Aug 2, 2006 4
College Board to make test using background info pt. 1
Through “a series of multiple-choice questions,” researchers plan to predict how students will succeed (or not succeed) in college. What test could I be talking about: the SAT, the ACT, the AP, IB, or maybe even the TOEFL? No, it’s some new test–so new it doesn’t have a dehumanizing acronym applied to it yet! Better yet, it doesn’t use language or math to predict aptitude–it uses background information! Awesome! Wait…
(Article truncated here)
update Aug 2: the Research being done at MSU by MSU researchers, MSU has belatedly put up a nice, extra-informative article on the subject HERE.
update Aug 3: I emailed Dr. Schmitt, chair of the MSU psych department, and got the prepublication papers, which are very interesting. I’m reading through them now (~175 pages, so sort of skimming) and will report on them soon. Yeah, I know, excellent use of my time.
Professors Find Ways to Predict Student Success
http://www.statenews.com/article.phtml?pk=37042
The State NewsGrade-point averages and SAT scores can only do so much to predict student success at college. That’s why two MSU professors researched other ways to anticipate how student life beyond the books plays into college performance.After looking at students’ interests, background experiences and motivational characteristics from 10 universities during a four-year period, psychology professors Neal Schmitt, Frederick Oswald and a team of undergraduate and graduate students found predictors for student potential, including their likeliness to cheat, drop out of school and attend classes regularly.
The College Board approached Schmitt and Oswald about conducting the study, which it plans to use to enhance college admissions.
“I think it’s a step forward in terms of learning about college performance more broadly and how to admit students that will create a more well-rounded student body,” Oswald said.
Oswald and Schmitt started by examining college mission statements to find which student traits universities desire. They narrowed them down to 12 categories, including artistic and cultural appreciation, social responsibility and citizenship, and career orientation. [...]
I'm currently a sophomore at Yale University and I've been blogging about college admissions and higher education marketing trends since I began my college application process in 2005. I now also write about my experience here at Yale, and am an official Yale blogger.
Recent Comments