Three-step attrition-combating process: identify at-risk students with administrative data, connect them to outreach programs, then evaluate the intervention¶

Strategy · All strategies
Evidence · no claims cited

Description¶

The article proposes that any cost-efficient initiative against student attrition follow three sequential steps: "First, students at risk need to be identified using available administrative data; second, at-risk students need to come into contact with a relevant outreach program, and finally, the intervention needs to be evaluated." This addresses the matching problem of existing German support programs, which are offered to the general student body and self-selected into, so support may go underutilized by those who need it most.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Administrative data sufficient to identify at-risk students, and existing outreach programs to connect them to

Constraints¶

• The article notes the identification step alone is insufficient; contact with a relevant program and evaluation of the intervention are also needed

Target Learners¶

• Students at risk of dropping out of German university bachelor programs

Target Learning Goals¶

• Reducing student attrition through targeted, evaluated support

Related Strategies¶

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

• Johannes Berens, Kerstin Schneider, Simon Görtz, Simon Oster, Julian Burghoff. (2019). Early Detection of Students at Risk - Predicting Student Dropouts Using Administrative Student Data from German Universities and Machine Learning Methods. Journal of Educational Data Mining, Volume 11, No 3. https://jedm.educationaldatamining.org/index.php/JEDM/article/view/389