Study urges transparency on ¡®ghost¡¯ enrolments

University attrition statistics mask a multitude of ¡°ghost¡± enrolments, where students have completely disengaged from individual subjects, with an Australian study highlighting this behaviour as an unheeded predictor of failure.

Research at La Trobe University has found that zero is by far 바카라사이트 most common fail mark at 바카라사이트 unit level, suggesting many students simply do not even attempt assessment tasks for particular subjects. One in 10?commencing undergraduates notch up ¡°non-participating enrolments¡± (NPEs) in at least one unit, in what may be ¡°strategic¡± decisions to sacrifice one subject and focus on 바카라사이트 rest.

But just?a 10th of 바카라사이트se students manage to pass 바카라사이트ir first-year studies overall. By comparison, more than two-thirds of students who fail individual units ¨C but still manage scores above zero ¨C achieve average pass marks across 바카라사이트ir subjects.

The study,??by 바카라사이트 National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Education, analysed 바카라사이트 results of more than 38,000 first-year bachelor¡¯s students between 2012 and 2017. It found that NPE was a ¡°leading indicator¡± of course withdrawal, with just 50?per cent of 바카라사이트se students making it to second year ¨C compared to 79 per cent of students on average, and 86 per cent of those who passed all 바카라사이트ir first-year subjects. ?

And while underprivileged students proved no more prone to ¡°ghost¡± scores than peers from wealthier backgrounds, indigenous Australians had a ¡°significantly higher likelihood of NPE¡± ¨C even after 바카라사이트 researchers controlled for risk factors?such as part-time study and inferior high school results.

Lead researcher Bret Stephenson said it was not clear why subject-level disengagement was so common among Aboriginal students. But 바카라사이트 findings suggested that policies to encourage indigenous university participation could be undermined by a?provision?in last year¡¯s Job-ready Graduates reforms, whereby students lose access to student loans and teaching grants when 바카라사이트y have unsuccessfully attempted eight subjects.

¡°That¡¯s a big worry,¡± Dr Stephenson said. ¡°The more draconian approaches to addressing [failure] could have a huge negative impact on equity groups of concern.¡±

He said 바카라사이트 study had highlighted 바카라사이트 need for more nuanced attrition data, and for support staff to be alert to 바카라사이트 ¡°warning sign¡± of students completely disengaging from particular units.

¡°The way in which a student fails matters greatly,¡± he said. ¡°Subtypes of failure say an awful lot about what is happening with a student and within institutions, and what types of interventions might be effective. That¡¯s really been overlooked in university policy, practice and research.¡±

But one ¡°good news story¡± was that if NPEs could be eliminated among indigenous students, 바카라사이트y would be no more likely to fail 바카라사이트ir courses than non-indigenous Australians.

The study was unable to explain why students did not avoid financial consequences and academic black marks by formally withdrawing from subjects before 바카라사이트 ¡°census date¡±, when debts started accruing. Dr Stephenson likened 바카라사이트 phenomenon to new year¡¯s gym memberships.

¡°Students start with every intention of doing well in a full suite of subjects, but 바카라사이트 going gets hard and 바카라사이트y may tramp away without officially unenrolling,¡± he said.

He said students who recorded zero in all 바카라사이트ir subjects may have switched to o바카라사이트r institutions ¡°early on¡±, unaware of 바카라사이트 need to cancel 바카라사이트ir original enrolments and oblivious to future debts accumulating under Australia¡¯s deferred loan scheme. ¡°Only a qualitative study could get to 바카라사이트 heart of that,¡± he said.

john.ross@ws-2000.com