Article
For years, six-year college graduation rates in the U.S. have stagnated at just over 60%, highlighting systemic challenges in student engagement, retention, and academic preparation across postsecondary institutions.
Early results have shown up to a 62% increase in learning gains.
By Allison Westgate
Partnerships @ Collage AI
September 18, 2026
The Gap
Graduation rates have stagnated
This presents a meaningful opportunity to rethink educational strategies and embrace innovative learning models that empower both instructors and learners to thrive.
As a public benefit corporation, Collage is committed to building and scaling a teaching and learning platform deeply rooted in evidence-based pedagogical design and direct feedback from educators and students in order to improve learning outcomes. Early results have shown up to a 62% increase in learning gains.
The Method
How Collage’s pedagogical design turns active learning into measurable gains
Collage operationalizes its ecosystem through backward design, an evidence-based instructional method that works in three steps:
01
Identify target competencies and learning objectives first.
02
Base assessments on the same learning objectives to close the loop.
03
Tie instructional content to objectives and scaffold it into manageable components to reduce cognitive load.
Layered on top of that structure, the platform delivers immediate, personalized feedback and supports mastery-oriented progress, which shifts students from passive content consumption to active engagement.
The Feedback Loop
How Collage uses partner feedback to improve learning outcomes
Collage contributes to its commitment to achieving greater student learning outcomes through structured feedback loops connecting partner institutions, educators, and students directly to platform development. Collage regularly seeks to evaluate the effectiveness of the platform through quantitative and qualitative measurements.
This continuous dialogue directly influences platform iterations, so enhancements address real instructional challenges and adapt to what helps students learn most effectively.
How Collage aims to improve learning outcomes at scale
Improving student outcomes at scale will require more than adding new technology to existing models. It will require rethinking how learning is designed, how students are supported, and how instructors are empowered to respond to individual needs.
Collage believes AI can play an important role in that work when it is grounded in learning science, guided by educators, and continually shaped by evidence and student experience. By bringing course design, assessment, personalized feedback, tutoring, and real-time insight into a connected learning environment, we aim to help institutions identify and address learning gaps earlier, before they become barriers to persistence and success.
Our early results are encouraging, but they are only a starting point. As we continue partnering with educators and students, our focus remains on measuring what works, learning from what doesn’t, and building a platform that can translate stronger learning into stronger outcomes.
See how Collage AI works in practice.
Explore the platform or join a short walkthrough to see how it supports teaching and learning outcomes.
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