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Talk to Me and ENGAGE

Talk to Me and ENGAGE. Improving Faculty-Student Interaction from Both Sides of the Fence Priscilla P. Nelson Dept. of Civil Engineering pnelson@njit.edu 973-596-5864. Two Efforts—Same Goals, Parallel Approaches. Talk to Me and ENGAGE Improve retention Increase student success

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Talk to Me and ENGAGE

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  1. Talk to Me and ENGAGE Improving Faculty-Student Interaction from Both Sides of the Fence Priscilla P. Nelson Dept. of Civil Engineering pnelson@njit.edu 973-596-5864

  2. Two Efforts—Same Goals, Parallel Approaches Talk to Me and ENGAGE • Improve retention • Increase student success • Increase faculty-student interaction

  3. What is ENGAGE? Extension Service Project • Modeled after the Cooperative Extension Services of Land Grant Universities. • Extending a successful product or strategy to a community who will benefit from the strategy. • Opportunity to bridge research and practice pertaining to retention of undergraduate engineering students • 30 engineering schools in five years This material is based on NSF Grant 0833076.

  4. What is the goal of ENGAGE? The overarching goal of ENGAGE is to increase the capacity of engineering schools to retain undergraduate students by facilitating the implementation of three research-based strategies to improve student day-to-day classroom and educational experience. Focus: 1st and 2nd year engineering students ENGAGE strategies improves retention for ALL students and has an even greater impact on underrepresented groups.

  5. What strategies is ENGAGE extending? • Improve Spatial Visualization Skills (among 1st year students with weak skills) • Integrate Everyday Examples that are familiar to students (in 1st and 2nd year courses) • Improve and increase level of Faculty-Student Interaction (among 1st & 2nd year students)

  6. Faculty-Student Interactions Make a Big Difference in Student Engagement and Success

  7. Two of the most significant factors affecting engineering student engagement, retention, and academic performance are the quality and extent of student interactions with engineering faculty. Positive student learning outcomes are correlated with faculty discussion with students about the nature of engineering work and affirmation of students' ability to successfully perform such work. Dr. Norman FortenberryExecutive Director, American Society for Engineering Education

  8. Taking Action in the Classroom: Talk to Me and Faculty-Student Interactions

  9. Talk to Me is for Students • Talk to Me piloted in 2010 with 223 students in 5 schools • Facilitator instructional materials • Methods of delivery • Coaching • Assessment tools

  10. Five Pilot Schools Kettering University University of Louisville The Ohio State University University of Texas at Austin Virginia Tech

  11. Talk To Me materials PPT presentation and handout materials addressing: “How and Why to Talk with Your Professors” “What to Consider Before You Meet with Your Professor,” and “What to Say When You Meet with Your Professor” PPN happy to meet with student groups on request

  12. Talk to Me Pilot: Key Results • Did you meet with a professor since the Talk to Me seminar? • Females 55% “Yes” • Males 71% “Yes” • This finding is statistically significant. (p = .07) • How satisfied were you with result? • 66% Very Satisfied • 34% Somewhat Satisfied • 0% Disappointed

  13. Research Base – Faculty-Student Interactions In general frequent student interaction with faculty has positive effects on student development, involvement and retention. In 1993 Astin & Astin found this was NOT true in engineering. Be mindful that all interactions influence – why not make them positive?

  14. Research Base – Faculty-Student Interactions Faculty attitudes and actions affect academic climate and culture. Resultant impact on student recruitment and retention Nature of faculty student interactions affects academic performance Susan Donohue (2008, NAE Fellow – now at TCNJ)

  15. What’s the issue forFaculty-Student Interactions Why change anything – Why not keep on doing what we’ve (I’ve) always done? We can improve on our success - We need to increase retention and student success. "If you keep on doing what you've always done, you'll keep on getting what you've always got.“ -- W. L. Bateman

  16. FSI - Research Findings:Faculty-Student InteractionsInfluence Progress and Persistence • American Society for Engineering Education. (2009). Creating a Culture for Scholarly and Systematic Innovation in Engineering. • MentorNet. (2008). Students’ Perceptions of the Value and Need for Mentors as They Progress Through Academic Studies in Engineering and Science. A report to NSF. • Pfund, C., Pribbenow, C.M., Branchaw, J., Lauffer, S.M., Handelsman, J. (2006) The Merits of Training Mentors. Science. (311), 473‐474.

  17. Major Barrier: Time Constraints Not as much high-quality interaction Lack of time, larger classes

  18. Even Small, Casual Interactions Make a Difference! Amelink, C. and Creamer, E. (2010). Gender Differences in Elements of the Undergraduate Experience that Influence Satisfaction with the Engineering Major and the Intent to Pursue Engineering as a Career. Journal of Engineering Education. (99)1: 81‐92. “I was just about to change my major. I was getting overwhelmed. My professor talked to me and reminded me of the opportunities available to me in the field. I stuck with it, and I’m glad I did.”

  19. Faculty benefit too! • Students perceive greater accessibility • Better learning outcomes from students • Saves faculty time in office hours • Stronger course evaluations! Gall, K., Knight, D. W., Carlson, L. E., & Sullivan, J. F. (2003, Oct). Making the grade with students: The case for accessibility. Journal of Engineering Education, 92, 337-343. Dee, K. C. (2007, Jan). Student Perceptions of High Course Workloads are Not Associated with Poor Student Evaluations of Instructor Performance. Journal of Engineering Education, 96, 69-78.

  20. Research Finding 1: Faculty Approachability Matters Lundberg, C. A., & Schreiner, L. A. (2004). Quality and frequency of faculty-student interaction as predictors of learning: An analysis by student race/ethnicity. Journal of College Student Development, 45(5), 549-565. Kim, Y. K., & Sax, L. J. (2009). Student–faculty interaction in research universities: Differences by student gender, race, social class, and first-generation status. Research in Higher Education, 50(5), 437-459.

  21. Research Finding 1: Faculty Approachability Matters • Conveying approachability can be as simple as: • as maintaining eye contact during lectures • saying hello in the hallway • Smiling • Say yes to invitations from students to go to university functions (e.g., sports)

  22. Tip for Approachability: Use Students’ Names • Print a Sheet with Student Photos and Names • Use a Seat Assignment • Table Tents with Names • Example • Before: “Remember last time we talked about building a bridge.” • After: “Remember last time when Jennifer described the bridge she built...”

  23. Tip to Improve Approachability: Use Small Group Office Hours Organize students into small groups Rotate small groups through Office Hours

  24. Research Finding 2: Giving Effective Feedback Improves Student Work - Pappas, E. C., & Hendricks, R. W. (2000). Holistic grading in science and engineering. Journal of Engineering Education, 89(2), 403-408. - Rae, A. M., Cochrane, D. K. (2008). Listening to students: How to make written assessment feedback useful. Active Learning in Higher Education, 9(3), 217-230. - Roselli, R. J., & Brophy, S. P. (2006, October). Experiences with formative assessment in engineering classrooms. Journal of Engineering Education, 95, 325-333.

  25. Tip: Use a Grading Rubric • Why? • Reduce questions; improve perception of fairness; save time! • Grading is more specific, transparent and consistent • Students learn more effectively

  26. Sample Rubric Grade: 12/20 Component A: Computation 2errors (- 6) Component B: Evidence complete Component C: Examples 3 of 4 included (- 2) Watch those computation errors. I am confident you can do higher quality work next time.

  27. Another idea: Invite Questions in Writing • Idea: Invite students to submit questions at end of Class (no names needed) Or • Invite students to submit questions ahead of time, before class – and then answer them during lecture Or • Use clicker or in-class assessment

  28. Another idea: Invite assessment Conduct a mid-semester course assessment by the students – get feedback in time to respond to it and make improvements during the semester (rather than wait until the end).

  29. Research Finding 3: Faculty Expectations Influence Student Performance • Students feel more capable and motivated to try • Gives students hope • Cohen, G. L., Steele, C. M., & Ross, L. D. (1999). The mentor’s dilemma: Giving critical feedback across the racial divide. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 25(10), 1302-1318. • - Dweck, C. (2006). Mindset: The new psychology of success. Random House: New York. Encourage students to succeed

  30. Sample email “I noticed from grading the assignments that many people skipped one critical step. I’m posting a link to a website that might be helpful, so take a look before Wednesday. This is a step that trips up a lot people. Don’t give up.”

  31. Research Finding 4: Linking Academics to Future Careers Motivates Students • Lotkowski, V.A., Robbins, S.B., and Noeth, R.J. (2004). The Role of Academic and Non‐Academic Factors in Improving College Retention. ACT, Inc. • - MentorNet. (2008). Students’ Perceptions of the Value and Need for Mentors as They Progress Through Academic Studies in Engineering and Science. A report to the National Science Foundation.

  32. Tip for Academic-Career Link:Start Class With a 1 Minute Message • Reach more students • Students feel encouraged, invited, informed

  33. Tip for Academic-Career Link:Tell them about you • Share information about yourself, and your faculty personal career goals • Share your research passions

  34. Examples • “Volunteering just a couple of hours a week on research can be a great thing to do. Professor Brown is looking for help, so stop by office hours to learn more.” • “Jessica, one of my former students who now works for the EPA, says that she uses what she learned in this class on a regular basis in her work.” • “I recently learned [at a conference/in the paper/ in my research] that…” and • The “Faculty Connections” project at UT Austin.

  35. Summary: Some of the Time-effective Tips Smile, keep in eye contact in the class and in the hallways, walking on sidewalks Use photos , seating chart, or roster to use names Rotate students through small group office hours Use grading rubrics to give effective feedback Invite questions in writing at end of class Encourage students, try to not say “no” Give a 1 minute message that highlights links between academic learning and careers Other ideas – what is NJIT’s best practice?

  36. References Amelink, C. and Creamer, E. (2010). Gender Differences in Elements of the Undergraduate Experience that Influence Satisfaction with the Engineering Major and the Intent to Pursue Engineering as a Career. Journal of Engineering Education. (99)1: 81‐92. American Society for Engineering Education. (2009). Creating a Culture for Scholarly and Systematic Innovation in Engineering. Lotkowski, V.A., Robbins, S.B., and Noeth, R.J.(2004). The Role of Academic and Non‐Academic Factors in Improving College Retention. ACT, Inc. www.act.org/research/policymakers/pdf/college_retention.pdf MentorNet. (2008). Students’ Perceptions of the Value and Need for Mentors as They Progress Through Academic Studies in Engineering and Science. A report to the National Science Foundation. www.mentornet.net/documents/about/results/evaluation/.../index.aspx Pfund, C., Pribbenow, C.M., Branchaw, J., Lauffer, S.M., Handelsman, J. (2006) The Merits of Training Mentors. Science. (311), 473‐474. Cohen, G. L., Steele, C. M., & Ross, L. D. (1999). The mentor’s dilemma: Giving critical feedback across the racial divide. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 25(10), 1302-1318.

  37. References Dweck, C. (2006). Mindset: The new psychology of success. Random House: New York. Kim, Y. K., & Sax, L. J. (2009). Student–faculty interaction in research universities: Differences by student gender, race, social class, and first-generation status. Research in Higher Education, 50(5), 437-459. Lundberg, C. A., & Schreiner, L. A. (2004). Quality and frequency of faculty-student interaction as predictors of learning: An analysis by student race/ethnicity. Journal of College Student Development, 45(5), 549-565. Pappas, E. C., & Hendricks, R. W. (2000). Holistic grading in science and engineering. Journal of Engineering Education, 89, 403-408. Rae, A. M., Cochrane, D. K. (2008). Listening to students: How to make written assessment feedback useful. Active Learning in Higher Education, 9(3), 217-230. Roselli, R. J., & Brophy, S. P. (2006, October). Experiences with formative assessment in engineering classrooms. Journal of Engineering Education, 95, 325-333.

  38. Further Reading Amelink, C. (2009). Overview: Mentoring and Women in Engineering. SWE‐AWE Applying Research to Practice Series, CASEE Overviews. Chen, H., Lattuca, L. & Hamilton, E. (2008). Conceptualizing Engagement: Contributions of Faculty to Student Engagement in Engineering. Journal of Engineering Education. (97)3. Chesler, N. & Chesler, M. (2002). Gender‐Informed Mentoring Strategies for Women Engineering Scholars: On Establishing a Caring Community. Journal of Engineering Education. (91)1. Goodman, I.F. & Cunningham, M.L. (2002). Final Report of the Women’s Experiences In College Engineering (WECE) Project. Metz, S.S., Brainard, S.G., and Litzler, E. (2010). Extending Research Into Practice: Results From The Project To Assess Climate In Engineering (PACE). Proceedings of the American Society for Engineering Education 2010 Annual Conference, Session AC 2010‐ 723. Micomonaco, J. and Stricklen, J. (2010). Toward a Better Understanding of Academic and Social Integration: A Qualitative Study of Factors Related to Persistence in Engineering. Proceedings of the American Society for Engineering Education 2010 Annual Conference, Session AC 2010‐1467.

  39. Further Reading • National Academy of Engineering. (2009). New Directions in Engineering Excellence: Keeping Students Engaged • Vogt, C.M. (2008). Faculty as a critical juncture in student retention and performance in engineering programs. Journal of Engineering Education. (97)1: 27‐36. • Winters, K. Matusovich, H. and Streveler, R. (2010). How Student‐Faculty Interactions Influence Student Motivations: A Longitudinal Study Using Self‐Determination Theory. Proceedings of the American Society for Engineering Education 2010 Annual Conference, Session AC 2010‐1107 • Ohland, M. W., Sheppard, S., Lichtenstein, G., Eris, O., Chachra, D., & Layton, R. A. (2008). Persistence, engagement and migration in engineering programs. Journal of Engineering Education, 97(3), 259-278. • Packard, B. W. (2004-2005). Mentoring and retention in college science: Reflections on the sophomore year. Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory, & Practice, 6, 289-300. • Packard, B. W., & Hudgings, J. H. (2002). Expanding college women’s perceptions of physicists’ lives and work through interactions with a physics careers web site. Journal of College Science Teaching, 32(3), 164-170.

  40. Further Reading • Rugutt, J., & Chemosit, C. C. (2009). What motivates students to learn? Contribution of student-to-student relations, student-faculty interaction, and critical thinking skills. Educational Research Quarterly, 32(3), 16-28.

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