AN ONLINE STUDENT ORIENTATION THAT CLOSES THE GAPS First Year Experience Strategies

Why are we here?

SENSE - Survey of Entering Student Engagement Key Findings: Early Connections The majority of entering students say they felt welcome at college, but smaller percentages of students report that they received information and support that is critical for their success.

Achieving the Dream Promising Practices : 2010 Leader Colleges  First-Year Experience efforts are comprehensive approaches designed to improve success rates and increase retention of first-year students.  First-Year Experience programs may include interventions focused on the streamlining admissions processes, increasing financial aid uptake, community outreach, student success courses, and targeted orientation and advisement.

ACC Student Success Initiative 5 Core Goals The college measures its success through the core SSI goals and employs multiple intervening strategies to achieve them. 1. Increase Persistence (Term-to-Term & Fall to Fall) 2. Complete Developmental and Adult Education course progression to credit courses 3. Increase Completion of All Attempted Courses with a 'C' or Better 4. Increase Degree/Certificate Graduates and Transfer Rates 5. Increase success equity across all racial/ethnic/gender/income groups

Entering Student Engagement Summer 2009 Entering Student Engagement Ad-Hoc Committee included student services staff and faculty Projects College Success Course Student Success Workshops (F2F and Online New Student Orientation (F2F and Online)

The Instructional Development Edge Instructional Development Services (IDS) was invited to participate in the ESE Ad-Hoc Committee because  IDS designed and developed a tutorial on admissions and registration in 2005 – request to ‘enhance’ presentation  IDS was experienced the design and development of online courses and programs  IDS provided curriculum development, instructional design, multimedia development and video production. Instructional Designers are usually not at the table during planning if they are there at all.

The Orientation Program (TOP) Fall 2010  Revised F2F Orientation Delivered  New Online Orientation Delivered (October)  Mandatory for First-time-in-college (FTIC)  Registration hold for the following semester

The Results

Impact of Orientation Fall09 to Spring 10 Group Total Did not return Spring 2010 Returned Spring 2010 Difference Returned Fall 2010 Difference NNRow %N N Not FTIC No Orientation in Fall ,41412, %22, % 15.1 Orientation in Fall % % Total34,81312, %22, % FTIC No Orientation in Fall ,5811, %3, % , % 11.9 Orientation in Fall % % % Total5,4351, %3, % %

Impact of Orientation Online and Face-to-Face Fall 2010 Group Total Did not return Spring 2011 Returned Spring 2011 Difference Returned Fall 2011 Difference NNRow %N N Not FTIC No Orientation in Fall 37,42912, %24, % 16.4 Orientation in Fall % % Face-to-Face % % 4.9 Online % % Total38,19712, %25, % FTIC No Orientation in Fall 3,4461, %2, % , % 11.5 None vs. F2F 9.6 None vs. Online 18.6 Orientation in Fall 2, %1, %1, % Face-to-Face1, %1, % 9.3 1, % 9 Online % % % Total5,9031, %4, %2, %

Impact of Orientation By Gender Gender Group Total Did not return Spring 2011Returned Spring 2011 No O to OnlineReturned Fall 2011 No O to Online NNRow %N N FTIC No Orientation in Fall Female 1, %1, % % Male 1, %1, % % Total 3,4461, %2, %1, % Orientation in Fall Female 1, %1, % % Male 1, % % % Total 2, %1, %1, % Face to Face Female 1, % % % Male % % % Total 1, %1, %1, % Online Female % % %18 Male % % %19.3 Total % % %

Impact of Orientation By Ethnicity Did not ReturnReturnedTable Total EthnicityGenderTypeNRow%NRow#NRow % BlackFNo Orientation in Fall % % % BlackFFace to Face %7981.4% % BlackFOnline 220.0%880.0% % BlackM No Orientation in Fall %8550.6% % BlackM Face to Face %4577.6% % BlackMOnline 311.1%2488.9% %

Impact of Orientation By Ethnicity Did not ReturnReturnedTable Total EthnicityGenderTypeNRow%NRow#NRow % HispanicFNo Orientation in Fall % % % HispanicFFace to Face % % % HispanicFOnline 712.7%4887.3% % HispanicMNo Orientation in Fall % % % HispanicMFace to Face % % % HispanicMOnline 713.2%4686.8% %

Impact of Orientation By Ethnicity Did not ReturnReturnedTable Total EthnicityGenderTypeNRow%NRow#NRow % WhiteFNo Orientation in Fall % % % WhiteFFace to Face % % % WhiteFOnline %9085.7% % WhiteMNo Orientation in Fall % % % WhiteMFace to Face % % % WhiteMOnline 65.2% % %

Impact of Orientation Males

Impact of Orientation Females

Impact of Orientation Females / Ethnicity SSI Core Goals 1. Increase persistence term to term and year to year 5. Increase success equity across all racial, ethnic, gender, and income groups

Impact of Orientation Males / Ethnicity SSI Core Goals 1. Increase persistence term to term and year to year 5. Increase success equity across all racial, ethnic, gender, and income groups

Impact of Orientation FTIC/ Gender SSI Core Goals 1. Increase persistence term to term and year to year 5. Increase success equity across all racial, ethnic, gender, and income groups

Impact of Orientation Non Resident Alien SSI Core Goals 4. Increase persistence term to term and year to year 7. Increase success equity across all racial, ethnic, gender, and income groups

The Orientation ACC

Traditional Orientations  Many orientations are developed by the department that offers or oversees the delivery of the program.  Staff or faculty are familiar with the content and what they perceive students need.  Online orientations try to replicate F2F information (i.e. look like websites, heavy use of talking head video, etc.

Orientation Examples    orientation.net/normandale/technology_resources.cfm orientation.net/normandale/technology_resources.cfm     

Instructional Designers  Specialize in conducting needs analyses to clearly identify needs (data-driven)  Develop targeted learning experiences (based on audience needs)  Ensure that the resources and materials help learners reach the expected outcomes  Start with the end in mind – what will be tested

Development  Delivered Online  Part of NEXUS portal ( DEF )NEXUS DEF  Tracked through IT interface  Testing Component  FTIC student requirement  Registration Hold for 2 nd Semester

Design  A Tutorial/Training Module  Revise Orientation Objectives / Outcomes  Clear expectations  What’s in it for me?  After completing orientation, you will be able to…  Provide relevance through supporting information  Quotes from others outside of the institution  Why is this important or what is in it for me?

Design (continued)  Chunk information into short segments  Help students digest small amounts of information at a time  Edited to read at a 7 th grade level  Graphics support references in the text but are not central  Video is used when it helps show something we cannot do with text or audio. (College Connection example)College Connection example

Design (continued)  Information is clearly sequenced  Step-by-step  Each section builds on the next  Like information is grouped  Tracks the status of completion  How far have I gone  How much more is left  Elements of a gaming - progress towards goal

Design (continued)  Assessment  Check for understanding combines cases with some multiple choice.  Cases tell stories of students and help the reader connect –  Emotional connection provides greater recall.  Case answers provide additional useful information to reinforce concepts that were in the tutorial.

Design (continued)  Completing TOP  Once all sections are completed, student has 3 take- aways from TOP 1. Completion Certificate 2. Resources Page 3. Emergency Procedures Doc.  Reward/Incentive – registration hold removed

Evaluation  Point-of-Service (Handout)  Design  Self-reported outcome  Used to redesign and revise  End of Semester Survey  Focus Groups  Interviews

ACC NEXUS  Houses the student tutorials for  Admission and Registration (ACC 101)  Paying for College (ACC 102)  The Orientation Program (ACC 103)  Open to anyone  Tracks student use  Provides resources at completion

The Future of New Student Orientation and NEXUS Additional Modules  Distance Learning (ACC 105)  Student Support Services (ACC 106)  Academic Resources (ACC 104)  Student Technology Skills (ACC 107)  International Student Orientation Track Interface with New Student Portal Test Prep and Remediation Modules

Q & A Dr. Susan Thomason Director Instructional Development Services

Instructional Development ACC