How Teaching a First-Year Seminar Impacts Instructors

1. How Teaching a First-Year Seminar Impacts Instructors Jennifer Hodges & Greg Dieringer, The University of Akron 7th Ohio First Year Summit October 2009, Cincinnati, OH

2. Overview • Introductions • What type of first-year seminars are offered on your campus? • Who teaches the first-year seminars? • Is it mandatory? • How are the instructors trained and compensated? • Review of Previous Research • First-Year Seminar at the University of Akron • Research Findings • Discussion • Conclusions & Recommendations

3. Previous Research on the Impact of Teaching a First-Year Seminar • Focused almost exclusively on tenure-track faculty • Examined both the training and the actual teaching experience • For tenure-track faculty: • Fidler, Neururer-Rotholz, and Richardson (1999) found that teaching a First-Year Seminar resulted in faculty using a wider array of teaching techniques, lecturing less, and facilitating discussion in the other courses that they taught. • Wanca-Thibault, Shephard, and Staley (2002) found that faculty applied the teaching techniques learned by teaching a First-Year Seminar to their other courses, and that the teaching experience helped them to build interpersonal relationships across disciplines and develop a better understanding of the first-year students on their campus. • McClure, Atkinson, and Wills (2008) also found that teaching in a First-Year Seminar influences how faculty teach their other courses.

4. The Current Study • Primary Research Question: • What impact, if any, does teaching a First-Year Seminar have on instructors? • Sub-questions: • In what ways, if at all, is the impact on instructors different based on their primary role on campus (i.e., faculty, academic adviser, academic administrator, staff, etc.)? • How do instructors perceive the role of First-Year Seminar instructor in comparison to their primary role on campus? • How, if at all, does an instructor’s primary role on campus shape the way he/she approaches teaching the First-Year Seminar? Is the impact reciprocal? Is the impact iterative? What factors, beside primary role on campus, mediate the impact? • Online Survey • 4 Open-ended questions • 4 sets of Forced-choice questions (36 total questions) • Sent to 49 instructors

5. FYE at The University of Akron • Institutional Characteristics • Midwestern, urban, primarily commuter institution • Approximately 28,000 students (23,300 undergrads) • 22% of undergrads are 25 or older • University Admission – Direct, Standard, Provisional • Student Success Seminar • Required for Provisional Admits, open to all students • Approximately 1500 students enrolled per year (about 1200 in the fall and 300 in the spring) • Primarily an Extended Orientation course • About half of fall sections are part of a Learning Community • Instructors come from all across campus

6. The Transition to College – the purpose of the Student Success Seminar at UA This elective course is designed to help new students transition from high school or work to the college environment. The seminar, which counts as two credit hours toward a degree, covers topics such as: • Transitioning to the Campus Community • Developing Learning Skills • Building Academic Awareness • Discovering The University of Akron

7. Student Success Seminar Instructor Profile • Recruited via University-wide electronic announcement and word of mouth • Requirements – masters degree or higher and interest in/experience with first-year students • Training – one-day training in May, 3 to 4 instructor meetings during the fall semester • Fall 2008/Spring 2009 Instructor Demographics • 57 instructors • 52 full time faculty or staff • 5 graduate assistants • 49 instructors received the survey invitation • Was not sent to graduate assistants • One person had left the institution and had no access • Researchers not included

8. Respondents compared to Invited 65% response rate Gender and Race/Ethnicity for Invited group based on Human Resources data. Gender and Race/Ethnicity for Responded group based on survey responses.

9. Job Function and Academic Advising * 2 faculty marked other categories

10. As a result of teaching the Student Success Seminar:

11. Additional Questions about Teaching SSS

12. Related Open-Ended Questions What originally motivated you to become a Student Success Seminar Instructor? • “I enjoy being a part of students’ academic success.” • “My desire to see as many students as possible graduate.” • “The opportunity to have a positive impact on students, particularly first year and first generation students.” • “Having funds to spend on class materials, conference travel, etc. was the main motivation.”

13. Related Open-Ended Questions From your perspective how is the Student Success Seminar viewed on our campus by faculty, staff, and administrators? • “I feel the class is not taken seriously by many…” • “Terrible course—difficult to teach.” • “Most people I know don’t even know we do it.” • “Somewhat negative comments of working with these students.” • “Many think it is a remedial course for students.”

14. To What extent has Teaching SSS influenced how you address the following topics as you interact with students in your primary job?

15. Related Open-Ended Questions As a result of teaching the Student Success Seminar, what do you do differently in your primary job? • “I have learned more about the student population and what their needs are.” • “I make an effort to input as much SSS content into my advising appointments as possible.” • “More group work...more communication from student to instructor…use of outside resources.” • “I incorporate more study skills in my regular courses.”

16. To what extent does your experience gained through your primary job influence how you teach the following topics in the Student Success Seminar?

17. Related Open-Ended Questions How does your experience in your primary job function shape the way you teach the Student Success Seminar? • “I spend a lot of SSS time teaching about majors, general education courses, required GPA’s…” • “It has enhanced my ability to understand the age groups and the student’s perspectives.” • “I know how rigorous some majors are, so I try to make sure that students are aware of how much work college is.” • “My primary job allows me to see the problems of first year students and helps to recognize some problems new students have adjusting to the new atmosphere.”

18. What does this research indicate about who SHOULD be teaching First-Year Seminar classes? Validates that the learning objectives in advising overlap with those covered in an extended orientation First-Year Seminar. Additional or different training may be required for instructors without advising responsibilities. Teaching a First-Year Seminar can be a powerful tool for faculty because it exposes them to knowledge and skills they might not encounter in their primary job function. Implications

19. Areas for future research Other questions we should have asked: • What was the instructor’s understanding of our student population prior to teaching the class and what is their impression now? • How do advisers perceive how their primary job function contributes to the mission? • Are the persistence outcomes (GPA, retention, credits completed, etc.) different based on an instructor’s primary job function? Multi-Institutional Research • It would be interesting to do a broad, multi-institutional study to look at different responses based on how a First-Year Seminar is structured at different institutions. • Impact of teaching a First-Year Seminar on professional advisers versus faculty advisers.