Using Data to Drive Decisions: How LLCs are Using Collaborative Relationships to Assess our Impact University Life Professional Symposium 2013 Kara Danner Director of Living Learning Community Development Jamie Moynihan Graduate Student and Assistant Director, Admissions

Participants will learn:  An example of how to successfully partner with current Mason graduate students to assist with program assessment  A clear example of how one such study was conducted,what we learned, and how we are using that data to inform future decisions  How university goals are reflected within the partnership

Overview of LLCs At Mason  Wide variety of LLCs at Mason  Students live together around an area of academic interest  Every LLC has an academic component  Primarily freshmen

Focus of This Project  Freshmen retention  45 different sections of Univ 100  Six of the 45 Univ 100 sections are LLC sections  Students in the Engineering and Business and Economics LLC sections of Univ 100 also have the option of taking Eng 101 together

National Trends  Association of American Colleges & Universities identifies LLCs as a high impact practice (  Lessons Learned from the NSLLP - GPAs - Retention - Time to graduation - Essential Learning Outcomes - Transition to college

CTH 826 Project Goals  For students to learn how higher education assessment works in a real situation, including developing a project  For students to apply what they are learning in the course  For programs to receive assistance in an assessment project of importance to their program

Project Commitment  Project Statement  Meetings  Comments

Concept Map

English 101  Fulfill General Education Requirements  Context Learning  Peer Tutors/Mentors

Living Learning Communities  11 LLCs for Freshman  Engineering and Business/Economics LLCs  University 100 component

Data Collection  Qualitative and quantitative data  Analysis of retention  In-state v. Out of state retention  Student Interviews

Retention

Out-of-state students within LLC

Student Interviews  12 Students interviewed  Peer Mentor program  Created and added to the sense of community  Self-Authorship

Recommendations  E-portfolio  Student Focus groups during their sophomore year

Next Steps/Further Questions  How effectively do our LLCs - Help students make a successful transition to college? - Facilitate academic achievement and retention? - Improve student learning and development?  What is the impact of a linked gen ed course?

References  Baxter Magolda, M. B. (2007) Self-authorship: The foundation for twenty-first-century education, New Directions for Teaching and Learning, 109, pp. 69–83.  Baxter Magolda, M. B. (2001). Making their own way: Narratives for transforming higher education to promote self development,  Dana, H., Hancock, C., & Phillips, J. (2011). A Research Proposal To Evaluate The Merits Of Writing Across The Curriculum. American Journal of Business Education (AJBE), 4(5),  Betts, S. C., & McCarthy, A. (2010). The professional writing initiative: Providing support for business students. Allied Academies International Conference: Proceedings of the Academy of Educational Leadership (AEL), 15(1), 2-6. Retrieved from EBSCO host.  Von Konsky, B. R. & Oliver, B. (2012). The iPortfolio: Measuring uptake and effective use of an institutional electronic portfolio in higher education. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 28(1),  Inkelas, K. K., and Associates. (2004). National Study of Living–Learning Programs: 2004 eport of findings.  Inkelas, K. K., Vogt, K., Longerbeam, S., Owen, J., and Johnson, D. (2006). Measuring outcomes of living–learning programs: Examining college environments and student learning and development. Journal of General Education 54(4): 294–328.  Kurata, S., Tanaka, H., Koike, S., Sakai, H. & Sasaki, S. (2012). Utilization of e-Portfolio to Support Student Life: Preparation of Standards on Living Activities by Students.  Lambert, S.D., and C.G. Loiselle. (2008). Combining individual interviews and focus groups to enhance data richness. Jounal of Advanced Nursing: Research Methodology 62, no. 2: 228–37.  Love, A. G. (1999). What are learning communities? In: Levine, J. H. (ed.), Learning Communities: New Structures, New Partnerships for Learning (Monograph No. 26), National Resource Center for the First Year Experience and Students in Transition, University of South Carolina, Columbia, 1-12  Nestel D, Ivkovic A, Hill RA, Warrens AN, Paraskevas PA, McDonnell JA et al. (2012) Benefits and challenges of focus groups in the evaluation of a new Graduate Entry Medical Programme. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education; 37(1):  Stassen, Martha L (2003). Research in Higher Education. Student outcomes: The impact of varying Living-Learning Community models. Volume 44, Number 5,  Thompson, Kenneth. Retrieved November. 8, 2012 from  Tinto, V. (1997). Classrooms as communities: Exploring the educational character of student persistence. Journal of Higher Education 68, 599–623.  Tinto, V. (2000). Learning better together: The impact of learning communities on student success in higher Education. Journal of Institutional Research 9, 48–53.  George Mason University (2012). Living Learning Communities. Retrieved from  George Mason University (2012). University General Education. Retrieved from ttp://catalog.gmu.edu/preview_program.php?catoid=19&poid=18087 ttp://catalog.gmu.edu/preview_program.php?catoid=19&poid=18087  The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (2012). Retrieved from nces.ed.gov/ipeds/

Questions?