Abstract
The global online education sector has been rising rapidly, particularly during and after the events of 2020, and is becoming mainstream much sooner than expected. Despite this, research studies report higher levels of perceived isolation, difficulties with engagement, and higher attrition rates in online compared to equivalent on-campus programs. Reasons include restrictions to the type of institutional support accessible by online students, and the lack of comprehensiveness of orientation resources. This paper describes the collaborative efforts by a cross-faculty academic team, supported by a community of practice, to create a university-wide online orientation resource—the Monash Online Learning Hub (MOLH). The development of the MOLH involved multiple phases, including an analysis of current practice, resource design and content creation, formative evaluation by staff and students, and successful integration into the university’s mainstream student orientation platform for widescale implementation. The methods adopted were varied, and involved generating both qualitative and quantitative data across multiple phases of development from online education experts at the University, that culminated in the gradual building and refinement of the MOLH. Final outcomes, implications and lessons learned are also discussed in this paper.
Highlights
Background and overviewBuilding the Monash Online Learning Hub (MOLH) was an initiative that involved a group of academic staff at Monash University who were members of the Monash Online Education Community of Practice (MOEC)
Our process aligns with a design-based research (DBR) approach, which advocates for the collaboration between researchers and practitioners in real-world settings, to create contextually-sensitive outcomes and resources (Reimann, 2010)
Innovative ideas around the look, feel, and impact of the site were compromised for reasons relating to practicality and feasibility. It was suggested in the first brainstorming workshop with the Community of Practice (CoP), that the use of AI and VR features would enhance the personalisation of the student experience and immersion with the university
Summary
“Imagine... that you go to a University where all of the buildings are empty—no desks, tables, or chairs, just big bulletin boards all over each room” (Hamilton & Zimmerman, 2002, cited in Holley & Oliver, 2010). Horvath et al (2019) from a local university in Australia developed an orientation program across two phases, aiming to increase student preparedness for online study, feelings of belonging and a sense of community, as well as to facilitate ongoing support—topics which are often overlooked in online education (Horvath et al, 2019; Roddy et al, 2017). The need for an orientation resource purposely built for Monash University students is greater than ever Helping to achieve this is a Community of Practice (CoP) that was formed and launched in 2018 comprising academic and support staff interested in online education from across the university, and which was formed to address the needs of the growing body of online students. Like the aforementioned orientation modules from other Universities, the MOLH aims to address students’ needs around online learning preparation, digital literacy, and academic and pastoral support through a community of practice development process. We anticipate that the paper will present a valuable case study, offering other institutions and course developers another perspective on how to collaboratively produce their own online student resources
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