Rethinking Academic Support

Abstract

This article presents findings of a study conducted to determine the impact of academic support provided through videoconferencing on the academic outcomes of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics students enrolled in high-risk science courses in higher education. A quasi-experimental nonequivalent posttest only design was employed to determine if grade and retention outcomes of students receiving online academic support through videoconferencing were equivalent to outcomes received by students receiving face-to-face academic support and students not receiving academic support. Data from 1,276 students were analyzed and significant differences were found in rate of retention and final grades of ''Cs or above'' among the three groups. The untutored group had the lowest rate. There was no significant difference in retention or final grade proportions for online and face-toface groups, providing evidence that synchronous academic support through videoconferencing is as effective as face-to-face academic support.

The New Normal: Student Preferences for Online Advising Before, During, and After the Pandemic

“…However, Rennar-Potacco (2019) found no difference in retention or grades for online students compared to in-person students attending a peer tutoring service. The learning advisers described by Davies et al (2020) were initially concerned about moving appointments online during the pandemic as they thought students would be worried about talking online, particularly if they had never met the adviser in person.…”

Enhancing academic support for students in higher education

“…The literature reveals a crucial need to enhance the current academic support provided by HE. Previous studies identify the necessity of developing academic support by refining student performances and improving teaching practices within curricula (Tilak and Kumar, 2022; Rennar-Potacco et al , 2016). Traditional concepts of academic support were orientated towards assessment support rather than integral academic support, amplifying student well-being and ensuring pertinent student guidance (Baik et al , 2019).…”

“…The success of a module depends on the strategies used in implementing pedagogy within the learning environment (Rapanta et al , 2021; Rennar-Potacco et al , 2016). Whereas fundamental factors contribute to pedagogy, the core element of influencing fundamental factors remains in the tutor’s hand.…”

Tutoría virtual como elemento disruptivo en el modelo ejecutivo de las Universidades Tecnológicas

“…La ausencia de soporte de tutoría virtual en educación a distancia, afecta el rendimiento académico (Feng, Xie y Liu, 2017;García-Iglesias, Pérez-Martínez, Gutiérrez-Martín, Díez-Laiz y Sahagún-Prieto, 2018;Rennar-Potacco, Orellana, Chen y Salazar, 2019;Sembiring, 2018;Wu y Yang, 2016); por ende, desencadena en una tasa baja de éxito para estudiantes universitarios (Giner-Manso, Muriel y Toledano-Redondo, 2013). La escasez de tutores virtuales para moderar foros y discusiones, orientar métodos de estudio, acompañar al estudiante en su permanencia universitaria, y en general, inciden en el rendimiento académico (Sansone, Ligorio y Buglass, 2016;Vázquez, 2010;Goold, Coldwell y Craig, 2010;Careaga, 2014); la carencia de tutores virtuales sin experiencia en las materias, puede afectar el éxito del aprendizaje a distancia (Hrastinski, Cleveland-Innes y Stenbom, 2018).…”