STRATEGIC PROJECT
use case
Enhancing wellbeing and retention across 11 vocational schools
How Tradium utilises Student Pulse to ensure more young people complete their vocational training
Segment
Vocational school
Size
4.500 students
Location
Denmark
Name
Duration
Focus area
Tradium, is a vocational school and gymnasium in Randers, Denmark, and the lead operator of a large project: Project Retention through Social Sustainability at EUD (PSB). Michael Jacobsen, Head of Development and Education at Tradium, plays a pivotal role in this project aimed to improve student well-being and strengthen retention at vocational education and training. The primary objective of this project is to enhance student well-being and bolster retention rates in vocational education and training. This comprehensive, three-year project involves eleven schools situated in the central region of Denmark, collectively representing 72% of the student population in the area. Within this project, StudentPulse takes part as a data-driven solution and check-in tool, meticulously implemented to foster a new well-being practice across these 11 vocational schools.
In vocational education, the dropout rate is alarmingly high, with 40% of students failing to complete their training. Tradium as well, despite offering relatively short courses, encountered significant challenges in retaining their students.
Many of our students drop out and it's just a 20-week course. Even in that short period of time, they drop out.
Traditional methods of assessing student satisfaction proved inadequate, as the results were neither timely nor effective in enabling the school to address these challenges promptly.
The educational system in Denmark provides an annual semi-large survey that the students have to complete at the end of their basic programme. Whenever we get the results, first of all it's on a fairly high level and quite complicated, but it's always very late in order to take action for the students involved in this survey. So when we take the results we can try to do something better for the next program or the next students. But the problem is for me, and I believe for the rest of the schools in Denmark, that it's too late.
The majority of these young individuals abandon their education due to dissatisfaction stemming from various social, personal, and academic factors. Driven by a profound need to address this challenge, Tradium initiated this project in collaboration with StudentPulse, as part of a broader regional effort aiming to address the student wellbeing.
We reached out to StudentPulse, because we heard about the insights that these check-ins could do. And we wanted to monitor not only the individual school, but the region in general to see if there's a better way to educate our young people and structure the training.
The project has three main areas, which will ensure that more young people complete their vocational training:
1. Increased students’ well-being
2. Educators’ competency courses
3. Increased retention
Recognizing that content and satisfied students are more likely to complete their training, the PSB project places a strong emphasis on improving their overall well-being, where StudentPulse plays a crucial role.
Obviously there was one target to get more students to complete, but we also wanted to track their well-being as we had this feeling that there was something more to the issue of the many dropouts.
To enhance well-being throughout the project, all 11 schools conduct ongoing micro-measurements of students' well-being approximately once a month using the StudentPulse software. StudentPulse has been collecting real-time feedback from students through check-ins combined with real-time data analysis. The data insights then provide a foundation for staff discussions about student well-being. Where are things going well, and where should we focus on improving well-being?
We were relying on teachers to identify those at risk and reach out to the local manager, or to whatever system the school has to work with students. But by doing it on a larger scale, if there's any problems, they're really easy to identify. And then we have it, you know. Hands on, on the screen, that there is an issue. So we have the access to the data that we need to make those actions. And with that, it's much easier to point out and say, in this education or in this institution, we have these issues that have to be addressed.
StudentPulse did more than provide just another data point. It ensured that insights were collected and made actionable in real time. The immediate feedback it offered proved to be a game-changer.
The scope of this project is something we haven't seen before. It provides an opportunity to find more evidence in retention work. All the participating schools are accustomed to working with various smaller initiatives, but here, we're at a scale where we can see what works and what doesn't.
Micro-measurements have been conducted in the project since January, and partner schools are well underway in implementing work with well-being data. For example, Tradium observed a significant shift in students' motivation and well-being. They got clear indications that there is a need for slower transition between the practical and academic aspects of their technical education, as the direct switch is causing frustrations and demotivation among several students. Therefore, this issue has been raised and leaders and educators could discuss potential solutions aligned with the hands-on approach students prefer.
For example in our technical education, one check-in was really high in motivation and well-being, and then in the second check-in it dropped. It didn't surprise the teachers because they've always experienced the motivation going down after the two weeks, but now they got the students to tell what was going on. The first couple of weeks, they spent doing work with their hands, just getting to learn different tools and methods in the tool shop. And then they went to the classroom and had two weeks where the students didn't go to the tool shop, and there the motivation dropped dramatically.
Measuring well-being in this manner means that schools can stay in tune with students' well-being on an ongoing basis rather than looking back once a year. This way, schools can identify areas where interventions are needed, addressing concerns promptly and proactively shaping a conducive learning environment that supports students throughout their educational journey.
We could see how the students from our business education rate everything so low in these check-ins. And it's important for us to find out. Is it because they're in worse shape mentally or is it due to some other circumstances? It's been really great to work with the student insights and understand why they react as they do.
With StudentPulse, students can reach out for help when they need it, and they can do so early on, even before a problem becomes apparent. This system didn’t only lighten the burden on teachers, but also made it easier for students to access counseling, support teams, and other resources which are a pivotal factor in their overall well-being.
One thing is that the students can reach out and get help earlier, but it's also the fact that now it's not something that relies on the teachers. It's something that relies on the system in general.
The initial successes witnessed through StudentPulse at Tradium provided a strong foundation for the project. As the project continues to unfold, the indicators of success are becoming increasingly clear. The initial steps have already shown promise. The culture within the schools is shifting towards greater engagement with student well-being and performance, offering a more responsive and inclusive educational ecosystem. The results are expected to far surpass the project's goals. However, its true value will be revealed over time.
I definitely believe that we will succeed. But the real value will be when we sit here in a year's time, and can actually compare, how we succeeded in creating a better environment and thereby made the student's well-being better? Even though we've been quite positive when we set our goals for the project, I believe that we will exceed those goals. Absolutely.
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