Polytechnic of Milan, “with artificial intelligence halved the abandonment of studies”

Perhaps this is yet another proof that AI can solve problems, rather than creating them. The Polytechnic of Milan He has demonstrated surprisingly how artificial intelligence can become a precious ally in the world of university education. The result disclosed by the University is surprising: The students’ abandonment rate has reduced by 50% Using statistical models of artificial intelligence.

An unsettling success

The numbers are clear: thanks to the use of AI algorithms, the University has managed to halve the number of students who leave the university, going from 20% to 10%. But how did they succeed? The key was the accurate and preventive analysis of potential risks of abandonment. According to what has made it known by the Polytechnic itself, thanks to Machine Learning algorithms, The University managed to predict students at risk in advance of abandonment, allowing you to adopt targeted solutions, from personalized tutoring to psychological supports, to help them overcome the difficulties and successfully complete their academic path.

The analyzes, the university explained, were conducted on the basis of the data of all the students of the Polytechnic separately for the three areas of architecture, design and engineering. Specifically, the Polytechnic sifted the data of beyond 110,000 studentsanalyzing about 10 million “events” relating to the academic paths relating to the first year of the Triennale, in a period between 2010 and 2019. These included the beginning of the university career, enrollment in the exams, the results achieved and much more. “This heritage of information has made it possible to train predictive models capable of recognizing the signals of potential abandonment well in advance», The university explained.

How to prevent the abandonment and importance of scholarships

In the note released by the Polytechnic of Milan we read that the data show how the performance of the first half are crucial. Students who exceed a significant number of exams in the first months are much less likely to abandon.

According to what has been known by the University, the results highlighted Also that students who receive scholarships have a lower probability of abandoning in the long run. And this, according to the University, would demonstrate how the socio -economic support is a key factor to reduce abandonmentespecially among students from disadvantaged contexts.

And then the actions of tutoring between studentsimplemented on the basis of the results of the study, were highly appreciated both by those who receive them and by those who offer them, contributing to a greater sense of belonging and involvement. A positive approach, which increases the motivation of students to continue the academic path.

The holistic vision of the Polytechnic

To counteract university abandonments, the university is working a lot on teaching implementationtrying to adapt didactic methods in order to reduce initial difficulties. Concrete measures that the university carries out to improve the academic experience of students and encourage long -term success, including personalized tutoring, psychological support, targeted scholarships and adaptation of educational methods.

Stefano RonchiVicerettore for the teaching of the Polytechnic of Milan, said that “increase the number of graduates and reduce university abandonment are strategic objectives for the development of our country. As Polytechnic, we want to put our students in a position to face their path with confidence from the beginning, providing them with the skills necessary to understand, develop and use increasingly sophisticated technologies, fundamental for the challenges of the future ». In short, artificial intelligence proves once again that it can be a precious tool, capable of transforming data into concrete opportunities to improve students’ lives.