Student success: the identification and support of first year university students at risk of attrition

Karen J Nelson; Margot E Duncan; John A Clarke

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Student success: the identification and support of first year university students at risk of attrition

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

Student success: the identification and support of first year university students at risk of attrition

Karen J Nelson, Margot E Duncan and John A Clarke

Studies in Learning, Evaluation, Innovation and Development, Vol.6(1), pp.1-15

2009

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Abstract

Specialist Studies in Education

first year experience

attrition

intervention

contact management system

curriculum design

HERN

The engagement behaviour of 1,524 student-enrolments ("students") in five first year units was monitored and 608 (39.9%) were classified as "at risk" using the criterion of not submitting or failing their first assignment. Of these, 327 (53.8%) were successfully contacted (i.e., spoken to by phone) and provided with advice and/or referral to learning and personal support services while the remaining 281 (46.2%) could not be contacted. Nine hundred and sixteen students (60.1%) were classified as "not at risk." Overall, the at risk group who were contacted achieved significantly higher end-of-semester final grades than, and persisted (completed the unit) at more than twice the rate of, the at risk group who were not contacted. There were variations among the units which were explained by the timing of the first assignment, specific teaching-learning processes and the structure of the curriculum. Implications for curriculum design and supporting first year students within a personal, social and academic framework are discussed

Details

Title: Student success: the identification and support of first year university students at risk of attrition
Authors: Karen J Nelson (Author) - Queensland University of Technology
Margot E Duncan (Author) - Queensland University of Technology
John A Clarke (Author) - Queensland University of Technology
Publication details: Studies in Learning, Evaluation, Innovation and Development, Vol.6(1), pp.1-15
Publisher: Central Queensland University, Division of Teaching and Learning Services
Date published: 2009
ISSN: 1832-2050
Copyright note: Copyright © 2009. Copyright of articles is retained by authors. As an open access journal, articles are free to use, with proper attribution, in educational and other non-commercial settings.
Organisation Unit: University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland; Office of the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Students)
Language: English
Record Identifier: 99447771702621
Output Type: Journal article

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