A logistic regression investigation of the relationship between the Learning Assistant model and failure rates in introductory STEM courses

Laurie S Langdon,Valerie K Otero,Jessica L Alzen

doi:10.1186/s40594-018-0152-1

Laurie S Langdon, Valerie K Otero + Show 1 more

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https://doi.org/10.1186/s40594-018-0152-1

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Abstract

BackgroundLarge introductory STEM courses historically have high failure rates, and failing such courses often leads students to change majors or even drop out of college. Instructional innovations such as the Learning Assistant model can influence this trend by changing institutional norms. In collaboration with faculty who teach large-enrollment introductory STEM courses, undergraduate learning assistants (LAs) use research-based instructional strategies designed to encourage active student engagement and elicit student thinking. These instructional innovations help students master the types of skills necessary for college success such as critical thinking and defending ideas. In this study, we use logistic regression with pre-existing institutional data to investigate the relationship between exposure to LA support in large introductory STEM courses and general failure rates in these same and other introductory courses at University of Colorado Boulder.ResultsOur results indicate that exposure to LA support in any STEM gateway course is associated with a 63% reduction in odds of failure for males and a 55% reduction in odds of failure for females in subsequent STEM gateway courses.ConclusionsThe LA program appears related to lower course failure rates in introductory STEM courses, but each department involved in this study implements the LA program in different ways. We hypothesize that these differences may influence student experiences in ways that are not apparent in the current analysis, but more work is necessary to support this hypothesis. Despite this potential limitation, we see that the LA program is consistently associated with lower failure rates in introductory STEM courses. These results extend the research base regarding the relationship between the LA program and positive student outcomes.

Highlights

Large introductory STEM courses historically have high failure rates, and failing such courses often leads students to change majors or even drop out of college
We answer the following research question: How do failure rates in STEM gateway courses compare for students who do and do not receive learning assistants (LAs) support in any STEM gateway course? We investigate this question because, as a model for institutional change, we expect that LAs help students develop skills and dispositions necessary for success in college such as higher-order thinking skills, navigating course content, articulating and defending ideas, and feelings of self-efficacy
Since skills such as these extend beyond a single course, we investigate the extent to which students exposed to the LA program have lower failure rates in STEM gateway courses generally than students who are not exposed to the program

Summary

Introduction

Large introductory STEM courses historically have high failure rates, and failing such courses often leads students to change majors or even drop out of college. In collaboration with faculty who teach large-enrollment introductory STEM courses, undergraduate learning assistants (LAs) use research-based instructional strategies designed to encourage active student engagement and elicit student thinking. These instructional innovations help students master the types of skills necessary for college success such as critical thinking and defending ideas. There are few opportunities for substantive interaction between the instructor and students or among students (Matz et al, 2017; Talbot, Hartley, Marzetta, & Wee, 2015) These courses typically have high failure rates (Webb, Stade, & Grover, 2014) and lead many students who begin as STEM majors to either switch majors or drop out of college without a degree (Crisp, Nora, & Taggart, 2009). In addition to classroom-specific active engagement, Alzen et al International Journal of STEM Education (2018) 5:56 interventions are programs designed to guide larger instructional innovations from an institution level, such as the Learning Assistant (LA) model

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