Academic intervention programs

1. Rochester Institute of Technology Department of Mechanical Engineering Academic intervention programs

2. Structure • Student Services Office • Senior Staff Assistant • Student Information Specialist • Director of Student Services • First-Year Enrichment • Partnership between FYE Office and Mechanical Engineering • Curriculum developed in M.E. with a focus on attaining M.E. and FYE course goals.

3. Highlights of the FYE Course • Lays foundation for academic success strategies • Learning Styles • Working Styles • Time Management • Goal-setting • All students in the program have a common FYE experience

4. Why do college students fail? • Poor time management skills • Distractions • Not interested in course materials • Ineffective study strategies At RIT: MOST HAVE NEVER BEEN CHALLENGED

5. How do we teach academic success strategies? • “Manage your time better” • “Get extra help” • “Speak to your professors” • “Study more” • “Work harder” • “Set goals for yourself”

6. The High School Experience of 2008 • Pressures for high schools to perform (students achieve acceptable standardized test scores) have created a culture where students are being taught “to the test” rather than learning skills. • Math “drilling” has essentially been replaced by calculators and computers.

7. The High School Experience of 2008

8. Back to the FYE Course • Time management, study skills, etc. are useless unless… STUDENTS UNDERSTAND WHO THEY ARE, HOW THEY WORK, AND HOW THEY LEARN

9. Myers-Briggs Type Indicator • Extravert/Introvert – study atmosphere, social environments, distractions • Intuitive/Sensing – working in groups – who will want to move forward without data collection • Feeler/Thinker – more “practical” when making decisions • Judging/Perceiving – organizational styles

10. Felder’s Learning Styles • Chemical Engineer • Teaches at NC State • Co-director of the National Effective Teaching Institute (NETI) • After about 15 years, Felder realized he wasn’t reaching his students. • Says that teachers fall into two categories: • Those who present information • Those who help someone learn

11. Felder’s Learning Styles • Active vs. Reflective • Intuitive vs. Sensing • Verbal vs. Visual • Sequential vs. Global

12. First Probation • Students who earn a quarterly grade point average between 1.0 and 1.99 probation • Intake appointment: • Study strategies • Time management plan • Working styles • Career choices • Personal issues • Use above to develop action plan • Check in during week 7

13. Second Probation • Second probation: • LASSI • Progress reports • Group meetings • Meet with faculty advisor • Check-in with student services office during weeks 3, 6, and 9

14. LASSI • Learning and Study Skills Inventory • Administered online by RIT’s Academic Support Center • Online follow-up modules allow students to improve their skills in each area addressed in the inventory • Self-directed

15. LASSI Results

16. LASSI Skills Measured Refer to handout for a detailed description of each skill area

17. LASSI Follow-Up • Students agree to group meetings to discuss how they can/will use implement the strategies that they’ve learned • Group meetings are coordinated by student services staff • Faculty advisors are provided with results so that they can refer to LASSI when meeting with students.

18. Program Challenges • Time-intensive for student services staff • LASSI is self-directed • LASSI modules are “clunky” • Need buy-in from faculty