Engaged Learning: More than one way to skin a cat SEAN BRUMFIELD, ED.D. DAWN Z. HODGES, PH.D.

Introductions and activity

Engaged Learning: The ultimate definition  Student engagement occurs when " students make a psychological investment in learning. They try hard to learn what school offers. They take pride not simply in earning the formal indicators of success (grades), but in understanding the material and incorporating or internalizing it in their lives." [1] It is increasingly seen as an indicator of successful classroom instruction, and as a valued outcome of school reform. The phrase was identified in 1996 as "the latest buzzword in education circles." [2] Students are engaged when they are involved in their work, persist despite challenges and obstacles, and take visible delight in accomplishing their work. [3] Student engagement also refers to a " student's willingness, need, desire and compulsion to participate in, and be successful in, the learning process promoting higher level thinking for enduring understanding." [4] Student engagement is also a usefully ambiguous term that can be used to recognize the complexity of 'engagement' beyond the fragmented domains of cognition, behaviour, emotion or affect, and in doing so encompass the historically situated individual within their contextual variables (such as personal and familial circumstances) that at every moment influence how engaged an individual (or group) is in their learning.) [1]classroominstruction school reformbuzzword [2] [3] [4]

Engaged Learning: Literature Review  The findings from 20 years of research on undergraduate education have been unequivocal: The more actively engaged students are--- with college faculty and staff, with other students, and with the subject matter they study---the more likely they are to learn, to stick with their students, and to attain their academic goals.  McClenney, Marti, & Adkins. (2006). Student Engagement and Student Outcomes: Key Findings from CCSSE Validation Research.

Engaged Learning: Literature Review  Educators have the difficult task of discerning students’ individualized, self-actuating cues, those prompts that generate interest, engagement, and satisfaction with the education experience.  Beachbord, Beachboard, Li & Adkison, 2011; Astin, 1999, Berger & Milem, 1999.

NSSE and CCSSE ask students to respond to these types of items:  Asked questions in class or contributed to class discussions  Made a class presentation  Worked with other students on projects during class time  Prepared two or more drafts of a paper or assignment before turning it in  Used to communicate with the instructor  Discussed grades or assignments with the instructor  Talked about career plans with a faculty member or advisor  Received prompt feedback from faculty on your academic performance (written or oral)  Had serious conversations with students of a different race or ethnicity than your own  Had serious conversations with students who differ from you in terms of their religious beliefs, political opinions, or personal values  Discussed ideas from your readings or classes with others outside the class (faculty, students, family members, coworkers…)

Multiple approaches to increasing student engagement  Create an emotionally safe classroom  Create an intellectually safe classroom  Practice journal or blog writing to communicate with students  Teach self-awareness about knowledge  Use Questioning Strategies that make all students think and answer  Edutopia.org  Use the 10:2 method.  Incorporate movement into your lessons.  Pick up the pace.  Provide frequent and effective feedback.  Allow students 5-7 seconds of “think time” when asking questions.  At the end of the lesson use the method of summarizing.  Readinghorizons.com

Strategies for Increasing Motivation  Promote mastery learning.  Evaluate student work as soon as possible after project completion, and be sure that feedback is clear and constructive.  Work to build quality relationship with students; this is a critical factor of student engagement that allows [students] to foster a sense of connection with [the college]  Model and communicate the value of lifelong learning.  Provide and participate in professional development activities that deal with motivation, effective use of homework and student engagement.  Brewster & Fager. (2000). Increasing student engagement and motication: From time-on-task to homework. Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory.

Yeah, yeah, we know this stuff already!

So, let’s get to the point!  Two Quality Enhancement Plans (QEP)  Two colleges’ plans to increase student engagement.  Engage to Learn: Learn to Engage (Southern Crescent Technical College)  EDGE---Education Depends on GPC Engagement (Georgia Perimeter College)  BOTH focus on faculty development as a means to increase students’ engagement……..

Engage to Learn, Learn to Engage  Designed to improve the environment for student learning;  The expected outcome is that students who receive direct instruction and practice in learning strategies will be more likely to report increased use of learning strategies, as well as higher performance on assessments in their courses;  Two cohorts of faculty (8 each) will be created each year for five years (impact 80 faculty);  Combination of new faculty and experienced faculty  Over five years it is projected that 5,520 students will be served through 240 different courses.

Engage to Learn, Learn to Engage  In the two cohorts, faculty will :  Meet together twice a month with a group facilitator (QEP director);  One meeting will be in person; one meeting will be through ANGEL  Study the literature concerning metacognitive learning strategies;  Participate in collaborative mentoring;  Revise assignments for courses to infuse the teaching of metacognitive learning strategies to students;  Include assessments to measure students’ use of strategies and performance on tests;  Do pre- and post- assessments using the LASSI (Learning and Study Strategies Inventory)

Learning and Study Strategies Inventory (LASSI)  80 items  10 scales  Attitude (ATT)  Motivation (MOT)  Time management (TMT)  Anxiety (ANX)  Concentration (CON)  Information Processing (INP)  Selecting Main Ideas (SMI)  Study Aids (STA)  Self-Testing (SFT)  Test Strategies (TST)

Engage to Learn, Learn to Engage

EDGE: Engagement Drives GPC Education  Goals of GPC’s QEP 1. The QEP will examine the efficiency and effectiveness of 4 distinct pedagogies: (1) collaborative learning, (2) problem based learning, (3) service learning, (4) community based research. 2. Incorporate existing campus engagement activities into the curriculum (i.e., campus gardens, GPC Reads, the Democracy Commitment, days of service, sustainability, etc.) via one of the four targeted pedagogies. 3. Recognize the excellent work faculty are doing in their courses.

College-wide Goals of the EDGE Initiative 1. Enhancement of the skills of faculty and staff by fostering efforts to develop and integrate applied learning experiences into curricular and co-curricular GPC experiences. 2. Improvement in student learning outcomes in courses using engaged learning pedagogies. 3. Improvement in critical thinking skills in students taking courses using engaged learning pedagogies. 4. Increase in students’ perceptions that their courses are relevant to life outside the classroom. 5. Increase in student persistence to the end of the semester in courses using engaged learning practices.

Courses to be EDGE-ified  Eightcourses are targeted over 5 years, with two new courses debuting each fall:  2013: English 1101 & History 1111  2014: Communications 1201 & First Year Seminar  2015: English 1102 & History 2111 & 2112  2016: Political Science 1101 and Environmental Science 1401  2017: No new courses this year

Implementation of the Plan  Baseline course data will be collected during the year prior to implementation.  Faculty members will be invited to participate in EDGE-related faculty development activities.  Course interventions will be implemented beginning each fall semester.  Assessment will occur each semester.

Assessment of the QEP  Assessment will occur every semester during the life of the QEP.  Formative:  Faculty focus groups / surveys are used to determine the effectiveness of faculty development activities.  Appropriate changes will be made to faculty development activities as needed.  Summative:  Students will be surveyed to determine if courses are “real world” relevant using CCSSE items from the CCSSE course evaluation form.  Faculty will self-rate the level of engagement of their own courses.  QEP committee and students will rate the level of engagement of courses.

Rating Engagement of Courses  Relevance: I have an understanding of how this course is relevant to my life and career (through assignments, activities, etc.).  Perspective: The course materials and exercises encouraged original thought and perspective in discussions.  Student-focused: The course was clearly student-focused. My instructor served as facilitator, guiding me in my learning.  Engagement: I maintained active involvement throughout the course.  Contextualization: This course incorporated real-world materials (newspaper articles, media clips, etc.), problem sets, projects, etc.  Real-world application: I gained practice applying what I learned to real-world situations.  Reflection: The course materials and exercises actively engagement me in reflection activities that required me to think about the relevance of the concept after each new concept was introduced.

Contact Information Dawn Z. Hodges, Ph.D. Vice President for Academic Affairs Southern Crescent Technical College 501 Varsity Road Griffin, GA (770) Sean A. Brumfield, Ed. D. Executive Director, Quality Enhancement Plan Assistant Professor of English Georgia Perimeter College 555 N Indian Creek Drive Clarkston, GA (678)

Wake up! Are there any questions? How about some discussion?????