Implementing the Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education Revisiting a Process

Transcription

1 Implementing the Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education Revisiting a Process Ronald Bieniek Physics Department, University of Missouri-Rolla Director, Learning Enhancement Across Disciplines Program bieniek@umr.edu Tammy Pratt Student Affairs, University of Missouri-Rolla Coordinator, Academic Support Programs tpratt@umr.edu

2 Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education Revisiting a Process Abstract We have previously reported on an innovative initiative to implement the Seven Principles of Good Practice for Undergraduate Education at the University of Missouri-Rolla, the state s technological campus. This is being done via a synergistic collaboration between the Learning Enhancement Across Disciplines Program (Academic Affairs) and Academic Support Programs (Student Affairs) that offers coordinated faculty-based learning centers and peer-based drop-in tutoring. This session will report data collected about the increasing acceptance, usage and participation by faculty and students in various components of the program. Characteristic elements of successful adoption and non-adoption will be discussed and analyzed.

3 The Seven Principles are promoted by a symbiotic relationship between the Offices of the: Provost: Learning Enhancement Across Disciplines (LEAD) Program Course-based Learning Centers in academic departments Free scheduled tutoring in Student Learning Center Faculty development and dialog on engaged student learning Student Affairs: Academic Support Programs (ASP) Academic and Learning Resources Disability support services Testing center Residential Learning Centers (course review materials)

4 Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education at UM-Rolla Encourage student-faculty contact Encourage cooperation among students Encourage active learning Give prompt, frequent, informative feedback Emphasize time on task Communicate high expectations Respect & encompass diverse talents & learning styles

5 Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education Adapted from AW Chickering & ZF Gamson, Am. Assoc. Higher Ed. Bulletin, 1987, 39(7) 3-7 for the University of Missouri-Rolla Principle 1: Encourage Student-Faculty Contact Frequent student-faculty contact is a key factor in student motivation, involvement, and learning. Faculty concern helps students get through rough times and continue to strive for success. Devise methods that actively and successfully promote student-faculty contact with both individual students and larger groups of students.

6 Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education Principle 2: Encourage Cooperation among Students Learning is enhanced when it is more like a team effort than a solo race, and working cooperatively with others often increases students involvement in their own learning. Sharing ideas and responding to others can sharpen thinking and deepen students understanding of the material at hand. Take positive, proactive steps to ensure that meaningful and effective cooperative learning takes place among groups or teams of students.

7 Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education Principle 3: Encourage Active Learning Learning is not a spectator sport. Most students do not learn very well or retain information very long by sitting passively in classes, memorizing pre-packaged assignments and spitting out answers. Students need to ponder what they are learning, express it in a variety of ways, relate it to past experiences, and apply it to new situations. Promote active learning by creating regular opportunities for students to engage deeply, directly, and creatively with course material.

8 Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education Principle 4: Give Prompt, Frequent, Informative Feedback Students who know where they stand in a course are better able to gauge their strengths, their weaknesses, and what they must do to succeed. To reach their full potential, students require appropriate feedback about their current level of personal understanding and mastery of course content. Provide students with frequent assessments of their achievement level and offer them specific suggestions as to how they can improve their performance.

9 Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education Principle 5: Emphasize Time on Task There is no substitute for time on task the time students spend actively engaged with course material. Learning to manage one s time effectively is critical for success in the classroom, yet many students struggle to acquire and maintain this important skill. Devise course strategies that ensure students spend productive time on their coursework, and hold them accountable for learning the assigned material.

10 Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education Principle 6: Communicate High Expectations High but attainable expectations are important for everyone for the poorly prepared, for those unwilling to exert themselves, and even for the bright and motivated. Expecting students to perform well can become a self-fulfilling prophecy when faculty clearly express their goals and how students can accomplish them. Convey to students that they have individual responsibilities in achieving these high goals, and demonstrate that you are willing to help them succeed in this.

11 Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education Principle 7: Respect and Encompass Diverse Talents and Ways of Learning Recognize and accept that students learn in many different ways. Many talented students do not share the same learning styles and internal motivations as their teachers. Some might learn better by hearing information out loud, seeing something written down, or witnessing concepts represented in visual or physical ways. Incorporate a range of teaching approaches into your courses, in varying degrees, which allow for different styles of learning.

12 Some characteristics of UMR Students Freshman: See groups and group work as a social opportunity Don t know how to spend quality, effective time on task Have little or no understanding of community Expect learning to be easy because it was easy in HS Know why they are here at UMR Seniors: See groups and group work as an academic network Learned how to better read professor Have UMR as a role model for community Believe they have worked hard to earn grades at UMR

13 The Beginnings The Physics Learning Center was established in 1997 for the course Engineering Physics I (

14 Cooperative Learning and Social Dynamics in the Physics Learning Center

15 ~62% of Students Voluntarily Use the Physics Learning Center

16 LEAD Learning Center Characteristics Operate during fixed hours each week Staffed by Facilitate and project learner-centered education discipline-based faculty in lieu of office hours accomplished, trained undergraduate peer instructors (more student-centered, less teacher-centered) Learning Centers directly promote the Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education

17 Assessment of UM-Rolla Learning Centers (Winter 2002) Course #faculty #students % using LC * hrs/wk Rating/4.0 Engr Phys I ± 3% Engr Phys II ± 5% College Physics ±6 % Gen Chem I ± 2% Gen Chem II Fluid Mech 2 39 Elec Circuits II 1 21 Not Available Data Structures I Not Available Engr Statics ± 9% Totals/Ave ± 4% Not Available 65 ± 7%

18 Assessment of UM-Rolla Learning Centers (Fall 2002) Course #faculty #students % using LC * hrs/wk Rating/4.0 Engr Phys I ± 6% Engr Phys II ± 6% College Physics 1 20 General Phys I ± 5% Gen Chem I ± 7% Gen Chem Engr 1 30 Fluid Mech 2 48 Hydraulic Engr 1 34 Elec Circuits I ± 20% Intro Comp Program ± 6% Data Structures I ± 10% Engr Statics ± 2% Totals/Ave ±7% Not Available Not Available 55 ± 14% Not Available *Atleastonehour/weekaround12thweekofclass.Plus numberin isusagebystudentscompletingsurveyonday administered,minusnumberconservativelyassumesthatall regularlcattendeesfilledoutthesurvey.

19 Recent Snapshot (Fall 2003) of Successful Second-Generation Learning Centers Civil Engineering Learning Centers (Fall 2003) Course #faculty #students % using LC Fluid Mechanics % Water Resource Engr % hrs/wk Rating/4.0

20 Current LEAD Learning Centers (Winter 2004) General Chem I Data Structures I Fluid Mech Engr Phys I Discrete Math Comp Sci Water Resource Engr Engr Phys II Intro Data Struct & Apps Linear Systems Mech Engr College Physics Web Develop & Design Thermal Analysis General Phys I Metallurgy for Engineers Thermofluid Mechanics I General Phys II Engr Mech-Statics Black:CollegeofArtsandSciences Blue:SchoolofManagementandInformationSystems Red: School of Mines and Metallurgy Green: School of Engineering

21 To have a successful Learning Center, faculty should: implement a course structure that provides frequent, prompt and accurately informative evaluations of students' level of mastery act as non-hovering guides who restrain themselves from becoming tutors or overly attentive adjusters promote and orchestrate an atmosphere of cooperative engagement and teamwork offer concentrated LC hours convenient for many students & stay during duty time even if only a few students are there.

22 Faculty Barriers to LC success Change is HARD Reluctance to use class or staff time for frequent (albeit quick) assessment and strong feedback of students' individual mastery Uncomfortable with taking on responsibility to develop or maneuver students into good academic behavior Faculty-centered, rather than student-centered, educational approaches employed with strongly held idiosyncratic prerogatives Faculty cannot agree on syllabus and homework assignments Difficult to get faculty out of the comfort zone of their office lair, even though more students are helped with office hours in a more open learning environment Very difficult to get faculty to be restrained guides to students in the learning process rather than always an expert in control

23 LEAD Peer Tutoring (Winter 2004) quieter, more indivdualized learning assistance than LCs promotes 7 Principles except student-faculty interactions General Chem I College Algebra Intro Computer Engr General Chem II College Trig Electric Circuits I Engr Physics I Calculus & Analyt Geom I Electric Circuits II Engr Physics II Calculus & Analyt Geom II Mechanics of Materials College Physics Calculus for Engr I Statics and Dynamics General Physics I Calculus for Engr II Engr Mech-Dynamics (a) General Physics II Intro Comp Program Engr Mech-Dynamics (b) Principles Microeconom Data Structures I Thermodynamics Principles Macroeconon Algorithms & Program Intro Data Struct & Apps

24 Assessment of UM-Rolla LEAD Tutoring ( ) Semester Number of Courses Tutored Total client-hours in active tutoring WS FS WS FS n/a Number of different/unique students assisted Average Rating (4.0 scale)

25 Academic Support Programs GOALS Provide quality academic assistance through learning consultation, seminars, LEAD activities, peer tutoring, and electronic/center resources Provide quality services to students with disabilities Provide outreach programs to promote awareness of services for disabilities. Develop and expand the usage of the learning center that will attract students and faculty Collaborate with other academic assistance programs on campus Foster positive perceptions about participating in learning assistance activities

26 Academic Support Programs service summary Functional Area FS02 Student Learning Center users WS03 FS n/a Learning Consultation LC Classroom Visits n/e n/e Student LC (avg per week) (total hrs used during the day) Residential Learning Centers (files checked out) Seminars/Presentations Brief Presentations 48 (Orientation, PRO, depts) Math Help Program n/a LEAD Tutoring visitation LEAD Tutoring hours with clients ,546 1, Disability Support Services (clients) Tests Administered Testing Center - Disability Support Services

27 Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education Revisiting a Process Summary: Collaboration with individual faculty assists in the cultural change as UMR strives to move toward a learning-centered approach vs. teaching-centered approach to academic assistance. Faculty generally need to be cultivated through personal contact to establish learning centers because quality of educational impact is too often only a small component of departmental reward structures. Those faculty can then act successful exemplars, and promote by example within departments. Take advantage of the desire of individual faculty and departments to appear to be players in improving educational impact and retention. Communication is critical, determining common goals and respecting differences in approach are necessary through continued dialog. Pooled resources often are more effective than if those resources were to serve students as stand alone funds.