The limits of resilience:

accomplishments, affordances and

challenges after two years of academic change at HOU

George Androulakis,

Hellenic Open University

Outline of the paper

• Distance Learning HE in Greece

• Challenges of the Hellenic Open University today

• Academic Development Strategy

• New Online Master Degrees

• Change risk and management

Higher Education in Greece

European OECD countries

30% of the population aged 25-64: higher education graduates

Greece24% of the population aged 25-64: higher education graduates (no privateuniversities officially allowed)

Distance Learning in HEIs in Greece

2016

European OECD countries

9.8% of the population aged 25-64: higher education distance learning programme graduates

Greece1.2% of the population aged 25-64: higher education distance learning programme graduates

2002

European OECD countries

5% of the population aged 25-64: higher education distance learning programme graduates

Greece0.05% of the population aged 25-64: higher education distance learning programme graduates

Distance Learning in HEIs in Greece (2)

2016

European OECD countries

3,000,000 students enrolled in higher education distance learning programmes

Greece75,000 students enrolled in higher education distance learning programme(45,000 in the HOU, 60%)

Exclusively

Distance Learning Education

> 45,000 students

4 Faculties

40 Programmes230 Admin. Staff

> 2,300 Tutors

45 Perm. Professors HOU

A new Governing Board (September 2015)

Challenges• a sharp drop in the number of applicant students (84% drop over 10 years,

between 2005 and 2015),

• increase of competition from conventional Universities in Greece and abroad

• obsolescence, extremely limited digitisation and interactivity of teachingmaterials

• neutral to negative view of students and alumni about the content of theirstudies

• centralisation and bureaucracy in the operation of the administrativemechanism

• no specialised and dedicated teaching staff: 60% members of otherUniversities

• lack of extroversion and international presence.

Academic development strategy

Objectives:

• 50% renewal of the HOU’s academic landscape by 2018: 15 new programmes of Study

• Improvement / restructuring of existing Programmes : 10 implemented restructurings in 2017, 25 in 2019

• Reduction of dropout rates in certain Programmes

• Encouragement of part-time students

• Further geographic dispersion of Study Centers: 15 cities and towns in Greece

• Fully engaged ATF members (new PhDs)

• Continuous training of staff and students

Academic development strategy (2)

Innovations of the new Programmes: Semester Modules

Modular, flexible system (individual Modules, SLPs)

All-inclusive, digital, interactive material

Use of a dossier of material (chapters, articles) instead of single volumes

New methods for supporting students

Introduction of internships / praktikum

Personal feedback through the resources and tools provided by the system

New technical solutions for education - Enhancing interactivity: Peer-assessment exercises, Wikis, Fora

Cultivating team spirit - Encouraging collaborative learning

Active participation of students in discussions and in the course design

How we innovated - COTELETTE Model

1. Courses: Decide which programmes we want

2. Online: Decide how to deliver them

3. Team: Make a new team

4. Existing resources: Rely on existing resources

5. Learning οutcomes: Define the learning outcomes

6. Educational Activities: Create structure & educational activities

7. Technology: Take advantage of technology

8. Teach and communicate: Improve teaching and feedback

9. Evaluate: Evaluate to improve and innovate

New Postgraduate Courses: 6 in 2016

Creative

Writing

Special

Education

for

People

with

Language

Disorders

Modern

Journalism

Studies

Manage

ment of

Ageing

and

Chronic

Diseases

Sports

Studies:

Sociology

History,

Anthropo

logy

Language

education

for

refugees

and

migrants

[In

English]

New Postgraduate Courses: 3 in 2017

Public

History

Social and

Solidarity

Economy

Analysis

and

Teaching

of the

Greek

Language

Op

en

UK

Co

urs

es

New Postgraduate Courses

Online course types

% online Type of Course Description

TraditionalCourses not supported by online technology. Educational material is provided mainly in the form of printed books.

Courses combining online technology and F2F Online discussions are usually used (e.g. Forum) and limited meetings in person

Mixed/Hybrid

online

Web-supported

Courses in which web technology is used tosupport the F2F lesson. An LMS or websites can be used to post the educational material and assignments

Courses in which most (or all) educational material is provided online.

Achievements

4,000 new students enrolled in the 9 new Masters

In average, they are 6 years younger than the students of the ‘old’Programmes (32 to 38 years)

‘External’ motivation to enroll (65%): career, new skills, qualificationsupgrade

Huge majority of female students (78% vs. 48% in the ‘old’ Programmes)

Choice of online tutor-students sessions: 79% vs. 34%

Retention rate: 88% (after 2 semesters of new Masters) vs. 67% in the‘old’ Programmes

74% Very satisfied / Satisfied by the courses

Achievements (2)

Creation of Masters in new scientific fields; unique qualifications inGreece (7 out of 9 new Masters)

Collaborative construction of the syllabi and the courses: academics, NewCourses team (composed by domain specialists, instructional designersand technicians), tutors, students

Sharing of resources, tolerance to the error as a means of criticalawareness and improvement

Training to openness and digitization for all HOU’s staff: focus oncreative stress and problem solving

New learning techniques and activities with impact in everyday,professional practice (eg. doctors in interactive tasks, interculturalcommunication)

Building of digital communities of learning

Digital communities – Interaction among students & community-building – forum as an interactive tool for learning – shaping and reflecting dominant, academic and everyday discourses concerning refugees and migrants’ issues (LRM Master)

Change risks and management

Resistance by internal stakeholders (academic staff, administrative mechanism): a practical and ethical obstacle and a factor of delay and strategy adaptation

Hostility by the other public Universities in Greece: competition, reduction of collaborations with their academic staff

Relations with the Government: too close, too fluid

A rich University in a country in crisis: social dimension, scholarships, inclusiveness, but with the imperative of maintaining financial reserve

Struggle to keep the HOU in the foreground of the evolution in distance teaching and learning: MOOCs, SLPs…

OUR MOTTO:

and…

Thanks for your

attention!