Fostering Persistence in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM): Creating an Equitable Environment That Addresses the Needs of Undergraduate Students

Student retention is a critical issue for universities, and nearly half of the students who start degree programs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) do not complete them. The current study tracks the progress of STEM students taking part in an entry-to-graduation program designed to build community, provide academic and social support, and promote engagement in academically purposeful activities. Although it had no effect on the number of students who changed their major, the program more than doubled the number of students who graduated in their original major. Black or Hispanic students taking part in the program also graduated at twice the rate of comparator students, largely attributable to the success of women in these groups. The results provide needed real-world insights into how to create an equitable environment that promotes the persistence and graduation of students, including those from groups historically underrepresented in STEM.

Jars of Light

The 21st century adult male learner lives a multidimensional life with multiple identities impacted by their notion of masculinity and manhood. Traditional notions of masculinity offer consequential stakes for college men which can impact student success and retention. This chapter presents a study designed to examine experiences of diverse undergraduate male learners as they explore the ways of knowing and make meaning of their own notions of how they experience their masculinity regulated and how their perception of other men's notion of masculinity shape their relationship with other men. Utilizing Queer Theory as a framework, educators can reimagine how masculinity impacts lives and boldly reimagine what an affirming and inclusive identity looks like for college men. This chapter will help stakeholders serve as an anchor for men willing to contest dominant ideologies surrounding masculinity while offering strategies to support male student retention through culturally inclusive practices.

Disrupting the College Classroom Experience

This chapter provides readers an overview of the potential advantages and disadvantages of technology integration in higher education. As technological innovations continue to advance, faculty are provided ample opportunities to enrich their curriculum to further enhance student engagement and learning. Further, the inclusion of technology promotes student retention and provides them access to real-world content. Innovations in technology have resulted in a plethora of tools that can be incorporated into today's classrooms. However, faculty are often hesitant to integrate technological tools given security, accessibility, and access considerations. Further, faculty may perceive technology as disruptive to their classrooms resulting in distracted learners who experience lower academic gains.

Learner Motivation Through Gamification in E-Learning

It is a proven fact that learning with the element of fun and games makes the learning process interesting and also helps in student retention. Especially, in the context of e-learning environment, where learner motivation and engagement level are not easy to monitor, it is required to implement some mechanism which can improve their intrinsic motivation and make them self-motivated. Gamification in education and using game-based formative assessment tools will be of great help to not only motivate learners to opt for e-learning courses, but to complete till the end. The current study, thus, focuses on use of game-based formative assessment to improve learners' motivation in the e-learning environment so that their drop-out rates can be controlled, and their engagement level can be improved. Also, it intends to assess the past literature and identify the essential gaming mechanics which can possibly impact the learner motivation. It will also highlight the theoretical perspective used in previous studies on gamification, engagement, and motivation.

“I’ve Never Had to Do This on My Own”

Receiving an acceptance letter to college can be both exciting and daunting for many students. For some, attending college has been an expectation since birth, but for others they will be the first in their family to attend. This chapter identifies ways to support emerging adults, including advising, mentoring, and coaching as they transition to the college campus and remain to complete their studies. Additional information on the challenges faced by first-generation college students is provided as well. The case study describes the First-Year Success (FYS) Center at Arizona State University. Guiding questions help readers consider how they might increase student retention and success at their own institutions.

Learning Communities: A Sound Investment in Higher Education

University and college leaders are tasked with enhancing student outcomes with fewer resources. Student retention is one such key outcome of interest for many policy makers as well as for university administrators. Over the years, administrators have turned to High Impact Practices (HIPs) such as Learning Communities (LCs) to aid in retention. This quantitative study explores the impact LCs have on student retention at a large R1 university in the Midwest. Additionally, the financial return on investment in LCs at this institution is measured via tuition dollars generated from students who are retained as a result of their participation in a LC at the institution. Two key findings of this study are that LCs are positively associated with increased odds of student retention, and that investing in LCs makes good financial sense. Our research contributes to the scholarship on retention attributable to LCs and provides researchers and practitioners with a “template” to evaluate the efficacy of specific retention initiatives in relation to their financial return on investments.

Evaluation of a MOOC developed from educational principles based on behavioral theory

This study’s objective was to evaluate a MOOC constructed from educational principles based on behavioral theory. The evaluation included the analysis of the performance, retention, and perception of the students. This MOOC consisted of an initial test, three teaching units, a final test and an assessment of the students' perception. The mean grade in the initial test was 6.34 (sd=1.20), and in the last attempt of the final test it was 8.75 (sd=0.51). The difference between these values was statistically significant and the effect size was considered very large. The retention rate was 44%, and 75% of students rated the overall experience as “Very Good”. The evaluated MOOC was effective in teaching its learning objectives and student retention was much higher than the average reported in other studies.These results indicate the relevance of the educational principles used in the elaboration of the MOOC.