It’s More than Just a Study Skills Class: Essential Ingredients of Student Success Courses

1. It’s More than Just a Study Skills Class: Essential Ingredients of Student Success Courses Lynda Villanueva, Ph.D. Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs Brazosport College Data Coach, Achieving the Dream Pam Millsap, Ph.D. Dean of General Education Programs College of the Mainland

2. Why a Student Success Course? According to ATD data, there are large numbers of entering students who require developmental education, yet completion rates in developmental courses are low. Graduation rates are also shockingly low. One of the demonstrably successful interventions used by many ATD institutions is a student success course designed to support persistence and enhance engagement.

3. Community College- The Harsh Reality Only 45%of CC students earn a degree or certificate or transfer within 6 years of enrollment (O’Gara, Karp, & Hughes (2008))

4. Student Success Courses-Prevalence • 40% of colleges require some kind of success or orientation course • 33% require it for some students • 20% do not require it all Source: Community College Survey of Student Engagement (2008)

5. SSC’s-Where do they fit? STUDENT SUCCESS COURSES Reading, math, English, ESL

6. Are SSC’s Effective? Although formal research on student success classes is limited, there is a pervasive and intuitive sense that such courses are an absolute good-so self-evidently efficacious that neither the need nor the effects have been widely studied (Hope, 2010)

7. What Students Report…….. • 63% said they enhanced their learning skills • 69% said they improved their time management skills • 75% reported they better understood their academic strengths and weaknesses • 80% said they learned about importantcollege services • 81% reported they learned about critical processes and deadlines Source: Survey of Entering Student Engagement (2008)

8. Problems with Research on SSC’s Pros • Strong theoretical support • Building evidence base among ATD schools Cons • Difficult to isolate effects • No info on student demographics • No research on faculty training • Research assumes curriculum is implicitly understood • Models are as diverse as the students served

9. What SSC’s Must Overcome Source: Levitz and Hovland (1998)

10. Any Comprehensive Success Course Should…… • Be based on theories of student development • Be accessed early in students’ academic career • Promote interaction with peers, faculty, and campus community • Include strategies to familiarize students with campus resources • Be centrally coordinated Source: Perigo & Upcraft (1989)

11. Student Success Courses come in all shapes and sizes! • They differ with regard to the following variables: • *Credit vs. Non Credit • *Housed within a specific discipline vs. multidisciplinary vs. nonspecific • *Focus (study skills, learning styles, life skills, etc.) • *Required vs. Optional • *Tied to specific student populations

12. Fundamental Assumptions Source: Hope (2011)

13. Curriculum of SSC’s: What Colleges Report • Study Skills (40.8%) • Critical Thinking (40.6%) • Academic Planning (36.7%) • Time Management (26.8%) Source: Community College Survey of Student Engagement (2008)

14. We are here to emphasize the research- and theoretically-based components that should be incorporated in student success courses, and to describe how they are manifested on two different campuses

15. A Sense of Community and Belonging • Students have needs beyond the need to study and learn • Students require a way to transition psychologically into college • Joining the college community • Developing a sense of self as a student • When students have negative initial experiences, they develop perceptions that college is threatening, rather thana place to grow Source: Community College Survey of Student Engagement (2008)

16. A Sense of Belonging: Documented Success Increased student sense of belonging Integration into college community Persistence and Retention Peer & Faculty Interaction • Positive relationships with faculty in a SSC create the basis for less intimidating interactions with other faculty (Pascarella & Terenzini, 1991) • Meaningful relationships enhance motivation and learning (Bandura, 1977) • Student Involvement Theory-as students increase physical and emotional investment, retention increases (Astin, 1984)

17. Cognitive Theory and Study Skills • Provide students skills they need to enhance success • Note-taking • Time management • Reading strategies • Test-Taking • Need to consider ways to make transfer of skills a KEY feature Source: Hope (2011)

18. Emotion Regulation • Emotion is a key part of the learning process (Zull, 2004) • Emotional regulation is key for success in college • Testing and anxiety • Teaching students that they have what it takes to discover or strengthenthe talents that are needed to achieve • Growth mind-set (Dweck, 2007) • View effort positively and escalate learning when faced with challenges

19. Motivation • Designed to teach students strategies for learning independently (self-regulated learning) (Svinicki, 2004) • Meta-cognition • Minimizing distractions • Sustaining effort • Using effective learning strategies • Develop control over thinking and learning • Goal Orientation • Self-efficacy

20. Providing Navigational Tools for Success • Awareness is not enough • Inspire to seek and use resources • SSC’s provide an intro to services that promote comfort and familiarity (O’Gara, Karp, & Hughes, 2008) • Counseling • Tutoring • Career Planning

21. Learning Frameworks at Brazosport College and Psychology for Success at College of the Mainland contributed to the recognition of the colleges as leaders in the national student completion movement. ATD Leader Colleges

23. So let’s get right down to it….. Student Success Course: *Psychology 1300/Education 1300 *Credit (three hours), transferable course *Focus: Teaching students success strategies for college and in life! *Includes the following topic areas: College of the Mainland‘s

24. The On Course curriculum, adopted and integrated into COM’s First-Year-Experience Course, is predicated on the idea that successful students: Accept self-responsibility* Gain self-awareness* Discover self-motivation* Adopt life-long learning* Master self-management* Develop emotional intelligence* Employ interdependence* Believe in themselves* *From Skip Downing’s On Course curriculum

25. From Humble Beginnings…… COM requires PSYC 1300 as a corequisite/prerequisite for courses in all three developmental education areas!

26. Has the course had a positive impact? YES!

27. Students who take the course are more likely to be retained!

28. Not only are students who take the student success course more likely to stay in college, but students who complete the course are also much more likely to successfully complete their developmental education courses!

29. Discussion Point # 3: Status of PSYC/EDUC 1300

30. Discussion Point # 3: Status of PSYC/EDUC 1300

31. Discussion Point # 3: Status of PSYC/EDUC 1300

32. Letters from students… “I can honestly say that without this class I probably wouldn’t have passed my other classes.” “A main thing I learned from this class is that it’s alright to ask for help…” “Within the first week I knew that I was indeed getting something out of this class. I was not put in here because I was a bad student, but to learn how to be a BETTER student.”

33. A typical day at College of the Mainland in the Psychology 1300 classroom………. Active & collaborative learning… Learning new skills… Building relationships…

34. Rubric: Psychology 1300/Education 1300 Course Title: Psychology for Success Course requirements include: *Journal writing *Quizzes *Oral presentations with power point *Group project on study strategies *Campus activities and tutoring

35. Key components of course: *Orientation to the campus (scavenger hunt) *Involvement of key campus resources **Advising **Career planning **Library resources **Wellness program **Financial Aid **Success Speakers Bureau *Success Principles and Practices

36. Retention is enhanced through the development of success skills plus the engagement of students with others and in learning… College of the Mainland Psychology 1300 Students, Fall 2010

37. And now for a perspective from another classroom on another campus…

38. Take responsibility for learning • Find relevance and meaning in studies • Cope with stress • Attitudes • Skills • Behaviors • Time Management • Writing • Reading • Taking Notes • Research Skills • Preparing for Exams • Memory • Problem Solving • Seek help • Set goals & persist • Transfer skills to other college course work

39. The Brazosport College Learning Frameworks curriculum is predicated on the idea that college is like a job. To be successful, college students need a special set of knowledge, skills, abilities, and attitudes to help them succeed in school and later in life.

40. From Humble Beginnings…… Board of Regents requires ALL first-time-in-college students to take PSYC 1300

41. Approximately 6,645 students have taken the course

42. This semester, dual/concurrent students made up 58%of the total population in Learning Frameworks.

43. This semester, sophomores made up 77%of all dual/concurrent students taking Learning Frameworks • This semester marks the second time Learning Frameworks was offered to sophomores in their Spring semester

44. HAS LEARNING FRAMEWORKS MADE AN IMPACT AT BRAZOSPORT COLLEGE?

45. _____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____

46. ____ ____ ____ ____

47. 80%

48. TEA approved the innovative course application submitted by Brazosport ISD and based upon Learning Frameworks at Brazosport College • Applies to every high-school district in the state of Texas Innovative Course Approval

49. Learning Frameworks at Brazosport College was recognized by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board as the winner of STAR award for demonstrating exceptional contributions toward Closing the Gaps by 2015 STAR Award Winner

50. On September 27, 2011, the U.S. Under Secretary of Education and CEO of ACT joined Excelecia in Education in honoring Brazosport College’s Learning Frameworks program among America’s top programs that increase degree completion among Latinos at the associate, bachelor, and graduate level. Learning Frameworks was selected from among 195 competitors as one of 16 national finalists for the 2011 Examples of Excelencia recognition Excelencia in Education