Student Success Programs at Ryerson: Two Modes of Delivery

1. Student Success Programs at Ryerson: Two Modes of Delivery Don Kinder Bob Jackson Ryerson University Library

2. Ryerson University • Established as a university in 1993 • Former Polytechnic Institute (est. 1948) • 19,000 FTEs (comparable to McMaster) • Very Urban campus Commuter campus • Largest Continuing Education program in Canada • 12 Graduate programs (including 5 PhD)

3. Ryerson Library • 81 staff • Includes 22 librarians • Most librarians have subject specialties besides a regular portfolio

4. Session Outline • Background: Student Success courses at Ryerson, library involvement, collaboration with faculty • Library’s experience with: • Business 100 (BUS100) “Strategies for Success” • Arts and Contemporary Studies 102 (ACS102) “Learning and Development Strategies”

5. Student Success & Retention: Backround • Student success courses relatively new at Ryerson (last 4 years) • Student Retention: driving force behind student success courses • Significant attrition problems at Ryerson in certain programs, e.g. Business, Sciences/ Engineering

6. Student Success at Ryerson • Ryerson Task Force on Student Retention struck by VP Academic in 2002. • Met for 6 months • Released Final Report of recommendations, Oct. 2002. • www.ryerson.ca/lt/resources/task_force/finalrep.pdf (Report) • www.ryerson.ca/lt/resources/task_force/ (Appendices)

7. Task Force on Student Retention • 14 members • Faculty, students, Student Services, Registrar, Secretary for Academic Council (Senate), CE, Library, Learning and Teaching Office (chair)

8. Task Force tasks: • Reviewed retention strategies Ryerson/others • Interviewed departments and schools • Examined retention/attrition data • Conducted literature review, incl. best practices for student success (incl. student success courses) • Came up with 7 goals and 80 objectives. Library involved in 10 objectives

9. Task Force Objectives (Library involvement) and Partners • Assess need for, and develop/implement student success courses,, and assess the effectiveness of these programs. (Library, Program Dean, Student Services) • Promote collaboration between faculty and librarians (e.g. integration of IL standards into curriculum, assignment design.) (Library, Learning and Teaching Office, Depts/Schools/Programs) • Provide seminars for faculty on the incorporation of retention strategies into course design (e.g. IL, assignment design, academic integrity) (Library, Learning and Teaching Office.)

10. Selected Best Practices: Student Success Courses (Implementation/Delivery) • Front load the program (offer it in first term or first year) First six weeks critical • Small class size--no more than 25 students(!) • Course should be required (vs. elective) • Course should carry academic credit that applies toward graduation • Collaborative effort. Should involve Library, student support services, Writing Centre, etc.

11. Where did the Library end up in all of this? • Higher profile of library and its services. Recognition as a player in university endeavours through… • Collaborative work on Task Force with faculty, Student Services, Learning and Teaching Office, VP Academic’s Office, Digital Media • Library/Student Services, Library/Writing Centre, • New Arts and Contemporary Studies program (Fall ’03) developed a student success course as a result of the recommendations of the Task Force (ACS102) (Library involvement in planning process from inception) • Increased recognition of role of library in BUS 100

12. BUS 100 Backgrounder • Pre-dated Task Force on Student Retention • Proposal for course released Oct. 2000 by the director of Student Support Services and the Business School • Meant primarily to address retention issues • Focuses on the development of university-level skills • Library not included, initially (had to “force” our way in) • Mandatory course for all incoming business students. Non-credit. Pass/Fail.

13. BUS 100 (Lab-based Delivery) • 430 students (2001 and 2002) • 10 sections, 40+ students • Hands-on labs with exercises • 4 hours (4 weeks) • 10 librarians involved • Quizzes (4), 2 linked directly to core courses (ACC and Stats), pre/post test, and online tutorials • Quizzes graded (P/F). Created in collaboration with professors • WebCT for online content and quizzes

14. BUS 100 (Lecture Theatre Delivery) • 850 students 2003 (double cohort) and 2004 • One large class in theatre • Drop-in sessions (2003) • 5 weeks for library module, 10-15 minute presentations • 4 librarians involved • Quizzes (4), 2 linked directly to core courses (ACC and Stats), pre/post test, and online tutorials • Quizzes graded (P/F). Created in collaboration with professors • Blackboard for online content and quizzes

15. Course Objectives (all years) • Raise awareness of Library resources & services • Develop library research skills • Identify relevant information sources • Formulate effective search strategies

16. Course Integration (all years) • Integrated with two first semester courses • ACC 100 : Introductory Financial Accounting (SEDAR) • QMS 102 : Business Statistics (Statistics Canada) • Faculty/Library collaboration in developing course content and quizzes

17. Course Evaluation(all years) • Pre-Test – designed to assess students knowledge of library resources prior to taking Business 100 • Four graded multiple choice quizzes – OPAC, ABI, SEDAR & Statistics Canada • Post-Test - designed to assess students knowledge of library resources after taking Business 100

18. Delivery using Blackboard • Integral to the course given lecture-based teaching environment • Used widely by Ryerson Business faculty for course delivery • A simple interface well suited to the needs of novice users • Supports the delivery and grading of multiple-choice quizzes • Easy linking to course content

19. Blackboard Business 100 Site

20. Assignments

21. Ryerson Library Links

22. Library Links : Bizlib

23. Bizlib : Tutorials

24. Lectures :Instruction or Entertainment? • Delivered Monday mornings in the Ryerson Theatre • Up to 850 first-year students (without coffee!) • Not a lecture theatre (no writing surfaces, etc.) • Shared “air-time” with other performers • Presentations limited to 10-15 minutes

25. Lectures :Breaking the Ice • Emphasis on Accessibility & Service • Frequent use images to augment lecture content • Pop-cultural references used for emphasis • Infomercial format – short “sight bites”

26. Lectures : The Top Ten … • The Top Ten reasons why you may benefit from the Library’s Business 100 program…. http://www.dandersonillustration.com/car_David_Letterman_big.jpg [for graphic]

27. 10 … • The last time you visited a library, Barney was still your favourite TV show www.cs.utah.edu/ ~riloff/personal.html [for graphic]

28. 8 … • The last time you used a library card was to pick a lock http://www.ahajokes.com/crt891.html [for graphic]

29. [Graphic of Conrad Black] You think that peer review refers to the recent trials and tribulations of a well known author and publisher 7 …

30. 5 … • You’ve attempted to use a style guide to coordinate your wardrobe http://www.waynewolfe.com/images/Drag%20Queen.jpg [for graphic]

31. Lectures :Illustrating the Basic Concepts of Library Research • Using images to convey empathy and accessibility • Using pop-cultural imagery to illustrate the basics of library research – defining a topic, developing a search strategy • Reinforced through brief real-time demos of library-based resources

32. You Begin by Defining Your Topic Definition is important! Which words or concepts best define or describe your research topic? [Graphic of very well-defined male and female]

33. Then Developing a Search Strategy Often combining 2 or more single concepts… [graphic] Jlo AND Ben

34. To obtain specific results… [graphic] Jlo AND Ben

35. [graphic] Jlo OR Ben

36. [graphic] Jlo NOT Ben

37. Assessing the Outcome • Comparison of Pre-test and Post-test results • Reviewing student ratings • Reviewing student comments

38. BUS 100: Fall 2002 (Hands-On Format) • N=430 • Q3:Google will satisfy most of my info needs • Q4: What is a scholarly journal? • Q5: Boolean operators • Q6: Formation of a strategy using Boolean • Q8 Citing resources on the web

39. BUS 100: Fall 2003 (Lecture Hall) • N=850 • Q3:Google will satisfy most of my info needs • Q4: What is a scholarly journal? • Q5: Boolean operators • Q6: Formation of a strategy using Boolean • Q8 Citing resources on the web

40. Data Comparison: 2002 to 2003 • 2003 data (less improvement evident between pre- and post test) may reflect increased class size (430 in 2002 to 850 in 2003) • Lecture format (2003) with little or no personal contact with student. (Lab-based format (2002) allowed for smaller classes of 40 students, hands-on practice, personal help with assignments

41. How would you rate the Library Sessions?2003

42. How would you rate the four library assignments? 2003

43. I feel that the library sessions were:(2003)

44. Next Time? • Reduce the number of quizzes • Create a library-specific discussion board on the Business 100 Blackboard site • Embed library-specific discussions on other first-year courses offered through Blackboard • Offer virtual office hours through MSN • Revise online tutorials with Camtasia

45. Business Students and Additional Library Instruction • Library instruction statistics consistently highest for the Business Program (years 1-4) • Saw 3000+ students in library classes in 2004/05 year in addition to the 850 BUS 100 students • 3 Business librarians • Can afford to spend less time with students in BUS 100 because we’ll see them all again in 2nd, 3rd, 4th years when library-based assignments play a greater role in program • BUS 100 intended to introduce some library concepts, and to show a “friendly face” • As a Student Success program—not intended to scare them or present assignments that are too difficult

46. Arts and Contemporary Studies (ACS102) • New BA program Fall 2003 • 265 incoming students (’03 and ’04) • Arts/Humanities-focused program • 14-week required Credit Course

47. ACS 102 (“Learning and Developing Strategies”) Course Objectives • “Assuming that the 21st century will be led by those who learn best, the objective of this course isto equip students to realize their full potential in the program, as well as prepare them for life long learning. The course will include opportunities for self-assessment, team work, application and skill development.” • Study skills, information literacy/library skills, group work survival, time management, stress management,, writing skills, self assessment, career planning, equity/diversity, etc.

48. ACS 102 Library Component • Library was part of the curriculum planning process from the beginning • Faculty identified students as having difficulty grasping differences between scholarly and popular sources, reasons why one would be used over other • Also differences between scholarly finding aids (databases) and Google

49. ACS 102 Library Component • Didn’t want to overwhelm the students with every possible library research angle • 4+ hours contact time, plus library assignment (other departments got 1 or 2 hours) • “Low tech” approach (no Blackboard)

50. ACS 102 Library Component (Lecture/Presentation) • First 2-hour session (265 students) • 1 hour presentation on identifying & evaluating information sources (see accompanying PowerPoint presentation) • Types of info, relevance, authority, thinking critically • “Small” Group exercise: divided into groups of 10 • Distributed magazine, scholarly journal, web site, or newspaper article • Assessed their publication using criteria covered in presentation (simulating the assignment they would be getting)