Experience in a One Semester Format Dr. Charles T. Muse Brandman - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Conducting the First Year Experience in a One Semester Format

• Dr. Charles T. Muse

Brandman University Thomas Muse Horry-Georgetown Technical College

“Never before have we had so little time in which to do so much.”

Franklin D. Roosevelt

Are You In The Right Session?

• Looking at “Engaging Freshmen Through

Active Learning in a College First Year Experience” their First Semester and Transforming Remedial Math

Looking at Two Things

• 1. The approach we have taken in

the first year experience in one semester

• 2. The evolution of the math

experience

Listing Experience

• Put the dot on the “i” –
• Write the word Xerox between the spaces–
• Circle the one that does not belong – MB,

BB, or DB

• Circle the one that does not belong – Rugs,

Drums, Eggs, or Sex

First Year Experience Strategy

• First Year Students Weak in Student Success

Skills, i.e., self-esteem, study skills, organizational skills, TM skills, Health & Wellness, etc.

• Non-Traditional Students: Navigate Admissions,

Financial Aid, Basic Computer Skills, College Website & Wavenet

• Developed College FYE (3 credit hours) Course to

address these and other needs

Recruiter FYE Responsibilities

• ASSIST Recruiter

Resources Utilized

• MyStudentSuccessLab
• Annual Planner
• Textbook

Major Subjects

• Connecting with Your Campus Resources
• Goal Setting and Motivation
• Time Management
• Recognizing Your Potential and Building Self-Esteem
• Information Processing and Learning Styles
• Communications
• The Process of Note Taking
• Learning How to Study
• Test-Taking Strategies
• Health and Wellness: Mind, Body, Spirit
• Career Planning, Marketability and Diversity

New Features

• Help I Need a Job!
• Social Media … Making Connections
• Math – The Four-Letter Word!
• Tips for Success

Learner Centered Approach

• Engage the Learner/Student

– What TM problems/objectives do you have? – List on board or chart – These objectives become part of the course objectives – Looking for “buy in”

• Provide Real Life Examples

– From previous student surveys – Ask students for other examples

• Use a number of Exercises and Assessments

– For example, in Organizational & TM skills use the wheel exercise – Assess strengths and weaknesses

Learner Centered Approach

• Demonstrations

– Demonstrate various TM, Organizational, Goal Setting tools

• Practical Application in and out of class

– Example: Weekly Time Analysis

• Summary/Conclusion

– Each week “One Minute Paper Exercise”

• List the three to five major points covered this week
• List major points that you need covered next week
• Build into next weeks classes/exercises
• Follow-up and Evaluation

– Example: MyStudentSuccessLab follow up & evaluation of the use of calendars & to do lists, Goals & Objectives, etc.

Assessment

• Assessment of freshmen retention first

semester to second semester

• Ten Years – 2000-2010
• Students that participate in COL 103

demonstrated a greater retention rate first semester to second semester for example in DVS math, 32% to 65%. (Also added a Math Hub ten years ago)

• DVS Reading, English, and math completion

rates, a grade of “C” or better, have increased over these ten years from 47% to 66%.

Proverbs 29:18

• “Where there is no vision, the people

perish.”

Alice In Wonderland

• A fork in the road or two roads
• Alice asked the Cheshire Cat, which way do

I go

• The Cat asked Alice where are you going
• Alice replies, I do not know
• The Cat replies, then it does not matter

which road you take

Classic Approach to Strategic Planning or Goal Setting

• Start with your Values or Beliefs
• Then you need to Focus or get a Direction
• Goals: Specific, Realistic, Attainable, & Put

in Writing

• Measurable Objectives with deadlines

Nursing Student

• Value: Health Professionals
• Focus: Desire to be a RN
• Goals: List specific goals that will lead to a

professional career as a RN

• Measurable Objectives: List measurable
• bjectives with timelines for each Goal

• HEALTH AND WELLNESS—

MIND, BODY, SPIRIT

• How Much Do You Know

About Health & Wellness?

Points to Emphasize

• Most important: Engage students the first

day

• Got to have “buy-in”
• Exercises and Assessments that keep

students engaged

• Follow-up and Evaluation of student

activities as well as student successes

• Any given semester 65% to 75% of student

tested into Developmental Math

FDTC’s remedial math transformation began with the SACS Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP)–

• The title of the plan is Calculate This! modeled

after the University of Alabama’s Math Technology Learning Center.

• The QEP is a compliance standard that has been

established by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS).

• The QEP is an ongoing plan of continuous

improvement done on a 5-year reporting cycle.

Transforming Remedial Math

Tutors Instructor

Primary Goal of QEP

… to increase student knowledge of course competencies by at least 5% in our remedial/prerequisite courses.

How We Measure Our Primary Goal

• Within the first two days of each semester,

students are given a course pre-assessment: a subset of the departmental final exam

• A subset of the departmental final exam serves as

the post-assessment

• Both sets of data are stored electronically and

used to compare changes in student learning

• utcomes
• Finally, the data are divided into two groups for

comparison: Hub environment and traditional environment .

Primary Goal Results

The average increase from pre to post for 2650 Hub students is 34.7 points The average increase from pre to post for 2728 traditional students is 29.1 points

Percent difference between the two environments is

34.7 29.1 100% 19.2% 29.1   

This well exceeds our goal of 5%

Secondary Goal One

… to increase the course success rate in remedial/prerequisite math classes by at least 5%.

Secondary Goal One Results

The success rate for 5574 Hub students is 56.7% The success rate for 9996 traditional students is 41.9%

Percent difference between the two environments is

56.7 41.9 100% 35.3% 41.9   

This well exceeds our goal of 5%

Secondary Goal Two

… to increase the course success rate of students in curriculum math courses who took the prerequisite math course by at least 5%.

Secondary Goal Two Results

The success rate in a curriculum math course of the 867 students who took the prerequisite math course in the Hub environment is 63.1% The success rate in a curriculum math course of the 3077 students who took the prerequisite math course in a traditional environment is 59.7% Percent difference between the two environments is

63.1 59.7 100% 5.7% 59.7   

This exceeds

• ur goal of 5%

Secondary Goal Three

…to increase the average on the final exam of each remedial/prerequisite math course by at least 5%.

Secondary Goal Three Results

The average grade on the cumulative final exam of the 3203 Hub students is 77.1 The average grade on the cumulative final exam of the 7800 traditional students is 69.2 Percent difference between the two environments is

77.1 69.2 100% 11.4% 69.2   

This well exceeds our goal of 5%

Additional Observations

• Active student learning
• One-on-one help
• Increased student/faculty communication
• Additional time on task
• Course acceleration
• Increased self-confidence and motivation

Title III Grant

FDTC received a $1.87 million Title III grant in Fall, 2009, to expand the Hub. As a result, most of the remedial/prerequisite math students now use and learn math via the Mathematics and Technology Hub.

“Roadways To Success”, Williamson,

McCandrew, & Muse. 5th Ed. Pearson Education Inc., 2013. ISBN 10: 0-13-231745-1 ISBN 13: 978-0-13-231745-0

For more information…

Questions: Bob.Indrihovic@fdtc.edu Pat.Velicky@fdtc.edu http://qep.indrihovic.com

• The Original Proposal – Calculate This!
• Five Year Impact Report
• Title III Annual Performance Report (Year

2)

• Much More…