Sherry Bassi, School of Nursing John Sears, Residential Life

1. Creating an Effective Curriculum Learning Community Institute May 18, 2010 Sherry Bassi, School of Nursing John Sears, Residential Life

2. Creating an Effective Curriculum Presenters: Sherry Bassi, Ed.D., PHCNS, BC Assistant Professor School of Nursing John Sears, Ph.D. Associate Director of Residence Education Residential Life

3. Creating an Effective Curriculum Session Goals • 1. Identify the key players in a UConn LC • 2. Describe why collaboration is key • 3. The Triad Model: Developing a curriculum as a team • 4. Identify Practical tips for success

4. Creating an Effective Curriculum Session Format • 1. Informal • 2. Ask questions! • 3. Share examples • 4. Have fun! • [laugh at jokes]

5. Creating an Effective Curriculum UC LC TP University of Connecticut Learning Community Team Players

6. Creating an Effective Curriculum The Learning Community Team The “A” Team • FYE Instructor • FYEStudent Mentor • Faculty Director • Learning Community Coordinator • Learning Community Partner

7. Creating an Effective Curriculum The Learning Community Team The “SA” Team • Hall Director • Resident Assistant

8. Creating an Effective Curriculum The Learning Community Team Who’s in the room?

9. Creating an Effective Curriculum The Learning Community Team

10. Creating an Effective Curriculum The Learning Community Team

11. Creating an Effective Curriculum Collaboration Literature: Language, Culture & Models • Faculty from different disciplines (Eimers, 1999) • The move from student development: Learning Reconsidered (2004) • Models for collaboration • Barriers • Faculty hooks • SA Staff hooks • Why is (real) collaboration important?

12. Creating an Effective Curriculum The Student Experience • Good Learning Community Curricular Co-curricular

13. Creating an Effective Curriculum The Student Experience • Great! Learning Community Curricular Co-curricular

14. Creating an Effective Curriculum The Student Experience • Life-changing! Learning Community Seamless Curricular & Co-curricular Curricular Co-curricular

15. Creating an Effective Curriculum Interaction with Faculty Outside the Classroom …frequent interaction with faculty members is more strongly related to satisfaction with college than any other type of involvement, or, indeed, any other student or institutional characteristics. - Astin, 1985

16. Creating an Effective Curriculum Triad Approach A method to seamlessly merge the curricular and co-curricular aspects of a learning community

17. Creating an Effective Curriculum Triad Approach Background • First year experience @ ECSU • Dissertation-connectedness as a protective factor • Understanding the development of matriculating students is the first step in making a difference in their lives. • Struggling with large class sizes and getting to know students

18. Creating an Effective Curriculum Triad Approach Theoretical • Tinto (1993)-3 stages • Separation • Transition • Incorporation • Astin(1985) Involvement Theory • Emphasized that students learn and develop when they become active in the collegiate experience • Upcraft (1995) expanded on this theory: • "The greater the quantity and quality of involvement, the more likely the student will succeed in college" (p.18).

19. Creating an Effective Curriculum Triad Approach Personal Philosophy • Strengthen student’s confidence by integrating knowledge • Create good habits of mind and interaction • Explore professional and civic responsibilities as an educated person • Engage in UConn’s diverse cultural life (Have Fun)

20. Creating an Effective Curriculum Triad Model Faculty Director/ FYE Instructor RA LC Coordinator LC FYE Mentor LC Partner Hall Director

21. Creating an Effective Curriculum Triad Model

22. Creating an Effective Curriculum Triad Model Building a Syllabus • Meet late spring to compose the course description and objectives • Meet early summer to develop course outline • Agree on guest presenters • Equally distribute class dates • Designate dates where all three members of the TRIAD are present (first and last most important!) • Re-emphasize that the RA is a member of the TRIAD (and his/her programs count!)

23. Creating an Effective Curriculum Triad Model (Ultimate) Goals • Create a sense of community on the floor and in the class • Become integrated in campus life • Recognize the civic responsibility in service • HAVE FUN!!! • CONNECTEDNESS!!!

24. Creating an Effective Curriculum Triad Model Results… • Less work “sharing” the course • RA became an honor student • Publication on mentoring • Publication for faculty • Networks with other departments • Built longstanding partnership with Residential Life • Depends on the LC • Year to year varied • Great to see students when they became upperclassmen students in class or clinical

25. Creating an Effective Curriculum Triad Model A learning community prevents isolation; a learning community solves problems; a learning community enhances professional growth; and a learning community fosters mutual respect and connectedness. These accomplishments will reduce the number of nurses leaving nursing and ………foster retention and thus, enhance recruitment. Bassi & Polifroni (2005)

26. Creating an Effective Curriculum References Alitzer, A., Glover, W., Seehafer, & A., Walch, T. (1996). A model for increasing collaboration between academic and student affairs. College Student Affairs Journal, 16, 56-61. Astin, A..W. (1985). Achieving educational excellence: A critical assessment of priorities and practice in higher education. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Bassi, S. & Polifroni, C. (2005). Learning communities: The link to recruitment and retention, Journal for Nurses in Staff Development, 21 (3), 103-109. Eimers, M. (1999). Working with faculty from different disciplines. About Campus, March-April, 18-24. Fried, J. (1998). Steps to creative campus collaboration. Invited paper, National Association of Student Personnel Administrators. Lamadrid, L. (1999). Putting Descartes before the horse: Opportunities for advancing the student affairs link with academic affairs. College Student Affairs Journal, 19, 24-34.

27. Creating an Effective Curriculum References, continued Learning Reconsidered: A Campus-Wide Focus on the Student Experience. (2004). NASPA/ACPA Joint Policy Paper. Pearson, F. & Bowman, R. (2000). The faculty role: Implications for collaboration with student affairs. College Student Affairs Journal, 19, 29-40. Tinto, V. (1993). Leaving college: Rethinking the causes of student attrition, (2nd ed.) Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Upcraft, M. L. (1995). Insights from theory: Understanding first-year student development. First-Year Academic Advising: Patterns in the Present, Pathways to the Future, 18, 15-24. (Monograph #18). Columbia, SC: University of South Carolina , The National Resource Center for The First-Year Experience and Students in Transition.

28. Creating an Effective Curriculum Sherry Bassi 486-0597 sherry.bassi@uconn.edu John Sears 486-6184 john.sears@uconn.edu

29. Living & Learning University of Connecticut Learning Communities