Evaluating the Relative Efficiencies and Effectiveness of the Contact Centre and Tutor Models of Learner Support at Atha

1. Evaluating the Relative Efficiencies and Effectiveness of the Contact Centre and Tutor Models of Learner Support at Athabasca University David Annand Director, School of Business

2. AU’s Distinguishing Mission • Removing barriers to access and success in university-level studies • prior learning • time and place

3. Key Facts • Adult, part-time learners generally with families and full-time jobs • Average age 28, declining • Over 66% women • Over 45,000 annual registrations • growing about 10% per year over past decade • low growth in past year

4. Online Individualized Study • Begin a course at any time of the year • Take up to six months to complete a course • All textbooks, online learning activities, library access included • One on one academic and general assistance by phone and email

5. School of Business • Over 11,000 students and 17,000 course registrations in 2008/09 (30% of AU) • 12% compounded growth last five years (though only 4% last year) • Over 75 business courses available • 25 full time faculty; 70 p/t tutors; 30 admin staff

6. Program Advisors Faculty (F/T managers) Tutor Model Support Network Tutors (P/T academics) Students Technical Support Admin. Course Assistants

7. Faculty (F/T managers) Program Advisors Call Centre Support Network Tutors (P/T academics) Students Call Centre Technical Support Admin. Course Assistants

8. Call Centre Support Network • Non-academics, but with extensive knowledge of Athabasca University and School of Business policies and procedures • 60 hours per week access by phone or email • All interactions tracked by customer relationship management software • Resolve administrative issues; forward academic, technical, program advice issues to relevant staff

9. Over 50% of Tickets Resolved by Call Centre

10. Research Questions • Does student satisfaction differ? • Do costs differ?

11. Student Telephone Survey • Measure relative satisfaction among four service indicator: academic, administrative, technical, and program advising • Explore whether any age or gender effects • Pool of students who have completed at least four AU undergraduate courses during the two years ended December 31, 2008 (at least one in each mode) • 435 requests, 69% response rate = 300 surveys • Statistically significant results: +/- 3% @ 95%

12. Student Survey Results • Important student needs under either model • Immediate learning support (78%) • Direct contact (76%) • Usefulness of first month contact (77%) • Usefulness of welcome email (84%) • Differences • Amount of student contact within first month (CC: 77%; TM: 43%) • Preference for models (CC: 58%; TM: 54%) • Preference of TM for higher-level, quantitatively complex courses (Finance, Math)

13. Student Survey Results (cont.) • Gender and age representative of AU student population (M: 39%; F: 61%; 28 years) • Email perceived as most effective vs. telephone • Tutors need to be more accessible under both models • Cell phone pilot

14. Relative Costs • Reluctance by administration; costs only recently made available for analysis • 2003 analysis: app. $90 per registration less for Call Centre model • Tutors paid for activity (CC), not availability (TM)

15. Other Aspects • Student service tracking and resolution facilitated by Call Centre/CMR model • Better utilization of academic experts’ time • If service perceptions roughly same or better, and lower costs, why wouldn’t this be adopted across all IS courses? • Union resistance • Pedagogical resistance by influential executives • Lotus Notes/GWI as technological backbone • Budget crisis may convince critics

16. Questions David Annand, Director School of Business 001 780 307 2937 davida@athabascau.ca More Information http://business.athabascau.ca/