Open Learning:

Bridge to Success

Beck Pitt, Institute of Educational Technology, OU (UK)

“Widening Participation, OER & MOOCs…”

28 February 2013, London, UK

Overview and Aims

• What is the project and what was involved?

• Research overview: what we did… and

how we did it!

• Piloting the content

• Research Results

• Widening Participation

• Resources and Bibliography

How? What? Who?

The project aimed to offer free, open

educational resources to prepare adults to

successfully and confidently transition to a

college environment in the US, to pursue

advanced qualifications, or to be successful

in their chosen careers…

Next Generation

Learning Challenges

Use of B2S materials to date

Between 1 October 2011 – 25 February 2013:

138,267 Page Views

17,044 Unique Visitors

Research Overview: What we did… and how we did it!

Product Design/Adaptation

Process

Contexts of Use

Student and

Institutional Experience

Student Outcomes

Project Impact

Evaluation Research

Surveys

Quizzes

Interviews & Focus Groups

Pre- and Post-Surveys

Analysis of interviews, meetings,

emails etc.

Courses underwent accessibility,

usability and design analysis

Action Research

Periodic Interviews with key

stakeholders and the project

team

Quantitative

Analytics of website use

Institutional student data

Who piloted the content?

• A total of 11 US college and non-college institutions (October

2011 – August 2012).

• As at August 2012 a total of 17 out of 26 completed pilots had

been conducted with cohorts of low-income students. A further

16 pilots were ongoing at this date (total = 42 distinct pilots).

• As at February 2013 9 US college and non-college institutions

were continuing to utilise Bridge to Success materials, in a variety

of contexts

From theory to practice… Piloting the content

Piloting the Content: Colleges and data collection challenges

• Nine colleges piloted Bridge to Success materials during the

project’s pilot phase (October 2011 – August 2012).

As at August 2012

• Of the completed pilots that have submitted 100% of their data,

and as reported by instructors, 88% of students who completed B2S

materials persisted to next semester.

• 98% of these students mastered the subject matter and 96%

mastered deeper learning.

Case Study One: Diverse audiences

International Workforce Development Agency: supported people across Maryland

for over 90 years.

This pilot utilised specific units of the B2S maths course until end of August 2012 to

enable students to complete a new requirement math pre-test for a

Weatherization program.

Students who originally failed the math entrance exam, 80% passed after working

with B2S resources for a 1-3 week period.

Currently B2S courses are being translated into Spanish via a Massive Open Online

Course (MOOC) on Open Translation Tools and practices lead by the OU (UK)

Department of Languages. Massive potential for use with Hispanic speaking

populations both in the US and elsewhere.

Case Study Two: Diverse Audiences

Family Support Centre in residential area where:

“85% of families are headed by a single female

parent;

90% have not completed high school and do not have

a GED;

95% are unemployed, underemployed or receive

welfare or other social services.”(Source: Case Study Two Family Support Centre leaflet 2012)

Piloting both B2S courses within context of specific

GED/Pre-GED classes.

“Challenges that are unique to our setting and

population”

Time

Other commitments: parenting

Lack of access to

computers

Widening Participation

Math & Learning/Personal

Development: Content of B2S

courses relevant to all.

Access to OER remains a critical

issue: relation between low

income and access to internet at

home.

Raising awareness of the

existence of OER and providing

evidence for their impact.

Conclusion and Next Steps…

What next for Bridge to Success?

•More research – with Hewlett funded OER Research Hub.

•Refined content – based on analysis and feedback.

•Link with other material - Overcoming Math Anxiety webshop.

•Challenges – soft accreditation/badge ready.

•More use – integrated into college curriculum and beyond.

•Content transfer – Saylor Foundation/DVD for prisons.

•Supporting the under-served.

OER Research Hub project

• Impartially researching the impact of OER on learning and

teaching practices

• Focused on four sectors (informal, K-12, Higher Education &

college)

• Research is focused around 11 hypotheses

• Collaborative research with projects/initiatives across the world

• Best practice & guidance

THANK YOU!

Beck Pitt Beck.Pitt@open.ac.uk

@BeckPitt

Patrick McAndrew p.mcandrew@open.ac.uk

@openpad

Tim Coughlan tim.coughlan@nottingham.ac.uk

@t1mc

These slides are an updated version of our co-authored OpenEd 2012 presentation.

Resources and what to do next

• Watch a review of Bridge to Success functionality and the

courses: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pHyYO5d01I

• Visit the Bridge to Success website:

http://bridge2success.aacc.edu/

• Find out more about the Open Educational Resources at the

Open University and how our research can help you!

http://www8.open.ac.uk/about/open-educational-resources/

• Visit the OER Research Hub website: http://oerresearchhub.org/

Bibliography

• Bailey & Cho Issue Brief: Developmental Education in Community Colleges

prepared for The White House Summit on Community Colleges (October 2010)

• Bridge to Success Report One: Adaptation, Integration and Engagement

• Case Study Two Family Support Centre Leaflet 2012

• College Board: Advocacy & Policy Centre Education Pays 2010

(http://trends.collegeboard.org/sites/default/files/education-pays-2010-full-

report.pdf)

• College Board: Advocacy & Policy Centre Trends in Student Aid 2012

(http://trends.collegeboard.org/sites/default/files/student-aid-2012-full-

report-130201.pdf)

• Kaminski, K. Seel, P. & Cullen K. Technology Literate Students? Results from a

Survey (2003, EDUCAUSE Quarterly, No 3)