A US university is tracking students’ locations to predict future dropouts

This article, and most of the discussion here, appears to be conflating two things. 1. The University of Arizona tries to predict which students are at risk of dropping out using a bunch of data about them, and then offers some extra support to these students. They have been doing this for four years and have improved their retention rate about 3% in the last year. 2. A researcher at the University of Arizona has been experimenting with using location tracking to predict which students will drop out. She has found that using this data allows her to make more accurate predictions than <i>the ones that the university currently uses</i>. She hopes that they will one day start using her data&#x2F;methods.

This article is a little unclear, and the title arguably exaggerated. They&#x27;re actually tracking where students swipe their student ID cards. Which, yes, is a form of location tracking. They don&#x27;t have any idea where students are going off campus.

So, retention rates improved by not even 3pp and they take that as proof that the program worked? Isn’t it much more likely that the increase is driven by the bigger attention the retention topic got by the administration as well as the increase in counseling, etc.? And how much damage is done by approaching students and telling them that their recent behavior indicates they might drop out soon?

It&#x27;s actually amazing how I can predict this exceedingly well just from watching students grades compared to the average.<p>Did a test with it using my website: <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;easy-a.net" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;easy-a.net</a><p>I basically can predict students future semester grades, hours spent and what not.

Pretty damn Orwellian, but it certainly shows how some aspects of university education are broken for many people.<p>Socially integrating yourself with other successful people in your classes and degree program will dramatically increase your chances of success. This does not come naturally to many people. Ways to improve this include:<p>* requiring students to live in dorms with students taking the same classes.<p>* mandatory weekly study sessions for every class<p>* industry partnerships to get students internships with real world experience during the summer.<p>IMO these guys[0] are on the right track and I wish programs like that were available to more people.<p>[0] <a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.ansep.net&#x2F;" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.ansep.net&#x2F;</a>

The takeaway is that if you give a load of academics a database, they are like children left unattended with a running chocolate fountain and a sign saying &quot;no fingers&quot;.

&gt; At the end of the day, universities are businesses trying to retain customers.<p>This matter-of-fact claim -- and the mindset it engenders -- encapsulates perhaps the vast majority of what&#x27;s gone wrong in higher education in the past two decades or so.

And actually bragging about it. Surprised to read that this came from a university <i>press release</i> and not a whistleblower, in-depth undercover investigation, embarrassing court case or the like. Apparently we&#x27;ve finally reached the dystopia where surveillance is completely normalized.