“Re-engaging students: Could a conversation make a difference?” The power of personal conversations to encourage progression - HEA Annual Conference 2017 - Generation TEF: Teaching in the spotlight

Since the change to qualification based study in 2012 the Open University has had to rethink how we support students’ progression through a qualification more actively. In Summer 2016 a small telephone campaign was implemented aimed at re-engaging 61 learners who had successfully passed a module but who had then ‘stalled’ in their studies. The conversation was to encourage students to return to study. The outcomes were that students appreciated being called and 13 enrolled on 20 modules starting in the following six months therefore a telephone conversation can make a difference in re-engaging students in their study.