Bridging the Gap Between Engagement Data and Student Retention Outcomes

This presentation explores the connection between student engagement and student retention in higher education. Many colleges and universities use attendance records and participation numbers to measure engagement, but those numbers do not always reflect how students truly feel about their college experience. This project focuses on the importance of looking beyond participation data to better understand belonging, connection, and the overall student experience. Throughout the presentation, I discuss how engagement impacts retention, academic performance, and student success. The project examines several research questions related to participation, GPA, belonging, and barriers that may prevent students from becoming involved on campus. To better understand these relationships, multiple forms of data were analyzed, including attendance records, student organization participation, retention data, and student surveys measuring sense of belonging. The presentation also reviews important theories and research connected to student engagement and retention, including Astin’s Theory of Student Involvement and Tinto’s Theory of Student Integration. In addition, Dual Process Theory is used to explain how organizations combine analytical thinking and human judgment when making data-driven decisions.
A Tableau dashboard was created as part of this project to visually represent patterns between engagement, GPA, retention, and belonging. These visualizations demonstrate how data analytics and technology can help institutions identify trends and make more informed decisions related to student success. The presentation also highlights the growing impact of artificial intelligence, automation, and data analytics in organizational decision-making. While technology allows institutions to process large amounts of information more efficiently, the project emphasizes that human interpretation and understanding of student experiences remain essential. Overall, this project demonstrates that student engagement is more than attendance or participation alone. By combining data with student experiences and institutional context, colleges and universities can develop stronger strategies to improve retention, connection, and long-term student success.

Видео Bridging the Gap Between Engagement Data and Student Retention Outcomes канала Alacia Caillier