Description of the pilot
This research concerns access to higher education by adult prospective students from educationally disadvantaged backgrounds without the usual academic pre-requisites for entry to university level study. It investigates the effectiveness of a pilot program for entry to the University of South Australia by such prospective students - called UniSA-PAL (University of South Australia Pathway for Adult Learners). This collaborative pilot was put into place in 2002 when the first year of the University’s access award, the Diploma in University Studies, was offered as the course UniSA-PAL by Para West Adult Campus, one of the State’s four adult re-entry schools, on the basis of school rather than university enrolment and school rather than university fee structures. It was taught to a single cohort of adult students in face-to-face mode, with moderation provided by the University’s staff. In 2003 all four of South Australia’s adult re-entry schools offered the same course on much the same arrangement, and there are plans for further expansion in 2004 and beyond.
Research intentions
The research was designed to establish whether these arrangements provide a more effective pathway into higher education for socio-economically disadvantaged adults than current alternatives, and in particular to compare the retention, success and transition rates into university bachelor level study of students undertaking the UniSA-PAL course in a school setting, Diploma in University Studies students studying at a distance with the University, and students throughout Australia taking bridging courses funded by the federal Enabling Program. The research was also concerned to identify the relative educational and particularly the socio-economic disadvantage of these different cohorts of access students. Also of interest was the inter-sectoral dimension of this joint project, in terms of pathways between sectors, the nature of the collaboration, and whether the pilot course provides a more effective completion of secondary education for disadvantaged adults than the traditional year 11 and 12, in addition to and as a separate matter to its usefulness as a higher education access pathway.
Research results
- Socio-economic disadvantage of students
Based on post code derived definitions of socio-economic status, the cohorts of students in the UniSA-PAL course at the four adult re-entry schools in South Australia, in the Diploma in University Studies at the University of South Australia, and in courses funded by the Enabling Program nation-wide are all disproportionately in the lowest quartile. Given the acknowledged limitations of the postcode methodology in accurately identifying individuals’ socio-economic status,1 additional information was collected, including students’ level of previous educational attainment,2 their parents’ post secondary education or training qualifications,3 and students’ income ranges.4 On the basis of all of the data collected on the students’ socio-economic status, only some of which is available for comparison across the three groups of students, it can be concluded that while students in each of the UniSA-PAL course, the Diploma in University Studies and the Enabling Program all show evidence of educational disadvantage, those in the UniSA-PAL program are the most significantly disadvantaged with respect to their socio-economic location and all that follows from this in terms of educational outcomes.
The 20025, mid year 20036 and final 2003 UniSA-PAL7 retention rates are higher than the pilot schools achieve with their usual cohorts of adult re-entry students undertaking senior secondary studies. The final retention rates for the much larger 2003 cohort in the four adult re-entry schools were also considerably higher than the very positive rates estimated by the schools at the mid-year point8. They are also a great deal higher than those for the University’s Diploma in University Studies.9 Unfortunately retention rate data is unavailable to compare these rates with those of students in bridging courses funded by the federal Enabling Program.
Using available national averaged data, in 1998 the success rates of students in the Enabling Program were 37.5 per cent overall for both types of courses funded by this program, and 43 per cent for bridging courses, which are the most relevant for comparison with both the UniSA-PAL course and the Diploma in University Studies. This compares badly with the success rates achieved by students undertaking either UniSA-PAL10 or the Diploma in University Studies,11 with the success rates of the PAL students being the best for the cohorts being compared.
Transition to university award level studies is a key indicator for all of the courses being compared since this is their primary intention. All of the UniSA-PAL students who completed the course in 2002 were offered and accepted places in bachelor level courses at the University of South Australia in 2003, although two subsequently decided not to enrol. Their transition rates to higher education were 81 per cent of completers and 43 per cent of actual commencers. Similarly all but one of the 2003 UniSA-PAL completing students, and another four non-completers,12 were offered places and subsequently enrolled at the University of South Australia making the transition rates to university studies for this second and larger cohort 98 per cent for completers and 57 per cent of actual commencing students. The average transition rate to bachelor level studies for Diploma in University Studies students is similar at 58 per cent (1996-2002). In comparison, only 30 per cent of the students who commenced bridging courses in 1996 transferred to award level courses between 1997 and 1999. Based on this data, the transition rates of both UniSA-PAL students and Diploma in University Studies students are nearly twice as good as those for students in federally funded bridging programs, a significant outcome since their level of educational disadvantage is at least comparable and almost certainly greater than their peers in the bridging programs.
The higher education success rates of the 2002 UniSA-PAL completers who enrolled in award level programs at the University of South Australia in 2003 were exceptionally good, averaging at 84 per cent and including 16 credits, 13 distinctions and 4 high distinctions.
- Suitability of the course
In the view of the staff involved with the pilot, UniSA-PAL is an effective and appropriate course for adult re-entry students, as a completion of secondary education, as a pathway into higher education, and as a preparation for study at this level.
- Inter-sectoral collaboration
The collaboration between the pilot institutions was positive and effective, with staff in both sectors identifying a range of benefits beyond those anticipated from the pilot.
The expansion in 2004 and plans for further developments thereafter arise from its success and also the views held by key staff from both pilot partners that this can be achieved within current resources, given what has been learnt, and economies of scale achieved and planned, especially the support which the more experienced schools can give new-comers.
In conclusion, the outcomes of the pilot and results of the research have both been very positive in terms of: the level of disadvantage of the students which the UniSA-PAL course has attracted; their retention, success and transition rates into higher education; the appropriateness of the course as an adult equivalent of traditional senior secondary studies, as a preparation for higher education and as an entry pathway into studies at this level; the scalability of the inter-sectoral arrangements; and the potential for expansion into a range of other sites and targeting specific groups of students. These outcomes suggest that the UniSA-PAL pilot is deserving of serious national policy attention with respect to its potential to transform access arrangements for socio-economically disadvantaged adults to university award level study, and as an adult alternative to the completion of senior secondary education.