Enhancing Undergraduate Student Success Through Motivational Messages

• In Event: Designing Technological Environments to Promote Learning and Engagement

Abstract

A significant problem that continues to confront higher education is the number of students who enter college but leave prior to achieving their goal of degree completion. Retaining students to complete program degrees is fundamental to maintaining the university’s societal standing (Yorke & Longden, 2004; Arredondo & Knight, 2005-2006), quality, and economic stability (Gupta, 1991) within the individual academic departments and the university. One solution is to motivate students through the use of emails that are created using the real-time motivational needs of students. In this interactive session, the results of a design-based research study to determine if motivational emails enhance undergraduate student motivation is presented, and evidence driven strategies to help motivate students are illustrated.

Authors

• Sara Elizabeth Kacin, Wayne State University

• Monica W. Tracey, Wayne State University