Investigating tutorial attendance on synchronous face-to-face and online classroom events on Arts modules

• Project Team: Robin MackieAstrid VoigtJen ShepherdSteve PadleyMaddy SharmanMichelle Hynd
• Subject Discipline: Arts and Humanities
• Theme: Equality, diversity and inclusionOnline and blended tuition
• Project Aim: Improves and enhance the learning experience of studentsPromotes equality diversity and inclusion including reduction of degree awarding gap
• Status: Complete
• Date: April 2019 to November 2019

The project looked at quantitative data for the three academic years starting in October 2017, 2018 and 2019. At first, the emphasis was on the balance of f2f and online LEs, but the 2019 presentation was overtaken by the lockdown resulting from the COVID pandemic, when all events were shifted online. Even before the pandemic, however, attendance at online events was rising, although there was no corresponding reduction in attendance at f2f ones. ‘No-shows’ were also lower at f2f events, with around 80% of students who booked a place turning up, compared to just 66% at online ones. The lockdown produced a surge in online attendance, which appears to have been maintained in the 2020 presentation.This project looked at attendance at classroom tutorials (known as ‘learning events’ - LEs) offered to students on modules across some of the disciplines taught in the Arts & Humanities School of the Open University: Art History, Classical Studies, English Literature, History and Music. Attendance at such events is not compulsory but forms an important point of contact for students who otherwise are often studying on their own. Traditionally, the Open University ran face-to-face (f2f) events on weekday evenings and on Saturdays, but in recent years these have also increasingly been run online.

Students are offered iterations of between 8 and 12 LEs a presentation, but very few attend as many, with around a third attending half or more, just over third attending less than half, and just under a third not attending any. Figures are somewhat distorted by a small minority of students who attend far more events than expected with a few attending over 20 iterations of LEs on a presentation. Overall, attendance correlates strongly with attainment, with those students who attend LEs more likely to complete their module than those who don’t and with those who attend more LEs attaining higher grades than others.

The report finishes by considering some ways that the School might improve the use of resources, since the increase in demand for online LEs combined with the continuing interest in f2f ones is stretching. Although the report is focused very much on the internal policies of the Open University, the evidence collected on student behavior in a situation where they are relatively free to choose their own learning strategy may be of interest to other teaching departments.