Mark PotterDirector, Center for Faculty
Please introduce yourselves to 2 other people in the room whom you do not already know.
Share your interest in teaching in the FYS program.
At least 11 of you are here with your “linked” faculty partner. Take this opportunity to meet him/her if you haven’t already done so.
Understanding who our first-year students are is a first step to developing meaningful learning experiences for them. Participants in this workshop will Become familiar with the profile of students
entering the FYS program. Apply knowledge about undergraduate
intellectual development and learning styles to their FYS course designs.
Evaluate and determine appropriate course objectives and learning activities.
See handout.
In pairs, discuss the description of college freshmen from the Higher Education Research Institute (“Chronicle” article). What findings from the study stand out to
you? How do you think Metro students might
compare to national findings?
Some features of Metro Students Freshmen headcount was 6,813 in Fall 2008
(31.4% of total Metro student headcount) Median age: 20-24 years Ca. 40% of students are over 25 years of age 93.3% of students are from the 7-county region 24.7% are ethnic minorities, with Hispanics
making up the largest minority group Ca. 43% of newly admitted students are
transitioning from high school(Source: OIR Fall 2008 Census)
First-year first-time students Traditional aged Transitioning from high school Ca. 75% are self-selected, motivated by:
The chance to connect The promise of guaranteed enrollment Class size ???
59 Metro Summer Scholars students
Brainstorm: What do we know about learning styles? What initial conclusions can we draw about
our course design?
From what we know about the conditions for academic success, students learn best when they Are actively involved. Have an opportunity to function in different
learning activities consistent with their learning styles.
Believe that their instructors are both invested in their learning and care about them.
Receive frequent feedback on their performance.
Source: Upcraft and Crissman, 1999, In Hunter & Skipper, Solid Foundations: Building success for first-year seminars.
Perry’s research on student development Read the brief description of dualism in
Erickson, et al., pp. 22-24. How well does this description align with our
perceptions of Metro students? What are some implications for how we teach?
Witkin’s categories of field independent and field sensitive Read the brief description, pp. 36-37. What sorts of learning activities correspond to
the two categories?
VARK learning skills inventory http://www.vark-learn.com/english/index.asp
Some suggestions: Answer the questionnaire yourself while you
are designing your course. Incorporate the questionnaire into your course
and discuss with students the meaning of their findings.
First Year Success Program Objectives Sheila Thompson, Director of Student
Learning Assessment
What can we do to align our course learning objectives with the program objectives?1. Don’t feel constrained by the objectives defined
in the regular syllabus; we can supplement them especially with non-content objectives.
2. Take a fresh look at your own values:a) What skills, abilities, knowledge and attributes do
you feel it important for students to develop?b) What are the necessary components to create
significant learning experiences?3. Consider FYS program objectives, including
importance of co-curricular activities.4. Consider drafting learning objectives that are
integrated across linked sections.
Teaching Goals Inventory 52 questions rating the importance you place
on particular learning outcomes. Allows you to identify and articulate those that
are most important to you. Goal clusters include:
Higher-order thinking skills Basic academic success skills Discipline-specific knowledge and skills Liberal arts and academic values Work and career preparation Personal development
Fink’s taxonomy of “Significant Learning Experiences” www.significantlearning.org Significant learning is that which brings change
to the learner. (No change, no significant learning).
6 categories of significant learning: Foundational knowledge Application Integration Human Dimension Caring Learning how to learn
Write a draft of one new course learning objective that is about something other than covering content. You may work with your paired instructor, if
present. Discuss with your neighbor.
Is it feasible to build a bank of learning objectives are particularly relevant to FYS courses and that apply across sections?
Question to discuss: What role should lecture play in FYS courses?
In pairs, create a pro-con-caveat grid to explore this question:
Pro: We should lecture
Con: We should not lecture
Caveats (Other considerations)
The Key Components Of INTEGRATED COURSE DESIGN
One of the benefits of this model is that it allows us to see the importance
S i t u a t i o n a l F a c t o r s
Teaching and
Learning Activities
Feedback & Assessment
Learning Goals
From cards that will be distributed, discuss specific learning activity: Have you used this learning activity in the
past? What was your experience? Would you be comfortable using this learning
activity in the future? Why, or why not? What do you anticipate might be the
challenges to using this learning activity?
What was the most important thing you learned in this session (afternoon)?
What question(s) remain uppermost in your mind as we conclude this session?
(Write your responses anonymously on a slip of paper that you can hand in).