Engaging our students Christine F. Brown

What was the Year for this Penn State Faculty Quote? ‘ “One hundred percent of the present freshmen class should not have been admitted.” The average student “comes to the College without having written a theme in his life. He knows no practical, useful grammar; he has pitiful little vocabulary……when he writes he loses himself in a maze of words.”’ --Dr. Fred Lewis Pattee, YEAR?, p. 58 In: Bezilla, M. (1985). Penn State: An illustrated history. University Park, PA: The Pennsylvania University Park Press.

My interest in the topic My work as an instructor My interest in college student retention My current research project

What the Research Says… Engagement (Alexander Astin, George Kuh, Vincent Kuh) A way to measure how involved/invested/integrated students are with an activity or institution Higher level of engagement = better outcomes and better retention Different Students Experience and Learn Differently Student-Faculty Relationships Faculty and their interactions with students are an essential component of: Student success (Bensimon, 2007; Endo & Harpel, 1982; Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005) Retention (Freeman, Hall, & Bresciani, 2007; Lundquist, Spalding, & Landrum, 2003; Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005; Tinto, 1993, 2012)

Benefits to Students There are many benefits to our students. Faculty who employ engaging, active techniques can encourage: Deeper learning (Carini, Kuh, and Klein, 2006; Umbach & Wawrzynski, 2005) Sense of belonging (Hong, Schull, & Haefner, 2011; Stebleton, Soria, & Huesman, 2014) Perception of being cared for (Copeland & Levesque-Bristol, 2011; Vogt, 2008; Yen & Arbous, 2011) Sense of validation (Rendon, 1994; Rendon-Linares & Munoz, 2011)

This is What we Want to see

This is What we see

A few tips before we Start Timing is everything Transitional activities To perk up a lecture Entire class period (beware the MWF Effect) Don’t be afraid of trying new things Share with others what you learned Ideas that work for your class Your discipline The psychological make-up of your class

Before We start… An acknowledgement to Dr. Skip Downing On Course http://oncourseworkshop.com/

Vocabulary Acquisition Affirmation Activity

Working In Groups Group Role Play Scenario

In-class writing Prompts Silent Socratic Dialogue

What do you think/feel/believe when I say “August 22” Writing prompt

Exam Review Adapted circle technique

Adapted Circle Technique Student Roles Supervisor: keeps the group moving and on task Head Secretary: takes notes Quality Assurance Leader: makes sure that all parts are completed and per directive Lead Researcher(s) (more than one can play this role): looks up information Spokesperson: will provide a report to the larger group Guidelines 1. Explain the task. Groups can have similar to dissimilar tasks. 2. Students decide on roles 3. Start activity (“Tips for new faculty”) 4. Instructor monitors the activity by checking in with each group 5. Small group work stops. Each group reports to the class.

References Astin, A. W. (1993).What matters in college? Four critical years revisited. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Bensimon, E. M. (2007). The underestimated significance of practitioner knowledge in the scholarship on student success. The Review of Higher Education, 30(4), 441-469. Carini, R. M., Kuh, G. D., & Klein, S. P. (2006). Student engagement and student learning: Testing the linkages. Research in Higher Education, 47(1), 1–32. Copeland, K. J. & Levesque-Bristol, C. (2011). The retention dilemma: effectively reaching the first-year university student. Journal of College Student Retention, 12(4), 485-515. Endo, J. J. & Harpel, R. L. (1982). The effect of student-faculty interaction on students educational outcomes. Research in Higher Education, 16(2), 115-138 Freeman, J. P., Hall, E. E., & Bresciani, M. J. (2007). What leads students to have thoughts, talk to someone about, and take steps to leave their institution? College Student Journal, 41(4), 755-770. Hong, B. S. S., Shull, P. J., & Haefner, L. A. (2011). The impact of perceptions of faculty on student outcomes of self-efficacy, locus of control, persistence, and commitment. Journal of College Student Retention, 13(3), 289-309 Lundquist, C., Spalding, R. J., & Landrum, R. E. (2002). College student’s thoughts about leaving the university: The impact of faculty attitudes and behaviors. Journal of College Student Retention, 4(2), 123 Pascarella, E. T., & Terenzini, P. T. (2005). How college affects students: A third decade of research. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Pascarella, E. T., Salisbury, M. H., & Blaich, C. (2011). Exposure to effective instruction and college student persistence: A multi-institutional replication and extension. Journal of College Student Development, 52(1), 4–19. Rendon, L. I. (1994). Validating culturally diverse students: Towards a new model of learning and student development. Innovative Higher Education, 19(1), 33-51 Rendon-Linares, L. & Munoz, S. M. (2011). Revisiting validation theory: Theoretical foundations, applications, and extensions. In Cejda, B. D. (Ed.) Enrollment Management Journal: Student Access, Finance, and Success in Higher Education, 5(2), 12-33. Round Rock, TX: Texas Guaranteed Student Loan Corporation. Stebleton, M. J., Soria, K. M., Huesman, R. L., & Torres, V. (2014). Recent immigrant students at research universities: The relationship between campus climate and sense of belonging. Journal of College Student Development, 55(2), 196- 202. Tinto, V. (1993). Leaving college: Rethinking the causes and cures of student attrition. Chicago, IL: The University of Chicago Press Tinto, V. (2012). Moving from theory to action: A model of institutional action for student success. In Seidman, A. (Ed.) College Student Retention.  Formula for Student Success.  Lanham, MA: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc Umbach, P. D. & Wawrzynski, M. R. (2005). Faculty do matter: The role of college faculty in student learning and engagement. Research in Higher Education, 46(2), 153-184. Vogt, C. M. (2008). Faculty as a critical juncture in student retention and performance in engineering programs. Journal of Engineering Education, 97(1), 27-36.