Purpose

Postsecondary institutions use metrics such as student retention and college completion rates to measure student success. Multiple factors affect the success of first time in college (FTIC) and transfer students. Transfer student success rates are significantly low, with most transfer students nationwide failing to complete their degrees in four-year institutions. The purpose of this study is to better understand the degree progression patterns of both student types in two undergraduate science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) programs: computer science (CS) and information technology (IT). Recommendations concerning academic advising are discussed to improve transfer student success.

Design/methodology/approach

This study describes how transfer student success can be improved by thoroughly analyzing their degree progression patterns. This study uses institutional data from a public university in the United States. Specifically, this study utilizes the data of FTIC and transfer students enrolled in CS and IT programs at the targeted university to understand their degree progression patterns and analyzes the program curricula using network science curricular analytics method to determine what courses in the curriculum require more assistance to retain students.

Findings

The major findings of this study are: (1) students’ degree mobility patterns within an institution differ significantly between transfer and FTIC students; (2) some similarities exist between the CS and IT programs in terms of transfer students' degree mobility patterns; (3) transfer students' performance in basic and intermediate level core courses contribute to differences in transfer students' mobility patterns.

Originality/value

This study introduces the concept of “mobility patterns” and examines student degree mobility patterns of both FTIC and transfer students in a large public university to improve the advising process for transfer students regarding courses and identifying secondary majors.

中文翻译：

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公立大学计算机科学和信息技术课程中首次与转学生的途径模式流动性研究

目的

高等教育机构使用学生保留率和大学毕业率等指标来衡量学生的成功。多种因素影响第一次大学（FTIC）和转学生的成功。转学生的成功率非常低，全国大多数转学生未能在四年制大学完成学位。本研究的目的是更好地了解两种学生类型在两个本科科学、技术、工程和数学 (STEM) 课程中的学位升读模式：计算机科学 (CS) 和信息技术 (IT)。讨论了有关学术建议的建议，以提高转学生的成功率。

设计/方法/方法

本研究描述了如何通过彻底分析转学生的学位进展模式来提高转学生的成功率。本研究使用美国公立大学的机构数据。具体而言，本研究利用 FTIC 和目标大学就读 CS 和 IT 课程的转学生的数据来了解他们的学位升读模式，并使用网络科学课程分析方法分析课程课程，以确定课程中的哪些课程需要更多帮助留住学生。

发现

本研究的主要发现是：（1）转学学生和 FTIC 学生在一个机构内的学位流动模式存在显着差异；(2) CS 和 IT 项目在转学生的学位流动模式方面存在一些相似之处；(3)转学生在基础和中级核心课程中的表现导致转学生流动模式的差异。

原创性/价值

本研究引入了“流动模式”的概念，并研究了一所大型公立大学中 FTIC 和转学生的学生学位流动模式，以改进转学生关于课程和确定次要专业的建议过程。