What can DISC and motivation profiles disclose about student retention in engineering?

Abstract

In 2015 the engineering departments at the University of Denver (DU) partnered with the Indigo Project to perform an assessment of the freshman engineering students using DISC and Motivation profiles. These profiles are a part of the overall Indigo Assessment, which helps educators observe the non-academic traits of their students. The multi-dimensional, four-science survey also measures development in 23 soft skills and social emotional perceptions. DISC comprises four behaviors: Dominance, Influencing, Steadiness, and Compliance. The six Indigo Assessment Motivators are Theoretical, Utilitarian, Aesthetic, Social, Individualistic and Traditional. Some observations from the 2015 data include indications that the program attracts and develops high potential entrepreneurs, that these engineering students are particularly high Theoreticals (passion for learning), and are generally well-rounded and varied in terms of behavior styles and motivations. In 2017, the same set of students (now seniors) has been re-assessed as part of the ongoing DU and Indigo partnership. Comparing these data sets, along with information about how the class make-up changed over three years, our paper will analyze which of the initial students stayed in engineering at DU, which left engineering, which left DU, and how the students changed between their freshman and senior years. The goal of the study is to see if there is any information in the students' non-academic profiles that can help determine why a student may have succeeded in engineering at DU or decided to leave. A future objective will also address the possibility of using the profiles of students to help move towards personalized learning in order to aid in retention of students within the program.