Mollie Dollinger (La Trobe U) and colleagues surveyed students who use on-line study support which their university sources from independent company (and CMM advertister) Studiosity

They found well over half of users were women, a third of survey respondents were regional students and that 40 per cent used the service at night, when the university’s own support unit wasn’t open. “These results may indicate that the service can provide a useful and relevant alternative to students who would like to access support outside of standard business hours when they may have work and/or family responsibilities.”

Overall, solid majorities of responders in 2018 and ’19 were “extremely satisfied” with the service.

“It is imperative that higher education institutions explore and evaluate suitable on-line student support services to further assist students, especially those identified as being ‘at risk,’ ” Dollinger and colleagues suggest.

There’s another reason for managements to invest in out-of-hours study support, “44 per cent of students also indicated that the provision of the service may make them more likely to stay enrolled at the university.”