Hi, I Want to Talk to You About Your Progress: A Large Course Intervention for At-Risk College Students

Abstract

Performance during the first year of college and in introductory courses has been widely identified as critical to college students’ retention and success. Accordingly, interventions to assist beginning college students in gateway courses have gained increased attention in higher education. This study tested such an intervention using learning analytics and early performance feedback in large introductory courses, with comparison between course sections not exposed to the intervention. Distinct from other research, the present study replicated the efficacy of the intervention across 2 years, in multiple course subjects, and with different instructors at a 4-year Hispanic-serving institution. Importantly, findings also showed that high-risk college students especially benefitted from the intervention in terms of both achievement and persistence. Based on these findings, recommendations are made to higher education administrators about the potential gains to students when they are provided with early, consistent, and individualized feedback in all courses, made feasible by current technology.