introducing spark - cathy boyd-withers and mona fria-brown - sassy 2014
DESCRIPTION
Presented at the 2014 Student Affairs and Services Symposium at York University. This session, based on a poster session held at the recent CACUSS conference, will introduce participants to York University's new, free, e-learning academic writing resource, SPARK (Student Papers and Academic Research Kit). SPARK is a collaborative, pan-university project funded by the York University Academic Innovation Fund, and created by the Learning Commons, a partnership of the York University Libraries, the Learning Skills Services and the Writing Centre.TRANSCRIPT
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Cathy Boyd-Withers and Mona Frial-Brown Learning Skills ServicesCACUSS 2014: NAVIGATING CHANGEPoster Session June 9, 2014
Introducing
SPARK
A free e-learning tool for students
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What is SPARK?
E.learning resource, accessible freely online, to help students with academic writing tasks
Created by the Learning Commons, a pan-university collaborative partnership, consisting of:
• Learning Skills Services
• York University Libraries
• Writing Centre
Organized around the process of completing written academic assignments
• Emphasis on promoting “academic literacies”: research, writing and learning skills
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Division of StudentsPARTNERS IN STUDENT SUCCESS
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Learning Skills Services
Who are we?
• Administratively, LSS is located in the Division of Students, as a separate unit within Counselling&Disability Services
• Learning Skills Services (LSS) are open to all York students, undergraduate and graduate, at any level of study
• Director, Polly MacFarlane, EdD
• 2 full-time Learning Skills Specialists• Cathy Boyd-Withers, PhD• Mona Frial-Brown, M.Ed.
• Founding partner in The Learning Commons, with
Librariesand Writing Centre
• Key partner in development of
Divis•ion of
StudentsPARTNERS IN STUDENT SUCCESS
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Learning SkillsServices
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Learning Skills Services (LSS) are about “learning how to learn”, improving student effectiveness and efficiency at studying and completing assignments, and helping students to achieve their academic goals, through fostering:
• Self-knowledge about learning and motivation
• Time management and organizational skills• Core academic literacies such as reading, note-taking, critical
thinking, exam preparation
Learning Skills Services include workshops, drop-in times, individual sessions, and consultation on learning skills topics with faculty and staff across the university
What do we do?
Division of StudentsPARTNERS IN STUDENT SUCCESS
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Origins• Idea began in The Learning Commons, over 4 yrs ago• Generated and developed by Virtual Learning Commons Subcommittee
• Sketched out rough plan• Funding opportunity arose,2011 – YorkU Academic Innovation Fund (AIF)
• Applied and won generous funding for 3 yrs – 2011-2014
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Organization
•Steering Committee, led by Libraries
•Representing all partners: Learning Skills, Libraries, Writing Centre
• Writing teams for each module, representation from all partners• External web developer hired for technical aspects
Launched: Oct 16, 2013• New Faculty Module to launch F2014
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Supporting Student Success
Division of StudentsPARTNERS IN STUDENT SUCCESS
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Division of StudentsPARTNERS IN STUDENT SUCCESS
Designed to Support Teaching and Learning
Academic Support Services (eg. Learning Commons: Learning Skills, Writing Centre, Libraries)
Faculty(Faculty Module to launch F2014)
Students(Online modules)
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• 13 main modules, organized across 3 categories, reflecting key phases of writing a paper:
• Getting Started
• Exploring
• Pulling It Together
• Resources/worksheets to accompany each module
• Can be done in any order, to allow for recursive nature of writing
• 2 additional modules at or nearing completion• Academic Integrity – launched summer 2014
• Faculty module – to launch Fall 2014
www.yorku.ca/spark
Division of StudentsPARTNERS IN STUDENT SUCCESS
Organization of SPARK
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Supporting Student Success
• Promoting Student Success through Partnership
• Built / strengthened key partnerships across campus
• A "win-win" for everyone,especially students!
Bridged traditional "Academic versus Student Services" divide, typical of most universities
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End result stronger than any one unit could have produced
Division of StudentsPARTNERS IN STUDENT SUCCESS
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Division of StudentsPARTNERS IN STUDENT SUCCESS
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Explore SPARK Hands-On!
• Time Management• "Blank Schedule"
• Gathering & Noting Ideas
• “Note Taking Worksheet”
Effective Reading Strategies
• "Conquering Difficult Readings"
Revising Your Arguments
• “Peer Review Guide”
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Find each of the following Modules and associated Resource:
Division of StudentsPARTNERS IN STUDENT SUCCESS
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Contact Information:
Cathy Boyd-Withers Learning Skills Specialist [email protected]
Mona Frial-Brown Learning Skills Specialist [email protected]
Learning Skills Services http://lss.info.yorku.ca