Retention in Higher Education: An Agent-Based Model of Social Interactions and Motivated Agent Behavior

Amira Al Khulaidy Stine; Andrew Crooks

doi:10.1007/978-3-031-89692-7_2

Retention in Higher Education: An Agent-Based Model of Social Interactions and Motivated Agent Behavior

Amira Al Khulaidy Stine
, Andrew Crooks

Geography

George Mason University

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › peer-review

Abstract

In the United States, educational attainment and student retention in higher education are two of the main focuses of higher education research. Institutions are constantly looking for ways to identify areas of improvement across different aspects of the student experience on university campuses. This paper combines Department of Education data over a 10 year period, U.S. Census data, and higher education theory on student retention, to build an agent-based model of student behavior. Furthermore we model student social interactions with their peers along with considering environmental components (e.g., urban vs. rural campuses) and institution personnel to explore the elements that increase the likelihood of student retention. Results suggest that both social interactions and environmental components make a difference in student retention. Suggesting that higher education institutions should consider new ways to accommodate learning needs that promote better student outcomes.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Proceedings of the 2024 International Conference of The Computational Social Science Society of the Americas - CSSSA 2024
Editors	Zining Yang, Elizabeth von Briesen
Publisher	Springer Science and Business Media B.V.
Pages	23-38
Number of pages	16
ISBN (Print)	9783031896910
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-89692-7_2
State	Published - 2025
Event	24th International Conference of the Computational Social Science Society of the Americas, CSSSA 2024 - Santa Fe, United States Duration: Oct 24 2024 → Oct 27 2024

Publication series

Name	Springer Proceedings in Complexity
ISSN (Print)	2213-8684
ISSN (Electronic)	2213-8692

Conference

Conference	24th International Conference of the Computational Social Science Society of the Americas, CSSSA 2024
Country/Territory	United States
City	Santa Fe
Period	10/24/24 → 10/27/24

Keywords

Agent-based model
College campuses
Department of education
Higher education
Social interactions
Student retention

Access to Document

10.1007/978-3-031-89692-7_2

Cite this

Stine, A. A. K., & Crooks, A. (2025). Retention in Higher Education: An Agent-Based Model of Social Interactions and Motivated Agent Behavior. In Z. Yang, & E. von Briesen (Eds.), Proceedings of the 2024 International Conference of The Computational Social Science Society of the Americas - CSSSA 2024 (pp. 23-38). (Springer Proceedings in Complexity). Springer Science and Business Media B.V.. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-89692-7_2

Stine, Amira Al Khulaidy ; Crooks, Andrew. / Retention in Higher Education : An Agent-Based Model of Social Interactions and Motivated Agent Behavior. Proceedings of the 2024 International Conference of The Computational Social Science Society of the Americas - CSSSA 2024. editor / Zining Yang ; Elizabeth von Briesen. Springer Science and Business Media B.V., 2025. pp. 23-38 (Springer Proceedings in Complexity).

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title = "Retention in Higher Education: An Agent-Based Model of Social Interactions and Motivated Agent Behavior",

abstract = "In the United States, educational attainment and student retention in higher education are two of the main focuses of higher education research. Institutions are constantly looking for ways to identify areas of improvement across different aspects of the student experience on university campuses. This paper combines Department of Education data over a 10 year period, U.S. Census data, and higher education theory on student retention, to build an agent-based model of student behavior. Furthermore we model student social interactions with their peers along with considering environmental components (e.g., urban vs. rural campuses) and institution personnel to explore the elements that increase the likelihood of student retention. Results suggest that both social interactions and environmental components make a difference in student retention. Suggesting that higher education institutions should consider new ways to accommodate learning needs that promote better student outcomes.",

keywords = "Agent-based model, College campuses, Department of education, Higher education, Social interactions, Student retention",

author = "Stine, \{Amira Al Khulaidy\} and Andrew Crooks",

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Stine, AAK & Crooks, A 2025, Retention in Higher Education: An Agent-Based Model of Social Interactions and Motivated Agent Behavior. in Z Yang & E von Briesen (eds), Proceedings of the 2024 International Conference of The Computational Social Science Society of the Americas - CSSSA 2024. Springer Proceedings in Complexity, Springer Science and Business Media B.V., pp. 23-38, 24th International Conference of the Computational Social Science Society of the Americas, CSSSA 2024, Santa Fe, United States, 10/24/24. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-89692-7_2

Retention in Higher Education: An Agent-Based Model of Social Interactions and Motivated Agent Behavior. / Stine, Amira Al Khulaidy; Crooks, Andrew.
Proceedings of the 2024 International Conference of The Computational Social Science Society of the Americas - CSSSA 2024. ed. / Zining Yang; Elizabeth von Briesen. Springer Science and Business Media B.V., 2025. p. 23-38 (Springer Proceedings in Complexity).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › peer-review

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T2 - 24th International Conference of the Computational Social Science Society of the Americas, CSSSA 2024

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N1 - Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2025.

PY - 2025

Y1 - 2025

N2 - In the United States, educational attainment and student retention in higher education are two of the main focuses of higher education research. Institutions are constantly looking for ways to identify areas of improvement across different aspects of the student experience on university campuses. This paper combines Department of Education data over a 10 year period, U.S. Census data, and higher education theory on student retention, to build an agent-based model of student behavior. Furthermore we model student social interactions with their peers along with considering environmental components (e.g., urban vs. rural campuses) and institution personnel to explore the elements that increase the likelihood of student retention. Results suggest that both social interactions and environmental components make a difference in student retention. Suggesting that higher education institutions should consider new ways to accommodate learning needs that promote better student outcomes.

AB - In the United States, educational attainment and student retention in higher education are two of the main focuses of higher education research. Institutions are constantly looking for ways to identify areas of improvement across different aspects of the student experience on university campuses. This paper combines Department of Education data over a 10 year period, U.S. Census data, and higher education theory on student retention, to build an agent-based model of student behavior. Furthermore we model student social interactions with their peers along with considering environmental components (e.g., urban vs. rural campuses) and institution personnel to explore the elements that increase the likelihood of student retention. Results suggest that both social interactions and environmental components make a difference in student retention. Suggesting that higher education institutions should consider new ways to accommodate learning needs that promote better student outcomes.

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Stine AAK, Crooks A. Retention in Higher Education: An Agent-Based Model of Social Interactions and Motivated Agent Behavior. In Yang Z, von Briesen E, editors, Proceedings of the 2024 International Conference of The Computational Social Science Society of the Americas - CSSSA 2024. Springer Science and Business Media B.V. 2025. p. 23-38. (Springer Proceedings in Complexity). doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-89692-7_2