From Predictive Analytics to Support: Philosophy and Application
The “Target and Tailor” Approach During my very first job out of graduate school, I was charged with building our institutional model of...
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The College Knowledge Blog addresses the most pressing issues in higher education. From the cost of going to college to employment for graduates and everything in between, this Blog takes a balanced approach to covering issues, identifying challenges, and identifying solutions.
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Andrea Pope
Sep 1410 min read
Building Better Advising Systems: A Roadmap to Holistic Student Support
When I joined DIA in the summer of 2023, my marching orders were simple but not easy: help institutions make use of ISSAQ noncognitive...
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Ross Markle
Aug 1210 min read
I’m done with noncognitive skills
This probably comes as a shock to many of you. The headlines in Inside Higher Ed, EMIP, and other notable publications will likely read, ...
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Ross Markle
Mar 66 min read
Learning vs. Retention: It's not a battle
For years, higher education professionals and researchers have drawn a combative line between learning and retention/graduation metrics....
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Ross Markle
Jan 35 min read
It means nothing without change
I recently picked up Ben Wildavsky’s book, The Career Arts. (It’s a well-written, important work. Book review coming!) Like many other...
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Ross Markle
Nov 2, 202314 min read
Four Questions Every Advising Effort Should be Able to Answer
While we at DIA certainly have a vision for the impact we want to have on colleges and universities, articulating that vision is not...
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Ross Markle
Oct 16, 20237 min read
What Matters Most to Student Success?
In a previous role, nestled within a large, standardized testing organization (like, a really big one… I mean, I’m not going to name any...
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Ross Markle
Jul 19, 20235 min read
A Work-Life Balance Hack
Without a doubt, the coolest aspect of having your own company is the ability to do things however you want. That might sound obvious (or...
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Ross Markle
Jun 20, 20237 min read
We forgot about student success
After a decade of emphasis on student success, a host of phenomena - the Covid-19 Pandemic, human and civil rights movements, mental...
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Ross Markle
Feb 16, 202210 min read
When Every Equity Problem Looks Like a Noncognitive Nail
It's an old adage, but one I'm quite fond of: When all you have is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail. Whenever someone presents...
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Ross Markle
Jan 13, 20224 min read
Getting to Work
As 2022 gets underway, I'm reflecting on the nature of starting something vs. building it. I recently put together a letter for all our...
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Ross Markle
Aug 27, 20209 min read
Education is an Intervention
What exactly is education? The obvious consultation of Webster's dictionary could provide an answer, but as with many constructs, it can...
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Ross Markle
Aug 11, 20209 min read
Factor Focus: Sense of Belonging
The "Factor Focus" series is designed to review various noncognitive factors and their relevance to student success. I thoroughly enjoy...
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Ross Markle
Jul 30, 20207 min read
The Problem with "Best Practice"
There are certain things that, when I step onto a college campus, I just know I'm going to hear. "We tend to have lots of silos here."...
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Ross Markle
Jul 24, 202010 min read
Can we measure student learning outcomes qualitatively? I don't think so...
... but I could be wrong. Typically I write these posts from a position of knowledge and expertise, seeking to espouse a viewpoint that...
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Ross Markle
Jul 15, 20208 min read
The best book I've ever read about student success
I've never been really good at catching the first wave of trends. Last summer, I came across a very catchy song and, when chatting with a...
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Ross Markle
Jun 23, 20206 min read
Assessment, Growth Mindset, and Star Trek: The Kobayashi Maru
A fond memory from my childhood helps me understand the ways we observe human behavior and make attributions. It's also one of the more...
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Ross Markle
Jun 17, 20208 min read
Factor Focus: Self-Efficacy
The "Factor Focus" series is designed to review various noncognitive factors and their relevance to student success. Confidence is a...
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Ross Markle
Jun 10, 20209 min read
Improving survey response rates and motivation: tips, tricks, and science
As with many things in assessment, getting more and better responses isn't magic. It's really about learning from the science, a little...
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Ross Markle
Jun 2, 20207 min read
The pandemic shows us that everyone should go to college
While common ground between liberals and conservatives can be hard to find, employability seems to be one respite. I've spent a little...
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