Strengthening the Institutional Learning Climate

1. Strengthening the Institutional Learning Climate Title III Update Teaching & Learning Conference March, 2004 Quinsigamond Community College

2. Quinsigamond Community CollegePresenter Contact Information Anne Shull Instructor of English & ESL ashull@qcc.mass.edu 508-854-7452 Elaine Previte Coordinator, Math Center eprevite@qcc.mass.edu 508-854-4449 Meredith Twombly Research & Assessment Specialist mtwombly@qcc.mass.edu 508-854-7455 Colleen Doherty Director of Career Development cdoherty@qcc.mass.edu 508-854-4309

3. First Two Years of Title III Grant • Revise Curricula: Intermediate Reading, Writing, and Algebra • Create a College Orientation Course • Establish a Title III Database • Grades • Persistence • Learner Demographics

4. Year 3 of Title III Grant Improving the Learning and Retention of Developmental Students STRENGTHEN THE LEARNING CLIMATE FACULTY STUDENTS

5. 5 Focus Areas • Reflective Practice • Universal Design • Research and Assessment • Technology Applications • Professional Development Initiative

6. Projects Successes Challenges

7. REFLECTIVE PRACTICE

8. Reflective Practice A cognitive process and open perspective that involves a deliberate pause to examine beliefs, goals or practices in order to gain new or deeper understanding that leads to actions and improving the learning of students. In other words: Making time to talk with each other openly about what we do, how it works and why we do it . . .so that our students are able to learn more effectively in our classrooms.

9. Reflective Practice Methods Alone: • Journaling, Interactive or Partner Journals • Analyzing case studies • Videotape analysis of own teaching With Others: • Groups: dialogue, study, support • Cognitive coaching with a partner • Reflective questioning partners • Action research group • Group discussion- syllabus, teaching strategy… • On-line chat groups

10. RP Structure and Participants • 2nd Semester of RP Groups • 3-4 groups each semester from T3 redesigned and new courses -English -Math -College Orientation • Meetings less than one hour • Meet twice a month • Groups contain 3-10 faculty, adjunct and full-time

11. TOPICS ٠Making group work more effective, encouraging participation ٠ Assessment techniques ٠ Evaluating textbooks (during book selection time!) ٠ Classroom behavior issues ٠ Analysis of what makes specific activities successful ٠ Needs of ESL students

12. RP Protocol Steps 1. Presenter introduces issue for discussion (5 minutes)  2. Group members ask clarifying and probing questions (5-10 minutes) 3. Group members discuss issue. Presenter does not speak, but listens/takes notes (10 minutes) 4. Presenter responds to what was heard- possible insights, solutions, affirmations… (5 min)  5. Group dialogue/debriefing. What was learned? (5 min)

13. RP Group Successes • Enhanced morale/sense of belonging among adjunct faculty (“I feel like a professor now!”) • Concrete suggestions for improved instruction (“protocol” communication style keeps discussion focused and purposeful, avoids problem of bouncing uncontrollably in all different directions) 

14. RP Group Successes • Improved program continuity/awareness of what colleagues are doing  • Suggestions for programmatic changes/improvements, as well as curriculum revisions, have emerged from reflective practice groups. • Good cost/benefit ratio (in terms of time spent and results achieved)

15. RP Challenges • Time, time, time • Difficult to coordinate faculty schedules to find suitable meeting times • Continuity issue: Some very “invested” adjuncts could not continue a second semester because they did not receive those course sections • Need full-time faculty as anchors

16. UNIVERSALDESIGN

17. UDL is an educational approach to teaching, learning, and assessment, drawing on new brain research and media technologies to respond to individual learner differences- • Visual • Auditory • Memory/Recall • Process Language • Organize Information for Learning (CAST 2003)

18. Universal Design for Learning has its roots in architecture and other areas • Examples: • Building Ramps • Curb Cuts • Electric Doors • Closed Captioning on TV

19. Principals of UDL in Education • Provide multiple, flexible methods of • Presentation • Expression • Engagement

20. EXAMPLES OF UDL USING INSPIRATION.COMMath English

22. Outline Factor out GCF • I. Binomials • A.difference of squares • 1.a2 - b2 =(a+b)(a-b) • a.Example: • x2 - 16 • = (x + 4)(x - 4) • (1)Remember: signs are • +, - • B.difference of cubes • 1.a3 - b3 • = (a - b)(a2 + ab + b2) • (1) Example: • x3 - 27 • = (x - 3)(x2 + 3x + 9)

24. Successes • Many Students are Visual Learners -graphic organizers helps them to “see” the process • Using a Graphical Format Requires Instructor to Streamline the Concept

25. Challenges • It takes Time -Learning new software • It takes Patience -Not all faculty are VISUAL thinkers • It takes Persuasion -Some resistance to changing presentation modality

26. RESEARCH & ASSESSMENT

27. Assessing Title III Effectiveness • Student Performance in Developmental Courses • Persistence of Students in Developmental Courses • Impact of ORT 110 on Developmental Students (persistence, performance)

28. Title III Progress through Fall 2003 Student Performance: Three courses completely revised and implemented • Math 099 ( Intermediate Algebra) : Increased successful completion rate by 5% over baseline • ENG 091 (Intermediate Reading Skills) : Increased successful completion by 7% over baseline • ENG 096 (Intermediate Writing Skills) : Unclear results. Presently developing a common course exit essay as a more direct measure of student learning.

29. Student PersistenceFall ’02 – Fall ’03 • ENG 091: Up 2% over baseline • ENG 096: Up 11% over baseline • MAT 099: Up 4% over baseline • ORT 110: Up 33% over baseline!

30. ORT 110 (Strategies for College and Career) • How have ORT students compared to non-ORT students in terms of persistence?

31. ORT 110 AND DEVELOPMENTAL STUDENT PERSISTENCEFall 2002 Developmental Cohort: Persistence to Spring 2004

32. Summary of Findings • Curriculum revisions for two of three developmental courses have demonstrated a positive impact on student success in those courses • Curriculum revisions in three of three developmental courses have demonstrated a positive impact on student persistence • ORT 110 has demonstrated a strong positive impact on performance and persistence of students enrolled in developmental courses

33. Challenges • Establishing Reliable Baseline Data • Establishing formal definitions of ‘success’ and ‘persistence’ • Controlling for Institutional Policies and Procedures beyond the scope of the project team (ex. Course Registration/Withdrawal policies, student placement in ORT 110, non- academic factors that impact persistence such as tuition increases or program waitlists, etc.)

34. Future Outlook (Fall 2004-Spring 2005) • Continue measuring performance and persistence of developmental students • Analyzing student success with Common Exit Assessments in Developmental Courses- Comparing Exit Assessment Scores to Course Grades (seek 90% agreement in terms of Passing/Failure) • Compare Developmental Student GPA’s and Persistence Rates to “No-Need” students (seek less than 10% difference in terms of persistence and % achieving GPA over 2.00)

35. TECHNOLOGYto Support Faculty and Student Learning

36. T3 Web siteALL course information and T3 resources. http://www.qcc.mass.edu/t3IntraLearn 3 modules, set up as an on-line course for T3 faculty. Contains history, philosophy, goals and objectives of T3; learning needs of developmental students; and effective instructional methodologies. http://www.qcc.mass.edu/t3

37. CAPS Survey Demographic, student learning and career information. Pre- and post survey results. Beginning to identify retention interventions from data.http://www2.qcc.mass.edu/title3/Reports/ReportMenu.aspCAPS Plan Part of College Orientation course. Web-based student portfolio http://www2.qcc.mass.edu/title3.

38. Career LinkCurrently being tested as part of the College Orientation course. Provides links from QCC programs to actual careers using the DOL web site. http://www.qcc.mass.edu/t3/ort/careerlink.html

39. Challenges • Time to increase faculty and advisor comfort level with web-based learning tools • Multiple formats • Integration of web-based instruments with larger Student Information System

40. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

41. QCC Professional Development • Purposeful • Focused • Connected • Introspective and data driven

42. Goals and Challenges • Secure additional institutional support for professional development for adjuncts, full time faculty and support personnel • Further develop “Coaching” and Reflective Practice as a means to promote leadership and encourage faculty participation towards course improvement • Create an institution wide culture of Assessment

43. RESOURCES

44. Sources Used for Presentation -Equity and Excellence in Higher Education http://iod.unh.edu/EE/index.html (Reflective Practice and Universal Design) -CAST Center for Applied Special Technology http://www.cast.org/(Universal Design) Resources -National School Reform Faculty http://www.nsrfharmony.org/ (Reflective Practice) -Universal Design Project at Springfield Technical Community College http://depts.stcc.edu/ud/projteam.htm -Universal Design Center at UCONN http://www.facultyware.uconn.edu/office.htm

45. Resources -Reflective Practice in Higher Education, University of Indiana of Pennsylvania http://www.iup.edu/teachingexcellence/reflectivepractice/index.shtm -Practical Assessment, Research, and Evaluation http://pareonline.net/ -"A Handbook on Outcomes Assessment for Two-Year Colleges“ written byEdward Morante, College of the Desert obtain a copy by contacting: emorante@collegeofthedesert.edu -Kirkwood Community College Assessment Program http://www.kirkwood.cc.ia.us/vanguard/solutions/assessment/assessment_report.htm