Identifying at-risk students: is it possible in a tertiary preparation course for adults?

Carmichael, Colin S. and Dunn, Peter K. and Taylor, Janet A. (2006) Identifying at-risk students: is it possible in a tertiary preparation course for adults? In: 29th Annual Conference of the Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia (MERGA29), 1-5 July 2006, Canberra, Australia.

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Abstract

In the current educational climate in Australia, there is an imperative on university administrators to maintain student enrolments since funding is explicitly linked to student numbers. The most effective way of achieving this is to retain those students who have already enrolled. Consequently many universities currently seek to identify those students at risk of either failing a course or withdrawing from the university. In this paper we report on an initial study into the use of pre-entry measures to identify at-risk students in the context of a tertiary preparatory course offered entirely in the distance mode. We conclude that such measures are at best rough indicators of at-risk students and that results from such measures should be used in a non-directive manner only.

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Item Type:	Conference or Workshop Item (Commonwealth Reporting Category E) (Paper)
Refereed:	Yes
Item Status:	Live Archive
Additional Information:	Deposited with blanket permission of publisher.
Faculty/School / Institute/Centre:	Historic - Learning and Teaching Support Unit
Faculty/School / Institute/Centre:	Historic - Learning and Teaching Support Unit
Date Deposited:	11 Oct 2007 00:33
Last Modified:	02 Jul 2013 22:35
Uncontrolled Keywords:	mathematics education, pre-entry testing, university student retention, at-risk students
Fields of Research (2008):	13 Education > 1301 Education Systems > 130103 Higher Education 13 Education > 1302 Curriculum and Pedagogy > 130208 Mathematics and Numeracy Curriculum and Pedagogy 13 Education > 1303 Specialist Studies in Education > 130305 Educational Counselling
URI:	http://eprints.usq.edu.au/id/eprint/1006

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