In Denmark, adult students are receiving extra help at school via an European Social Fund project: An app that makes it possible to ask for help anonymously and digitally. The aim is that fewer people drop out of education.

At VUC Storstrøm on Zealand, an educational institution in Denmark, teachers and tutors have been given a new digital tool to help prevent early school leaving.  A digital app makes it possible to ask for help anonymously has become a good friend for students facing pressures at school. 

With red, yellow, orange and green emoticons, the student can anonymously send a signal about how they feel about their academic well-being. If the student communicates with red or orange, the teacher, tutor or a classmate can offer help and reach out to the student via the well-being app.

The app project is part of the larger project ’Inclusion of drop-out-threatened students’, which the Center for Vocational Education Lolland-Falster (CELF) runs with support from the European Social Fund.  In 2021, the app was tested among 200 students in the general adult education programme at VUC Storstrøm.  The launch of the app coincided with potential increases in isolation, personal and professional challenges that resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Project manager Doa’a Musleh is enthusiastic about the app’s potential to reach students: 'After one year we can say the app helps detect students in danger of dropping out. Many factors affect the students' situation, and the app is an opportunity to see the overall picture. We can now ensure the students who respond with red or orange are taken care of. This means that you can make an effort as early as possible to prevent dissatisfaction, so that the student does not end up dropping out.'

Camilla Mølsted, a 29 year old student, explained that anonymity is absolutely central: ‘Many students find it difficult to reach out to the class and ask for help because they are afraid of appearing stupid. This means that they either do not learn anything or do not dare to do anything on their own, because they are afraid of making mistakes.  Without the app, they would probably struggle alone with their challenges.’

Camilla also found that the app was extremely helpful at reaching students who began to disengage during the COVID-19 crisis, “With an app, you are not dependent on having to show up face to face to talk to your teacher or a friend. You now have the opportunity to make it confidential via the app, and it is much easier to sit at home and send a message to a person than to grab the person at school.’

VUC Storstrøm is now targeting the app at a new group of students. In 2022, the app will be rolled out for all students following 2-year, upper secondary education courses that are targeted at business academies – as well as professional bachelor programs across the school’s six departments.

Project manager Doa'a Musleh believes that the app will be an important tool for improving inclusion. ‘Over the years, we have done a lot to reduce dropping out, including open guidance and visitation interviews, but still we need more instruments. We believe this app can make a difference.’