"Open Learning: Bridge to Success" was presented by Beck Pitt at an Open University (UK) event "Widening participation, OER & MOOCs..." in London, UK on 28 February 2013.

1. Open Learning:
Bridge to Success
Beck Pitt, Institute of Educational Technology, OU (UK)
“Widening Participation, OER & MOOCs…”
28 February 2013, London, UK

2. Overview and Aims
• What is the project and what was involved?
• Research overview: what we did… and
how we did it!
• Piloting the content
• Research Results
• Widening Participation
• Resources and Bibliography

3. How? What? Who?
The project aimed to offer free, open
educational resources to prepare adults to
successfully and confidently transition to a
college environment in the US, to pursue
advanced qualifications, or to be successful
in their chosen careers…
Next Generation
Learning Challenges

4. Use of B2S materials to date
Between 1 October 2011 – 25 February 2013:
138,267 Page Views
17,044 Unique Visitors

5. Research Overview: What we did… and how we did it!
Product Design/Adaptation
Process
Contexts of Use
Student and
Institutional Experience
Student Outcomes
Project Impact
Evaluation Research
Surveys
Quizzes
Interviews & Focus Groups
Pre- and Post-Surveys
Analysis of interviews, meetings,
emails etc.
Courses underwent accessibility,
usability and design analysis
Action Research
Periodic Interviews with key
stakeholders and the project
team
Quantitative
Analytics of website use
Institutional student data

6. Who piloted the content?
• A total of 11 US college and non-college institutions (October
2011 – August 2012).
• As at August 2012 a total of 17 out of 26 completed pilots had
been conducted with cohorts of low-income students. A further
16 pilots were ongoing at this date (total = 42 distinct pilots).
• As at February 2013 9 US college and non-college institutions
were continuing to utilise Bridge to Success materials, in a variety
of contexts
From theory to practice… Piloting the content

7. Piloting the Content: Colleges and data collection challenges
• Nine colleges piloted Bridge to Success materials during the
project’s pilot phase (October 2011 – August 2012).
As at August 2012
• Of the completed pilots that have submitted 100% of their data,
and as reported by instructors, 88% of students who completed B2S
materials persisted to next semester.
• 98% of these students mastered the subject matter and 96%
mastered deeper learning.

8. Case Study One: Diverse audiences
International Workforce Development Agency: supported people across Maryland
for over 90 years.
This pilot utilised specific units of the B2S maths course until end of August 2012 to
enable students to complete a new requirement math pre-test for a
Weatherization program.
Students who originally failed the math entrance exam, 80% passed after working
with B2S resources for a 1-3 week period.
Currently B2S courses are being translated into Spanish via a Massive Open Online
Course (MOOC) on Open Translation Tools and practices lead by the OU (UK)
Department of Languages. Massive potential for use with Hispanic speaking
populations both in the US and elsewhere.

9. Case Study Two: Diverse Audiences
Family Support Centre in residential area where:
“85% of families are headed by a single female
parent;
90% have not completed high school and do not have
a GED;
95% are unemployed, underemployed or receive
welfare or other social services.”
(Source: Case Study Two Family Support Centre leaflet 2012)
Piloting both B2S courses within context of specific
GED/Pre-GED classes.
“Challenges that are unique to our setting and
population”
Time
Other commitments: parenting
Lack of access to
computers

10. Widening Participation
Math & Learning/Personal
Development: Content of B2S
courses relevant to all.
Access to OER remains a critical
issue: relation between low
income and access to internet at
home.
Raising awareness of the
existence of OER and providing
evidence for their impact.

11. Conclusion and Next Steps…
What next for Bridge to Success?
•More research – with Hewlett funded OER Research Hub.
•Refined content – based on analysis and feedback.
•Link with other material - Overcoming Math Anxiety webshop.
•Challenges – soft accreditation/badge ready.
•More use – integrated into college curriculum and beyond.
•Content transfer – Saylor Foundation/DVD for prisons.
•Supporting the under-served.

12. OER Research Hub project
• Impartially researching the impact of OER on learning and
teaching practices
• Focused on four sectors (informal, K-12, Higher Education &
college)
• Research is focused around 11 hypotheses
• Collaborative research with projects/initiatives across the world
• Best practice & guidance

13. THANK YOU!
Beck Pitt Beck.Pitt@open.ac.uk
@BeckPitt
Patrick McAndrew p.mcandrew@open.ac.uk
@openpad
Tim Coughlan tim.coughlan@nottingham.ac.uk
@t1mc
These slides are an updated version of our co-authored OpenEd 2012 presentation.

14. Resources and what to do next
• Watch a review of Bridge to Success functionality and the
courses: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pHyYO5d01I
• Visit the Bridge to Success website:
http://bridge2success.aacc.edu/
• Find out more about the Open Educational Resources at the
Open University and how our research can help you!
http://www8.open.ac.uk/about/open-educational-resources/
• Visit the OER Research Hub website: http://oerresearchhub.org/

15. Bibliography
• Bailey & Cho Issue Brief: Developmental Education in Community Colleges
prepared for The White House Summit on Community Colleges (October 2010)
• Bridge to Success Report One: Adaptation, Integration and Engagement
• Case Study Two Family Support Centre Leaflet 2012
• College Board: Advocacy & Policy Centre Education Pays 2010
(http://trends.collegeboard.org/sites/default/files/education-pays-2010-full-
report.pdf)
• College Board: Advocacy & Policy Centre Trends in Student Aid 2012
(http://trends.collegeboard.org/sites/default/files/student-aid-2012-full-
report-130201.pdf)
• Kaminski, K. Seel, P. & Cullen K. Technology Literate Students? Results from a
Survey (2003, EDUCAUSE Quarterly, No 3)