Spring 2012 Tech Fair – March 15, 2012 by Diane Matsuno (Learning Skills)
What Can I do to Increase Student Retention?
Magna 20 Minute Mentor – DVD by Debi Moon, J.D. and Rob Jenkins, M.A.
Magna Publications Inc. www.magnapubs.com
Keywords: student retention, student engagement, active learning
1. Statement of Problem: Community College students – often not prepared
academically for college work and lack study skills. Family, work and personal
life and work life issues. Tend to just drop out – stop coming to class.
Student retention (definition(s): class completion, enroll next semester or persist,
or graduate or earn certificate.
See 2002 article “Rethinking Student Retention in Community Colleges
See 2011 article “A Matter of Degrees: Promising Practices for Student Success in
Community Colleges – http://www.ccsse.org
See 2001-4 article Minority Student Retention and Academic Achievement in
Community Colleges. ERIC Digest. http://www.ericdigests.org/2001-4/minority.html
Center for Community College Engagement – student and faculty surveys
Student Engagement: Student engagement represents two critical features of collegiate
quality. The first is the amount of time and effort students put into their studies and other
educationally purposeful activities. The second is how the institution deploys its resources and
organizes the curriculum and other learning opportunities to get students to participate in
activities that decades of research studies show are linked to student learning.
http://nsse.iub.edu/html/about.cfm
2. Presentation and discussion of DVD 20 Minute Mentor – What Can I Do to
Increase Student Retention in your classroom. Based on authors’ experience in
higher education, literature review, and surveys like CCCSE. Implemented in a
pilot program with positive outcome. See Powerpoint Handouts for notetaking.
Learning Outcomes:
1. How to promote a sense of community and collaboration
2. How to help student discover learning styles and teach accordingly
http://www.studygs.net
3. How to promote active learning and critical thinking
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Active_learning
4. How to encourage students to assess their grasp of content
5. How to build student confidence and competence through shared
teaching exercises
3. Now what do we do?
1. Share successful practices/experiences in increasing student retention in your
class/subject. Create a West blog?
2. Campus SLO project – tracks completion rate by subject, semester, year.
Indicate your successful retention tools in your SLO department document.
3. What Can I Do to Increase Student Retention DVD is available for department
viewing.
Please refer to following electronic documents provided:
1. Student Retention Tech Fair Handout
2. Powerpoint Handout to accompany “What Can I Do to Increase Student
Retention?” DVD
3. Transcript of “What Can I Do to Increase Student Retention?” DVD
4. Rethinking Student Retention in Community Colleges
5. A Matter of Degrees: Promising Practices for Student Success in Community
Colleges – http://www.ccsse.org
6. Minority Student Retention and Academic Achievement in Community Colleges.
ERIC Digest