In her guest lecture titled Why Do They Drop?, Prof. Joanna shared in-depth insights based on research conducted at one of the largest research universities in the United States. The study involved 268 students who decided to drop out of an introductory computer science course over three consecutive semesters.
Presenting her findings, Prof. Joanna stated, “Students often choose to drop out not solely due to academic incapability but because they lack confidence in their ability to succeed. Expectations of success and perceptions of workload play a significant role in these decisions. By understanding these reasons, we can redesign curricula that support student success without compromising academic quality.”
One of the most interesting aspects of the presentation was how Prof. Joanna used a persona approach, typically employed in product design, to understand students at risk of dropping out. Personas are fictional representations of users based on real data, and in this context, they were used to identify types of students struggling with coursework. The data analysis revealed four main personas: Disliking Daniel, Struggling Stef, Switching Sylvan, and Overwhelmed Olivia. Each persona represents a group of students with different reasons for facing academic challenges, ranging from a dislike of the subject matter to excessive workload or the decision to change majors.
“Another important finding is that demographic factors such as gender, economic background, or first-generation student status did not show significant differences in dropout rates. However, undecided students tend to have higher dropout rates. The study also confirmed that the most common reason for dropping out relates to a lack of confidence in the ability to succeed, aligning with Expectancy-Value Theory,” Prof. Joanna explained.
Prof. Joanna further suggested several solutions to address this issue, including simplifying tasks at the beginning of the course to help students gradually build confidence and mastery of concepts. Additionally, instructors should continually emphasize the relevance of course material to ensure that students remain motivated and see the value in what they are learning.
The Dean of FTUI, Prof. Dr. Ir. Heri Hermansyah, S.T., M.Eng., IPU, remarked, “This guest lecture not only sheds light on the causes of student dropout but also offers data-driven solutions that can be applied in a broader educational context, helping to improve the quality of education at FTUI.”
The guest lecture was warmly received by FTUI’s academic community, given its relevance to the educational landscape in Indonesia. The insights shared by Prof. Joanna are expected to inspire faculty and educational administrators at FTUI to implement more effective strategies for retaining students, particularly in programs with high difficulty levels.
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Public Communication Office
Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Indonesia
