1. Fostering Student Learning & Success Bridging the Gap: Teaching Underprepared Students Jillian Kinzie IU Center for Postsecondary Research February 24, 2012

2. President Obama’s 2020 College Completion Goal “By 2020 America will once again have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world” The Formula:  Increase postsecondary access  Improve quality  Accelerate college completion

3. College Credentials & the Workforce In the 1970’s, ____% of jobs required any education beyond high school. Today, ___% of the nation's jobs require some type of postsecondary education. ____ % of adults between the ages of 25 and 34 hold a college degree. More postsecondary education is critical 30 63 42

4. College Completion Challenge Getting students in the front door of college is only the first step—we also have to help them reach the graduation stage.

5. Today’s Student Learning Agenda Improve student learning Create enriched, quality learning experiences Increase student success – graduation rates, learning outcomes, post-graduation goals… 5 Ensure skills, knowledge for 21 st century

6. A Challenge in Higher Education Today “Helping our extraordinarily diverse students reap the full benefits – economic, civic and personal – of their studies in college” -- Carol Geary Schneider, President AAC&U

7. We know a lot about What Matters to Student Learning & Success The challenge is using what we know. Aligning resources, removing impediments, to optimize success for all students.

8. Designing for Student Success Resources

9. What We Know About Student Learning and Success Educators must be concerned with the learning environment – in and outside the classroom, socio-cultural aspects and physical settings – in which students interact with peers, the content, educators and others, and the implementation of strategies that help guide the student toward the intended outcomes. 9

10. Designing for Student Success No matter what program or practice a college implements, it is likely to have a greater impact if its design incorporates the following principles…

11. Design Principles for Student Success A Strong Start  Institutional publications accurately describe what students experience  Ensure students’ earliest contacts and first weeks incorporate experiences that will foster personal connections and enhance their chances of success  Structured Orientation, First Year Experience programs

12. Design Principles for Student Success Clearly Marked Pathways  The many choices students face as they navigate college can create unnecessary confusion – create coherent pathways  Make plain to students the resources and services available to help them succeed  Redundant early warning systems and safety nets

13. Integrated Support  Connect with students where they are most likely to be: the classroom -- build support, such as skills development & supplemental instruction, into courses rather than referring students to services separate from the learning experience  Require use of support services (writing center, math tutors) Design Principles for Student Success

14. High Expectations & High Support  Students do their best when the bar is high but within reach. Setting a high standard and then giving students the necessary support — academic planning, academic support, financial aid, and so on — makes the standard attainable. Design Principles for Student Success

15. Intensive Student Engagement  Promoting student engagement is the overarching feature  Make engagement inescapable for students Design Principles for Student Success

16. Engaged learning is a gateway to the desired outcomes of college. Students who engage more frequently in educationally purposeful activities both in and outside the classroom get better grades, are more satisfied, and are more likely to persist and graduate.

17. Purposeful Pathways to Transformational Learning A transformative education repeatedly exposes students to multiple opportunities for intentional learning through the formal academic curriculum, student life, collaborative curricular programming, community- based, and global experiences. Learning Reconsidered (2004)

18. Some Educational Activities are Unusually Effective Growing evidence that “high-impact practices” provide substantial educational benefits to students [High-Impact Educational Practices: What They Are, Who Has Access To Them, and Why They Matter (2008) AAC&U]

19. High-Impact Practices Educational experiences that make a significant difference to student persistence, learning outcomes, and student success. 1.Pedagogical practices 2.Structural features

20. 1.Engagement in effective educational activities in the first year is essential to student persistence & success High Impact Pedagogical Practices 20

21. High-Impact Pedagogical Practices in the First Year Asked questions in class or contributed to class discussions Made a class presentation Prepared two or more drafts of a paper or assignment Worked with other students on projects during class Worked with classmates outside of class on assignments Tutored or taught other students (paid or voluntary) Participated in a community-based project as part of course Talked about career plans with a faculty member or advisor Discussed ideas from readings/classes with faculty outside class Received prompt feedback on your academic performance Worked harder than you thought Worked with faculty on activities outside coursework (committees, student life, etc.) Discussed ideas from readings/classes with others Had serious conversations with students of a different race or ethnicity and those who differ from you - religious beliefs, political opinions, or personal values

22. 1. Engagement in the first year is essential to student persistence & success 2. “Compensatory Effect” – historically underserved students benefit more than others from the same educational practices High Impact Pedagogical Practices

23. High-Impact Pedagogical Practices in the First Year Asked questions in class or contributed to class discussions Made a class presentation Prepared two or more drafts of a paper or assignment Worked with other students on projects during class Worked with classmates outside of class on assignments Tutored or taught other students (paid or voluntary) Participated in a community-based project as part of course Talked about career plans with a faculty member or advisor Discussed ideas from readings/classes with faculty outside class Received prompt feedback on your academic performance Worked harder than you thought Worked with faculty on activities outside coursework (committees, student life, etc.) Discussed ideas from readings/classes with others Had serious conversations with students of a different race or ethnicity and those who differ from you - religious beliefs, political opinions, or personal values

24. Active Learning 1. What percent of first-year students frequently (“very often” + “often”) asked questions in class or contributed to class discussions? (a) 47% (b) 55% (c) 62% (d) 75% c. 62% Top 10% NSSE schools = 74%

25. Simple Strategies to Increase Participation What do you do?? 1.give students a minute to write their thoughts 2.give assignment they have to prep in advance and speak about in class (e.g. passage from reading) 3.form pairs/small groups to discuss the answer, then bring them back to the whole group 4.use chat or discussion boards on line

26. Prompt Feedback 2. What percent of first year students report they frequently (“often or very often”) received prompt feedback on their academic performance? (a) 27% (b) 41% (c) 58% (d) 63% c. 58% Top 10% NSSE schools = 65%

27. Prompt Feedback FACULTY gave prompt feedback often or very often STUDENTS received prompt feedback often or very often 58% | 64% Lower Division Upper Division 90% | 90% 1 st yr. Students Seniors *NSSE – FSSE Comparison --- NSSE (2011) vs. FSSE (2011) Students reporting they frequently (“often or very often”) received prompt feedback on academic performance*

28. Why is Prompt Feedback important to student learning and success? Most useful feedback is timely, apt - provides opportunity for students to use information to improve performance New students need immediate feedback to understand what is expected Feedback in first 3 weeks to modify behaviors accordingly

29. Power of Peers “Student’s peer group is the single most potent source of influence on growth and development” (Astin, 1993) Peer learning is an effective, engaging pedagogy for all students

30. Connect students in multiple ways to resources for learning Connect students to academic support resources by requiring use of writing center, peer tutors, study groups, Targeted remediation - Accelerated or Fast-Track Developmental Education Supplemental Instruction in high D,F, W courses – “gateway” course intervention

31. Students report that some of their most meaningful college experiences involve those teachers and administrators who actively "get in their way" by offering advice, opportunities, and challenges. - Richard Light, Making the Most of College “Get in Students’ Way”

32. Be Explicit About What it Takes… Introduce Students to “Academic Citizenship” Student success requires that professors explain more things to today’s students that we once took for granted – “You must buy the book, you must read it and come to class, you must observe deadlines or make special arrangements when you miss one” -- Richard Turner (Thought & Action, 1998, p.4)

33. High Impact Activities  First-Year Seminars and Experiences  First-Year Seminars and Experiences  Common Intellectual Experiences  Learning Communities  Writing-Intensive Courses  Collaborative Assignments and Projects  Undergraduate Research  Diversity/Global Learning  Service Learning, Community-Based Learning  Internships  Capstone Courses/ Projects

34. Check-in: High Impact Activities  How many of these activities exist for your students?  Do most students take advantage of these practices?

35. HIPs Benefits & Outcomes High Impact practices positively associated with: Persistence and GPA “Deep approaches to learning” Higher rates of student-faculty interaction Increases in critical thinking, writing skills, Greater appreciation for diversity Higher student engagement overall, and “compensatory effects” Bronwell, J & Swaner, L (2010); NSSE, (2007); Kuh (2008)

36. Lessons: High Impact Practices All associated with desirable learning and personal development outcomes. Some features have more impact. Not all students take part.

37. First Year Seminar: Features that Matter Instructional teams – faculty, advisor, peer mentor, librarian, technology, student life staff Use engaging pedagogies – active & collaborative learning, experiential activities, Emphasize academic content – and study skills and transition issues

38. Service-Learning: Features that Matter Opportunities for structured reflection Strong connection between course material & experience Collaboration between site, students & faculty on community based research/project

39. Learning Communities: Features that Matter Intentional links between courses Link to gateway, “weed-out” courses, high DFWs Instructional teams Invest in faculty development Use engaging pedagogies Add integrative experience – seminar, assignment

40. Learning Communities Residential aspect matters less than what happens within & between courses LC programs that integrate material and experiences across courses are associated with higher student engagement & learning

41. Undergraduate Research: Features that Matter Meaningful faculty mentoring Real-life applications Scaffold research skills in curriculum to build overtime Reviewing literature/ interpreting findings better than simple data collection Community scholarship celebration Peer support

42. Internships Value of real world, applied experience Best when linked to curriculum, or involves critical reflective learning Difficult for first-generation, low income students if experience is unpaid

43. Do All Students Experience High- Impact Practices? Nope. High Impact Practices Only Reach A Fraction of Students OVERALL NSSE Participation Levels: First Year Students: Learning Communities 17% Service-Learning 41% Seniors: Research With Faculty 19% Internship 53% Study Abroad 18% First-generation, racial-ethnic, major differences too NSSE results, see “Annual Results” FY Plan to Do: 33% 75% 42% 43 FY Expectations?? NSSE 2010 Cohort

44. Experiential (hands-on) learning steeps students in content, and it encourages them to make connections and forge relationships that can support them throughout college and beyond Center for Community College Student Engagement. (2012). A Matter of Degrees: Promising Practices for Community College Student Success (A First Look).

45. The Simple Truth: At institutions where faculty members use effective educational practices more frequently in their classes, students are more engaged overall and gain more from college. Engagement and Faculty Practice (measured by the Faculty Survey of Student Engagement – FSSE)

46. HIPs: A Shared Responsibility HIPs facilitated by a robust partnership between academic & student affairs

47. Be Intentional about Exposing Students to Educationally Effective Practice

48. Effective Strategies for Teaching Unprepared Students*  Establish High Expectations  Emphasize Consistent Contact  Determine Students’ Learning Styles  Define Student Success  Clarify Student Responsibility  Establish a Learning Community of Scholars  Meet Students Where They Are  Interweave Assessment and Teaching *Gabriel, Kathleen F. (2008) Teaching Unprepared Students. Sterling, VA: Stylus Publishing

49. What we Know about Learning Active learning is more lasting than passive learning Thinking about thinking is important – Metacognition The level at which learning occurs is important – Bloom’s Taxonomy

50. Metacognition Teaching metacognition - introducing new skills and beliefs, and giving students practice at applying them - improves students’ learning. 3 critical steps to teaching metacognition: – Teaching students that their ability to learn is mutable – Teaching planning and goal-setting – Giving students ample opportunities to practice monitoring their learning and adapting as necessary

53. Boeing 777 Normal Procedures Checklist

54. Checklists No matter how expert you may be, well- designed checklists can improve outcomes. We know the patterns. Why not try a checklist? Checklist for: – Advising – Meeting with a student on probation – First week of class – Exploring student persistence – Building a student success oriented learning environment

55. Checklist for Educationally Effective Practice

56. Student Learning and Success 1.What educationally effective practice could be strengthened at your campus, in your department, in your course? 2.What one thing might you do differently in your work? 56

57. “We don’t want students to go through school, but for school to go through them.” “We don’t want students to go through school, but for school to go through them.” Faculty member, Fayetteville State University Final thought on Engaging Today’s Students…

58. Discussion and Comments Jillian Kinzie, PhD. NSSE Institute Indiana University Center for Postsecondary Research 1900 East 10th Street Eigenmann Hall, Suite 419 Bloomington, IN 47406 Ph: 812-856-5824 Fax: 812-856-5150 jikinzie@indiana.edu www.nsse.iub.edu

60. What is it about these magical, high- impact activities that appear to be so effective with students? 60

61. Characteristics of HIPs that make them effective with students Practices Increase Odds That Students Will: 1.Invest time and effort 2.Interact with faculty and peers about substantive matters 3.Experience diversity 4.Get more frequent feedback 5.Discover relevance of their learning through real-world applications 6.Occur in context of Coherent, Academically Challenging Curriculum 61

62. Fostering the Magic of HIPs to Enhance Student Learning What can you do in your course/unit to: 1.Enhance time on purposeful tasks? 2.Add meaningful interaction between fac-student & among students? 3.Increase interaction with diverse individuals & approaches (challenge students ways of thinking ) ? 4.Increase frequency of feedback? 5.Add a real world, application experience? 6.Increase students’ reflections on their learning 62

64. Assertion: All colleges should focus on the quality of the educational experiences that develop and lead up to the achievement of the student learning and success. To what extent are you ensuring quality educational experiences that result in high levels of learning and success?

65. What We Know About Student Success: Student engagement in intentionally designed educationally purposeful activities is necessary to achieve desirable learning outcomes. Institutions must deploy resources appropriately and provide students explicit messages about success- oriented behaviors.

66. What is Engagement? “To occupy the attention of” “Student engagement” is 10-70 yrs. old Ralph Tyler (1930s) & Bob Pace (1960s) engagement is about time spent on academic work, and quality of effort Astin (1980s) student involvement – “quantity & quality of physical and psychological energy students invest in college experience” – produces learning in proportion to that involvement

67. (Chickering & Gamson, 1987; Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005 ) Good Practices in Undergraduate Education (Chickering & Gamson, 1987; Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005 ) Student-faculty contact Student-faculty contact Active learning Active learning Prompt feedback Prompt feedback Time on task Time on task High expectations High expectations Experiences with diversity Experiences with diversity Cooperation among students Cooperation among students

68. What is Student Engagement? Student engagement is the time and energy students devote to educationally purposeful activities  practices shown to be related to desired educational outcomes

69. OK, but what is Engagement? Challenging academic work –High expectations –Deep approaches to learning Quality involvement with faculty Enriching activities and high-impact practices –Active and collaborative learning –Powerful educational experiences Supportive peers, faculty, staff, campus

70. Student Engagement Trifecta What students do – time and energy devoted to educationally purposeful activities What institutions do – using effective educational practices to induce students to do the right things Educationally effective institutions channel student energy toward the right activities

72. The National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE): Key Aims Enrich the discourse about college quality –Shift the focus to teaching & learning –Proven effective educational practices Provide diagnostic information to support the improvement of undergraduate education –Actionable information based on valid & reliable measures –Meaningful comparisons

73. NSSE’s Big Idea Ask students about their experience Focus on behavior: empirically confirmed effective practices

74. Why should we care about student engagement? Education quality… –is NOT about resources & reputation –should be about direct links between good educational practices and positive outcomes for students Good educational practices should have strong links to post-occupational status, income, growth in leadership & job-related skills, development of critical thinking skills and other cognitive measures, openness to diversity and challenge and increases in student retention

75. Engaged learning is a gateway to the desired outcomes of college. Students who engage more frequently in educationally purposeful activities both in and outside the classroom get better grades, are more satisfied, and are more likely to persist and graduate.

76. National Survey of Student Engagement 76 Lessons from NSSE: Learning Experiences that Promote Engagement and Success

77. Engagement Matters Engagement benefits all students (GPA, persistence, learning, success)

78. 1.Engagement in effective educational activities in the first year is essential to student persistence & success High Impact Pedagogical Practices 78

79. High-Impact Pedagogical Practices in the First Year Asked questions in class or contributed to class discussions Made a class presentation Prepared two or more drafts of a paper or assignment Worked with other students on projects during class Worked with classmates outside of class on assignments Tutored or taught other students Participated in a community-based project as part of course Talked about career plans with a faculty member or advisor Discussed ideas from readings/classes with faculty outside class Received prompt feedback on your academic performance Worked harder than you thought Worked with faculty on activities outside coursework (committees, student life, etc.) Discussed ideas from readings/classes with others Had serious conversations with students of a different race or ethnicity and those who differ from you - religious beliefs, political opinions, or personal values

80. 1. Engagement in the first year is essential to student persistence & success 2. “Compensatory Effect” – historically underserved students benefit more than others from the same educational practices High Impact Pedagogical Practices

81. Percentage of class time faculty spend: lecturing, small group work, experiential activities and other (source FSSE)

82. Prompt Feedback 2. What percent of first year students report they frequently (“often or very often”) received prompt feedback on their academic performance? (a) 27% (b) 41% (c) 58% (d) 63% c. 58% Top 10% NSSE schools = 65%

83. NSSE – FSSE* Comparison Prompt Feedback FACULTY gave prompt feedback often or very often STUDENTS received prompt feedback often or very often 58% | 66% Lower Division Upper Division 90% | 90% 1 st yr. Students Seniors *NSSE (2010) vs. FSSE (2010)

84. Why is Prompt Feedback important to student learning and success? Most useful feedback is timely, apt - provides opportunity for students to use information to improve performance New students need immediate feedback to understand what is expected Feedback in first 3 weeks to modify behaviors accordingly

85. Collaborative Learning 3. What percent of first-year students frequently (“very often” + “often”) worked with other students on projects during class? (a) 35% (b) 46% (c) 55% (d) 67% b. 46% Top 10% NSSE schools = 56% True or False? Students work more often with peers outside of class. FALSE, about the same as in-class

86. Power of Peers “Student’s peer group is the single most potent source of influence on growth and development” (Astin, 1993) Peer learning is an effective, engaging pedagogy for all students

87. Comparing Faculty View of Importance vs. What Students Do

88. Hours Spent Studying 4. True or False? The majority of full-time, first-year students study on average, 15 or more hours per week. FALSE. Nearly 60% study 15 or fewer hours per week What is the average hours per week studying ? 14.7 hours for all students

89. Worrisome Gap? Time spent studying (NSSE cohort averages) First-year students average 13-14 hrs. per week studying Entering students EXPECT to study more than they actually do! Yet, Faculty Survey of Student Engagement (FSSE) indicates average faculty expectation for study time was 16.5 hours per week, only two hours higher than what students reported.

90. Be Explicit About What it Takes… Introduce Students to “Academic Citizenship” Student success requires that professors explain more things to today’s students that we once took for granted – “You must buy the book, you must read it and come to class, you must observe deadlines or make special arrangements when you miss one” -- Richard Turner (Thought & Action, 1998, p.4)

91. Support for Learning 5. True or False? Most First Year students report “substantial” (quite a bit + very much) emphasis on support to succeed academically TRUE, but they infrequently take advantage of support services

92. Connect students in multiple ways to resources for learning Connect students to academic support resources by requiring use of writing center, peer tutors, study groups, supplemental instruction in high D,F, W courses – “gateway” course interventions KU has a “mobile” writing center with locations in high traffic areas on campus

93. The significance of Practitioners in minority student success Students with a history of social and educational marginalization attribute successful outcomes to the formation of supportive relationships with institutional agents, or practitioners Institutional agents foster students’ sense of belonging, validate their knowledge & hopes, and help them muster the confidence & courage to succeed in college. Source: Bensimon, E.M (2007). The Review of Higher Education 30,(4), 441-469

94. Discuss Career Plans w/Faculty

95. Student Persistence and Quality Relationships Frequency & quality of contact with faculty, staff, and other students is key predictor of student persistence.

96. Students report that some of their most meaningful college experiences involve those teachers and administrators who actively "get in their way" by offering advice, opportunities, and challenges. - Richard Light, Making the Most of College “Get in Students’ Way”

97. Findings from NSSE and AAC&U: Some Educational Activities are Unusually Effective Growing evidence that “high-impact practices” provide substantial educational benefits to students [AAC&U, 2008 publication: High-Impact Educational Practices: What They Are, Who Has Access To Them, and Why They Matter]

98. High Impact Activities  First-Year Seminars and Experiences  First-Year Seminars and Experiences  Common Intellectual Experiences  Learning Communities  Writing-Intensive Courses  Collaborative Assignments and Projects  Undergraduate Research  Diversity/Global Learning  Service Learning, Community-Based Learning  Internships  Capstone Courses/ Projects

99. Check-in: High Impact Activities  How many of these activities exist for your students?  Do most students take advantage of these practices?

100. Service-Learning: Features that Matter Create opportunities for structured reflection Strong connection between course material and service experience Collaboration between site, students, and faculty

101. High Impact Practices: Service Learning 6. True or False? More senior women than men participate in service-learning experiences. TRUE, 52% vs. 45% no gender difference in first-year service-learning (41%)

102. Do All Students Experience High- Impact Practices? Nope. High Impact Practices Only Reach A Fraction of Students OVERALL NSSE Participation Levels: First Year Students: Learning Communities 17% Service-Learning 41% Seniors: Research With Faculty 19% Internship 53% Study Abroad 18% NSSE results, see “Annual Results” FY Plan to Do: 33% 75% 42% 102 FY Expectations??

103. Participation in High-Impact Practices by Race-Ethnicity Internship/ Practicum Research w/ Faculty Study Abroad African American/ Black 43%17%7% Latino/ Hispanic 43%17%10% Caucasian/ White 53%19%16%

104. Involvement in High-Impact Practices Varies Substantially by Major Considerable differences 4 largest-enrollment majors: English, biology, business administration, & psychology. NSSE Annual Results 2010, Major Differences: Examining Student Engagement by Field of Study

105. Distinctive HIPs Across Majors What High Impact Practices are distinct for your discipline? How might your course, department, help more students experience high- impact practices?

106. Considerations for Expanding Engagement in HIPs 1.Historically underrepresented students benefit substantially from HIPs, yet not all take part (First-generation, some racial-ethnic groups, transfer students) 2.Introduce HIPs early and often -- get experience on students radar 3.Explore students’ assumptions about practices (who participates, cost, demands, etc.) – debunk myths 4.How might student & academic affairs work together to make these experiences more widespread?

107. Lessons for Student Success Clearly Marked Pathways to Student Success  Make plain to students the resources and services available to help them succeed.  Some guideposts tied directly to the academic program; others related to student and campus culture.  Institutional publications accurately describe what students experience.

108. Clearly Marked Pathways to Student Success  Efforts tailored to student needs.  Mutually reinforcing student expectations and behavior, institutional expectations, and institutional reward systems.  Redundant early warning systems and safety nets Lessons for Student Success

109. The Simple Truth: At institutions where faculty members use effective educational practices more frequently in their classes, students are more engaged overall and gain more from college. Engagement and Faculty Practice measured by the Faculty Survey of Student Engagement – (FSSE)

110. Be Intentional about Exposing Students to Educationally Effective Practice

111. To transform our campuses and foster student engagement and success, we must transform ourselves and the everyday work that we do with students

112. Improving Learning…Amidst Many Challenges 112 Increasingly diverse student population Greater accountability & transparency!!! National Narrative Of Criticism Of American Higher Education

113. Improving Learning…Amidst Many Challenges 113 Increasingly diverse student population Is college worth it? Greater accountability & transparency!!!

114. Culminating Senior Project/Capstone Capstone course, senior project/thesis, comp exam, etc. Field placements have impact on greatest number of gains Features that matter: –Projects that required the greatest investment of time, –Working in groups, –Meeting often with supervising faculty member, –Receiving clear expectations for the activity

115. Study Abroad A life changing experience, but also relates to immediate learning outcomes upon return Living with host nationals more beneficial The length of time spent abroad did not make a difference. First generation students significantly less likely to go abroad

116. Other Beneficial HIPs Common Intellectual Experience. Experiential activity, common course, reading program…. Collaborative Projects. Working and solving problems with others, listening seriously to other’s insights. Study groups within course, team-based assignments, cooperative projects. Writing Intensive Experiences. The more students wrote, the more they engaged in active & collaborative learning, student-faculty interaction, and deep learning.

117. Faculty Perception of HIPs What percentage of faculty think HIPs are important (“very important + important”) for students to do: – Capstone85% – Internships84% – Community Service64% – Undergraduate research 54% – Learning communities52% – Study Abroad45% » Results from FSSE 2011 summary tables