The student relationship engagement system

From monitoring to learning

Abstract

Developing and maintaining student relationships are crucial in tertiary education because they impact engagement, retention, and learning. The Student Relationship and Engagement System (SRES), developed at the University of Sydney, is a tool that integrates within a legacy learning management system and enables customised communications with students based on criteria such as attendance, assessment performance, and login frequency. This study utilised interviews from N = 25 SRES users across Curtin University faculties to explore its effectiveness and challenges, as well as what features could be added to SRES to improve its usefulness. Findings revealed that the initial usage focused routine and efficiency-driven tasks. However, advanced users leveraged the tool for more complex and adaptive uses, particularly in clinical or practical settings. While less experienced users found SRES beneficial primarily in large classes, more experienced users valued it irrespective of class size when linked to assessments and learning. Future enhancements suggested by participants included integrating artificial intelligence for generating communications or criteria automation, indicating potential advancements for SRES's utility.