There are some significant differences between OUHK students who obtain high marks and those who do not, according to the results of recent research conducted by the University's academics.

The Centre for Research in Distance and Adult Learning (CRIDAL) presented a seminar to describe some of the preliminary findings of the research titled 'Factors that enhance high achieversÕ success in open learning: a comparative case study of high achieving and low achieving students at OUHK' on 12 May.

The project was undertaken by CRIDAL staff including Prof. O J Jegede, Dr Margaret Taplin, Jessie Yum, Clarence Fong and Elaine Kwok, and Dr Rocky Fan and May Chan of the School of Science and Technology. It aims to learn more about the study habits and preferences of OUHK students.

Previous research has indicated that one, or a combination of factors may affect achievement. These include personal characteristics such as ability, confidence and persistence. It has also been suggested that high achieving students might have different motivation to study than low achievers, and that they are able to organize their study materials and study habits more efficiently. Other studies have suggested that active, independent engagement in the learning process might be more conducive to achievement than a passive, instructor-dependent one. The purpose of the research is to investigate which of these factors are characteristic of high-achieving and low-achieving OUHK students in the hope that the outcomes can be utilized to enhance student performance in the future.

Data were collected from a questionnaire to which 712 students, ranked either in the top five per cent or the bottom five per cent of their classes, responded. Further information was collected via follow-up telephone interviews.

Preliminary analyses indicate that there were some areas in which statistically significant differences occurred between the high-achieving and low-achieving students. For example, the high-achieving group had higher mean ratings regarding their self-perception of their ability to do the specified course, confidence with studies, perfectionism, desire to do more than just the minimum requirements, competitiveness, and interest in achieving excellence and success. They also perceived themselves to be more highly motivated to avoid failure but, if they did fail, were more likely to see this as a valuable learning experience and recover from it.

The low-achieving students indicated a range of commitments or difficulties that influenced their course out-comes more than they influenced the outcomes of the high achievers. These included engagement in social activities, working overtime or long hours, shift work, travel outside Hong Kong, significant changes in work responsibilities, change of job or working conditions, or work commitments that combined unfavourably with keeping up with the study schedule.

On the other hand, the high achievers were more likely to rate their job environments as favourable to their studies. The low-achieving students also indicated that their results were more likely to be affected by problems such as volume of course materials, their writing skills in the language of the course and their self-motivation. Other factors included test and examination anxiety, finding time to study, the need to spend time with family, friends or colleagues, and spouses or family being annoyed about time spent studying.

The results also indicated that the high-achieving students were more likely than the low-achievers to try to understand meanings thoroughly, to regulate their learning strategies to fit the purpose of the study, and to link new knowledge to their previous learning. A full report of the findings with be ready in July.