Here to Stay:Faculty-Student Relationships

facilitated by

Ginny Hronek

As a result of attending this workshop, participants will be able to :

• understand some factors related to why students leave college and why they stay in college

• explore ideas to create conditions that promote student retention

• identify what faculty can do to support satisfying student relationships

• describe how to practice dialogue, rather than monologue, to achieve greater learning and promote student-faculty relationships

• apply activities to promote a learner-centered environment

“People don’t leave companies, they leave bad bosses.”

76% do not communicate their real reason for leaving.

Marcus Buckingham & Curt Coffman, 1999. First, Break All the Rules: What the World's Greatest Managers Do Differently.

Why do students leave college before earning a degree?

• Inadequate funds• Credit card

addiction• Too much partying• Relationship

trauma• Family matters• Poor academic

preparation

• Distaste for lecture-paper-exam grind

• Lack of connection/ feel isolated

• Unmet expectations• Lack of respect

Factors affecting attritionthat may be in our control

• Unmet expectations

• Lack of connectedness

• Lack of respect

Learner-Centered Culture of Accountability

An environment in which people want to work and learn

Learner Centered Culture of Accountability

Focus on meeting students needs through:

• streamlined student delivery of services

• a full range of student-centered

learning environments and activities

• accountability and responsibility for

results

(I need to polish this up)

Accountability ModelAccountability Model**

Other-DirectedOther-Directed Self-DirectedSelf-Directed

AuthorityAuthority AutonomousAutonomous

ComplyComply RebelRebel AgreeAgree DisagreeDisagree

ResentResent ResistResist Accept ConsequencesAccept Consequences

I’m I’m NotNot Responsible Responsible I I amam Responsible Responsible

Like a VictimLike a VictimGet RevengeGet Revenge AccountableAccountable

““I Have to”I Have to” ““I Choose to”I Choose to”

AttitudeAttitude

BeliefBelief

BehaviorBehavior

FeelingFeeling

ReactionReaction

•Keith Ayers, Integro Learning.

A learner-centered culture of accountability

is grounded in

trust

The Elements of Trust™

• Acceptance... people are respected for their contributions, differences are valued and leadership is shared

• Reliability... people can count on each other for support, keep their commitments and strive for excellence in what they do

TM Keith Ayers, Integro Learning.

The Elements of Trust™

• Openness... we exchange information, discuss feelings and opinions and do not keep secrets

• Straightforwardness... expectations are clear, disagreements are discussed and resolved and individual performance is discussed and agreed on

The Elements of Trust™

• Acceptance

• Reliability

• Openness

• Straightforwardness

Culture is formed by

Behaviors

Beliefs

Attitudes

Feelings

Trust

Creating a cultureof accountability:

making connections

Three critical "connections" that need to occur with students at the outset of a course:

• student-instructor connection,

• the student-student (peer) connection

• student-course (subject matter) connection.

Student Instructor Connection: Know Yourself

How are you perceived by students?

Annoying Behaviors of FacultyGonsalves, Sonia. What you don’t know can hurt you: student’s perceptions of professors annoying teaching habits: College Student Journal, 9/1/03.

• Disorganized teaching

• Talk too fast/too slow

• Monotone

• Degrading students

• Lack of interaction

• Lack of enthusiasm

• Not available outside class, do not show up for office hours

Annoying Behaviors of FacultyGonsalves, Sonia. What you don’t know can hurt you: student’s perceptions of professors annoying teaching habits: College Student Journal, 9/1/03.

• Unclear assignments• Opinionated• Reading from book or notes• Keeping class overtime

(disrespectful)• Too much overlap with book• Unfair testing/grading• Talking to the board/pacing/staring at

students

Seek regular feedback

• Take a pulse

• How I am doing?

• More of / less of?

?

?

Know your students

Name tents or Name tags

Photo op

Best vs. Worst Learning Experience

Best

Reflect on a learning

experience when the

concept or skill really

clicked, when you

were motivated to learn.

Identify the characteristics

of the experience that

supported the learning.

Worst

Reflect on a learning

experience when the

concept or skill just didn’t

click., when you were not

motivated to learn.

Identify the characteristics

of the experience that

de-motivated the learning.

Student-course connection: know learning styles

• develop an understanding of various

models that will help you understand

how students learn

• determine strategies and techniques

for including course materials in a way

that takes multiple styles into account

• Myers-Briggs Type IndicatorTM

• Kolb/McCarthy Learning Cycle

• Felder-Silverman Learning Styles Model

• Grasha-Riechmann Learning Styles

• VARK: - Visual, Auditory , Reading/Writing, Kinesthetic

• Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences

Models of Learning Styles

Input PreferencesVARK*

Visual Auditory Read/write Kinesthetic

Taste Smell

*Fleming, Neil. VARK, A guile to learning styles: http://www.vark-learn.comSee slides 67-70.

Gardner’s Model of Multiple Intelligences8 Pathways to the Brain

Process Preferences

Logical/Math

Musical

Naturalist

Linguistic Inter- personal

Kinesthetic

Visual/Spatial

% 7>

Intrapersonal

Adapted from Howard Gardner’s Intelligence Reframed: Multiple Intelligences for the 21st Century, 2000.

Create opportunities for success!

• Frame the course in positives

• Communicate expectations (different from “rules”)

• Design an early “win”

• Build complexity of skill development, projects

• Recognize & reinforce

Give ‘em an “A”

• On first day of class, ask students students to write a letter in past tense on how they earned an “A”.

• Periodic 1-on-1 review

Coach rather than tell

Don’t tell students something you can ask them.

“How do you think that can be accomplished?”

“What may be getting in the way of achieving the goal?”

“How can you do this differently?”

Challenge mental models

“Mental models are deeply engrained assumptions, generalizations, or even pictures or images that influence how we understand the world and how we take action.”

- Peter Senge, The Fifth Discipline

VII

IX

SIX

IX6

• What was necessary to come up with the answer?

• How did the presentation of this exercise influence what you saw as a solution?

• How does presentation of data influence what students see?

Applying the Skills

The Story

Statements about the Story: Answer True, False, or Unknown ?

( T , F , ? ) 1. A man appeared after the owner turned off the lights

in his store.

( T , F , ? ) 2. The thief was a man.

( T , F , ? ) 3. The man who appeared did not demand money.

( T , F , ? ) 4. The store owner scooped up the contents of the cash

register and sped away.

( T , F , ? ) 5. Someone opened a cash register.

( T , F , ? ) 6. After the man demanded money and took the contents of

the cash register, he fled.

( T , F , ? ) 7. Even though there was money in the cash register, the

story does not tell how much.

( T , F , ? ) 8. The thief demanded money from the store owner.

( T , F , ? ) 9. The story tells of a chain of events that involves only

three people: the store owner, the man who demanded

money, and a police officer.

( T , F , ? ) 10. The following three things happened in the story:

someone demanded money, a cash register was

opened, and a man fled from the store.

Statements about the Story: Answer True, False, or Unknown ?

? 1. A man appeared after the owner turned off the lights

in his store.

? 2. The thief was a man.

F 3. The man who appeared did not demand money.

? 4. The store owner scooped up the contents of the cash

register and sped away.

T 5. Someone opened a cash register.

? 6. After the man demanded money and took the contents of

the cash register, he fled.

T 7. Even though there was money in the cash register, the

story does not tell how much.

? 8. The thief demanded money from the store owner.

? 9. The story tells of a chain of events that involves only

three people: the store owner, the man who demanded

money, and a police officer.

? 10. The following three things happened in the story:

someone demanded money, a cash register was

opened, and a man fled from the store.

Observable data

(things I see & experience)

Add meaning

to selected data from experiences

Make assumptions based on meaning I add

Draw conclusions

based on assumptions

Take actions

based on conclusions

Climbing the ladder of Inference*

Reflective Loop

our conclusions &

actions affect what

data we select

next time

Climbing The Ladder of Inference Actions “Don’t give them assistance. Limit availability. Be terse,no empathy.”

Conclusions “These students aren’t serious learners.”

Assumptions “These students won’t do well. They’ll come running to me for special assistance.”

Experiences “Students who arrive late don’t perform well. They expect you to help them out at the end of the term.”

Observations “A group of students consistently arrive late to class.”

Reflective Loop

our conclusions &

actions affect what

data we select next

time

Not Getting “Stuck” on the Ladder:

Skills for Dialogue

Reflection

Advocacy

Inquiry

Reflection: Becoming aware of your thinking

and reasoning.

“How have I arrived at this?”

“Explain to me how you see it that way.”

I. Reflection: Reflect on your thinking to deal with the tendency to resist, withdraw, insist, demand. Examine where you may be on the ladder of inference. Reflection occurs throughout the dialogue.

What has led me to think / feel this way?

Why didn’t I say what I was thinking?

What assumptions am I making about…?

What are the costs of acting this way?

What are the benefits?

What prevents me from acting differently?

Not Getting “Stuck” on the Ladder:

Skills for Dialogue

Advocacy: Making your thinking and

reasoning visible to others.

“This is how I see it.”

Advocacy: Making thinking process visible (walk up the

ladder of inference slowly).

What to do What to say

State your assumptions, and describe the data that led to them.

"Here’s what I think, and here’s how I got there.

Explain your assumptions "I assumed that…."

Make your reasoning explicit. "I came to this conclusion because…"

Explain the context of your point of view: who will be affected by what you propose, how they will be affected and why.

"To get a clear picture of what I’m talking about, imagine that you’re the person who will be affected…

As you speak, try to picture the other people’s perspective on what you are saying.

 

Advocacy (continued)

Publicly test your conclusions and assumptions. 

What to do What to say

Invite others to explore your thinking, your assumptions, and your data.

"What do you think about what I just said?" or "Do you see any defects in my reasoning?" or "What can you add?"

Avoid defensiveness when your thoughts or ideas are questioned. If you’re advocating something worthwhile, then it will only get stronger by being tested.

 

Reveal where you are in your thinking. Defuse opposition.

"Here’s one aspect which you might help me think through…."

Listen and stay open, and encourage others to provide different views.

"Do you see it differently?"

 

Not Getting “Stuck” on the Ladder:

Skills for Dialogue

Inquiry: Seeking to understand others’

thinking and reasoning in a non-

adversarial way.

“Explain to me how you see it that way.”

Listen:

• to others

• without resistance

• to yourself – be aware of thought

• to your reactions – pay attention to emotions

Listening is not waiting for your turn to talk!

What to do What to say

Find out what data others are operating from.

"What leads you to conclude that?" "What data do you have for that?" "What causes you to say that?" (Be aware of tone of voice; defensive).

Use non-aggressive language, particularly with people who are not familiar with these skills.

Instead of "What do you mean?" or "What’s your proof?" say, "Can you help me understand your thinking here?"

Draw out reasoning. Find out as much as you can about why they are saying what they ‘re saying.

"What is the significance of that?" "How does this relate to your other concerns?" "Where does your reasoning go next?"

Explain your reasons for inquiring, and how your inquiry relates to your own concerns, hopes, and needs.

"I’m asking you about assumptions here because…"

Inquiry: Ways to ask others to make their thinking process visible.

What to do What to say

Test what they say by asking for broader contexts, or for examples.

"Can you give an example…?" "How would your idea affect..?" "Is this similar to …?"

Check your understanding of what they have said.

"Am I correct that you’re saying?"

Listen for the new understanding that may emerge. Don’t concentrate on preparing to destroy the other person’s argument or promote your own agenda.

 

 Compare your assumptions to theirs.

When… you might say…

 Strong views are expressed with- “I’d like to understand more. out any reasoning or What leads you to believe….?”illustrations…

The discussion goes off on an “I’m unclear how that connectsapparent tangent… to what we’ve been saying. Can

you explain how you see it as relevant?”

  Two members pursue a topic at “I’d like to give my reaction tolength while others observe… what you two have said so far,

and then see what you and others think.”

Opening Lines

Applying the Skills• Ask students to compare and clarify assumptions about each other, the course, the instructor,

with you.

• Sit in pairs and have one person state an assumption and the other person respond. The assumption does not have to be negative. The other party will refute or confirm the assumption.

Examples: “I assume you like this class because you frequently asking questions.”

“I get the idea from what you say about your last school that you are satisfied with this school. Is that right?

Apply Dialogue Skills in Learning Communities

Establish and support informal

learning communities to promote:

- Student/faculty dialogue - Faculty dialogue- Faculty-administration dialogue

"Once a group has achieved community, the single most common thing members express is: “I feel safe here.” M. Scott Peck, M.D.

Create and support Learning Communities*

• A learning community is an alternative form of education directed by participants, not a designated instructor. It can occur in many forms such as online, or small groups meeting face-to-face. Generally, a learning community commits to regular meetings and format for discussion, dialogue and growth. Groups may consist of all students or a combination of students and faculty. Importantly, there is a common goal and collaboration. Learning communities are particularly effective for group learning projects.

*Wilson, Brent & Rider, Martin. Dynamic Learning Communities: An Alternative to Designed Instructional Systems. Available online at: http://carbon.cudenver.edu/~mryder/dlc.html

Suggested activities to further promote a learner centered

environment

Get and keep attention!

• Start or interject the class with fun facts, humor, or a brain twister.

• Example: What is peculiar about the number 8549176320?

Hint:- You need no mathematical skills to solve the problem.- Each digit is used once.- The sequence of the numbers is significant.

Silent StartObjective: Apply critical thinking skills and prepare for discussion.Materials: Paper, pen• Start the class with a brief writing assignment by posting 2-3 questions.

• Give students 5 minutes to write responses.

• Group students in pairs or triads for discussion. Allow 6-8 minutes.

• Facilitate discussion. Compare and contrast responses. Summarize and bring to closure.

Examples:

- What is feminism? Are you a feminist? Why/why not?

- Should grades be eliminated and replaced with a pass/fail system? Why/why not?

Partner ProgressObjective: Compare information, share ideas; opportunity to assess.

• Depending on the nature and time frame of the class, ask students to turn to one another (online - exchange emails) and compare notes or exchange any questions or concerns about the class content.

If the class involves skill application, i.e., draw, design, etc., have students assess each other’s work with predetermined criteria.

• Give them 3-5 minutes.

• After this activity ask what they learned about the content or another person’s perspective.

• Ask what questions they have as a result of the partner exchange.

Summary Swap

Objective: Summarize a segment of content and identify key learning points.Materials: Index cards or student’s paper• After a period of time, roughly 10 minutes, in class or lab, ask students to

summarize the key learnings from that segment of the class.

• On an index card, or sheet of paper, they are to put their name at the top. Use only one side to record the summary. Take about two minutes for this.

• Ask everyone to stand up and exchange the card with someone. The person who received the card will read it over and add anything they think is important that the card “owner” may have left out.

• Exchange cards 2-3 times with different students.

• Direct everyone to return the card to the “owner.”

• Ask for a volunteer to read their summary and what was added to the card.

• The cards make a great tool for review.

Activate the conceptObjective: To strengthen learning by acting out the concept

Physically acting out a concept may be a more effective and engaging for students than simply reading or hearing about the concept. The example below was used in a research methods class. It can be adapted to many different concepts and learning environments.

Learning objective: Distinguish between independent and dependent variables. Identify possible antecedent and intervening variables.

1) Have the entire class stand in a group.

2) Pose the following research question: What is the correlation between sex of the driver and being stopped for speeding?

3) Advise students to first identify the independent variable (sex of driver), the attributes of that variable (male/female), and the dependent variable (stopped for speeding).

4) Next, tell the students that they need to actually show how we would research this by moving around the room. Ask, “What would you do first?” Here the students need to

divide into the two attributes, male and female.

5) State, “Now that you are in two groups, what is the question?” (Who has been stopped for speeding?)

6) This activity can go on as you ask students to identify possible antecedent and intervening variables.

7) Ask if correlation implies causation.

Props

Objective: Learn an abstract with a tangibleMaterials: Miscellaneous props

• Roll dice or flip a coin to teach probability. Have students work in pairs or small groups with dice to experience this first-hand.

• Use candy to show measures of central tendency. Jelly beans or M&M’s work well with this activity. Give pairs or groups of students candy and “data.” They are to use the candy to depict a bar chart, histogram, polygon, etc.

• A human histogram or scatter gram can be created by asking students to position themselves in the room as if each person were data.

When we teach, we learnObjective: To reinforce learning by teaching to a peer

• Advise students that they are to select one concept, skill, formula, etc., from what has been covered today, to teach to a classmate.

• Allow about 3-4 minutes for preparation. The teaching should only take 2-2.5 minutes each.

• Pair students for the “teach/learn” activity. They may select their own partner or you may ask them to pair with someone they don’t know, or haven’t paired with previously.

• Give then some directions to begin, i.e., the person whose first name begins first in the alphabet. Tell them they have 5 minutes total for both students to teach and ask questions. Advise them when half of the time has elapsed.

• Ask: What was difficult about this activity? What was easy or fun about this activity? How did the teaching reinforce the learning?

Teaching is the highest form of understanding. Aristotle

References

• Buckingham, Marcus & Coffman, Curt, 1999. First, Break All the Rules: What the World's Greatest Managers Do Differently, New York: Simon & Schuster,

• Doyle, W., & Rutherford, B. 1984. “Classroom research on matching learning and teaching styles.” Theory Into Practice, 23, 20-25.

• Felder, R.M. , 1996. Matters of Style. ASEE Prism, 6(4), 18-23).

• Felder, R.M., & Silverman, L.K. 1988. Learning styles and teaching styles in engineering education. Engineering Education, 78(7), 674-681.

• Fleming, Neil. VARK, A guide to learning styles: http://www.vark-learn.com

• Gardner, Howard, 2000. Intelligence Reframed: Multiple Intelligences for the 21st Century. New York: Basic Books.

• Grasha, A.F. (1996). Teaching with style: A practical guide to enhancing leaning by understanding teaching and learning styles. Pittsburgh: Alliance Publishers.

References

• Grow, Gerald O. (1991/1996). Teaching Learners to be Self-Directed. Adult Education Quarterly, 41 (3), 125-149. Expanded version available online at: http://www.longleaf.net/ggrow.

• McKeachie, W. (1994) Teaching tips: A guidebook for the beginning college teacher (9th edition). Lexington, MA: Heath.

• McKeachie, W.J. (1995). Learning styles can become learning strategies. The National Teaching and Learning Forum, 4(6), 1-3.

• Oxford, R., Ehrman, M, and Lavine, R. 1991. Style wars: Teacher-student style conflicts in the language classroom. In S. Magnan, (Ed.), Challenges in the 1990's for College Foreign Language Programs. Boston: Heinle and Heinle.

• Wilson, Brent & Rider, Martin. Dynamic Learning Communities: An Alternative to Designed Instructional Systems. Available online at: http://carbon.cudenver.edu/~mryder/dlc.html

• Visual materials (e. g., pictures, charts)

• Description of images

• Color to highlight important points in the text

• To take notes or illustrate idea

• Study in a quiet place

Visual Learners Prefer

• Discussion

• To make class presentations

• A tape recorder during lectures instead of taking notes

• Read text aloud

• Analogies and story telling

• Mnemonics and musical jingles to aid memorization

Auditory Learners Prefer

• Detailed note taking

• Essay exams

• Printed materials (e. g., handouts, texts, lecture notes, lists)

• Articulation and full sentences

• Independent study

Reading/Writing Learners Prefer

• Hands-on, moving around, touching objects

• Doodling

• Take frequent study breaks

• Inconsistent eye contact

• Chew gum/listen to music while studying

Kinesthetic Learners Prefer