Sophomore Success Course Evaluation

Partner: Amy Azuma, L&S Office of Undergraduate Advising, Academic

Overview

Project Description

This is a well-supported, introductory project for students wanting to explore using social science research and data to drive educational decision-making. Using research techniques at the intersection between social science and data science, you’ll be building a data set to answer questions to assess the impact of a new L&S sophomore support initiative, discovering which assignments are most impactful, as well as forming our assessment strategy for larger future interventions. We’ll be building a data set by analyzing pre-class, mid-class and post-class surveys as well as coding and analyzing qualitative data from assignments and feedback to turn it into quantitative metrics. You’ll receive support coding depersonalized writings, collecting themes, and proposing changes to curriculum. We will present this research to the L&S advising office as well as participate in writing a grant proposal. Apply and develop your expertise in a way that will improve the experience of about 4,000 sophomores in L&S each year.

Expected Deliverable

1. A data set to answer questions to assess the impact of a new L&S sophomore support initiative
2. Initial conclusions around which assignments are most impactful for achieving outcomes
3. Contributing to an assessment strategy for larger future interventions

What would a successful semester look like to you?

1. Students have developed increased ability to identify frequent and common themes from open-ended responses as well as made concrete recommendations for improvements.
2. L&S has a starter data set from a Fall 2020 sophomore support course to further hone in the Spring 2021 course iteration as well as a summer sophomore re-orientation program.

Additional Skills from ideal candidates

An interest in social science.

Data

Models

Conclusion