Opportunity through online learning - Experiences of first-in-family students in online open-entry higher education

Oct 15, 2026

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Online learning plays a key role in widening access and participation in higher education, especially for mature-age first-in-family students who are entering university for the first time within their immediate family. This paper examines the experiences of 87 first-in-family students studying open-entry online undergraduate units via Open Universities Australia. Using qualitative interviews and surveys, it identifies how opportunities motivate students and how sustained support and encouragement from family, friends, colleagues, and institutions enables persistence and success.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages24

Reading Time1 h 0 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Review of the literature

Method and study participants

Findings and discussion

Australian Journal of Adult Learning Volume 56, Number 2, July 2016 Opportunity through online learning: Experiences of first-in-family students in online open-entry higher education Cathy Stone^ Sarah O’Shea* Josephine May \# Janine Delahunty* Zoë Partington+ University of Newcastle & Open Universities Australia^ University of Wollongong* University of Newcastle \# Open Universities Australia+ Online learning has an important place in widening access and participation in higher education for diverse student cohorts. One cohort taking up online study in increasing numbers is that of matureage, first-in-family students. First-in-family is defined as those who are the first in their immediate family, including parents, siblings, partners and children, to undertake university studies. This paper looks at the experience of 87first-in-family students, for whom the opportunity to study open-entry, online undergraduate units through Open Universities Australia made it possible for them to embark on Opportunity through online learning: 147 experiences of first-in-family students in online open-entry higher education a university education. Using a qualitative methodology, in-depth interviews and surveys were conducted with these students as part of a wider study into first-in-family students (O’Shea, May & Stone, 2015). Findings include the important role that opportunity plays in providing the impetus for study, as well as the importance of support and encouragement from family, friends, colleagues and institutions in being able to continue the journey. Keywords: Online learning; first-in-family; higher education; openentry Introduction There is increasing evidence that availability of online learning is helping to widen access to higher education, making it possible for more students from diverse backgrounds to study for a university degree (Ilgaz & Gülbahar, 2015; Knightley, 2007; O’Shea, Stone & Delahunty, 2015). This is particularly the case when there are also open-entry pathways into online university studies (Shah, Goode, West & Clark, 2014; Stone, 2012). The flexibility offered by online learning enables students to combine study with paid work, family and other responsibilities. This paper examines the experiences of a group of students studying in open-entry online undergraduate units at Open Universities Australia, who have identified as being first in their immediate family to undertake university studies. Open Universities Australia (OUA) is an education company that specialises in facilitating open-entry online higher education in partnership with 13 Australian universities. In terms of student numbers, it is the national leader in online higher education, with an annual enrolment of over 40,000 university students (OUA, 2015) . Through OUA, students can enrol in online undergraduate units as open-entry students, thence moving into full degree programs offered by universities in each state and territory of Australia, with the exception of Tasmania and Australian Capital Territory. Enrolment data from OUA shows that 67 .7% of its students enrolled in higher education units of study come from families where neither parent 148 Cathy Stone, Sarah O’Shea, Josephine May, Janine Delahunty and Zoë Partington has achieved university qualifications (OUA, 2015) . This is considerably higher than OECD (2012) data, which indicates that around 51% of students enrolled in degree programs at Australian universities are from families where neither parent achieved university qualifications (Spiegler & Bednarak, 2013) . Such high numbers, combined with evidence that these students are at higher risk of attrition and poorer academic outcomes (Australian Bureau of Statistics [ABS], 2013; Coates & Ransom, 2011; National Centre for Education Statistics [NCES], 2012), suggest there is a pressing need to explore their experiences in order to better understand how to assist them to persist and succeed. Review of t

FAQs

What is the focus of the paper on online learning?

The paper focuses on how online open-entry pathways shape the experiences of first-in-family students studying in online undergraduate units.

How many first-in-family students are included in the study?

The study draws on the experiences of 87 first-in-family students.

What methods are used to investigate these experiences?

In-depth interviews and surveys are conducted using a qualitative methodology.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by McGucket