Title V Initiatives to Promote Student Success: Capstone Seminar and Student Research With Faculty May 31, 2016

Overview Title V Program Goals and Objectives High Impact Practices Increase Completion & Transfer Rates Reinvigorate/ Infuse 200 Level Courses Expand Faculty Development & Research Overview Title V Program Goals and Objectives High Impact Practices Initiatives Faculty Research Capstone

Title V Program Goals Improve Student Learning Outcomes Connect students with faculty, other students, and the institution Strengthen skills and content knowledge Increase Persistence, Retention, and Graduation Support Faculty Development and Research

SOCIETAL RESOURCE

COMPLEXITY

PERSISTENCE & ACHIEVEMENT

HIGH IMPACT PRACTICES First-year Seminars and Experiences Undergraduate Research Diversity|Global Learning Common Intellectual Experiences Service Learning, Community-based Learning Learning Communities Writing-Intensive Courses Internships Collaborative Assignments and Projects Capstone Courses|Projects

High Impact Practices (HIPs) Definition “Teaching and learning practices that are considered to be effective educational practices that provide substantial educational benefits for students from many backgrounds. HIPs have been widely tested and these practices take many different forms, depending upon learner characteristics and on institutional priorities and contexts. [HIPs are] practices that educational research suggest increase rates of retention and student engagement” (Kuh, 2010)

Characteristics of High Impact Practices Skills and Subject Area Knowledge Creates investment of time and energy Demands Increased Faculty and Peer Interaction about Substantive Matters Synthesis and Application Reflection and Integrated Learning Global Citizenship Diverse Perspectives All Relevant and Real-world Application of Skills and Knowledge High Expectations/Accountability Frequent Feedback

Student Research With Faculty 21 faculty provided research mentorship Many reported that the experience helped them make progress on a disciplinary project as well as informed their teaching pedagogy 62 Student Research Assistants 92% felt more inspired to finish college after participating in research 61% of SRAs reported that they Applied what they learned to another course during the semester Felt a sense of belonging and community because of their experience “I not only started a new pedagogical project with a colleague, but I was able to submit an article for publication that has been gathering dust for a few years.” – Faculty member “Completing this project even gave me extra confidence in finishing school and pursuing my career. I have had a very valuable experience and I look forward to completing future research projects.” - SRA Creating Research Environments that Motivate and Inspire is theme of our Title V undergraduate research initiative.

Research Faculty Preparation Creating Research Environments that Motivate & Inspire Applying to participate in the research initiative is easy! Faculty create a document that includes clear descriptions of: Research topics/projects Current stage of research Research activities for student research assistants (SRAs) *Deliverables to be produced by SRAs Pre-research preparatory seminar (Fall 2016)

Capstone Definition Hostos Definition A capstone course/assignment is designed to challenge students to use accumulated skills and content knowledge in a new and applied way. Students complete a complex series of tasks that foster the creation of sophisticated or complex academic artifacts/projects. Capstone courses/assignments prepare students for the next level of academic study or launch them into the workforce with confidence and concrete experience. Faculty design capstone courses/assignments in ways that strengthen students’ core competency skills, reinforce life- long learning, and support students’ feelings of self-confidence.

Capstone Seminar Pre-Reflection Activity: Capstone Assignment Development As part of this activity, you will design a capstone assignment/project of your choosing that will demonstrate the skills/knowledge you would like students to obtain in the course. Directions: Please write a brief overview (100-150 words) of the capstone assignment you plan to design. In your description please include: Intended audience (background knowledge). This includes knowledge of content and other qualitative skills. Learning objectives. (What will your students know or be able to do at the end of the assignment?) Skills students will develop and reinforce. Determine what you want students to learn and ways they can apply their understanding and knowledge of it. What will the students do? How long will it take? A list of deliverables: What will the students turn in? How will you know if they learned what you wanted them to learn? Evaluation—linked to learning objectives. Foster collaboration

Capstone Seminar Provides a space for faculty to discuss ideas Meet on a bi-weekly basis Structured to introduce a series of topics to guide process of designing and implementing assignment that include: Course goal Learning objectives Course/assignment description & guidelines Reflection strategy & prompts Assessment tools (criteria, peer review, rubrics, grading, etc ) Foster collaboration

Vordak’s Quiz – Question 1 Find the DIFFERENCE between the fractions 7 3 16 16 The difference is one has a 7 on top and other one has a 3.

Vordak’s Quiz – Question 2 Reduce the following fraction: 12 64

Vordak’s Quiz – Question 3 Find the missing number in the sequence: 1 2 4 8 32 64 It’s the one between the 8 and the 32.

Sources American Association of College and Universities. (2009). High-impact educational practices: What they are, who has access to them, and whey they matter. American Association of Colleges and Universities. Washington, D.C.: George D. Kuh. Seegert, S. (2011). Vordak the incomprehensible: Rule the school. New York: Egmont USA.

Thank you!