Case Study: UNSW College boosts engagement and academic English learning with OpenLearning

UNSW College's Foundation English Entry Course (FEEC) enables high school students to successfully experiment with their learning pathway into university

UNSW College, a pathway college for international students, faced the challenge of engaging young, recent school leavers in a fully online environment as they transitioned from high school to university. Their specific hurdles included adapting a course-book-based curriculum for digital delivery, redefining instructional language, restructuring the course, and establishing a clear role for teacher facilitation to provide crucial social and academic support.

The vendor, OpenLearning, provided its online learning platform to host interactive course materials and activities, which were integrated with Zoom for live classes. This solution facilitated high levels of student-to-teacher interaction and peer collaboration. The results were exceptional, with over 20,000 comments generated across more than ten cohorts, equating to a very high engagement rate of 168 comments per student. Post-course surveys confirmed that students found the platform clear, convenient, and effective for communication and tracking their progress.

UNSW College

Aparna Jacob

Director of Studies (Language Programs)