1. Increasing Student Academic Success Through Interactive Learning Presented by: Dr. Barbara M. Montgomery Colorado State University-Pueblo Colorado, USA

2. RELATIONSHIP OF TEACHING AND LEARNING Definitions Definitions –Teaching = content and methods –Learning = knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, evaluation Models Models –Hypodermic Model: Teaching  Learning –Interactive Model: Teaching Learning

3. Challenges to Learning: Students Academic difficulty Academic difficulty Inability to adjust Inability to adjust Weak completion goal Weak completion goal Vague life goals Vague life goals Lack of commitment Lack of commitment Insufficient finances Insufficient finances Lack of connection Lack of connection Misfit with institutional culture Misfit with institutional culture Withdrawal from academic and social life Withdrawal from academic and social life V. Tinto, 1996

4. Challenges to Learning: Faculty Competing priorities Competing priorities Traditions and models Traditions and models Isolated pedagogical research Isolated pedagogical research Lack of professional development resources Lack of professional development resources Minimum institutional rewards Minimum institutional rewards

5. Costs of Student Underachievement Economic – lost intellectual capital, tax revenue, productivity Economic – lost intellectual capital, tax revenue, productivity Social – lost stability (volunteerism, charitable giving, family cohesiveness) Social – lost stability (volunteerism, charitable giving, family cohesiveness) Higher Education – lost prestige, efficiency Higher Education – lost prestige, efficiency Personal – lost opportunities, earnings, life satisfaction Personal – lost opportunities, earnings, life satisfaction

6. Who is responsible for student learning? The student The student The faculty The faculty The institution The institution All of the above All of the above

7. Factors Promoting Student Achievement Student-faculty contact Student-faculty contact Student cooperation Student cooperation Active learning Active learning Prompt feedback Prompt feedback Time on task Time on task High expectations High expectations Respect for diversity Respect for diversity Chickering & Gamson, 1991 Chickering & Gamson, 1991 Progressive learning Progressive learning Synthesizing experiences Synthesizing experiences Integrating experiences Integrating experiences On going skill practice On going skill practice Assess learning/feedback Assess learning/feedback Informal contact with students Informal contact with students Special attention to early years Special attention to early years Jones & Ewell, 1993 Jones & Ewell, 1993

8. Traditional & Interactive Learning TRADITIONAL TEACHING Teaching-centered Teaching-centered Faculty – dominate Faculty – dominate Students – attentive Students – attentive Focus – knowledge, comprehension Focus – knowledge, comprehension INTERACTIVE LEARNING Learning-centered Learning-centered Faculty – direct Faculty – direct Students – engaged Students – engaged Focus – application, analysis, synthesis, evaluation Focus – application, analysis, synthesis, evaluation

9. Interactive Learning Methods Group discussion and projects Group discussion and projects Question-answer dialogue Question-answer dialogue Case study debates Case study debates Faculty/student interaction out of class Faculty/student interaction out of class Peer tutoring Peer tutoring Internships Internships Service learning Service learning Community research projects Community research projects Faculty/student research Faculty/student research

10. Research Findings Knowledge acquisition Knowledge acquisition Mastery of content Mastery of content Problem-solving skills Problem-solving skills Critical thinking skills Critical thinking skills Persistence Persistence Psychosocial benefits Psychosocial benefits For summary see Braxton, et al., 2000; Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005 For summary see Braxton, et al., 2000; Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005

11. Learning Communities A group of students take two or more thematically linked courses A group of students take two or more thematically linked courses –Peer support groups – collaborative learning –Student interaction and engagement –Synthesizing experiences –Integration of student’s academic and non-academic lives Research: Enhanced learning, academic development (see Johnson, Johnson & Smith, 1998; Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005; Mansfield et al., 2004) Research: Enhanced learning, academic development (see Johnson, Johnson & Smith, 1998; Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005; Mansfield et al., 2004)

12. Supplemental Instruction Key Characteristics: “High risk” courses “High risk” courses Peer mentors as model students Peer mentors as model students Supplementary seminars on study and learning skills Supplementary seminars on study and learning skillsPromotes: Collaborative learning Collaborative learning Student engagement Student engagement Proactive, not reactive interventions Proactive, not reactive interventions Higher level of learning Higher level of learning Higher graduation rates Higher graduation rates Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005

13. Colorado State University-Pueblo 2004 & 2005 Learning Communities – Writing in the disciplines Learning Communities – Writing in the disciplines Supplementary Instruction Supplementary Instruction 9.3 point increase in student retention rate 9.3 point increase in student retention rate Positive response from students and faculty Positive response from students and faculty 2006 + Learning Communities in mathematics, writing & sciences courses Learning Communities in mathematics, writing & sciences courses First-year Seminar First-year Seminar Expanded Supplemental Instruction Expanded Supplemental Instruction Comprehensive data tracking Comprehensive data tracking

14. References Braxton, J., Milem, J. & Sullivan, A. (2000). The influence of active learning on the college student departure process: Toward a revision of Tinto’s theory. The Journal of Higher Education, 71 (1), 569-590. Chickering, A. & Gamson, Z. (1991). Applying the seven principles for good practice in undergraduate education. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Johnson, D., Johnson, R. & Smith, K. (1998). Cooperative learning returns to college. What evidence is there that it works? Change, 30, 26-35. Jones, D. & Ewell, P. (1993). The Effect of State Policy on Undergraduate Education: State Policy and Collegiate Learning. Denver, Colorado: Education Commission of the States. Mansfield, N., Commander, N. & Fritz, W. (2004). Freshmen Learning Communities: meeting the Needs of Commuting Students at an Urban Research University. Metropolitan Universities, 15 (1), 122-134. Pascarella, E. & Terenzini, P. (2005). How College Affects Students: A Third Decade of Research. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Shapiro, N. & Levine, J. (1999). Creating Learning Communities. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Tinto, V. (1996). Reconstructing the first year of college. Planning for Higher Education, 25, 1-6.