WEST LAFAYETTE - Purdue University is using a new computer system that shows students traffic-like red, yellow and green lights that can predict whether their efforts in class are enough to earn good grades.
Purdue officials say the Signals program can determine whether students are on the path to success. The system looks at students' grades as well as their efforts, such as whether they have completed reading assignments or attended help sessions. It compares work done by current students to work done by previous students before making a prediction.
Grade information has been available to students before, but some say the new signal system is better. Seeing a red or yellow light when they log into their class's Web site instead of a grade percentage could prompt quicker action.
"Before, no one would e-mail me and say, 'I'm at 58 percent and I want to get to 72 percent, what do I need to do?'" said Tim Delworth, a continuing lecturer in mathematics. "But the students who get a red light almost all contact me immediately to ask how to raise their grades. The information was there before, but it wasn't in front of them and it wasn't in a form that was as clear to them as a red or yellow warning signal."
The system also allows students to get messages from faculty members. Professors can offer tips on how to improve performance or encourage students with green lights to keep up the good work.
More than 11,000 students in introductory courses - mostly freshmen and sophomores - could get feedback as early as the second week of classes, often before students have taken any tests.
Nearly 2,000 students helped test the program in the 2006-07 and 2007-08 school years. Purdue found that 67 percent of students receiving a yellow or red warning improved their effort and grade.
Isaiah Johnson, a sophomore liberal arts major, said he was surprised when he saw a red light in his freshman math class.
"I didn't know I was doing that bad in that class, but I read the messages and they told me what to do," he said. "I had a D in the class but ended up with a B."
Ashley Lambrosa, a junior biochemistry major, said the tips she got through the Signals program helped her with her college classes, which she found surprisingly difficult after being a top student in high school.
"College is not like high school," Lambrosa said. "It moves fast, and if you're not careful your grades can slip. Once I started getting the Signals messages, my grades improved. Without that, I probably wouldn't have gone to the help sessions."
Purdue officials said students involved in the pilot study of the program continued good academic habits in the future and were more likely to seek help than those who didn't participate.
Gerry McCartney, vice president for information technology and chief information officer at Purdue, said the early warning system will help students be more successful.
"Nobody wants to see students failing," McCartney said. "It is very expensive for the student, for the institution and for society. After years of testing, we know that using these technologies mean fewer students fail, and that's a huge win for everyone."
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