Under-preparation is recognised among the main causes of poor academic performance by under-graduate students. Universities often launch remedial courses as an inclusive solution to help academically deprived freshmen fill their knowledge and skill gaps. However, the significant resources absorbed by remedial courses underline the need for periodical assessment of their effectiveness. The present paper exploits 2012-2016 administrative data from a medium-sized university located in Northern Italy to appraise the effectiveness of the remedial courses undertaken by newly enrolled students in industrial engineering who fail to achieve a minimum score at the university entry test. The outcomes of the empirical analysis show that remedial courses do not allow participants to catch up with the newly enrolled students who achieved higher performance at university entry tests. However, the academic outcomes of students who successfully complete a remedial course do not significantly differ from those of students who could enrol to an under-graduate course without need for remedial education thanks to a performance just above floor requirements.
The Effectiveness of Remedial Courses: An Analysis on Freshmen in Industrial Engineering
Francesca Sgobbi
2019-01-01
Abstract
Under-preparation is recognised among the main causes of poor academic performance by under-graduate students. Universities often launch remedial courses as an inclusive solution to help academically deprived freshmen fill their knowledge and skill gaps. However, the significant resources absorbed by remedial courses underline the need for periodical assessment of their effectiveness. The present paper exploits 2012-2016 administrative data from a medium-sized university located in Northern Italy to appraise the effectiveness of the remedial courses undertaken by newly enrolled students in industrial engineering who fail to achieve a minimum score at the university entry test. The outcomes of the empirical analysis show that remedial courses do not allow participants to catch up with the newly enrolled students who achieved higher performance at university entry tests. However, the academic outcomes of students who successfully complete a remedial course do not significantly differ from those of students who could enrol to an under-graduate course without need for remedial education thanks to a performance just above floor requirements.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
