STARFISH CREW
Abstract
Use of an Early Alert Warning System to Guide Students Toward Success in Statics
Dr. Ricky T. Castles, Assistant Professor, Department of Engineering
Dr. Linda L. Mellish, Associate Director or Research and Assessment, Office of Student Transitions and Campus Living
Research has shown the students who feel their instructional faculty members are concerned about their performance are more likely to persist toward completing their degrees. Our study focuses on
the application of Starfish and its possible effects on student success and retention. Statics is a critical course for most engineering majors. Students who do poorly in statics tend to struggle in many
other engineering courses, or drop out of the engineering program. In order to increase student retention, four faculty members teaching statics have used the Starfish Retention Solutions™ system to
give feedback to their students regarding their performance on tests and homework in statics. An analysis of survey data and focus group studies is included to demonstrate what action students took
as a result of receiving a Flag including putting more time into homework or studying, seeking help during office hours, or going to tutoring sessions.
Course Description
Motivation
Due to a nationwide shortage of engineering graduates (only
14% of undergraduate students at US post secondary
institutions are majoring in STEM disciplines3), it is critical to
both recruit more students to pursue degrees in engineering
and science majors.
Course Description
Statics is a sophomore level course focusing on analysis of forces and moments of
systems in static equilibrium. The material in this course is complementary to the
material students learn in a calculus-based physics course and preparatory for later
engineering course such as dynamics, mechanics of materials, and solid mechanics.
Statics is a critical course for most engineering majors. Students who do poorly in
statics tend to struggle in many other engineering courses or drop out of the
engineering program altogether.
Student Focus Group
Course Structure
Motivation
Invitations were sent to 48 statics students who received
Starfish Flags and 43 statics students who received Starfish
Kudos during the Fall 2012 semester.
Course Structure
Four students agreed to participate in a focus group study.
All four were recipients of Kudos. Student feedback about
the Starfish system was generally positive and constructive.
In the interest of uniformity, each of the instructors used a common
set of homework problems and gave common exams. Three tests
and a final exam were given throughout the semester and the
students had daily homework problem sets. All four of the course
instructors sent their students Starfish notifications after both test 1
and test 2 and some instructors continued this practice after test 3.
One student stated “…it is always helpful to get positive or
negative feedback….especially in this [course]. I think it
motivates you, there is a little bit of you that wants to do well
because you may want more affirmation…”
The students thought the Starfish System would be more
effective:
• If used in more engineering courses
• If used in those engineering courses with a higher “degree
of difficulty”
• If they could respond directly within the system to the
Kudos
• If the instructors used the tool more often throughout the
semester
A total of 102 students were enrolled in statics at East Carolina
University in the Fall 2012 semester. These students were divided
into six sections of the course taught by a total of four instructors.
Faculty Focus Group
Student Focus Group
Faculty Focus Group
At the end of the semester, a focus group was conducted of the faculty teaching
statics and the department’s academic advisors to better understand their
experiences using the Starfish Retention Solutions™ system and their perceptions of
the ability of the system to improve student performance. All four of the statics
instructors agreed that they would use the system again in their teaching.
One instructor said the Starfish system was “a good tool and easier to use than
sending individual e-mails to students.”
References
1 Atman, C. J. (2010). Enabling engineering student success: The final report for the Center for the Advancement of Engineering Education. Morgan & Claypool
Publishers.
2 Chen, J. C., Whittinghill, D. C., & Kadlowec, J. A. (2010). Classes that click: Fast, rich feedback to enhance student learning and satisfaction. Journal of
Engineering Education, 99(2), 159.
3 President’s Council on Jobs and Competitiveness (2011), “Roadmap to Renewal: Invest in our Future, Build on our Strengths, Play to Win,” 2011 Year-End
Report
Faculty members suggested improvements for enhanced communication including:
• More specific Flag and Kudo options
• Expanding the list of Kudos to be more inline with the Flag options
• Better integration between the Starfish system and the Blackboard Grade Center