{"title":"Predictive Identification of At-Risk Students: Using Learning Management System Data","authors":"Bryan Osborne, A. S. Lang","doi":"10.33009/fsop_jpss132082","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.33009/fsop_jpss132082","url":null,"abstract":"This paper describes a neural network model that can be used to detect at-risk students failing a particular course using only grade book data from a learning management system. By analyzing data extracted from the learning management system at the end of week 5, the model can predict with an accuracy of 88% whether the student will pass or fail a specific course. Data from the grade books from all course shells from the Spring 2022 semester (N = 22,041 rows) were analyzed, and four factors were found to be significant predictors of student success/failure: the current course grade after the fifth week of the semester and the presence of missing grades in weeks 3, 4, and 5. Several models were investigated before concluding that a neural network model had the best overall utility for the purpose of an early alert system. By categorizing students who are predicted to fail more than one course as being generally at risk, we provide a metric for those who use early warning systems to target resources to the most at-risk students and intervene before students drop out. Seventy-four percent of the students whom our model classified as being generally at risk ended up failing at least one course.","PeriodicalId":411510,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Postsecondary Student Success","volume":"25 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-07-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"131537326","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
S. Kyte, Celeste Atkins, E. Collins, Regina Deil-Amen
{"title":"Understanding the Impact of Data-Driven Tools on Advising Practice and Student Support","authors":"S. Kyte, Celeste Atkins, E. Collins, Regina Deil-Amen","doi":"10.33009/fsop_jpss132841","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.33009/fsop_jpss132841","url":null,"abstract":"Universities are increasingly turning toward data-driven technologies like data dashboards to support advisors’ work in student success, yet little empirical work has explored whether these tools help or hinder best practices in advising, which is in many ways a relationship-based enterprise. This mixed-methods study analyzed whether and why the release of a student success dashboard impacted proactive and/or developmental advising at a large public university. After quantitatively demonstrating no measurable changes in advising practice following the release of the dashboard, qualitative evidence from interviews with advisors was used to interpret and explain the disconnect between the tool and the advising community. This study places scholarly attention from a practitioner perspective on the largely structural challenges to integrating retention software into advisors’ work in supporting their students’ success, with implications for the successful implementation of data-driven student success tools more broadly.","PeriodicalId":411510,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Postsecondary Student Success","volume":"35 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-07-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"115143330","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Amy E. Collins-Warfield, Jera Niewoehner-Green, S. Scheer, Kristen J. Mills
{"title":"Views of Struggling Students from Historically Excluded Groups on Academic Success and Instructor Support","authors":"Amy E. Collins-Warfield, Jera Niewoehner-Green, S. Scheer, Kristen J. Mills","doi":"10.33009/fsop_jpss132518","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.33009/fsop_jpss132518","url":null,"abstract":"This qualitative case study explored the perceptions of struggling students who identified as first-generation, low-income, and/or Students of Color (i.e., Historically Excluded Groups), and their beliefs about success, struggle, and characteristics of supportive instructors. Thematic analysis revealed student participants understood academic success and struggle in terms of Identifying Performance Measures, Developing a Growth Mindset, and Integrating Knowledge. Students identified supportive instructors by using one or more of the following themes, which were described using in vivo codes: Creates More Motivation for Me, Puts the Joy into Learning, Doesn’t Make You Feel Dumb, Not Here to Hurt Your Grades, Makes Material Understandable, Treats Us as More Than Just Students, and If I Ever Needed Anything. Implications for practice include expanding the definition of academic success and engaging specific instructor dispositions and behaviors to better support these students.","PeriodicalId":411510,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Postsecondary Student Success","volume":"14 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-07-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"127550917","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"What Does “Success” Mean to Students at a Selective University? Individual Differences and Implications for Well-Being","authors":"Malorie Lipstein, M. Wong, B. Hard","doi":"10.33009/fsop_jpss132785","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.33009/fsop_jpss132785","url":null,"abstract":"This study investigated how college students (N = 376) at a private, selective university (a) define success in college in their own words, and how conceptions of success (b) relate to differences in motivation and other individual differences, and (c) predict well-being. A thematic analysis suggested that students’ definitions of success were multifaceted, but the most common themes reflected academic and social criteria for success. Students who defined success in terms of Experience (e.g., trying new things) and Future-Readiness (e.g., preparedness to handle life after college) tended to be higher in mastery orientation and intrinsic motivation. Success definitions varied with demographic characteristics, including gender, class year, race, first-generation status, academic interests, and more, in ways that likely reflect differences in students’ cultural backgrounds and interests. Finally, well-being was higher in students who defined success in terms of Intellectual Growth (e.g., learning, being challenged, determining academic interests). We discuss the implications of these findings for practice (e.g., for university administrators, faculty, and advisors) and for future research.","PeriodicalId":411510,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Postsecondary Student Success","volume":"5 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-07-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"124732165","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Qingmin Shi, R. Cresiski, Sandip Thanki, Lori A. Navarrete
{"title":"Unlocking Undergraduate Student Success: A Study of High-Impact Practices in a Comprehensive and Diverse College","authors":"Qingmin Shi, R. Cresiski, Sandip Thanki, Lori A. Navarrete","doi":"10.33009/fsop_jpss131207","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.33009/fsop_jpss131207","url":null,"abstract":"This study examines undergraduate senior students’ participation in high-impact practices (HIPs) and the relationship of that participation with engagement indicators, perceived gains, and overall satisfaction, as well as institutional outcomes of persistence and graduation based on race/ethnicity, first-generation status, and low-income status. Drawing on multiple years of data from 1,482 undergraduate seniors who completed the 2015 through 2019 National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) and enrolled in a comprehensive four-year state college, this study indicates that HIP participants reported higher levels of engagement, perceived gains, and overall satisfaction. Participation in HIPs is also positively related to improved persistence or graduation, particularly for racially minoritized students. While overall participation patterns were similar regardless of race/ethnicity or first-generation status, low-income students had higher participation rates in HIPs and participated in more kinds of HIPs as compared to their non-low-income counterparts. Implications of implementing and increasing access to HIPs for enhancing student success in similar institutions are discussed.","PeriodicalId":411510,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Postsecondary Student Success","volume":"1 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-07-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"116011619","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Basic Needs Insecurity and College Students’ Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic","authors":"Krista M. Soria","doi":"10.33009/fsop_jpss130999","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.33009/fsop_jpss130999","url":null,"abstract":"I examined the relationship between basic needs insecurity and college students’ mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. The sample included 49,122 students enrolled at 130 community and technical colleges and 72 four-year institutions across 42 states in fall 2020. I used propensity score matching techniques to construct matched pairs of students who did and did not experience basic needs insecurity using covariates (i.e., individual characteristics, environmental/institutional variables, and COVID-19 experiences). The results suggest that low and very low food security and housing insecurity have significant and positive relationships with students’ odds of experiencing moderate to severe major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder symptoms, controlling for additional variables.","PeriodicalId":411510,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Postsecondary Student Success","volume":"30 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-04-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"122303741","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Supporting College Student Success through Applied Learning: Considering Associations with Average College Grades, Graduation in Four Years, and Degree Aspirations","authors":"Elizabeth A. Jach, Teniell L. Trolian","doi":"10.33009/fsop_jpss131213","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.33009/fsop_jpss131213","url":null,"abstract":"While previous research has examined the association between various forms of applied learning and effects on student outcomes, the present study examines engagement in forms of applied learning and three distinct measures of student success. Using longitudinal data from the Wabash National Study, this analysis examined the relationship between undergraduate participation in forms of applied learning and students’ graduation within four years, fourth-year college grades, and post-baccalaureate degree aspirations. Results suggested that certain applied learning experiences were associated with specific forms of student success. Specifically, the odds of graduation within four years increased for students who participated in internship, capstone, or study abroad experiences but decreased for students who participated in an independent study or volunteer experience. Applied learning experiences associated with higher college grades included faculty asking students to apply theories or concepts to practical problems or in new situations, completing an independent study, capstone, internship, research with a faculty member, or study abroad experience, but applying concepts to exams or assignments was associated with lower college grades. Finally, higher levels of students’ educational aspirations were associated with participating in research with a faculty member and study abroad. Together, these findings emphasize the need for institutions of higher education, faculty, and student affairs practitioners to nuance applied learning opportunities in relation to student success goals.","PeriodicalId":411510,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Postsecondary Student Success","volume":"83 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-04-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"126294838","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A Brave New World Demands a Brave New College","authors":"Shouping Hu","doi":"10.33009/fsop_jpss132952","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.33009/fsop_jpss132952","url":null,"abstract":" An editorial by Editor Dr. Shouping Hu.","PeriodicalId":411510,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Postsecondary Student Success","volume":"1 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-04-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"129195292","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Samuel C. Karpen, B. Howlett, Amy King-Robertson, J. Sanders
{"title":"The Learner Care Dashboard: An Innovation in Student Support","authors":"Samuel C. Karpen, B. Howlett, Amy King-Robertson, J. Sanders","doi":"10.33009/fsop_jpss131484","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.33009/fsop_jpss131484","url":null,"abstract":"Decades of research suggests that supportive faculty communication improves student retention and progression; however, most communication interventions occurred at on-site universities and were implemented briefly in one or several courses. In this article, we describe the outcomes of a consistent, personalized student outreach program implemented in every course and for students’ entire tenure at a fully online university. In 2019, Western Governors University launched a student support program called Learner-Centered Faculty (LCF)—a paradigm that focuses on just-in-time, personalized, student-centered faculty support at scale. We evaluated the impact of LCF on student retention and course completion rates and found that LCF-based intervention improved retention and course completion generally and was particularly beneficial for certain groups of students. In the future, we will examine the mechanisms underlying LCF’s success.","PeriodicalId":411510,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Postsecondary Student Success","volume":"33 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-04-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"131913226","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"“Our Branches Are the Vines That Must Bear Fruit”: The Role of Parents in First-Generation Students' Career Development","authors":"Katie Smith","doi":"10.33009/fsop_jpss132580","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.33009/fsop_jpss132580","url":null,"abstract":"This interpretive qualitative study of 17 first-generation college students (FGCSs) in the U.S. uses parent-generated familial capital as an asset-based framework to recognize the various ways that parents contribute to their undergraduate students’ career development. Six themes illustrate parental contributions: facilitating students’ access to pre-college educational opportunity, making financial contributions, instilling career-related values, giving career advice, job choice from parent contexts (or the way that knowledge of parent cultures and regions of origin informed career goals, especially for immigrant participants), and giving back to parents as a source of motivation for achievement and financial success. Findings also acknowledge the importance of considering FGCSs’ multiple social identities, namely immigrant status, as the majority of study participants are from immigrant families, in understanding participants’ career development experiences.","PeriodicalId":411510,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Postsecondary Student Success","volume":"27 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-04-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"133324763","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}