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ERIC Number: EJ1112851
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2013
Pages: 19
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-2375-804X
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Improving Academic Success for Undecided Students: A First-Year Seminar/Learning Community Approach
Tampke, Dale R.; Durodoye, Raifu
Learning Communities: Research & Practice, v1 n2 Article 3 2013
Undecided undergraduate students are often considered to be "at risk" for lower academic performance and lower retention rates than students with declared majors. First-year seminars and learning communities are two interventions the retention literature suggests can enhance the success of at-risk students. This paper summarizes the development, implementation, and preliminary assessment of an intervention directed toward undecided first-time-in-college (FTIC) students at University of North Texas. The intervention consists of enrollment in a first-year seminar or in a first-year seminar which is part of a learning community. The paper has three sections. The first section briefly summarizes the literature on undecided students, first-year seminars, and learning communities. The second section outlines the intervention including development of the seminar and the course pairings. The paper concludes with a summary of the success outcomes--GPA, percentage in good academic standing, and retention to the subsequent academic semester--for the students involved in the two interventions and a comparison group of undecided students. Preliminary data suggest better outcomes for students participating in the interventions than in the control group, but the study raises important questions about further research. The third section also includes recommendations for research and practice.
Evergreen State College's Washington Center, the National Resource for Learning Communities. 2700 Evergreen Parkway NW, SEM II E2115, Olympia, WA 98505. Tel: 360-864-6606; Fax: 360-867-6662; e-mail: washcenter@evergreen.edu; Web site: http://washingtoncenter.evergreen.edu/lcrpjournal/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Texas
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
What Works Clearinghouse Reviewed: Does Not Meet Evidence Standards
Author Affiliations: N/A