Enhancing study skills for online postgraduate students: an interventionary approach

This article is a post-conference summary and reflection on the presentation delivered at the University of Hull's annual Teaching & Learning Conference in July 2025.

The rapid growth of online postgraduate taught (PGT) programmes in recent years has created exciting new opportunities for learners around the world. These programmes offer increased flexibility and accessibility, opening academic doors for students who may be balancing study with work, family, or returning to education after a significant break.

At the same time, this shift in delivery format brings new and complex challenges. Online PGT students often struggle with study skills that are critical to academic success, such as academic writing, critical thinking, time management, and independent research. These challenges are often compounded by students' unfamiliarity with UK Higher Education (HE) conventions and the self-directed nature of online learning.

Our recent presentation at the annual University of Hull Teaching & Learning conference explored the development and outcomes of a targeted study skills intervention designed to proactively support Hull Online students. This blog post summarises the presentation content and offers a space for attendees and other readers to reflect on the project, its outcomes, and its broader implications for supporting online learners.

Click through the presentation slides above.

The Hull Online model

Hull Online is a collaborative partnership between the University of Hull and Cambridge Education Group (CEG). The partnership currently delivers ten fully online, part-time Master’s level programmes. These programmes attract an international student body, many of whom are returning to formal education after working in industry.

CEG provides marketing and learning design input, while academic content and quality assurance remain under the oversight of University of Hull academic staff. The model allows for a blend of academic rigour and professional relevance, but it also presents some distinctive challenges in terms of student support.

Understanding the learner profile

Hull Online serves a diverse international cohort, with students coming from a range of academic, cultural, and professional backgrounds. Many are mature learners who have been away from formal education for a number of years. This combination of factors introduces specific barriers to success.

Key challenges faced by students include:

• Adjusting to UK higher education expectations
• Re-engaging with academic conventions after time in professional environments
• Navigating the independent, self-directed structure of online learning
• Managing time effectively alongside work and family commitments

Additionally, cultural and linguistic factors can further complicate students' experiences with academic writing and referencing. These issues were particularly evident in feedback from staff and students, as well as through data gathered on study skills support bookings.

Identifying the gaps

While Hull Online offers both self-study academic resources and one-to-one support appointments, these two models of support come with their own limitations.

Self-study materials are flexible and accessible, but they rely heavily on students being able to self-diagnose their learning needs. This is particularly difficult for students who are unfamiliar with UK academic standards. On the other hand, one-to-one appointments, while personalised, often function as reactive solutions. They tend to be sought after issues have already arisen, rather than helping students build sustainable academic skills from the outset.

This identified a clear gap in the student support structure: the need for a proactive, structured, and interventionary approach to study skills development that would meet students where they are, before challenges become obstacles.

A proactive study skills model

The Study Skills Pilot Project was designed to provide structured, timely support to Hull Online PGT students. The aim was to foster engagement, academic resilience, and confidence by offering intervention at the right time, rather than waiting for students to seek help on their own.

The intervention included:

• Early collaboration with academic staff to identify key touchpoints in the student journey
• Targeted invitations to study skills sessions sent to students who were likely to benefit
• Tailored content and flexible session delivery based on individual needs
• Use of Microsoft Bookings and Teams for easy scheduling and remote one-to-one conversations

Students were identified for support through a combination of tutor and pastoral team referrals, assessment performance, and academic observations.

Session design and content

Each session was built around an initial exploration of the student’s educational background and most recent academic experience. This allowed the Study Skills Adviser to tailor advice to the individual, taking into account both subject discipline and student confidence.

Key areas addressed in the sessions included:

• Understanding academic writing in the UK context
• Structuring critical arguments and avoiding descriptive writing
• Navigating referencing platforms and citation styles
• Reflective learning and principles of critical reflection
• Managing stress and balancing study with personal commitments
• Creating SMART goals and improving time management
• Avoiding plagiarism, including awareness of AI tools and Turnitin

While a general structure was in place, advisers were encouraged to respond flexibly to the needs of each student, creating a personalised and supportive learning experience.

Theoretical foundations

The interventionary approach was grounded in existing literature and research on study skills and student engagement.

Hattie, Biggs, and Purdie (1996) first defined study skills interventions as structured methods for enhancing learning outcomes. Since then, studies have shown that factors such as self-efficacy, motivation (Robbins et al., 2004), and time management (Steel, 2007) are closely linked to academic success.

More recent research has highlighted the additional pressures faced by online learners, including increased academic procrastination and the absence of in-person support (Fabian et al., 2022). Interventions that are timely, personalised, and embedded into the student journey have been found to improve both engagement and performance (Fredricks et al., 2019).

The Hull Online project was built with these insights in mind. It aimed to scaffold the learner experience, reduce barriers to engagement, and support the development of core academic competencies.

Early outcomes and feedback

Initial data from the pilot project is encouraging. Student feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with the majority rating their one-to-one academic skills session as "excellent."

Students noted that the sessions were practical, supportive, and confidence-building. Many appreciated the personalised nature of the advice and commented on how it had helped them improve their writing and approach their assignments with greater assurance.

Academic staff also reported noticeable improvements in student submissions. Module leaders observed that students who attended study skills sessions were more likely to submit higher-quality work and achieve better academic outcomes. In addition, staff noted increased student interest in ongoing support opportunities.

These findings suggest that a structured, proactive approach can significantly improve both student experience and academic achievement.

Challenges and lessons learned

As with any pilot initiative, the intervention faced a number of challenges:

• Time zone coordination proved difficult, particularly for students based in Asia and the Americas
• Student engagement levels varied, with some students not responding to invitations or recognising the need for support
• Balancing flexibility with structure required ongoing refinement of session plans and communication strategies
• Collaboration with academic staff was essential but required careful planning and coordination

These challenges offered valuable insights into how future iterations of the model can be refined. Ongoing feedback loops and close partnerships with academic and support teams will be essential in ensuring the approach continues to evolve effectively.

Future directions

The early success of the study skills intervention suggests a number of important opportunities for future development.

1. Evaluating long-term impact

Further research will examine the sustained effects of the intervention on retention, progression, and academic confidence over time.

2. Scalability

The project has the potential to be rolled out across other Hull Online programmes. Developing a flexible but consistent framework will be key to supporting a wider range of disciplines and learner needs.

3. Integration into programme design

There is scope to embed study skills support more fully into module delivery and assessment timelines, making the support an integral part of the student journey rather than an optional add-on.

4. Data-informed refinement

The use of booking data, student feedback, and academic performance indicators will continue to inform the refinement of session content and delivery models.

5. Staff training and academic engagement

Building stronger links with academic staff and offering guidance on identifying at-risk students will ensure a more collaborative, shared approach to supporting academic skills development.

Conclusion

The transition to online PGT study represents a significant shift for many learners. It brings freedom, flexibility, and accessibility, but also demands high levels of self-motivation, organisation, and academic literacy.

The interventionary study skills model developed for Hull Online students has demonstrated that with timely, tailored, and proactive support, students can not only overcome these challenges but thrive in their academic journey.

By bridging the gap between passive self-help materials and reactive support appointments, this approach offers a sustainable model for empowering students, enhancing engagement, and improving outcomes. It also contributes to the wider discourse on best practice in online higher education and highlights the importance of support structures that are adaptive, responsive, and student-centered.

Further information

If you would like to learn more about the project, collaborate on future research, or discuss applying this model in your own context, please feel free to reach out:

Dr Jessica Muirhead

jessica.muirhead@cambridgeonlinelearning.com

Leila Dale

leila.dale@cambridgeonlinelearning.com

We welcome continued dialogue on how we can collectively improve academic support for online learners and ensure that every student has the tools they need to succeed.

References

Fabian, K., Smith, S., Taylor‐Smith, E., & Meharg, D. (2022). Identifying factors influencing study skills engagement and participation for online learners in higher education during COVID‐19. British Journal of Educational Technology, 53(6), 1915–1936.

Fredricks, J. A., Reschly, A. L., & Christenson, S. L. (Eds.). (2019). Handbook of student engagement interventions: Working with disengaged students. Academic Press.

Hailikari, T., Katajavuori, N., & Asikainen, H. (2021). Understanding procrastination: A case of a study skills course. Social Psychology of Education, 24(2), 589–606.

Hattie, J., Biggs, J., & Purdie, N. (1996). Effects of learning skills interventions on student learning: A meta-analysis. Review of Educational Research, 66(2), 99–136.

Robbins, S. B., Lauver, K., Le, H., Davis, D., Langley, R., & Carlstrom, A. (2004). Do psychosocial and study skill factors predict college outcomes? A meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 130(2), 261.

Steel, P. (2007). The nature of procrastination: A meta-analytic and theoretical review of quintessential self-regulatory failure. Psychological Bulletin, 133(1), 65–94.