13: A Teacher’s Experience of the Transformative Pedagogic Effect of Part-Time Degree Study

This chapter presents the learning experience of a tutor at a UK university when undertaking a part-time, online degree in Health and Social Care over a seven-year period. Retrospective reflection and sociological theory are applied as methodologies to identify several key challenges faced by mature, widening participation students, involving identity, literacy, workload and assessment. The chapter suggests how an awareness of these issues helps one to empathise more effectively with mature students, the better to promote success and retention. It is suggested that other tutors stand to benefit from engaging in this type of online learning experience to further their own empathy with mature students.