Impact on formal points of tutor contact on student outcome and experience on new L1 module D120

• Project Team: Marianna LatifAlicia Townshend
• Subject Discipline: Psychology and Counselling
• Theme: AssessmentMultisensory/multimodal learningOnline and blended tuition
• Project Aim: Enables more students to achieve their study goalsImproves and enhance the learning experience of students
• Status: Live

This study aims to explore the impact of early tutor contact on the D120 module, looking at the student experience, the tutor relationship and retention and progression. D120 is a new level 1 psychology module which started in October 2023. Successful completion of this module is required for students who wish to study on our BPS accredited psychology qualifications. It is also the first time that specific individual contact points have been built into the tuition strategy. Previously, it was expected that tutors would regularly contact their students. However, there was no consistent module-wide evaluation of the impact of this activity. This project will evaluate the effectiveness of this formalised tutor-student contact and its impact on assignment submission, retention, and student experience on the module. 

Research suggests that the tutor-student relationship in the first year of study is crucial for a positive student experience. In addition, there is evidence that about 95% of level 1 students who do not submit the first tutor marked assignment (TMA) will not complete the module. D120 tutors are required to contact their students at three specific points between TMA01-TMA04. This contact can cover various themes from non-submission, checking on extensions and encouraging future submissions for those on track. They will then log this contact on their student’s record using a tick-box/drop-down menu form. This process will capture quantitative data and enable tracking of student retention and progression. Qualitative data will also be collected from students and tutors through questionnaire and interviews with a view to gain greater insights into the effects of tutor communication on the tutor-student relationship. The research questions are:

• to what extent does consistent and personalised tutor contact impact on student outcomes 
• in what way does consistent personalised contact from tutor facilitate tutor-student relationship and encourages students to better engage with their studies.