New Faculty OrientationAugust 13,2010

UHD First-Generation Student-Faculty Interaction Group

Dr. Viola Garcia, Associate Professor, Urban EducationDr. Chynette Nealy, Associate Professor, General Business

The Stickiness LessonWhat Do You Know?Attention to Details – Structure and Format

What Do You Need to Know?

Test - Revise

How Will You Learn It?Experiment

Guide the academic process Align the requirementsDescriptionsGoals to Monitor Progress

AssessmentLearner Outcomes

Paying attention - Activities Requirements – Deadlines

Roundtable discussions Storytelling

Casual conversations “Raise students’ comfort levels”

The Stickiness LessonWhat Do You Know?

What Do You Need to Know?

How Will You Learn It?Objective –Learner Outcome

I want my students to THINK and take RESPONSIBILTIY

I want them to experience a deeper learning (pool their different perspectives and experiences)

I want them to create knowledge together-similar to the 21st century workplace –which focus businesses as Learning Organizations – Knowledge Workers

RETHINK Treat people the way you want to be treated *First Generation and Diverse Student Population

People don’t always want to be treated the same way

Active Learning Reality Based (Real World Applications) Learning occurs when students focus their attention, energies and abilities on solving real world problems and reflect on their experiences (Dewey, 1997; Kolb,1984)

Abstract Conceptualization “THINK- RETHINK”

Reflective Observation “OBSERVE”

Active Experimentation “PLAN”

Concrete Experience “DO”

Why Active Learning - Encourage Learning (First Generation)

1-Being involved in new experiences (course material-practical applications)

2-Watching others –developing own experiences (pooling information)

3-Create theory-applications to understand observations (sharing knowledge)

4-Use theory to solve real world problems

Closing The Gap: Theory - Practical Applications

Faculty-Student Interaction

Tinto (1990) asserts that the quality and quantity of faculty-student interaction (particularly outside the classroom) is one of the single strongest predictors of college retention.

Lohfink and Paulsen (2005) identified supportive relationships with faculty as one of the major determinants of persistence for first-generation students.

Students

Longwell-Grice (2008) notes that first-generation students are less likely to interact with faculty due to social discomfort and the perception that faculty are not genuinely concerned about students.

So what can you do?

Before Classes Start

Before you meet students in class: Develop a comprehensive syllabus. Include specific instructions for projects (provide

samples if possible). Clarify all assignments (orally, in writing, and through

examples). Provide rubrics with explicit expectations. Select engaging textbooks. Identify supplementary or electronic resources.

During Class Suggestions

During class : Be accessible and approachable (smile). Listen to the students; sometimes you’ll have to read

between the lines. Engage students who are not participating. Use active methods of teaching and not just a lecture

format. Provide or use study guides. Encourage class discussion. Create study groups.

After Class Suggestions

Support students outside of the classroom Develop Vista support. Make resources available. Suggest students use the Academic Support Center

(Writing, Math, Reading) and other resources as needed.

Meet with students individually before or after class. Scheduled appointments (especially for struggling

students).

Mentor

Inquire about structured support provided by your College or Department.

Identify and refer students that need help. Begin to mentor students early. Use the Buddy System (peer mentoring). Consider needs and differences among

students (freshmen, transfers, older, etc.).Engage faculty sponsors and members of

student organizations to reach out to your students through social or academic networks.

Invitation to Collaborate

UHD received $100,000 through The Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP) Walmart Minority Student Success Award (Walmart Stores, Inc. and the Walmart Foundation).

The initiative is intended to support the success of first-generation students at UHD.

We invite you to participate in the UHD First-Generation Student-Faculty Interaction Group .

The focus is on classroom practices and the role faculty play in their students’ academic success.

Best wishes.