Addressing Challenges in Half-Year Higher Education Study Programs

2.1 Learning motivation

The motivation to learn is a pivotal factor in engaging learners in the educational process, ultimately leading to heightened levels of success and achievement [1, 2]. This motivation is typically categorized into intrinsic or internal motivation and extrinsic or external motivation [3]. According to self-determination theory (SDT), intrinsic motivation stems from students’ own interests, enjoyment, and inherent satisfaction, while extrinsic motivation encompasses external regulation, introjection, identification, and integration, all reflecting varying degrees of external influence [3]. Thus, it becomes imperative for educators to not only recognize but also nurture learners’ motivation, striving to bolster intrinsic motivation by leveraging extrinsic motivational factors. Establishing a conducive learning environment that fosters both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation is essential for facilitating optimal learning outcomes and fostering lifelong learning habits.

2.2 Prior knowledge

Students embarking on higher education (HE) journeys hail from diverse backgrounds, resulting in a spectrum of prior knowledge levels. According to expertise development theory [4], learners possessing substantial prior knowledge and practical experience may require less instructional support. However, the mere possession of prior knowledge does not guarantee seamless acquisition of new information; as in Brod [5], it must be activated and applied appropriately. Despite these insights, recent research [6] underscores the continued absence of a comprehensive framework for providing tailored educational support to learners with varying levels of prior knowledge, crucial for nurturing specific expert skills. Establishing such a framework could significantly enhance educational outcomes and foster deeper learning experiences for all students.

2.3 Time management

The ability to manage time effectively is a critical factor influencing the success and achievement of learners, especially among students and individuals juggling diverse life roles. Research, such as Refs. [7, 8], highlights the challenges faced by working students and parents in balancing their academic pursuits with other responsibilities. Maslow’s theory emphasizes that efficient time utilization facilitates the pursuit of higher fulfillment [9], underscoring its importance in optimizing the learning process. Additionally, developing effective time management skills can empower learners to navigate academic demands and personal obligations more efficiently.

2.4 Dropouts

While the term “dropout” in HE encompasses various concepts, such as leaving a course, program, or institution, there is unanimous agreement that it results in a loss of economic and social benefits for both individuals and institutions [10]. Consequently, educational institutions are actively seeking ways to reduce dropout rates, with a potential approach being the implementation of mandatory attendance and hybrid delivery of lectures and tutorials.

As the number of HE students increases, there has been increasing access to higher education enrollment also for disadvantaged individuals, but Haas and Hadjar [11] found that historically disadvantaged groups in HE follow less linear and less smooth higher education trajectories, while Li and Carroll [12] disclosed that students from equity groups are more likely to consider dropout, with health and financial reasons found to be important determinants.

2.5 Compulsory attendance

Since in some countries and institutions, student attendance is not compulsory and in some, it is, researchers tend to justify reasons for and against. Nonetheless, attendance is usually considered to reflect students’ level of engagement with their course and to be critical to student success [13]. On the other hand, Goulas, Griselda, and Megalokonomou [14], using a difference-in-differences approach, found that allowing higher-achieving students to skip more classes increases their performance in subjects that matter for university admission and improves the quality of their enrolled college degree. However, since a majority of students are not higher-achieving, educational institutions and teachers seek possibilities to increase students’ attendance, e.g., Joseph et al. [15] claim that using not only a punishment but also a reward, where student attendance is compulsory, increases students’ motivation and satisfaction.

2.6 Hybrid education

The overcoming of distance, through mediated technological practices founded in pedagogical principles, led to the development of a wide range of educational possibilities, thus also a hybrid education has evolved alongside social, educational, and technological changes [16].

The study of Raes et al. [17] provided an overview of the research regarding the benefits, challenges, and current design principles of setting up synchronous hybrid learning. One of their main findings is that existing research suggests cautious optimism about synchronous hybrid learning that creates a more flexible, engaging learning environment compared to fully online or fully on-site instruction. Besides, it also warns about several challenges that are both pedagogical and technological in nature. Also, Fenech, Baguant, and Ghafar [18] investigating the role of hybrid education in HE in the development of human capabilities outline that the predetermining success factors (as appropriate technology possession) need to be in place for hybrid education to lead to the development of human capabilities, and there are several challenges (as motivation) that need to be addressed in ensuring that hybrid education does lead to such capability development.

Since there are several definitions of the hybrid model of education, we explain that in the Results section, and we consider it as synchronous hybrid learning in which both on-site and remote students can simultaneously attend learning activities.

4.1 Learning motivation

To analyze the motivation to learn, we considered two different insights, from the application on the exams and from the final survey among learners, which was conducted at the end of the study program. Data on applications on the exams show that, on average, only 40.5% of learners applied for the first exam, which is a clear indicator of a drop in motivation after the very first course. The drop in motivation was more evident at the study program DITIA, where only 27.6% of those enrolled applied for the first exam, while at the study program PAD 53.3% of the participants applied for the first exam.

The issue of motivation was also addressed in the final survey among learners. The results show that 25.0% of them (or 33.3% at the study program DITIA and 23.5% at the study program PAD) reported a lack of motivation as a reason for dropping out of a half-year higher education program, and 10.0% of the participants also identified the problem of maintaining motivation as one of the biggest challenges he had faced during the half-year education program.

When queried about the second part of Q1, ChatGPT outlined some strategies on how to increase and maintain motivation throughout a half-year of higher education programs:

• Set clear goals.

• Break tasks into manageable steps.

• Create a study schedule.

• Find meaning in your coursework.

• Stay organized.

• Reward yourself for accomplishments.

• Stay curious and ask questions.

• Join study groups for collaboration.

• Visualize success.

• Take breaks and practice self-care.

• Maintain a positive mindset.

• Seek support when needed.

• Mix up your learning methods.

• Reflect on your progress.

• Embrace failure as a learning opportunity.

Project’s leaders’ feedback:

Learners engaged in the first cycle of the project’s half-year educational programs were mainly adults with a certain amount of life experience. In this respect, one would expect them to be more able to motivate themselves compared to younger students. However, experience has shown that some learners were unlikely to use certain strategies to increase motivation. Although they probably had a clear goal when they enrolled in the education, their goals were not in line with the purpose of the project’s half-year educational programs. Consequently, they lost motivation soon after starting the courses and some learners even developed very negative mindsets. Although we have repeatedly tried to re-motivate them to continue their education through e-mails, in most cases we have not succeeded in raising their motivation to study.

In order to ensure that learners are motivated to take part in the half-year education program, we have added the statement “I am motivated to complete the program requirements in the education” to the enrollment form. Furthermore, to help learners overcome the challenges of staying motivated, we organized an introductory day before the start of the second cycle of the half-year higher education programs, which included a short presentation on how to find and stay motivated.

4.2 Prior knowledge

To analyze the importance of prior knowledge, we considered two different insights, from the final survey among learners, conducted at the end of the study program and from the survey among teachers, conducted after the end of each course at the study programs. The results from the final survey among learners show that 30.0% of them (or 33.3% at the study program DITIA and 29.4% at the study program PAD) reported a lack of prior knowledge as a reason for dropping out of a half-year higher education program, and 15.0% of the participants also identified a lack of prior knowledge as one of the biggest challenges he had faced during the half-year education program. Teachers’ responses also indicate challenges in imparting new knowledge due to a lack of prior knowledge.

When prompted about the second part of Q2, ChatGPT answered that a lack of prior knowledge is not crucial for success in higher education programs. While some foundational knowledge can be helpful, higher education is designed to teach you what you need to know. What’s more important are qualities like a willingness to learn, critical thinking, time management, and a strong work ethic. These traits can help you succeed by engaging with the material, asking questions, seeking help when needed, and persevering through challenges. So, do not let a lack of prior knowledge discourage you from pursuing higher education; with the right approach, you can thrive and succeed.

Project’s leaders’ feedback:

When setting entry requirements for the project’s half-year educational programs, we followed the current Slovenian legislation, namely the Higher Education Act. As the project’s half-year educational programs have been developed in analogy with the first cycle higher education programs of our faculty in the fields of informatics and computer science, we have taken into account the provision of Article 38 of the Act, which states that anyone who has gained a high school (in the duration of 4 years) diploma may enroll in a first cycle professional higher education program. We have also designed the curricula and the sequence of courses in both project’s half-year educational programs, so that the courses follow one after the other, starting from the basics and gradually progressing to more advanced content.

Nevertheless, in order to ensure that learners are aware of the specifics and skill levels of the half-year educational program, we have added the statement “I have the capacity to acquire these skills (at the faculty level)” to the enrollment form. To better prepare learners for the educational activities, the specifics and skill levels of the half-year study program were further elaborated within introductory day before the start of the second cycle of the half-year higher education program.

4.3 Time management

To analyze the challenges of time management, we considered data gathered from the final survey among learners, which was conducted at the end of the study program. The results show that 45.0% of learners (or 66.7% at the study program DITIA and 41.2% at the study program PAD) reported a lack of time as a reason for dropping out of a half-year higher education program, and 35.0% of the participants also identified the problem of managing time as one of the biggest challenges he had faced during the half-year education program.

When queried about the second part of Q3, ChatGPT suggested that to manage your time effectively while balancing higher education, work, family, and friends:

• Set clear goals for each area of your life.

• Create a schedule with dedicated time slots for each commitment.

• Use a calendar to track deadlines and events.

• Prioritize tasks based on importance and impact.

• Practice time blocking to stay focused.

• Set realistic expectations and avoid overloading your schedule.

• Learn to say no when necessary.

• Group similar tasks together for efficiency.

• Utilize productivity tools and technology.

• Communicate your schedule and boundaries with others.

• Delegate or outsource tasks when possible.

• Prioritize self-care to maintain well-being.

• Stay flexible and adapt to unexpected events.

• Regularly review and adjust your schedule and commitments.

Project’s leaders’ feedback:

In this case, we are taking a similar view as in the case of motivation arguing that as mainly adult learners, we would expect them to have a certain amount of life experience, including the ability to manage time. On the other hand, each individual can best assess for themselves whether they can also devote time to education. All the terms for taking the courses as part of half-year educational programs have been communicated to the potential learners under expectations and orientations, published on the faculty website. However, it soon became clear that the learners were not aware of the intensity of the education.

In order to prepare learners for the possibility of time management challenges during the half-year education program, we decided to make the intensity of the program delivery very clear within the introductory day. We have also added the statement “I have enough time to learn” to the enrollment form.

4.4 Dropouts

To analyze dropouts, we considered two different insights, from the performance of learners in the exams and throughout education and from the qualitative answers from the final survey among learners, which was conducted at the end of the study program.

Data based on the performance in the exams show that already in the first course (first month of the half-year course), on average, success rate was only 21.8% at both study programs while considering also the second exam in the second month of education the rate fell to 16.9% in the past year. The dropout was significantly more evident at the study program DITIA, with a success rate of 13.8% considering the first two exams, while at the study program PAD, the success rate was 20.0%.

From the qualitative answers from the final survey among learners, we, on the other hand, found that 35.0% of learners answered to attend all courses, but we have to consider that only 33.9% of all enrolled learners answered the survey. Nonetheless, those answers would suggest that at least the number of learners who registered to take the exams should be higher and only a third of them were successful at exams, but our statistics do not show this (approximately two-thirds were successful in total). This means that a significant part (one-third) of learners were passive in the past year, not even trying to take the exams.

When prompted about the second part of Q4, ChatGPT proposed that to curb dropouts from tuition-free half-year higher education programs, institutions can implement the subsequent pivotal measures to bolster learners academically, emotionally, and practically:

• Early Identification and Intervention: Identify struggling learners early and provide personalized support.

• Clear Expectations and Orientation: Ensure learners understand program expectations and available resources.

• Mentoring and Peer Support: Offer mentors or peer groups for guidance and collaboration.

• Personalized Academic Support: Provide tutoring and study skill workshops.

• Financial and Practical Assistance: Address financial barriers and logistical challenges.

• Regular Check-ins: Monitor learner’s progress and build rapport through regular check-ins.

• Flexible Learning Options: Offer online and hybrid learning to accommodate different needs.

• Engaging Curriculum: Make the curriculum relevant and applicable.

• Supportive Environment: Create a positive and inclusive learning environment.

• Continuous Feedback and Improvement: Gather learner’s feedback to enhance the program.

• Celebrate Milestones: Recognize and celebrate learners’ achievements.

Project’s leaders’ feedback:

We faced significant dropout rates already after the first month of the project’s half-year program. After the first month, another two, but minor dropouts were observed in the second and the third months.

Despite Flexible Learning Options already offered with a hybrid delivery model and online learning platform Moodle and Clear Expectations and Orientation set, it soon became clear that the expectations were beyond the learners’ comprehension. Therefore, we experimented with Early Identification and Intervention, but only to a certain scope, which needs to be strengthened.

It is also possible to reduce the dropout rate through Mentoring and Peer Support and Personalized Academic Support, which we already offer within the faculty’s other regular study programs, but proportionally downsized. We might even create an enhanced Supportive Environment and Celebrate Milestones with the learners, e.g., in the form of organizing gatherings after each course, but since the half-year educational program was free of charge for learners and hybrid delivery enabled them to overcome logistical challenges, the recommendation for Financial and Practical Assistance is not applicable due to tuition-free study programs and a hybrid option. Furthermore, Continuous Feedback and Improvement were also already carried out—surveys and other qualitative and quantitative data collection and based on some improvements were made immediately during the first cycle, while others were foreseen in the second and third cycles of the half-year study programs within the project. According to the project plan, teachers also offered Engaging Curriculums, which are to be updated annually as needed; however, they could focus more on Regular Check-ins.

4.5 Compulsory attendance

To analyze attendance, we considered the quantitative and qualitative answers from the survey among teachers, which was conducted after the end of each course at the study programs and additional interviews with the teachers. The survey was filled out by all teachers, and it shows that in 2023 they were quite satisfied with the attendance of learners in the program last year, as the average satisfaction was measured at 3.5 points on the scale from 1—not satisfied to 5—very satisfied. Nonetheless, qualitative data from the survey and insights gathered during the interviews revealed that the satisfaction was expressed in terms of learners attending lectures and tutorials, as their attendance was fairly constant, but not in terms of the number of learners enrolled in the study programs. In fact, the proportion of learners attending lectures and tutorials had already fallen sharply in the first month of the programs, after which the decline continued, but much more moderately.

When queried ChatGPT if compulsory attendance makes sense in free half-year higher education programs (Q5.1), it refrained from taking a stance and simply offered arguments for and against, as listed below.

Yes, compulsory attendance makes sense:

• It can maximize learning opportunities by ensuring learners are present for lectures and discussions.

• It maintains a structured learning environment and encourages time management and discipline.

• Interaction and engagement with peers and instructors are fostered.

• It ensures participation in hands-on activities and practical sessions.

• Promotes accountability and responsibility among learners.

No, compulsory attendance does not make sense:

• Higher education learners are often adults who should have the autonomy to manage their own learning.

• Learners have diverse learning styles, and compulsory attendance may not cater to all.

• It can lead to wasted time and resources for both learners and instructors.

• Non-traditional learners with external commitments may face barriers.

• The focus should be on learning outcomes, not just attendance.

Project’s leaders’ feedback:

Given that the participants in the project’s half-year educational programs are primarily adults and non-traditional learners with diverse learning styles, we aimed not to waste their time. Consequently, we did not mandate attendance and prioritized learning outcomes instead.

Nonetheless, the survey among teachers showed us dissatisfaction with the rate of learner attendance, and the low success rate on exams gave us thoughts that a certain level of compulsory attendance might be a good idea. The reasons for compulsory attendance by ChatGPT, as listed above, are per our belief all justified for our free project’s study programs, especially for less mature and responsible learners.

For this reason, we decided to add another statement to enrollment documents for learners to sign, namely “I have sufficient time to participate in the educational process (participants are required to attend at least 50% of the lectures and tutorials for each course to be able to take the exam).”

When querying ChatGPT about the suggested percentage for mandatory attendance (Q5.2), it suggested that a typical approach could be approximately 70–80% attendance, with flexibility tailored to the course’s specific requirements and the learners’ needs, contingent on various factors:

• Course structure and content: More interaction-intensive courses may require higher attendance.

• Skills and practical training: Hands-on courses might need higher attendance levels.

• Lecture-based courses: More flexibility may be allowed.

• Learner demographics: Non-traditional learners may need flexibility.

• There are also some recommendations on how to enable decreased attendance:

• Learning objectives: Emphasis should be on achieving course outcomes.

• Alternative assessment methods: If available, they can reduce attendance requirements.

• Flexibility and autonomy: Balancing autonomy with attendance encourages independent learning.

• Engagement and interaction: The importance of the factors above can influence attendance policies.

• Pedagogical approach: Teaching methods can affect attendance expectations.

Project’s leaders’ feedback:

Considering the factors, we particularly emphasized learner demographics, leading us to forgo mandatory attendance requirements. Despite the differences in courses according to course structure and content, and lecture-based courses, all learners were encouraged to attend lectures and exercises as much as possible. Moreover, since we were aware of the skills and practical training requirements, all learners also signed the statement that they undertake to attend lectures and tutorials and to regularly fulfill their obligations within the educational program.

Regarding the recommendations, we see Flexibility and Autonomy and Engagement and interaction as recommendations, which should be regarded more. On the other side, the other three proposals are recommendations for teachers. All three of them were recommended by project leaders to teachers, and Alternative assessment methods were applied, while the Pedagogical approach is also linked to teachers’ personality, ability, and knowledge, thus, to address this we included more experienced teachers, who teach or used to teach recently same or similar courses also within regular study programs.

4.6 Hybrid delivery model

To analyze the hybrid delivery model, we considered the qualitative answers from the final survey among learners, which was conducted at the end of the study program, quantitative answers from the survey among teachers, which was conducted after the end of each course, and additional interviews with the teachers.

Based on the survey among the learners, we realized that they were pleased to have had the opportunity to attend lectures and tutorials either live or via Zoom, even for some this option was also the reason to enroll into those study programs. Nonetheless, teachers were not satisfied with their compliance with the faculty’s rules for participation in Zoom lectures and tutorials. They complained about learner passivity, cameras being turned off, and even the occasional unresponsiveness of learners.

According to ChatGPT, the adoption of a hybrid delivery model for free half-year higher education programs (second part of Q6) can be suitable for the following reasons:

• Flexibility: Hybrid delivery offers flexibility for learners with work or family commitments.

• Engagement: Plan for learner engagement through online discussions and in-person activities.

Although a well-designed hybrid model can enhance access and engagement in higher education programs, ChatGPT also listed the following conditions:

• Technology: Ensure reliable technology infrastructure for both online and in-person components.

• Communication: Clearly communicate expectations, schedules, and how the hybrid model will work.

• Course Design: Redesign course materials to suit both online and in-person formats effectively.

• Assessment: Develop a fair assessment strategy considering both modes of learning.

• Support Services: Provide technical support and resources for learners.

• Faculty Training: Train instructors for effective hybrid teaching.

• Continuous Improvement: Collect feedback and make adjustments for future iterations.

Project’s leaders’ feedback:

Having already implemented a hybrid delivery model in the initial cycle of the half-year educational program, following the faculty’s lead, which had adopted the hybrid approach 2 months prior for all other study programs, we were aware of the necessary prerequisites concerning technology, communication, assessment, support services, and faculty training. We have ensured that all the above-mentioned necessary prerequisites are met, and therefore the learners were enthusiastic about the possibility of hybrid attendance at lectures and tutorials. Additionally, we gathered feedback for continuous improvement. However, an area that could be more clearly targeted and addressed is the guidance on course design. Namely, although this condition was also communicated to teachers, it requires time for development, testing, and continuous adaptations based on changing circumstances.

Nevertheless, in order to address teachers’ complaints about learners’ passivity and cameras being turned off, we decided to add along the faculty’s rules another statement to enrollment documents for learners to sign, namely “If I attend the lecture(s) via Zoom, I will have my camera on and I will follow the faculty’s instructions for participation via Zoom.”