ABSTRACT

University students living in regional, rural and remote (RRR) communities of Australia face unique challenges including geographical isolation, lack of access to face-to-face support, and technological barriers. This paper outlines a project funded by the Australian Government’s Higher Education Participation and Partnerships Program that was undertaken by five universities with significant enrolments of students from low socio-economic backgrounds living in RRR communities. The project established a Framework for Australian Universities and Public Libraries Supporting Regional, Rural and Remote Students that provides a set of strategic recommendations that will guide the development of accessible, relevant and sustainable study and learning support to meet the needs of low socio-economic students living in RRR communities. This national project provided a unique opportunity for Australia’s universities and public libraries to work together in order to ‘future proof’ the education of students from low socio-economic backgrounds living in regional and remote communities.

摘要

生活在澳大利亚地区、农村和偏远 (RRR) 社区的大学生面临着独特的挑战，包括地理隔离、无法获得面对面的支持以及技术障碍。本文概述了一个由澳大利亚政府高等教育参与和合作伙伴计划资助的项目，该项目由五所大学承担，其中大量来自低社会经济背景的学生居住在 RRR 社区。该项目建立了澳大利亚大学和公共图书馆支持地区、农村和偏远地区学生的框架，该框架提供了一套战略建议，将指导开发可获得的、相关的和可持续的学习和学习支持，以满足低社会经济学生的需求住在 RRR 社区。