Reengineering retention: A social systems approach

A social systems approach to retention of underrepresented students in math, science, and engineering is discussed. It is suggested that, in reconceptualizing retention to increase the number of underrepresented graduates in science and engineering, an academic social system with patterned interactions, and consideration of learning styles and orchestrated outcomes must be established in order to provide an environment for optimal student success in math-based courses. One of the more successful instructional strategies that has been utilized to achieve an academic social system is collaborative learning