A Support Program for First-Year University Biology That Improves Course Performance Among At-Risk Students

Abstract

First-year students often struggle with the transition to university learning, which can lead to lower grades, higher dropout rates, and poorer overall well-being. We evaluated a low cost, scalable program to support students at academic risk in an introductory biology course at Western University (London, Ontario, Canada). Each fall (September–December), the Department of Biology offers Biology 1001A, the first half of a foundational first-year course. More than 2,000 students enrol annually. The course is a prerequisite for progression to second year classes in biology, medical sciences, and health sciences. At risk students identified by poor midterm exam performance were offered four weekly, one-hour sessions that provided tutoring, test taking strategies, and mental health support from upper-year student mentors and a faculty instructor. Attendance was encouraged but optional. The three-hour final exam consisted of 45 multiple-choice and five short-answer questions. Grade improvement (%) was calculated as the final exam grade (%) - midterm exam grade (%). We found that attendees improved from the midterm to final exam by 5.3 percentage points more than non attendees (95% CI 3.5 to 7.1; p < 0.001). Attendees also reported greater satisfaction with their final exam performance, fewer personal concerns and stronger perceived support from the instructional team. From midterm to final, attendees also reported greater familiarity with multiple-choice testing, lower test-taking anxiety, and fewer concerns about insufficient study time. These findings suggest that targeted support to at-risk students in a large class can improve both academic outcomes and the student experience. In future communication materials for this support program, we will share that attendees demonstrated improved academic performance, which may encourage greater participation.