Curricular and Co-curricular Engagement: The Role that Student Affairs & Academic

Affairs Play in Engaging Students in Academic Purposeful Activities

Aaron Brower & Jillian KinzieCSU Student Affairs Assessment & Research Symposium 2012

This morning’s session

1. The changing landscape of higher education

2. A vision for higher education3. How can we best help students

learn?4. Being transparent and accountable

Changing Landscape of Higher EducationPresident 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 qualityAccelerate college

completion

Assessment & Accountability: Colleges and Universities

Increased assessment activity; greater attention to demands of accreditation

Emphasis on assessing student learning outcomes More emphasis on engaged learning practices:

first year experience programs that support transition, service-learning, internships, and undergraduate research

Avoidance of, or reluctant, transparency(Ewell, 2008, 2011; Maki, 2004; Trends in Learning Outcomes, General Education, and Assessment, AAC&U, 2009)

Vision for Higher EducationLearning as a comprehensive, holistic, transformative activity that integrates academic learning and student development, processes that have often been considered separate, and even independent of each other.

Learning Reconsidered (2004)

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. 6

Requires institutions to…Set clear goals for student achievementRegularly measure performance against

these goalsReport evidence of successContinuously work to improve results

Commitment to Quality Student Learning

7Committing to Quality: Guidelines for Assessment and Accountability in Higher Education (2012). New Leadership Alliance for Student Learning & Accountability

Essential Learning OutcomesFour essential learning outcomes for all graduating students – representing learning beyond the expected professional, technical, and disciplinary expertise – are associated with a high-quality collegiate education.

1. integrative learning2. personal and social responsibility 3. intellectual and practical skills4. and knowledge of human cultures and

the physical and natural world8

Designing for Student Learning and 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…

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

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

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

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

Intensive Student Engagement Promoting student engagement is the

overarching feature Make engagement inescapable for students

Design Principles for Student Learning and Success

Value of High Impact Practices

High-Impact PracticesEducational experiences that make a significant difference to student persistence, learning outcomes, and student success.

1. Educational practices for all students

2. Structural Features

1. Engagement in effective educational activities in the first year is essential to student persistence & success

High Impact Pedagogical Practices

17

Effective Educational 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

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

High Impact Activities

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

HIPs Benefits & OutcomesHigh 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)

HIPs: A Shared Responsibility

• HIPs facilitated by a robust partnership between academic & student affairs

Be Intentional about Exposing Students to Educationally

Effective Practice

Recommendation:Make it possible for every student to participate in at least two high impact activities

One in First Year • FY seminars• Learning communities• Service learning

One Later in Major• Study abroad• Student-faculty research• Field placement or internship• Capstone project

Educationally Effective Institutions and High Impact Practices

• Introduce HIPs to students early – pre-school and orientation - and reinforce in advising

• Weave experiences into courses, and require• Craft short term study abroad, “mini-HIPs” • Emphasize HIPs relevant to the educational

environment – i.e., Urban institutions emphasize internships

• Encourage pilots & support faculty development• Bridge curriculum and co-curriculum

University of LouisvilleExpand effective educational practices to enhance student engagement and

success

• Goal: Retain more students; Address their unique needs with intentional programming at each stage of their educational career

• Identified existing “high-impact practices” & assessed their efficacy for revision and/or possible expansion

• Created Office of Civic Engagement, Leadership and Service - the hub for leadership development, service-learning, and civic engagement activities 26

Inventory and Promote HIPs University of Wisconsin Madison

HIPs that have generated demonstrable student outcomes:• In the first year:

– FIGS (First-Year Interest Groups)– RLCs (Residential Learning Communities– URS (Undergraduate Research Scholars)

• Available Throughout College:– Study Abroad– Service Learning/Community-based Research– Undergrad Research– Student Leadership (in class, such as Peer Mentoring, and out of class,

through student organizations)• Some aspects of Gen Ed requirements (Comm A & B, QR-A & B; options

for Ethnic Studies Requirement); Honors courses• In the final year(s):

– Capstones -- Internships -- Senior Thesis 27

Promote HIPs University of Wisconsin Madison

• Intentional promotion of HIPs in Summer Orientation, Advising and Registration (SOAR)

• Ensured that Advisors asked students about their interest and intentions about HIPs

• Saw increase in number of students making inquiries into study abroad, undergraduate research

28

Themed Learning Communities (TLC) at IUPUI

3 or more linked courses including integrative first-year seminar connected through an interdisciplinary theme

Faculty and instructional team members work together to integrate the curricula

Exciting opportunities to integrate high impact programs in meaningful way in first-year curriculum

TLC Ex: “It’s Not Easy Being Green” First-year students conduct research on environmental issue in Indianapolis.

29

Examples of Undergraduate Research in TLCs

“Our Chemical World” First-year students paired with science faculty

conducting research. “It’s Not Easy Being Green”

First-year students conduct research project on environmental issue in Indianapolis under the guidance of faculty researchers.

30

Service Learning in TLCs

24% Include One Time Service Projects

2 Engineering TLCs 2 Liberal Arts TLCs 2 Psychology TLCs 2 University College

TLCs

33% Include Service Learning

3 Education TLCs 3 Nursing TLCs 2 SPEA TLCs 2 University College

TLCs 1 Liberal Arts TLC

31

Impact of HIPs:CSU Northridge

32

Conclusion: Multiple HIPs distributed through Gen Ed and majors would, “require only small curricular changes.” Such “modest change” can yield a significant increase in student success and persistence.

Assessment• Institutions had more

than enough actionable assessment, yet little utilization.• Many steps are needed

to train campus leaders to use data – Change something see what happens!

www.learningoutcomesassessment.org

Emphasize Action & Improvement Use Evidence on Hand!

• For assessment to be successful: put aside the question, “What’s the best possible knowledge?” and instead ask, “Do we have good enough knowledge to try something different that might benefit our students?”

• “The most fruitful way to learn if the conclusions that we have drawn from assessment data are correct is to try to change something and see what happens.”

34Blaich & Wise, 2011, NILOA publication

Share Evidence and Collaborate on Promising Practices

Create sustained conversations about assessment data and engage in sense-making activities on campus, with colleagues, and across institutions

35

To Discuss1. How has/is your job changing? 2. What effective educational practices, or

high-impact practices (HIPs), are most important to your unit? What could be enhanced?

3. What are the benefits and challenges of collaboration between student and academic affairs at CSU?