R EDESIGNING G ENERAL P SYCHOLOGY USING U NDERGRADUATE L EARNING A SSISTANTS AS P EER M ENTORS Increasing Student Success in Social Sciences Conference April 18, 2011 at Buffalo State College Presented by Dr. Megan E. Bradley

Psyc150: General Psychology Frostburg State University in Frostburg, Maryland Annual enrollment: About 900 Mostly traditional students and 1 st year students Required course for Psychology Majors and 5 other majors

A CADEMIC P ROBLEMS Course drift & inefficiency 18 sections/year Each instructor created own syllabus, objectives, assignments, textbook, etc. Financial difficulties at University level Unable to retrieve lost FT faculty positions Fewer FT faculty available to teach upper-level courses requiring greater expertise

W HAT W E D ID Invited publishers to present products Team-approach with departmental support Created online instructor’s manual Chose Replacement Model Pilot semester 2 traditional sections (N=42) 2 redesign sections (N=99) Tripled capacity during Full Implementation (N = 150)

W HAT W E D ID Pilot Semester for Redesign Sections In-class meeting 1x/week; doubled capacity Active learning Weekly online assignments with ULA help Pre-lecture & Mastery Quizzes Discussions Prejudice Activity Academic Games & Self-Assessments

P ILOT C OMPARISONS N compared to prior # ADMIT GPA*FSU GPA* Traditional16% smaller Redesign100% larger *Significantly different; p =.005 (eta 2 =.027), p =.000 (eta 2 =.075)

P ILOT R ESULTS Redesign sections significantly better than traditional sections* Final exam scores positively correlated with average scores on MQs r =.523, p =.000 *A one-way ANOVA of section (6 total: 2 traditional and 4 redesign) on final exam percentage grades was significant, F = 4.710, p =.000, η2 = Question Common Comprehensive Final Exam:

P ILOT R ESULTS : 50 Q UESTION C OMMON C OMPREHENSIVE F INAL E XAM SectionAdmit GPAFSU GPAMean % on Final Exam Section 1 Traditional % Section 2 Traditional % Section 3 Redesign % Section 4 Redesign %

A CADEMIC P ROBLEMS R ESOLVED Course drift & inefficiency 18 sections/year to 5 or 6 sections/year Common objectives, syllabus, text, prep time, etc. Financial difficulties at University level Reallocation of FT faculty to upper-level courses Fewer adjuncts needed ULAs

P ILOT R EDESIGN I SSUES & I MPLEMENTATION S OLUTIONS Comprehensive final exam too much 3 unit exams Reduced overall coverage “Deadline Disorder” Reduced to: MQs, Discussions, Prejudice Activity 2 weeks to complete Students not ready for blended design Required computer lab 1x/wk

P ILOT R EDESIGN I SSUES & I MPLEMENTATION S OLUTIONS Students needed more in-class assistance Updated instructor’s manual to include brief direct instruction Need for more campus-wide support Held 3 workshops on redesign Implemented student support services programs Tutoring, Supplemental Instruction Wellness initiative

F ULL I MPLEMENTATION R ESULTS Full Implementation Redesign significantly better than Pilot Redesign & Traditional sections* Improvements worked *A one-way ANOVA of section (3 total) on common question percentage was significant, F = , p =.000, η2 = Common Questions

O VERALL R ESULTS Financial Savings $90/student to $25/student 1 FT position DWF rate Previous average: 13% 18% prior to pilot Pilot Semester Traditional sections: 4% Redesign sections: 22% Full Implementation 13%

R EASONS FOR S UCCESS Assessed everything and figured out what worked and what didn’t Computer lab Use of ULAs

ULA R ESPONSIBILITIES Assigned 2 small groups (N = 12) of Psyc150 students for all online work Grade Psyc150 student assignments based on rubrics Online discussions: Moderate & grade using rubric Answer student s

ULA C OURSE & R ECRUITMENT Learning Mentor in Psychology Purpose Field experience - Training Review current research on peer learning & leadership/mentorship Experience as peer mentor By recruitment only Get list of Psychology majors with high GPAs Seek support from faculty members Contact students & host information meeting(s) prior to registration

L EADERSHIP IN P SYCHOLOGY C ERTIFICATE P ROGRAM 1. 6 crs: Pre-requisites 2. 3 cr: Psychology “Leadership” Courses 3. 3 cr: Learning Mentor course – Must earn a C 4. 6 cr: Electives: Step 2 or 3

ULA INTERNSHIP & PAID POSITIONS Can work as intern for our department ULA + research assistant Become Supplemental Instructor Trained by another office Run 1-3 study sessions/week Become Tutor Trained by tutoring office

I MPACT Most have been accepted into graduate programs Many have earned assistantships 3 earned national summer internships 1 at Sloop Leadership Institute In 2008, the May & December commencement speakers for College of Liberal Arts & Sciences were ULAs (& SI instructors)