This study uses two annual cohorts of students from a large, public, midwestern research institution to implement a propensity-based analysis of a student support program called Supplemental Instruction. Beginning with the history and importance of improving college completion (i.e. graduation) rates, this study identifies student support…

Academic grade performance can be influenced by individual attributes, including motivation, attitudes, and beliefs. These attributes can be manifested by current events, such as technology or world events. Through a survey-based study using validated measures coupled with student grade performance at three instances during their tenure in higher…

This paper studies the causal impacts of public universities on the outcomes of their marginally admitted students. I use administrative admission records spanning all 35 public universities in Texas, which collectively enroll 10 percent of American public university students, to systematically identify and employ decentralized cutoffs in SAT/ACT…

Background: Utility-value (UV) classroom interventions typically involve students completing assignments that involve writing about the usefulness of the course material. They are widely recommended and have received some empirical support. Objective: This study tested the effectiveness of a UV intervention in an online research methods course. It…

In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, we continue to take stock of student learning. Although the "crisis-context" (Gacs et al., 2020) move to fully online instruction may be over, a complete understanding of how student outcomes have been impacted remains. The present study focuses on how students' Spanish language proficiency, as…

This quantitative study investigated the relationship between institutional control and NCLEX first-time pass rates during 2017-2021 for BSN, ADN, and LVN programs in the United States while controlling for school and program level characteristics. The study included five years of data gathered from nursing regulatory agencies and the Integrated…

Nursing was voted the most trusted profession for the 22nd year in a row (Walker, 2024). To continue to be the most trusted profession, nursing faculty must ensure their students are prepared to enter the nursing profession. Students must be prepared to take the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN®) licensing…

Test-optional admissions policies have been steadily, though slowly, expanding throughout higher education institutions for decades. The COVID-19 pandemic, however, sparked a rapid expansion of institutions adopting test-optional policy. Using a diffusion of innovations framework, this study assesses the institutional characteristics that shaped…

We describe the effects of a change in the mathematics placement policy at a large 4-year public university. The change resulted in a sharp reduction of the number of students placed in remedial courses, while the levels of academic preparedness of the students, the course content, and the instruction methods remained the same. This allows us to…

Generally, some courses in a degree program, but not all, have a hurdle, threshold or minimum pass requirement, which is often described as a condition that must be met by a student in order to pass a course. As assessment drives learning for most university learners, and first year experience is critical for retention and success, understanding…

Metacognition is a significant predictor of learning and academic performance, including foreign language performance. However, variations in metacognitive competence can be observed due to several factors, potentially including personality. Analytic survey research methods were implemented to examine the relation between metacognition and…

Online teaching evaluations have replaced in-class teaching evaluations as the new norm for assessing teaching performance. Faculty raise concerns regarding lower response rates compared to traditional in-class evaluations. A low response rate implies an underrepresentation of the target student population and threatens the validity of the…

Undergraduate STEM students majoring in various science sub-disciplines (e.g. chemistry, physics, engineering) must develop strong understandings of core foundational thermodynamics concepts. The ability for course instructors and researchers to effectively refine instruction and develop interventions to support students' learning hinges on their…

Since nurses are the primary providers of direct patient care in the United States, a shortage in any community can impact the quality of health care available. Rural areas were among the first to be affected by the current nursing shortage. Further challenges to the rural nurse supply include a lack of access to nursing education, particularly…

Do students respond to sticker prices or actual prices when applying to college? These costs differ for students eligible for financial aid. Students who do not understand this may not apply to some colleges because of the perceived high cost. We test for this form of "sticker shock" using College Board data on SAT scores sent, as a…