SUCCESS STORY
Ashford University Readies Students
for Success with SmarterServices
THE CHALLENGE
Ashford University implements initiatives to support student success and provide an opportunity to experience online
learning prior to admission. With these initiatives, they expanded the Student Success Orientation (SSO) to provide an
overview of the university experience, prepare students for coursework, and evaluate their ability to succeed. Students
learn about policies and available resources through interactive videos and assessments. Ashford also implemented the
Ashford Promise–providing degree-seeking online students with a no-cost, risk-free opportunity to explore the online
environment during the first three weeks of their first course.
THE SOLUTION
Ashford began using the SmarterMeasure Learning Readiness Indicator in Fall 2011 as a key component of SSO. As the
primary assessment and reflection tool, SmarterMeasure measures student readiness in key areas to provide students
with personalized feedback about strengths and weaknesses. According to the results of Ashford’s study, students who
did not complete the SSO scored lower in individual attributes (including time management) and life factors (including
motivation to obtain credit)– two sections indicative of a student’s ability to progress through and complete orientation.
THE BENEFITS
Following orientation, students enrolled in their first credit course. Smarter-Measure scores compared to this course
revealed that Technical Competency and On-Screen Reading predicted a student’s success. To determine the impact of
the SSO course, Ashford compared three groups that did not participate in orientation to one group that did. The results
showed that the students who participated in orientation improved their success rate by an average of 17%. In addition,
the study showed students who completed the SSO had higher grade point averages than the groups who did not.
Ashford University in Clinton, Iowa–founded in 1918 as Mount St. Clare College–was
acquired in 2005 by Bridgepoint Education. The university combines the heritage of a
traditional campus with the flexibility and effectiveness of online learning to provide a
vibrant community where high-quality programs and leading-edge technology create a
dynamic, immersive, and stimulating experience. Accredited by The Higher Learning
Commission and a member of the North Central Association; the university offers
practical and progressive Associate's, Bachelor’s and Master's Degree programs
online–as well as on-campus Bachelor’s Degree programs.
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