UC Action: Academic Assistance using Faculty Involvement to Increase Retention at the University of Oklahoma

1. Higher Education Conference on Enrollment Management UC Action: Academic Assistance using Faculty Involvement to Increase Retention at the University of Oklahoma Mark Walvoord, Interim Director Student Learning Center http://uc.ou.edu/action alc@ou.edu

2. Encouraging students to take ACTION towards their own academic success University College: Where OU Excellence Begins

3. UC Action Features Free, certified, on-campus tutoring Convenient times (evenings) and locations (Wagner Hall, Housing, and elsewhere) Students able to have scheduled time-on-task Sessions include active and collaborative learning to promote critical thinking Students are coached in practicing effective study behaviors Content experts are available to guide students to learn the material

4. Walk-in Courses We’ve Offered:ACCT 2113, ACCT 2123, ACCT 3113, ACCT 3123, ARAB 1115, ARAB 1225, ARAB 2113, ARAB 2223, BIOL 1005, BIOL 1013, BIOL 1134, CHEM 1315, CHEM 1415, CHEM 3053, CHEM 3153, CHEM 3653, CHIN 1115, CHIN 1225, CHIN 2113, CHIN 2223, ECON 1113, ECON 1123, ECON 3113, ENGL 1213, FREN 1115, FREN 1225, GEOL 1104, GEOL 1114, GEOL 2224, GEOL 3223, GEOL 3233, GERM 1115, GERM 1225, HEBR, HIST 1493, ITAL 1115, ITAL 1225, LAT 1115, LAT 1225, MATH 0113, MATH 0115, MATH 0123, MATH 1473 , MATH 1503 , MATH 1523 , MATH 1643, MATH 1743, MATH 1823, MATH 2513, MBIO 2815, MUTH 1511, MUTH 1611, MUTH 2512, MUTH 2612, MUTH 1522, MUTH 1622, PE 3213, PE 3223, PE 3413, PE 3723, PHYS 1205, PHYS 2414, PHYS 2424, PSc 1113, PSY 1113, RUSS, SOC 3113, SPAN 1115, SPAN 1225, SPAN 2113, SPAN 2223, SPAN 3073, Studying & Reading commons, ZOO 1114, ZOO 1121, ZOO 1124, ZOO 2124, ZOO 2234, ZOO 2255, ZOO 3103, ZOO 3113, ZOO/BOT 3333, ZOO/BOT/MBIO 4843/5843

5. Centers Tutoring UC Action Features Appointments • Walk-in • Usually hosted by 2, trained, undergrad Peer Learning Assistants • 1-6 students with 1 Peer Learning Assistant (2nd sem.) • Wagner 245 or HLC • Some offered online • Offers extra subjects Walk-in Faculty/GTAs use office hours--promotes faculty – student interaction Larger visit numbers

6. Recruitment & Selection of Peer Learning Assistants (PLAs) Instructor recommendations Demonstrated mastery in course (A in course) Successful academic history (prefer 3.5 cumulative GPA or higher) Individual interview process Peer recommendations

7. PLA Training International Certification (College Reading & Learning Association, Levels 1 and 2) 12 hours of training/semester Pedagogy and team building Peer coaching, nightly GA rounds, individual evaluations each semester

8. PLA Training Topics Communication Skills Socratic Questioning Non-verbals Learning Styles Professionalism • Study Strategies • Campus Resources • Academic Integrity • Group Dynamics • Tutoring pedagogy

9. PLA TrainingTopics: Pedagogy Encouraging Critical Thinking Concept Mapping Socratic Questioning Managerial Walkabout Peer Collaboration

10. Centers Tutoring UC Action Features Appointments • Walk-in • Usually hosted by 2, trained, undergrad Peer Learning Assistants • 1-6 students with 1 Peer Learning Assistant (2nd sem.) • Wagner 245 or HLC • Some offered online • Offers extra subjects Walk-in Faculty/GTAs use office hours--promotes faculty – student interaction Larger visit numbers

11. Action Centers Faculty directed, course-specific, collaborative, problem-based learning Faculty are: Asked to use two or more of their office hours in a neutral location Offered one or more paid, trained Peer Learning Assistants Able to apply for a $400 grant for session activities (candy incentives, copies, supplies) Advertising in class, leading to higher visit numbers at sessions Interacting with students, which research shows increases retention

12. Action Centers Faculty/Instructors Advocates:Brad Abbott, Mike Abraham, Ari Berkowitz, Melody Brooks, Mauricio Carvallo, Cindy Cuccia, Ann Dunn, David Durica, Peggy Ellis, Doug Gaffin, Ann Gettys, Phil Gibson, Daniel Glatzhofer, Cindy Gordon, Shawn Gralla, Ron Halterman, Mariëlle Hoefnagels, Penny Hopkins, Emily Johnson, Liz Karr, Heather Ketchum, Carol Faculty directed, course-specific, collaborative, problem-based learning Knapp, Chris Knapp, Rosemary Knapp, Keri Kornelson, Qihong Liu, David McCauley, Karen Meysick, Mark Morvant, Mayasam Pournik, Paul Sims, Carl Sondergeld, Wayne Thomas, Clarissa Thompson, Jim Thompson, Hilde Votaw, Mark Walvoord, Gary Wellborn, Don Wilson, Ning Yu, and Bing Zhang = 41 since Fall 2007

13. Action Centers

14. Action Centers What UC Action Faculty are saying: “Action Centers are the best thing to happen to my class since clickers.” Dr. Hoefnagels, Concepts of Biology "It's what I wish I could do in the classroom." Dr. Morvant, Organic Chemistry [It is a] "Great way to engage students in learning." Dr. Cuccia, Accounting “Action Centers are low cost, high reward.” Dr. Gordon, Human Anatomy

15. Action Centers • What clients are saying: I love the action center tutoring program. Action Center tutoring is tied for first place for reasons I like OU along with the professors I have had here (interestingly mainly the professors who have integrated this into AC tutoring into their classroom). It was a lot of help and i encourage everyone to try it out! They helped alot!!! This is the second year I have used the action centers. I find them extremely helpful and very informative. I plan to use them next semester as well. I would recommend more professors take the time to add this into their curriculum if at all possible. It really makes a difference. I don't know what I would do without this resource!

16. Evaluation Usage Mid- and End-semester client satisfaction surveys Change in faculty advocacy Success rates of users vs. non-users (currently per subject, requested from professor) Equalizing for ACT or other covariates (in progress) Persistence in course series (in progress) Yearly retention rates (in progress)

17. Usage and Subjects Offered by Semester

18. Usage & Visit Data

19. Evaluation Usage Mid- and End-semester client satisfaction surveys Change in faculty advocacy Success rates of users vs. non-users (currently per subject, requested from professor) Equalizing for ACT or other covariates (in progress) Persistence in course series (in progress) Yearly retention rates (in progress)

20. Peer Learning Assistant category Fall 2010 mid-semesterClient Surveys n=275

21. Facilities & Visits category Fall 2010 mid-semesterClient Surveys n=275

22. Evaluation Usage Mid- and End-semester client satisfaction surveys Change in faculty advocacy Success rates of users vs. non-users (currently per subject, requested from professor) Equalizing for ACT or other covariates (in progress) Persistence in course series (in progress) Yearly retention rates (in progress)

23. ZOO 1114 Fall 2010 (student that sought academic assistance) Repeated Measures ANOVA; p=0.0004

24. Organic Chemistry Spring 2008, Change in Exam Average

25. Organic Chemistry Spring 2010

26. Assessment • Allow quantitative analysis through download of Banner data (enrollment, grades) to our tracking software (TutorTrac) • Improve setup of reporting in TutorTrac Future Plans Staffing Full-time Student Learning Center front desk staff Continued recruiting of faculty for focus subjects Recruit education research-oriented PhD student as new GA (goal: 5-year employee, research publications) Continuous Improvement Focus on improving quality rather than increasing number of subjects offered or PLAs hired More usability of TutorTrac search function used by clients for session booking/viewing Improve ease-of-use/training for online tutoring

27. UC Action: Academic Assistance using Faculty Involvement to Increase Retention at the University of Oklahoma Mark Walvoord, Interim Director Student Learning Center http://uc.ou.edu/action alc@ou.edu