Supporting Students’ Academic Success What is within our locus of control? Kay M. Sagmiller, Ph. D
What influences students’ learning? As professors, some things are simply not within our locus of control… ► Sleep deprivation ► Distractions ► Effort
Factors Within Faculty’s Locus of Control ► Course Design ► Assessment of student learning ► Implementation
Design Matters: Alignment Curriculum Explicit Planned Taught Learned Assessed Unplanned Untaught Unlearned Unassessed Implied Null
Course Design … Where does this course fit in the curriculum? Which program outcomes are central to this course?
Course Design … At the end of this course… what must my students know… and be able to do? How can I find out if they learned what I intended?
Course Design… What questions are at the core of this course? What will be difficult for my students to learn? What type of thinking will this course require of students? What models, analogies and examples will help to illustrate key points?
► Align course outcomes to program outcomes ► Sequence knowledge and skills development ► Plan assessments
Student work is the window into the student’s thinking and learning Assessment
Understanding develops over time Strategic thinking Basic application Recall Extended thinking Performance Tasks: multi-stage projects Academic prompts: Open-ended questions or problems requiring analysis Tests and Quizzes: Factual content, Discreet skills
Designing summative tasks 1. Goal 2. Role 3. Audience 4. Situation 5. Product, performance and purpose 6. Standards and Criteria for success
You are an associate professor proposing a new model of teacher evaluation to the promotion and tenure committee. Your task is to convince your colleagues student evaluations are insufficient data for P & T purposes. Prepare a 10 minute presentation that defends your argument and proposes a more robust and reliable data source for the evaluation of teaching. Your presentation needs to… Your work will be judged by… Your presentation must meet the following standards
Implementation SetServeEvaluate
Content Construct Meaning Organize Store
Enhancing the Retention of Content 1) Provide advance organizers 2) Present information graphically, pictorially 1) Review key ideas and concepts 1) Use storytelling, analogies, metaphors 1) Require students to discuss content
Plan short “Wake and Engage” moments ► Think, pair, share ► Compare your notes to your neighbors and clarify any misconceptions ► Summarize the lecture since our last break and share it with your neighbor ► Review your notes and highlight the following main points
Skills Construct Model ShapeInternalize
Supporting Skill Development 1. Demonstrate while thinking aloud 1. Scaffold practice 1. Point out common errors, give feedback 1. Analyze exemplary models 1. Ask student to explain what they are doing and why
Assessing Skills ► Performance
Do I value feedback? ► Am I sensitive to the feelings of others?
► The Classroom Climate Acceptance by the teacher Acceptance by the teacher Acceptance by peers Acceptance by peers Comfort and order of the classroom Comfort and order of the classroom Classroom Tasks Classroom Tasks Value Value Ability Ability Clarity Clarity
Day One: Getting off on the right foot 1. Be friendly, welcoming 2. Address preconceived ideas about the course and your teaching 3. Encourage students to study together 4. Clearly communicate academic expectations: Value, ability and clarity
Factors Within Faculty’s Locus of Control ► Course Design ► Student Assessment ► Implementation