Supporting Student Success through Learning Communities

1. Supporting Student Success through Learning Communities Southeast Technical Institute January 3, 2012

2. Southeast Technical InstituteMission and Vision Mission: To educate individuals for employment opportunities, professional growth and life long learning. Vision: Creating workforce excellence

3. SETI 2009-2011 Strategic Goals Promote student success Leverage resources Foster collaborative relationships

4. Promote Student Success How do you define student success at SETI? How do you know if a student is successful or not? Do faculty, staff and students define success differently?

5. What Matters Most in Post-Secondary Education? Student-to-student interaction Student-to-faculty interaction Student-oriented faculty Discussing racial/ethnic issues with other students Hours studying Tutoring other students Socializing with diverse students Faculty positive about general education From: Astin, A. W.

6. Factors Negatively Related to Positive Student Outcomes Hours spent watching television/playing video games Institutional size Use of teaching assistants Full-time employment Lack of community among students Living at home Peers oriented toward materialism Astin, A. W.

7. Trends in Higher Education Student and learning centered approach Inclusion Multi-disciplinary perspectives Variety of ways to construct and demonstrate meaning and understanding Collaborative learning environments Active and collaborative learning Civic and service components in educational agenda Access, affordability

8. What do you know about SETI students? Largest enrollment in SETI history: Fall 2011 at 2507 Gender: 49% male (1218) and 51% female (1289) Ethnicity: 92% White; 2% Black; 2% Hispanic; 1.6% American Indian; 1% Asian/Pacific Islander; 1.4% two or more races Age: almost 70% 17-25 years of age; 11% 26-29; 13.2% 30-39 Transfer: 35-40% from another college or university

9. The Challenge………….. Students persist in their studies if the learning they experience is meaningful, deeply engaging, and relevant to their lives. How can we use learning communities to support this goal?

10. History of Learning Communities • Theoretical/philosophical foundation • John Dewey- “Meet students where they are at”; student-centered learning; active learning models • Paulo Freire-both teachers and students have experiences and knowledge to share • Communities of practice-Jean Lave and Etienne Wenger

11. History of Learning Communities (cont) • Alexander Meikeljohn (Brown University; Amherst College; University of Wisconsin)-started the experimental college at UW in 1927; started LCs to focus on helping students develop skills in “how to think, instead of what to think” through integrated learning • The Evergreen State College and the Washington Center for Improving the Quality of Undergraduate Education (early 80s)

12. Definitions • Learning Communities • A method to deliver curricula to students and forge closer bonds between students, among students, and faculty and between students and the institution (Price, 2005) • Strategies for enrolling cohort groups of students in a common set of classes (Learning Communities Monograph Series)

13. Definitions (cont) • Small sub-groups of students…characterized by a common sense of purpose…that can be used to build a strong sense of group identity, cohesiveness, and uniqueness that encourage continuity and the integration of diverse curricular and co-curricular experiences (Astin, 1985, 1994) • A variety of approaches that link or cluster classes during a given term that enroll a common cohort of students. This represents an intentional restructuring of students’ time, credit and learning experiences to build community, and to foster more explicit connections among students, their teachers and among disciplines (content).

14. Most Curriculum in Higher Education is….. A set of separate courses in (seemingly) unrelated fragments. Instructors teach separate courses to different and separate groups of students. Learning communities – pair/cluster courses into a more coherent and enriched teaching and learning environment.

15. Learning Community Models • Linked or paired courses-simplest form; each course is taught separately, but there may be joint assignments, projects, discussions • First-Year Interest Groups (FIG)-a cohort of the first-year students enrolls in a small group in three, in-place topically related courses; no faculty co-planning; student in the FIG met regularly with a peer advisor. • Learning Clusters-a cluster of 2-4 courses linked by common themes, historical periods , issues or problems; extent of co-planning varies; some common assignments/projects; students co-enroll in the courses, but there are other students in the courses who are not co-enrolled.

16. LC Models (Cont) Federated Learning Communities (FLC)-a cohort of students and a “Master Learner” enroll in three “federated”, in-place courses; also participate in a content-synthesizing seminar. Coordinated Studies Programs-considered the most seamless of all of the LC models; a multidisciplinary program of study involving a cohort of students and faculty drawn from different disciplines; faculty plan and participate in all parts of the program; courses are integrated around a central theme.

17. LC Goals and Practices • Community: • Focus on learning to learn in community May also include participation in wider community through engagement in community-based volunteering, service-learning • Collaboration • Curricular connections and integration of ideas across disciplines, “connected knowing” • Linking theory with practice • Reflective practice and synthesis

18. Benefits • To students • Learn more • Stay at the institution • More satisfied with integrated courses than with “traditional” courses • Enjoy a sense of community • Learn to think more critically • Able to synthesize material from different disciplines • Interact closely with other students and learn from them

19. Benefits (cont) • To Faculty • Find LCs as challenging and stimulating • Opportunity to look at the curriculum in different ways • Opportunity to collaborate with other faculty • Fosters a sense of community

20. Possible Goals of Learning Communities • Goals for students • Improve retention • Increase student learning and achievement • Increase time on task both in and out of class • Promote active learning and teamwork skills • Develop student leadership • Increase the success rate of under-represented students • Increase entry and completion in certain majors

21. Goals for Learning Communities • Goals for Faculty • Increase experimentation within curriculum • Broaden pedagogical repertoire of faculty • Increase faculty engagement with one another • Promote deeper interaction among faculty and students • Promote interaction between junior and senior faculty • Promote stronger relationships among faculty and student affairs staff

22. Goals for Learning Communities • Goals for Student Affairs staff: • Promote deeper interaction between student affairs and faculty • Create meaningful opportunities for student leadership development • Broaden pedagogical repertoire and deeper interaction among student affairs professionals and students.

23. Goals for Learning Communities • Goals for Curriculum • Increase coherence of general education program. • Make curriculum more interdisciplinary • Infuse skills such as writing and speaking across the curriculum • Create more engaging points of entry for certain majors

24. Goals for Learning Communities • Goals for the Institution • Enhance the quality of undergraduate education • Foster a climate of innovation • Increase the sense of community within the institution • Promote meaningful collaboration between faculty and staff, faculty and administration • Promote a culture of assessment, of learning about student learning

25. Challenges • For students: • May require a greater commitment than the student is ready for • Decreases flexibility in student’s schedule • Potential for cliques to form (student-to-student interaction) • Group members do not contribute equally to assignments

26. Challenges (cont) • For faculty: • Working together is time-consuming! Many experience loss of autonomy as decisions are shared • Close connections to students can be draining • Can perceive that one instructor is being played against the other/competing for students attention • Difficult to assure all courses are treated equally

27. Major Research Findings on LCs • Learning Communities have a broad reach in higher education in the U.S. • Much more research is needed in the following areas: • How do LCs effect faculty, student affairs staff, librarians, etc? • Institutional and leadership issues related to LCs? • Why are learning communities successful? • Most of the research reveals promising results: • Strengthen student retention • Strengthen academic achievement • Learning Community experience is positive

28. Fall 2010 Pilot • History of Block Scheduling at SDSU • Initial charge – Links to implementation of the SDSU Student Success Plan • Fall 2010 - Pilot • Fall 2011 - All students

29. Fall 2010 Pilot • 18 LCs in place ~ 300 students • All Pre-Pharmacy (7)* • Pre-Nursing (4)* • Pre-Vet (2) • Health Profession LLC *2 Pre-Pharm/2 Pre-Nursing included in college numbers • Represents 15% first-year class • 6 of 7 colleges represented • Ag Bio LLC (2) • AA General Studies (1) • Ag Engineering (1) • Nutrition Food Science (1)

30. Fall 2010 Pilot • Blocks of 22-25 students • 2 to 3 courses (6-9 credit hours) • Courses typically used: • Introductory course in department: • VET 103, PHA 101, EHS 140 • BIO 151/151L – General Biology • CHEM 112/112L – General Chemistry • GS 100 – University Experience • GS 143 – Mastering Lifetime Learning Skills • SPCM 101 – Fundamentals of Speech

31. 2011 LC Details Operating Guidelines All FT/FT UG students at the Brookings campus will be a member of a LC for Fall 2011 Groups of ~25 students by academic program (may have to combine majors) Link minimum 2 courses/labs with course caps of ~25 Try to avoid courses with placement concerns (i.e. math, ENGL 101) Review conflicts with athletics, music and other practice schedules Possible “opt out” for Honors programs, etc.

32. 2011 LC Details • 104 Learning Communities • ~1,800 students anticipated • Examples of # of sections used:

33. Number of LCs per College

34. Faculty Role: Maximizing LC structure to support student learning • Faculty collaboration: • Co-Planning—degree of co-planning will vary; link one assignment in separate community. • Co-Teaching—visit each others classes; swap courses; team-teach • Co-Assessment—grade assignments separately or together; faculty can offer comments; all assignments graded by all faculty • Co-Learning

35. Types of Shared Experiences Linked activities—attend a SETI event; service-learning or volunteer activity; guest speaker discussion on a topic which spans the 2-3 courses Linked assignments—projects; presentations; written assignments Linked syllabi—shared student learning outcomes Linked curricula—topics; skills & knowledge; applications; coordination of calendars

36. Types of Shared Experiences (Cont) In-Class Online Out-of-Class Formal Informal

37. Focus on Active Learning Collaborative and cooperative learning – provide teams of students the opportunity to learn actively through shared discovery of knowledge Peer teaching – students serve as co-instructors with faculty. Can serve as mentors or tutors as well. Discussion groups and seminars – share experiences Labs and field trips – allow students to enact the intellectual concepts and skills learned in class. Problem-based learning – work through real or simulated issues related to the learning goals of a course. Underscores the interdisciplinary nature of most problems.

38. Active Learning (cont) Demonstrations – delivered by students, peer or primary instructors; see concepts come to life Writing and speaking across the curriculum – ( along with quantitative reasoning) -- help focus on the critical nature of communication skills across the curriculum Ongoing reflection – students examine what they have learned, how they learned it and how that learning might apply to other situations

39. Active Learning (cont) Self-evaluation – what worked, what did not work, what next? Also, can include portfolios of student work. Service-learning – key component of a course plus community service Experiential learning – includes a variety of approaches for allowing student opportunities outside the classroom to apply concepts learned – internship, practicum, study abroad, other community service, etc.

40. Learning Community Example A • Pharmacy Technology – first semester courses • Computer Essentials (CIS 101) – 2 credits • Basic Anatomy (HC 110) – 3 credits • Medical Terminology (HC 113) – 2 credits • Math for Pharmacy (PHRM 100) – 2 credits • Pharmacology (PHRM 110) – 3 credits • Pharmacy Principles (PHRM 113) • Pharmacy Principles (PHRM 113L) • Student Success Seminar (SSS 100) – 2 credits

41. Learning Community Example B Automotive Technology • AT 110 Manual Transmission Theory • AT 111 Manual Transmission Theory Lab • AT 112 Automatic Transmission Theory • AT 113 Automatic Transmission Theory Lab • AT 122 Brake Systems • AT 123 Brake Systems Lab • ENGL 101 Composition • SSS 100 Student Success Seminar

42. Assessment • A minimum percentage of the students will earn a 2.0+GPA and will return to SETI for their second semester. (92%-93% return FA-SP each yr.) • Survey questions: • Identify two benefits of collaborative learning • Articulate a sense of belonging at SETI • Participate in discipline-based organizations and events

43. Resources • Comprehensive listing of institutions with LCs • http://www.evergreen.edu/washcenter/Directory.asp • Amazon.com • 453 listings for “university learning communities”

44. Resources • References • Gabelnick, F., MacGregor, J. Matthews, R.S., & Smith, B.L. (1990). Learning communities: Creating Connections among students, faculty and disciplines. New Directions for Teaching and Learning, 41. San Francisco: Jossey Bass, Inc. • Laufgraben, J.L. and Shapiro, N.S. (2004). Sustaining and Improving Learning Communities. San Francisco: Jossey Bass, Inc. • Price, D.V. (2005). Learning Communities and Student Success in Postsecondary Education: A Background Paper. MDRC: New York. • Shapiro, N.S. and Levine, J.J. (1999). Creating Learning Communities: A Practical Guide to Winning Support, Organizing Change, and Implementing Programs. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. • Smith, B.L. (1993). Creating Learning Communities. Liberal Education, 32-39. • Tinto, V. (2003). Learning Better Together: The Impact of Learning Communities on Student Success. In Promoting Student Success in College, Higher Education Monograph Series (pp. 1-8). Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University.

45. Where do we begin?

46. Discussion Questions for Developing Learning Community Initiative at SETI • What is your initial reaction to the idea of learning communities for SETI? • How might learning communities fit within the SETI environment? How might learning communities fit with initiatives already underway or soon to be launched? Will learning communities be seen as furthering these other initiatives? • Who is the student audience we want to involve in learning communities at SETI? How will we identify these students? • What learning community approach (or model) seems most appropriate and doable for us at SETI?

47. Discussion Questions (cont) Who needs to be involved with implementing learning communities? Which administrative and support service people should be brought together to discuss implementing the learning communities? Which faculty members will be involved? What might be some of the obstacles to learning communities? Will the learning communities be organized by major or by theme? If by theme, what might be some relevant themes to identify to provide focus for the learning communities? How will the learning communities be assessed/evaluated?

48. Reports from Discussion Groups • Identify a recorder and spokesperson for each group. • Be prepared to report on the highlights of the discussion at your table. • What did your group identify as the key positives of the LC concept? • What concerns were identified and how might these be addressed? • What are the groups initial thoughts on how to approach LCs at SETI?

49. Critical Elements for Developing Learning Community Initiatives • An impetus for change • Administrative support • A leadership team that includes both academic and student affairs • A shared vision and comprehensive view • A strategic plan and yearly planning calendar • Inclusive planning • Student-focused goals • Faculty involvement • An evaluation and assessment plan • Information and resource networks • Budget and space • Incentives and rewards