QEP QEP BASICSBASICS

1. What is the title 1. What is the title of our Quality of our Quality

Enhancement Plan Enhancement Plan (QEP)?(QEP)?

The SAILS Project: The SAILS Project: Students Achieving Students Achieving Improved Learning Improved Learning

StrategiesStrategies

Courtesy of Assistant Professor Bryan Courtesy of Assistant Professor Bryan WilkersonWilkerson

QEP LOGOQEP LOGO

2. What is the focus of 2. What is the focus of the QEP?the QEP?

Student LearningStudent Learning

3. Why did we pick 3. Why did we pick SAILS as the topic of our SAILS as the topic of our

QEP?QEP?

Broad-based feedback (faculty, staff, Broad-based feedback (faculty, staff, students, advisory boards) students, advisory boards)

recognized the impact that improved recognized the impact that improved learning strategies could have on learning strategies could have on student learning and on student student learning and on student

retention.retention.

4. How will SAILS make 4. How will SAILS make Roane State a better Roane State a better

institution?institution?

SAILS will transform Roane State into a SAILS will transform Roane State into a student-centered institution. By creating student-centered institution. By creating a campus culture that both encourages a campus culture that both encourages

and empowers students to improve their and empowers students to improve their learning strategies, SAILS offers the learning strategies, SAILS offers the

potential to dramatically improve student potential to dramatically improve student learning and student retention.learning and student retention.

5. To what must the QEP 5. To what must the QEP be linked?be linked?

Our Mission StatementOur Mission Statement““Roane State provides a Roane State provides a challenging and challenging and

nurturing learning environmentnurturing learning environment which which encourages and encourages and inspires students to meet the inspires students to meet the high expectations and standards high expectations and standards needed for needed for responsible citizenship and to embrace the responsible citizenship and to embrace the concept of learning as a lifelong endeavor.”concept of learning as a lifelong endeavor.”

““Roane State’s success Roane State’s success can only be can only be measured measured by the success of its studentsby the success of its students and by and by maintaining its demonstrated reputation as a maintaining its demonstrated reputation as a center for higher education excellence.”center for higher education excellence.”

ANDAND

The QEP must be linked to the The QEP must be linked to the strategic plan.strategic plan.

6. What does 6. What does

being linked being linked

to the strategic plan to the strategic plan suggest?suggest?

An institutional An institutional priority!priority!

--Financial --Financial resourcesresources

--Human resources--Human resources

Some Faculty Some Faculty Components Components

of the Strategic Planof the Strategic Plan• Demonstrate evidence of effective faculty Demonstrate evidence of effective faculty

development through implementation of development through implementation of enhanced training initiativesenhanced training initiatives

• Improve students’ relative performance Improve students’ relative performance on key on key student success measures student success measures as as compared to peers in the NCCBP compared to peers in the NCCBP (National Community College Benchmark (National Community College Benchmark Project)Project)

Math Data: 2007 Math Data: 2007 NCCBPNCCBP

Developmental/remedial student Developmental/remedial student success in 1success in 1stst college-level courses: college-level courses:

Math Completer success rateMath Completer success rate

RSCC: RSCC: 67.69%67.69% National National Median: Median: 78.76%78.76%

Comp I Data: 2007 Comp I Data: 2007 NCCBPNCCBP

Success in Core Academic Skill Areas:Success in Core Academic Skill Areas:

Comp I Completer RateComp I Completer Rate

RSCC: RSCC: 77.28%77.28% National Median: National Median: 81.13%81.13%

7. What Is a Potential 7. What Is a Potential QEP QEP

Learning Objective?Learning Objective?

Improve pass rates in gateway courses Improve pass rates in gateway courses by integrating learning strategies by integrating learning strategies

into the curriculum.into the curriculum.

8. What are some possible 8. What are some possible strategies we could use to strategies we could use to

meet this meet this learning objective?learning objective?

• Identification of students’ learning stylesIdentification of students’ learning styles• Integration of teaching strategies for multiple learning stylesIntegration of teaching strategies for multiple learning styles• Inclusion of discipline-specific learning strategies within Inclusion of discipline-specific learning strategies within

coursescourses• Inclusion of distance education learning strategiesInclusion of distance education learning strategies• Faculty development for best practices in learning Faculty development for best practices in learning

styles/strategiesstyles/strategies• Enhancement of the Learning Center servicesEnhancement of the Learning Center services• Formation of learning communitiesFormation of learning communities• Creation of free workshops on topics such as time-Creation of free workshops on topics such as time-

managementmanagement• Creation of free learning strategies classCreation of free learning strategies class

9. What assessment 9. What assessment measures will we use?measures will we use?

Some Possibilities: Some Possibilities:

--Compare baseline Comp I pass rate with --Compare baseline Comp I pass rate with Comp I pass rate during the QEP Comp I pass rate during the QEP implementation yearsimplementation years

--Compare the grades on the initial gen ed --Compare the grades on the initial gen ed core assessment instruments with the grade core assessment instruments with the grade results on the assessment instruments results on the assessment instruments during the QEP implementation yearsduring the QEP implementation years

10. At what points will we 10. At what points will we assess our progress toward assess our progress toward

reaching our objectives?reaching our objectives?

ANDAND

When and how will we assess our When and how will we assess our process in order to determine what process in order to determine what changes, if any, need to be made?changes, if any, need to be made?

Who will be our QEP Lead Evaluator?

When and how will we select him/her?

11. When and how will we 11. When and how will we assess the results of our assess the results of our

five-year plan and how will five-year plan and how will we use the results for we use the results for

improvement?improvement?

12.12.How will we How will we communicate/market communicate/market

the plan?the plan?

To students?To students?

To faculty?To faculty?

To adjunct faculty?To adjunct faculty?

To staff?To staff?

To administrators?To administrators?

To other stakeholders?To other stakeholders?

QEP Development Team QEP Development Team TimelineTimeline

• Spring 2008Spring 2008: Investigate best practices in key : Investigate best practices in key areas and decide on 4-6 overall learning areas and decide on 4-6 overall learning objectives. Conclude this phase by mid-April.objectives. Conclude this phase by mid-April.

• Spring and Summer 2008Spring and Summer 2008: Compile/develop : Compile/develop specific activities designed to achieve learning specific activities designed to achieve learning objectives. Explore financial viability. Assess objectives. Explore financial viability. Assess human resource needs. Perhaps begin limited human resource needs. Perhaps begin limited faculty development.faculty development.

• Fall 2008Fall 2008: Decide on specific activities to : Decide on specific activities to achieve learning objectives. Develop QEP portion achieve learning objectives. Develop QEP portion of budget. Decide on assessment measures. of budget. Decide on assessment measures. Create timetable for implementation. In other Create timetable for implementation. In other words, finish the plan!words, finish the plan!

Key QEP DatesKey QEP Dates

December, 2008: December, 2008: Completion of QualityCompletion of Quality

Enhancement Enhancement PlanPlan

March 26, 2009: March 26, 2009: QEP draft report dueQEP draft report due

April 1-7, 2009: April 1-7, 2009: Conference calls re Conference calls re QEPQEP

June 11, 2009: June 11, 2009: QEP lead evaluator QEP lead evaluator duedue

August 25, 2009:August 25, 2009: QEP final report dueQEP final report due

October 6-8, 2009: October 6-8, 2009: On-site reviewOn-site review

SAILS Subcommittees

1. Best Practices in Learning Strategies--General--Discipline Specific--Learning Strategies Courses

2. Learning Centers3. Learning Communities4. Distance Education Learning

Strategies5. Learning Styles/Teaching Strategies

Best Practices in Learning Strategies

1. Can we find some research-based, general learning strategies? Some categories to consider: note-taking, setting goals, time management, concept mapping, support groups, conquering text anxiety.

2. What learning strategies work well for specific discipline areas? – Math? Science? English? History? Clinical applications?

3. What do other institutions offer in the way of study skills courses? Do they have data documenting their effectiveness?

Learning Centers

1. How do other institutions’ Learning Centers build learning strategies into their services?

2. What other services do they offer?3. How do they sustain their services?4. How do they build and retain their

clientele?5. What services are available online?6. Do they offer some models we might

consider adopting?

Learning Communities

1. What is meant by the term “learning community”?

2. What does research show about the effectiveness of learning communities?

3. How are other institutions using and organizing learning communities? How effective are they?

4. Are there some pitfalls to avoid?5. Are there models we might want to

consider?

Distance Education Learning Strategies

1. What barriers to learning are associated with distance learning?

2. What learning strategies are specific to the needs of distance education students?

3. What teaching strategies can enhance the distance education experience and improve student learning?

Learning Styles/Teaching Strategies

1. How can we determine the learning styles of our students?

2. What do our students need to know about learning styles? How do we share that information with them?

3. How can we help students adapt to a teaching style that does not match their learning style?

4. What are effective teaching strategies to accommodate students’ different learning styles?

5. How can these strategies be used to teach specific content in specific subject areas?

6. How can we address the professional development needs of faculty?

SAILS Subcommittees

1. Best Practices in Learning Strategies--General--Discipline Specific--Learning Strategies Courses

2. Learning Centers3. Learning Communities4. Distance Education Learning

Strategies5. Learning Styles/Teaching Strategies