recent research on improving student success

Richard Arum

Recent Research on Improving Student Success

Institute for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

University of California, IrvineSeptember 15, 2016

Higher Education Challenges

Individuals and society increasingly dependent on expanded higher education opportunities, but U.S. falling behind other countries.

U.S. higher education increasingly serving more diverse students.

Structural problems have contributed to institutional underperformance in student completion, learning outcomes and post college transitions (particularly for underrepresented minority groups).

Underperformance in Student Completion

Higher education access is increasingly not the problem

• College aspirations have become nearly universal

• College enrollment is increasingly common

• But large gaps in completion rates persist (i.e., “huge disparities in outcomes… that are systematically related to race/ethnicity and gender, as well as socio-economic status”)

Increases in overall educational attainment levels will require public universities to improve how they serve underrepresented minority groups

(Bowen, Chingos & McPherson 2011)

Underperformance in Student Completion

(Bowen, Chingos & McPherson 2011)

Underperformance in Student Learning

Limited academic rigor 45% students in a typical semester do not have any

class with 20 pages of writing 32% students in a typical semester do not have any

class with 40 pages of reading per week 36% students study alone five or fewer hours per

week

Limited learning 0.18 standard deviation growth on CLA performance

task first two years of college (7 percentile gain) 45% students demonstrated no meaningful gains on

CLA performance tasks first two years of college

Significant variation Greater variation within than across colleges Academic rigor and high expectations of students

associated with improved learning outcomes Higher gains in arts and science core of university Large gaps across racial groups in learning gains

(Arum and Roksa 2011)

Students’ Time Use

Academic Commitment Over Time

Source: Phillip Babcock and Mindy Marks, 2011. 1925-1965 academic time relatively constant (39.2 to 34.1)

Eurostudent 2009-11 data; U.S. AA 2007 Sophomores. SK lower than U.S.

Academic Commitment in Comparative Perspective

Eurostudent 2009-11 data; U.S. HERI 2010 freshmen.SE/NO/FI/DK lower than U.S.

U.S. Residential Model in Comparative Perspective

Source: OECD, Education at a Glance 2012

U.S. Higher Education Financial Costs in Comparative Perspective

Academic Engagement (student understandings)

“I was a very good student. I did all my homework and studied for all my tests.”

“Pretty committed. I went to 90- 95% of all my classes and I did all my homework and for the most part the readings.”

“Actually, like I put forth a good deal of effort. I was great about going to class. I think I really only missed a handful of classes the entire time I was at college. I studied. Any homework I had to do, I did.”

“I was fairly academically engaged in that I tried very hard not to fail most of my classes.”

“I was a good student. I did my homework on time. I never missed deadlines”


Limited academic rigor 45% students in a typical semester do not have any

class with 20 pages of writing 32% students in a typical semester do not have any

class with 40 pages of reading per week 36% students study alone five or fewer hours per

week

Limited learning 0.18 standard deviation growth on CLA performance

task first two years of college (7 percentile gain) 45% students demonstrated no meaningful gains on

CLA performance tasks first two years of college

Significant variation Greater variation within than across colleges Academic rigor and high expectations of students

associated with improved learning outcomes Higher gains in arts and science core of university Large gaps across racial groups in learning gains


Labor Market Transitions (2 years out; 2011): Less that half of those in the labor market

two years out had full-time jobs making >$30,000.

23% unemployed, unskilled or working less than 20 hours per week

25% living with their parents

Civic Outcomes: 36% read a newspaper monthly or never 39% discuss politics/public affairs monthly

or never

Significant Variation: Graduates of business programs had better

early labor market outcomes Internships, apprenticeships and school job-

placement services helped CLA performance mattered

Underperformance in Supporting Adult Transitions


Current Higher Education Reforms

Increasing recognition of the need for innovation and greater intentionality in serving undergraduate students from diverse backgrounds.

Improve Advisement Predictive analytical reporting systems – can one make better use of existing administrative data to

provide interventions more effectively? (see e.g., WICHE’s project, http://www.parframework.org/about-par/overview/)

Structured pathways – on the risks inherent to unstructured advisement systems (see e.g., Dan Chambliss’ How Colleges Work).

Evidence based mentoring (see http://www.umbmentoring.org/) Formal program effectiveness dependent on: 1) recruitment; 2) screening; 3) training; 4) matching; 5) monitoring

and support; and 6) closure. New innovative models

Improved Curriculum and Instruction Improved design requires experimentation (including pedagogical models and digital modalities)

But innovation and experimentation are dependent on improved assessment

http://www.parframework.org/about-par/overview/

http://www.umbmentoring.org/

Measuring College Learning (MCL) Project

Six Disciplines Biology, Business, Communication,

Economics, History and Sociology 40 percent of undergraduates Faculty led – national disciplinary

associations organized by the SSRC

21st Century Learning Outcomes Disciplinary Concepts and

Competencies Not surface content knowledge

Recommendations for Assessment Development

Reliance on multiple measures Authentic assessments of performance Not simply multiple choices

Arum, Roksa and Cook 2016 http://highered.ssrc.org

Faculty should be at the center of defining and developing transparent learning outcome standards for undergraduates.

Students from all backgrounds and institutions should be given a fair opportunity to demonstrate their skills when transferring from one institution to another and when transitioning into the workforce.

Measures of student learning should be rigorous and high-quality and should yield data that allow for comparisons over time and between institutions.

Assessment tools should be used by institutions on a voluntary basis.

Any single measure of student learning should be part of a larger holistic assessment plan.

MCL Project Principles

Concluding Comments

Increasing recognition in higher education of the need to better serve increasingly diverse students – not just as a social justice imperative, but understood as a component of national competitiveness.

Significant innovations currently occurring in the areas of advisement as well as curriculum, instruction and assessment.

Many of these innovations are possible because of changes in technology, but successful development and adoption requires sustained iteration and faculty to come together collaboratively to take responsibility for these efforts.

UCI is positioned to be at the forefront of these developments and to serve as an institutional model for how colleges and universities can ensure the success of diverse undergraduate students.

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recent research on improving student success

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