Retention is associated with preparation
As a faculty member, I feel it is my responsibility to be sure those students understand the requirements of the course and that they have the skill set to be successful in the course. It can be very frustrating and discouraging for students to feel as if they are in over their head right from the start of the course, so the first week I do a review of content that I know is an expected foundation to be successful in the course. If the students are not adequately prepared for the course, I can pick it up right away and intervene with some tutoring before they get buried in the new content.
I am a faculty member of a Dental Hygiene program. The students must maintain a 70% grade in all courses in order to continue on to the next semester. As the students progress through the semester, if they receive a 75% or below on any quiz or test, they are put on academic probation. This involves either mandatory tutoring with the instructor, time at the college tutor center, and/or proof of group study partners.
This has seemed to help alleviate the loss of students through failing grades. Of course, we cannot eliminate unfortunate attrition due to family situations.
I agree that retention and communicating class expectations is a key component for student preparation. In addition I have students write out their goal and action plan to earn the grade they want to earn in the class.
All of the issues you mention, Arthur, can adversely impact a student's ability to prepare for class and master the required competencies. That's why it is so important to have supportive faculty and staff available for them.
Students will tend to blamethe instution wanting to to drop. The student does not wantto think that it could be them. Are other students happy? If so look deeper try to get the student to talk. It could be food,housing,money and other issues causing the student to feel they must drop.
I have found that some students feel they are very prepared, but struggle with being successful up to their own standards. They become discouraged easily, yet also think they should not have to put forth any effort in learning the material. This is where most of my frustration lies.
I agree. You can always be attentive to the body language of the students during the first week. You will identify the ones that are not interested and as a consequense prone to fail
A powerful concept. Unfortunately, easier articulated than accomplished. Any best practices to share?
I could not agree more. too many students are supported from all angles by the notion of "creating a Dream". while this is a wonderful notion, reality is that a lot of students come unprepared to class in the beginning of the course and that we as teachers must make sure that we awake their spirit and make the delivery of the course interesting enough to make the students WANT TO Learn, as opposed to look at learning as a task. here we go - retention by creating the desire to be in class every day.
