Fostering Climates of Learning for Future Students Betsy L. Diegel, Ed.D

1. Fostering Climates of Learning for Future Students • Betsy L. Diegel, Ed.D • Director or Academic Services & Associate Professor

2. Ground Rules • Be open-minded • Be honest with yourself • Raise your hand and answer or verbally reflect on any question I have in the presentation. • Commit to making at least one change for future teaching practices.

3. Survey • A student perspective view of your classroom….

4. Vincent TINTO • 5 main conditions that we as faculty have control over: • 1. Expectation • 2. Advice • 3. Support • 4. Involvement • 5. Learning • Students are much more likely to persist and graduate in settings that support the above. • Take control so students can realize their full potential of developmental growth. • Most important condition for student retention: Fostering learning

5. NSSE (National Survey of Student ENGAGEMENT • 5 benchmarks of effective teaching practices • 1. Level of academic challenge • 2.Active/Collaborative learning • 3. Student/Faculty exchange • 4. Enriching educational experiences • 5. Supportive campus environment -academic & social needs • Let’s examine this now through examples that you can incorporate into your teaching practices on a regular basis!

6. Level of Academic Challenge • No student rises to low expectations- Les Brown • Teach the subject matter the first day of class. • -begin to build a sense of community • How well do you feel you are doing in bridging the gap between the high achieving student vs. less than prepared student? • Listen and sit down in their group during active learning activities, ask questions, walk around the room, offer praise • Make frequent eye contact.

7. Active/collaborative learning • Hold students accountable for taking on their share of the responsibility for learning. More of them, less of me! • Put them in charge of their learning and encourage them to reach higher • Ex) Leader of a class conversation instead of • a speech. • Ex) Ask students to suggest a new method of • learning material. • Students will respect you when they know that they have a voice in how they learn, not just what they learn.

8. Student/Faculty Exchange • Are you the first one to arrive to class? Last one to leave? • Casually chat with students before and after class, know their names. • Do you participate in the first icebreaker alongside of them? • Acknowledge them on campus or in public- less likely to be scared if you know them and care • Welcome them to your office hours • Set a mandatory amount of visits students need to attend your office hours (Ex) 2X per semester).

9. Student/Faculty Exchange • Students love to give us their feedback but it is just as crucial for us to be giving detailed, consistent feedback to students. • Ex) in class counseling sessions • Online environment- do you welcome every student individually and respond to the Introduction DB during the first week? • Going beyond weekly office hours • Video lectures • Setting aside time to be available to assist with groupwork • Motivation (U of Phoenix, 2014)

10. Enriching/Educational Experiences • People don’t care what you know until they know you care- (Marshall,2012) • Build a community of learners- create a “Family” • -talk about things that matter to them • -have them create personal goals the first day • -rigorous but fun • “Don’t even think about dropping this class because I will hunt you down!” (Spencer, 2013).

11. Enriching/EducATIONALExperiences • In class experience- Complete an exam in trios after they have just completed the exam alone • Weave diversity into the curriculum through an out of class assignment (students interview each other, online-Facetime each other)

12. Supportive Campus environment • We are doing an awesome job! Results from Student Satisfaction Survey every year. • Do you assume students are not prepared when really they could be fearful of you or the course? • Fear of failure • First Gens • Educate ourselves about fear, recognize it, offer guidance • Video yourself • Create a safe learning environment • Receive feedback from a colleague about your syllabus, ask to sit in on your class • Fair policies, nuturing learning environment, encouraged to ask questions, assignments are clear

13. Supportive Campus environment • Refer a student who has psychological, emotional, financial trouble. We are not counselors. • Do not want the classroom climate that we have established to be altered. • Classroom relationships are involuntary.

14. Additional Considerations • The Teaching Professor- May 2014 issue • Taking the Tech Out of Technology • Students did not want more technology • Wanted and needed more instructor contact (talking, professional bonding, feedback) • Suggestion: Blend human contact ---- Technology • What ideas do you have?

15. Another Climate to Consider: Implementing the Flipped Classroom • BIOL 121L- Fall 2013 through Spring/Summer 2014 • Past- spent too much time lecturing to prepare students for lab activities • End of semester survey, focus group • Not an entirely flipped classroom • Video(s) • Handouts • Weekly pre-lab quiz

16. Survey results • 77% better experience in BIOL 121L because of pre-lab work as compared to other lab classes. • 78% had more confidence in lab each week because of the pre-lab work and completing the 10 point quiz. • 92% liked knowing what was covered before coming to lab. • 81% felt they could participate more in lab. • 38% felt their lab practical scores increased because of the work they had to complete before coming to lab.

17. Qualitative Feedback • Great and very beneficial • Great approach, helpful • Liked knowing what we were doing ahead of time • Hit the ground running- begin with learning not listening • I wouldn’t have pre-read otherwise, only would have done what was due that day. • Talked too fast • Add cumulative questions to quiz each week • Want it again in future

18. COME FULL CIRCLE • What do you think about your survey responses now? • Take time to make notes, reflect

19. Take Home Message • Share the most valuable item you have learned from today’s presentation. • Take what you have learned today to inform future teaching practices. • My goal for you: Implement at least one new item this Fall 2014!

20. References • Bledsoe, T., & Baskin, J. (2014). Recognizing student fear: The elephant in the classroom. College Teaching, 62(1), 32-41 • Boyer, S. Edmonson, D., Artis, A. & Fleming, D. (2014). Self-directed learning: A tool for lifelong learning. Journal of Marketing Education, 36(1), 20-32. • Tinto, V. (2001, June 19). Taking Student Retention Seriously. Annual Recruitment and Retention Conference, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. Austin, Texas. Retrieved May 11, 2006 from http://www.mcli.dist.maricopa.edu/fsd/c2006/docs/takingretentionseriously.pdf.