the first year seminar

The First Year SeminarExploring Instruction Outside of Library Science

Kellie Tilton – Alaska Library Association – Valdez, AlaskaMarch 22, 2013

“I VOLUNTEER!”

The Application

- Purpose of the program- Faculty members

- Help students navigate the University

- Studies have been done that FYE programs keep

students enrolled- Give them vegetables

with their chicken nuggets

But why The Hunger Games?

“Our tributes: Peeta Mellark and Katniss

Everdeen”The course proposal, to my surprise, was

acceptedThere was feedback, including the following

suggestions: Perhaps have the students read the entire

trilogy If only reading the first book, maybe have them

read Battle Royale as a comparison novel

The Training Center

Over the summer, accepted faculty members had to:

- Develop the course in full- Promote the course to incoming freshmen

“Here's some advice. Stay alive.”

Success!

Course was approved with 10 students, picked up 2 more when the courses they signed up for didn’t go

2 males, 10 females2 students hadn’t read a single page of the

books/seen the movie2 additional students had not read other

books in the trilogy

The Syllabus:- Read The Hunger

Games- Read articles relevant

to The Hunger Games- Watch the movie

- Read “The Lottery”- Pick another dystopian

novel and read that- Hunger Games Trivia!

- Presentation comparing and contrasting the two

books- LOTS OF DISCUSSION- Shadow Curriculum

“Peeta Mellark just saved my life.”

Shadow Curriculum, not that Shadow-ySurviving on campusTalk. Think. Talk some more.Reading! It’s really, really hard to wait 15 weeks to talk

about all three books.

The Aftermath

Advertise, advertise, advertiseTalk about more campus events and services Bring in guest speakers Go for an 1 ½ hour, instead of 1 hourMore interactive activities (like trivia) to

encourage discussion and thinking out of the box

How can this help?

Get out of the same old, same oldBetter understanding of the freshman

mindsetCreated new ideas for classesStudents like to see we’re INTERESTED in

SOMETHING

“May the odds be ever in your favor.”Questions? Comments? Book Recs?