student and student-institution relationships is vital in learning trajectories to ensure student success and to reduce dropout rates. In their research to determine whether there is a relationship among the perceptions of students, course gratification and learning outcomes in online learning, Lee et al (2011) uncovered that the significant relationship between students’ support perceptions and their total satisfaction of the online learning course exist. Lee et al (2011, p. 158) construed that their results imply that lecturers must communicate the range of support interventions available to students and how those students can access them, use them and benefit from them. However, communicating the available student support intervention programmes to students does not guarantee that it will result in reduction of dropout or academic success. This was the case in the study conducted by Tladi (2013) to determine causes of student
examination dropout and whether social and academic supports that are prevalent in the institution have effects on examination attritions. Tladi’s (2013) survey divulged that despite a sufficient scale of awareness about the available support programmes and services and the need for support interventions, such as academic, tutor support, social support as well as providing counselling, the degree to which students use support services remained disappointedly low (p. 67). In the context of bridging courses as support interventions to students who are not fully prepared for the level, Durkin and Main (2002) pointed out that students tend to disregard them, seeing them as of no value to their learning pathways. Tladi’s (2013) study further uncovered the following significant findings for students who failed to sit for an examination of Unisa’s ACN203S course despite whether or not they were aware of the variety of support interventions available for them (p. 75):
that 17.1 % of students who failed to sit for (dropped out of) ACN203S examination knew of that Unisa’s DCCAD provides counselling support but 2.85 % failed to seek for support interventions,
that whereas one the two students who never received counselling support intervention had no hope that counselling will positively impact on academic success, the other one just did not have time to approach DCCAD another,
that 82.4 % who were the victims of examination dropout were aware of discussion form of academic support available at Unisa, but 62.5 % responded that they did not see the value of discussion classes provided and subsequently decided not to attend them,
that those students who were aware of the available tutorial support intervention that Unisa amounted to 54.8 %, but 74 % never received tutorial support interventions.
The occurrence of examination dropouts despite using the available range of support intervention in the institution as reported in Tladi’s (2013) study support the argument of this study that the current existing support frameworks have been unresponsive to the dropout concern – a void that this study intent to fill by questing for a universal student support model that will address the attrition of students at lower-postgraduate level.
The bio-ecological theory theorises that frequent interactions between students and their peers and between students and their teachers build up processes that motivate development (Bronfenbrenner and Morris, 2006). The Department of Higher Education and Training (2013, xv) advocates that the post-school system must create awareness of students’ needs and the staff with disabilities, such as support staff, management and lecturers. Previous research shows that, in online learning parameters, the amalgamation of virtual meeting software and instant messaging aid in nurturing instantaneous communication, making students feel betrothed into the course content.
Further building upon the preceding research on communication as a type of support, lecturers’ prompt and immediate feedbacks on the student questions and difficulties lead to course satisfaction and learning outcomes, and prospectively, an improved academic performance. As an effective communication strategy, undertaking both face-to-face and online review sessions enhances a student-lecturer communication (Lee, 2011, p. 160). It is farfetched to note insights from literature that interactions among students themselves, both in and outside classrooms, are encouraged to help deal with or minimize their social- and academic-related hassles. Nevertheless, Leask (2009, p. 206) decries that mingling local and international students in one classroom neither guarantee an evocative interaction among them nor enhance their intercultural communication skills. Other primary means to promote communication among students is to encourage on-campus and online collaborative learning so that they feel included in the learning community and eventually support each other.
To realise the objective of encouraging and intensifying communication of students studying online, Britto and Rush (2013, p. 38) report that the Lone Star-College Online department of a Lone Star College System developed a newsletter called eStudent Times which is distributed to online student population through e-mails. This communication tool carries information such as essential dates of the semester, online chat, online tutoring, and contact details of financial assistance available. Not merely does communication occur between students and the lecturers or among students themselves, but also become salient between other constituents of higher education institution and students.
The study conducted by Appleton and Abernethy (2013, p. 214) examined how library- student partnership can help the library to improve support services and assuring quality and continual enhancement and progress, and reported that communication channels, such as agenda driven meetings, are vital. In these meetings, students are encouraged to take part and communicate issues to the library management and the management gather intrinsic pertinent information and students’ experiences, and subsequently use it for an amelioration of the support services offered (Appleton and Abernethy, 2013, p. 214-215).
The body of knowledge on support directed to the needs and challenges of students in learning is insightful on the stance that communication about the support structures in place is integral and must be encouraged. Lee et al (2011, p. 162) uphold that lecturers should find means to communicate support to be offered to students and encourage peer interactions on a recurring basis so that they feel a sense of belonging to the learning populace. Inestimable effective communication channels used for the transmission of support services for students are abundant in literature. Tajalli, Sobhi and Ganbaripanah (2010, p. 102) recommend that in order to stimulate an understanding of students on the available social support services, experienced daily stresses and mental health, universities and their counselling centres should design instructional brochures, organise workshops, academic lectures, and other distinctive programmes, and teach competencies and effective strategies for adjusting with the stressful academic demands. A similar view with regard to using workshops and academic lectures as effective communication platforms to support students with social need is further proposed in the literature. In their qualitative inquiry on sociocultural coping transition of international university students as well as the role of university constituents in the process, Coles and Swami (2012, p. 98), found that controlled interactions occurring in seminars and labs are potentially pivotal in the creation of peer-peer and student-lecturer relations and serve as valuable social support contexts.