Colleges and universities often rely on metrics such as
grade-point averages (GPA) and academic standing to predict student success.
Logging onto the institution’s learning management system (LMS) may be a more
accurate indicator.
Data gathered by the education tech firm Civitas Learning
suggested the number of times students log into the LMS is one of the best ways
to determine if they will stay with the class or drop out, according to a
report for Inside Higher Education. Civitas Learning, co-founded by Mark Milliron, a
keynote speaker at the 2016 Textbook Affordability Conference, uses predictive analytics
to provide colleges and universities with insights into ways to help students
succeed.
The for-profit Strayer University uses Civitas data to
review its LMS engagement numbers from the beginning of the semester and has
experimented with faculty members reaching out directly to those students who don’t
log on often. The intervention resulted in a 5% increase in class attendance
and an 8% decrease in course dropout rate.
“It’s
a key early signal that they can use with students,” Laura Malcolm, vice
president of product management at Civitas, said of the data gathered by the
firm. “The more you focus on behavior, the more predictive it becomes.”
