Dive Brief:
- Reducing attrition through targeted technologies can create more stable tuition revenue and reduce the costs of recruitment.
- Three technologies that can help retention include early warning systems that analyze student data, portals that let students track all aspects of their college experience, and e-portfolios that make courses relevant for students and prepare them for the job market, according to an article in eCampus News.
- Making web-based services mobile friendly and reducing the isolation of online learners by incorporating some blended components or video teleconferencing also help.
Dive Insight:
Barely more than half of college students complete bachelor’s degrees within six years, and most of the ones who leave school do so between freshman and sophomore year. Retention strategies can have a large impact by focusing on the students most likely to drop out. It is important that institutions get to know their unique student populations before implementing new initiatives. That takes data. Schools have been surprised by the groups of students who are not at-risk of dropping out on their campuses and can save money by introducing relevant programs rather than those developed using generalizations from other campuses.