4 Findings from Yandex Praktikum on Course Performance and Willingness to Recommend

Contents:

• It cannot be said that those who go to study only for a salary increase are more likely to drop out of the course
• You should not predict the completion of the course based on the desire to continue studying
• If students like the course, this does not mean they will be ready to recommend it
• The complexity and simplicity of the course do not affect the willingness to recommend it

At Yandex's annual online education conference, YaC/e, Maria Kovaleva, head of the Educational Technologies Laboratory at Yandex Praktikum, presented the results of product research conducted by the company. In her report, "Methodological Expertise and Data Science in Search of Evidence in Education," she detailed the key findings and their significance for the development of educational technologies.

It's not that those who study solely for a pay raise are more likely to drop out.

There is an opinion that people who are solely focused on salary are less likely to successfully complete their studies compared to those driven by other motives. This may be because such financial incentives fail to foster a deep commitment to the profession, team, or a desire for professional development. Maria Kovaleva did not delve into the rationale for this assumption in her presentation, but according to self-determination theory, motivation based on the desire to earn money is less productive than motivation based on the intrinsic value of the activity. People who find meaning and enjoyment in their work are more likely to succeed and develop. Additional information on self-determination theory and other approaches to motivation can be found in the relevant article. In practice, the situation turned out to be different. At the beginning of their training at Yandex Practicum, students were asked to take a motivational test, which included statements about various factors that contribute to their motivation. For example, the test examined aspects such as personal goals, professional development, and support from mentors. This allows us to determine what exactly inspires students to succeed in their studies and achieve results.

• "I want to earn a lot of money";
• "I like working in a pleasant team";
• "I would prefer to do what I love."

Respondents were asked to rate the priority of various factors influencing their professional life. The questions compared the importance of such aspects as a high salary and working in a friendly team, as well as the opportunity to earn a lot of money and do what you love.

In the test, each factor was assigned numerical values ​​corresponding to a specific student, which made it possible to identify differences in the answers of different respondents. This comparison of the results of those who completed their studies and those who dropped out showed that motivation is not a determining factor in this process. Therefore, it cannot be claimed that completing or dropping out of studies is associated with any specific type of motivation from those studied.

There are other factors that significantly influence a student's decision to complete their studies, in addition to motivation, the speaker explains.

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According to the survey results, Russians are seeking to change professions not only because of the level of salary. The main motives for changing professional activities are the search for new opportunities for self-realization, the desire to develop in areas of interest, and the need for more comfortable working conditions. Survey participants noted that the opportunity for professional growth and an improved work-life balance also play an important role. These results highlight that career choice depends not only on financial factors, but also on the desire to satisfy personal and career ambitions.

Course completion should not be predicted by the desire to continue education

During the courses, students were asked about their desire to continue their education. They were offered answer options, including not only "yes" and "no", but also intermediate options, such as "rather yes" and "rather no". The answers were assigned numerical values ​​for analysis. We examined how students who completed the course and those who did not complete it answered the question. The results showed that the desire to continue studying does not significantly affect the likelihood of successful completion.

Maria Kovaleva commented on the results: "You can't get far on pure enthusiasm." She noted that students often express a desire to succeed, but encounter circumstances that prove stronger than their aspirations. It is important to understand that internal motivation is not always sufficient to overcome external obstacles.

During the course, students were asked two key questions: "Do you enjoy learning?" and "Is your knowledge growing?" The goal was to establish a correlation between the answers to these questions and successful course completion. Research has shown that students who successfully completed the course rated their learning significantly more positively than those who chose to discontinue it. However, the question of whether students enjoy learning is not a reliable indicator of the likelihood of course completion. A more significant indicator is students' confidence in their knowledge: the group that completed the course demonstrated significantly higher confidence in their knowledge compared to those who did not complete the course. This underscores the importance of assessing knowledge growth as a factor influencing successful completion of an educational program.

Thus, although enthusiasm is an important condition for learning, awareness of its value turned out to be much more significant. Understanding how knowledge and skills can influence personal and professional growth becomes a key factor in the learning process.

If students like a course, this does not mean they are ready to recommend it

Analysts conducted a study, comparing the influence of various factors, such as the desire to continue learning, satisfaction with the process, and a sense of knowledge growth, on students' willingness to recommend a course to others. For this, students were asked to rate their willingness to recommend the course on a ten-point scale. Scores of nine and ten points were considered high, while values ​​\u200b\u200bbelow six were regarded as low. The obtained data were compared with the answers to the previous questions, which revealed a relationship between satisfaction with the course and willingness to recommend it.

Willingness to recommend a course depends on several factors, and the most stable connection is with the desire to continue learning. This dependence is evident both at the beginning and at the end of the course, and is observed in various educational programs. At the same time, the connection between course satisfaction or the feeling of increased knowledge and willingness to recommend it may vary depending on the stage of study and the specific course, and sometimes even disappear. Maria Kovaleva emphasizes that an important aspect is the feeling of practical value of the knowledge acquired, which, in turn, contributes to increased student confidence in their competencies. Thus, for successful course recommendation, it is critical to consider both the emotional and practical aspects of training.

Learning that is as close to practice as possible contributes to a higher likelihood of its completion. The closer the learning process is to real-life work conditions, the more effectively knowledge and skills are acquired. This confirms the importance of the practical focus of educational programs.

Course complexity and simplicity do not affect willingness to recommend it

Yandex Praktikum analysts studied the connection between students' willingness to recommend a course and various factors, one of which is the perceived difficulty of the training. Clearly, a student who finds the material easy to understand is more likely to recommend a course than one who struggles. This underscores the importance of creating a comfortable learning environment where students can effectively master knowledge and skills, which in turn increases their satisfaction with the course and their desire to share their experiences with others.

Research shows that students' perception of the learning process is independent of the level of difficulty they encounter. The speaker asserts that students who experience learning difficulties recommend a given program just as often as those who complete the course without significant difficulties. This suggests that the factors influencing recommendations may be more complex and varied than simply the level of difficulty of the course material.

The relationship between various factors and willingness to recommend a course is quite clear. Key aspects include the clarity of the educational content and a sense of the practical value of the learning. Maria Kovaleva also identified the warmth factor, which reflects a sense of caring for students. This factor proved to be the most consistent and significantly influences students' desire to continue their studies. Therefore, it is important to design the course and learning environment so that students feel cared for and valued.

Students feel supported, which has both an immediate and long-term impact. This care not only promotes the well-being of current students, but also has the potential to attract new students to the course. Maria emphasizes the importance of such support in creating an engaging learning environment.

Please note the following materials:

• Checklist: 5 Ways to Increase Retention in an Online Course
• 11 Metrics to Assess the Quality and Effectiveness of an Online Course
• 6 Reasons Why Psychometrics is Needed in EdTech
• The Improvement Loop: How to Improve an Existing Online Course
• 4 Tips to Make Learning Less Anxious for Students