Academic Advising Systems: A Systematic Literature Review of Empirical Evidence

Omiros Iatrellis,Achilles Kameas,Panos Fitsilis

doi:10.3390/educsci7040090

Abstract

This paper aims to provide the reader with a comprehensive background for understanding current knowledge on Academic Advising Systems (AAS) and its impact on learning. It constitutes an overview of empirical evidence behind key objectives of the potential adoption of AAS in generic educational strategic planning. The researchers examined the literature on experimental case studies conducted in the domain during the past ten years (2008–2017). Search terms identified 98 mature pieces of research work, but inclusion criteria limited the key studies to 43. The authors analyzed the research questions, methodology, and findings of these published papers and categorized them accordingly. The results have highlighted three distinct major directions of the AAS empirical research. This paper discusses the emerged added value of AAS research and highlights the significance of further implications. Finally, the authors set their thoughts on possible uncharted key questions to investigate both from pedagogical and technical considerations.

Highlights

With the advent of flexible curriculum systems in many Higher Educational Institutions (HEI) and an ever wider variety range of courses and programs being offered, there is a present need to ensure that students make the best use of available information to make more informed decisions regarding their academic plan [1]
Besides required courses, which are compulsory for each student to be taken, HEI offer elective courses, but generally students lack information about the objectives and the content of the course and often fail to take the appropriate ones for their academic plan
Previous works on Academic Advising Systems (AAS) research provided significant insight into the conceptual basis of this rapidly growing domain

Summary

Introduction

With the advent of flexible curriculum systems in many Higher Educational Institutions (HEI) and an ever wider variety range of courses and programs being offered, there is a present need to ensure that students make the best use of available information to make more informed decisions regarding their academic plan [1]. Besides required courses, which are compulsory for each student to be taken, HEI offer elective courses, but generally students lack information about the objectives and the content of the course and often fail to take the appropriate ones for their academic plan. Three principle models of advising include developmental advising, prescriptive advising, and intrusive advising, each of which is informed by the goals of the advisor-student interaction [3]. In all approaches, this support is based on the establishment of educational collaboration between students and their academic advisors.

Objectives

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion