BOOSTING RETENTION THROUGH PEER CONNECTION & BELONGING
Experience the Gamechanger Challenge App in Action!
BOOSTING RETENTION THROUGH PEER CONNECTION & BELONGING
Experience the Gamechanger Challenge App in Action!
TRANSFORMING ONLINE LEARNING THROUGH CONNECTION & BELONGING
Experience the Gamechanger Challenge App in action!
Our peer-engagement platform is designed to reduce student isolation, build genuine peer connections, deepen belonging, and increase emotional and mental wellbeing.
The impact: A 13% retention boost!
Mobile-First Design
A social space for supportive peer connection.
Micro‑Reflections
That deepen self-awareness and build resilience.
Peer Visibility
Creates positive and trusting community dynamics.
Easy & Rewarding
Intuitive, quick (5–10 min/day) and gamified interactions.
Student Voices About the Gamechangers Challenge App
“I now see my classmates as more than just names on a screen.”
“This gave me a sense of community I didn’t expect in an online program.”
“The app made relationship-building feel structured and intentional without being overwhelming.”
“I liked that I could do this quickly but still feel like I got something out of it.”
"We know that isolation in online learning doesn’t just hurt student satisfaction. Such isolation also drives student attrition and further robs students of the chance to form meaningful relationships that grow more valuable over their careers. This isn’t just about keeping students enrolled; it’s about building a relationship with FIU that lasts a lifetime. By those standards, the Gamechangers App was a home run!”
Angel J. Burgos, Executive Director, Graduate Programs, Florida International University
“Belonging is no longer a soft metric-it’s a driver of academic performance, retention, and institutional affinity.”
The Problem We Solve
In online and hybrid programs, students often feel isolated, disconnected, and unseen—impacting engagement, academic performance, and retention.
Institutions need new ways to intentionally design and measure engagement, peer connection, and institutional affinity.
Our Approach
The Real Connections Challenge is a 30-day, app-based professional development seminar created by Gamechangers Consulting for Florida International University's (FIU) Professional MBA students.
This approach doesn’t just promote engagement—it makes belonging measurable, reportable, and actionable.
Validated Results, Backed by the Data
| Teaching & Learning Trends | Real Connections Impact |
|---|---|
| Belonging drives performance and retention | Up to +13.3% retention improvement year over year in 3 cohorts |
| Affinity Strengthened | 92% report stronger belonging post-program and pride in their cohort |
| Digital environments require intentional connection design | 50,000+ logged actions (micro-reflections and peer connections) |
| Behavioral Shifts | 94% took deliberate actions to strengthen peer connections |
| Students thrive when they feel seen and heard | 80%+ reported improved emotional well-being and connection |
| Scalable & Efficient | 94% found the app easy to use, with most spending ≤10 minutes/day |
Measuring What Matters
The Real Connections Challenge offers insight into how students feel, relate, and grow. By making invisible outcomes like belonging and trust visible, measurable, and reportable, the initiative offers a blueprint for institutions looking to track and act on aspects contributing to student success, loyalty, and revenue.
The Real Connections dashboard collects and analyzes:
Quantitative behavior tracking
Journal entries, appreciations, peer connections
Self-reported survey data
Belonging, well-being, affinity
Qualitative reflection prompts
Self-awareness, mental resilience, emotional well-being
Institutional and cohort-level outcomes
Retention, academic performance
This triangulation of behavioral, survey, and reflection data makes invisible student experiences visible, measurable, and predictive.
This triangulation of behavioral, survey, and reflection data makes invisible student experiences visible, measurable, and predictive.
Why It Matters for Institutions
Retention
Students who feel connected are far more likely to stay enrolled and complete their programs.
Affinity
Stronger belonging translates to loyalty, advocacy, and giving.
Behavior Change
Engagement logs and reflections give administrators a holistic view of student well-being
Small Interventions Scale
Micro-reflections drive long-term student success.
Opportunity for Replication
The Real Connections Challenge offers a repeatable, scalable model to:
Humanize digital and hybrid learning environments
Improve retention and well-being across programs
Strengthen institutional culture and alumni networks
Take the Next Step
The future of online learning isn’t just digital—it’s human-centered and data-informed.
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