Evidence-driven appraisal of students’ careers using process mining: a case study

Today’s universities are more and more focused on improving their educational programs and supporting their students throughout their academic journey. A key aspect of such an effort is understanding which factors contribute to poor students’ performance. This research illustrates how educational process mining techniques can be used to effectively uncover success and failure factors in students’ academic journeys through a case study at an Italian university. The research reveals patterns related to adherence to curriculum requirements, strategies for taking exams, and the influence of various factors, such as the number of exams passed in the first year on graduation timelines. These findings offer valuable insights for educational institutions that might be used to, e.g., implement support mechanisms to enhance students’ overall success rates.