Abstract
University of Arizona Global Campus has five Early Childhood Education programs that currently serve 2,888 students, and the average one-year persistence rate across programs is approximately 47%. This Learning Community aims to impact retention by implementing two social engagement intervention strategies that provide a supportive space for the students in these five programs. The first strategy is to provide a virtual learning community available asynchronously in Canvas which will provide 1) a platform for students to interact with peers and instructors and 2) provide information on upcoming events and professional development resources related to the ECE field. The second strategy is to hold monthly synchronous meetings to provide an orientation to the five ECE programs and promote social interaction between peers and faculty. The goal of these interventions is to promote the kind of belonging and connectedness that supports academic growth and momentum which can contribute to long-term retention and ultimately, graduation. Researchers continue to track participation and data to determine how using this online community impacts student retention throughout their programs.
Presenters
Michelle SimecekAssistant Professor-College of Arts and Sciences, Bachelor of Arts-Early Childhood Development, University of Arizona Global Campus, Arizona, United States Stephanie Heald
Program Chair | BA Early Childhood Education Program Chair | BA Early Childhood Education-Administration Associate Professor, Early Childhood Education/Early Childhood Education Administration, The University of Arizona Global Campus, Florida, United States Holly Lopez
Program Chair, Department of Education and Liberal Arts, University of Arizona Global Campus, Arizona, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Theme
2024 Special Focus—People, Education, and Technology for a Sustainable Future
KEYWORDS
Retention
