Programme Developer,Educational Development Centre

Otago Polytechnic

Conversation

My year as a Flexible Learning Leader in 2005-2006 provided me with many valuable insights into the factors contributing to success for rural learners in tertiary education and lifelong learning – and all providers are eager to maximise this success. An impending move to completion-based funding makes it even more urgent for New Zealand providers to consider factors resulting in attrition.
I hope to facilitate a productive discussion on the topic of “Reasons for attrition in rural-based distance learners”, and to give a progress report on my pilot study to identify recurrent themes of perceived barriers to completion by these students. This research is funded by Round 3 of the Flexible Learning Leaders in New Zealand project.

After many years working as a veterinarian in rural and urban practices in Australia, UK and New Zealand, Terry became involved in running a small correspondence course for veterinary nurses at Otago Polytechnic in the early 1980’s. This developed over time to become a nationwide distance programme, and then an online course using Blackboard as a Learning Management System. Terry supported this change in my professional life with a Graduate Diploma in Education and then a PG Certificate in Flexible Learning, and received a Flexible Learning Leaders in NZ award in June 2005. Terry’s current role at Otago Polytechnic is as an educational designer supporting lecturers moving into flexible learning in all disciplines, and his main interest is in developing learning communities to support students in the workplace.

People interested in working with rural learners