Atd+Faculty+Engagement+Symposium

=Using Technology to Share Engagement Strategies in the Classroom=

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NOVA faculty members are welcome to share student success strategies featured at conferences and workshops, so that we all can profit from the best of our professional development.To share tips, contact: lfranklin@nvcc.edu======

=**Teaching in the 21st Century**=

= ** Strategies for Early Student Engagement ** =

**An All-Faculty Symposium ** **for ** **Teaching Faculty, Counselors, Librarians ** sponsored by **NOVA Achieving the Dream ** ** I ** ** Activity:Shared Responsibility for Learning **
 * In Spring 2009 and 2010, NOVA students, along with community college students in their first semester of college in like institutions across the country, completed the SURVEY of Entering Student Engagement, also known as SENSE. The results were eye-opening. Students in the fourth and fifth weeks of their first year of college reported that: **
 * ** They did not make early connections with individuals and information that would help them succeed. (Early Connections) **
 * ** Although they reported high aspirations, many said that they did not do all their assigned readings or turn in all their assignments. One fourth said they had missed a class in the first three weeks. (High Aspirations) **
 * ** They did not feel that they were adequately advised. (Clear Academic Plan and Pathway) **
 * ** In their first three weeks of college: 8% of students report that they //never// asked questions in class or contributed to class discussions. **
 * ** 28% say they //never// prepared at least two drafts of a paper or assignment before turning it in. **
 * ** 69% report that they //never// participated in supplemental instruction. **
 * ** 22% say they //never// worked with other students on a project or assignment during class. **
 * ** 68% say they //never// worked with classmates outside of class on class projects or assignments. **
 * ** 84% say they //never// participated in a required study group outside of class. **
 * ** 84% report that they //never// participated in a student-initiated (not required) study group outside of class. **
 * ** 49% say they //never// used an electronic tool (e-mail, text messaging, Facebook, MySpace, class website,etc.) to communicate with another student about coursework. **
 * ** 44% say they //never// used an electronic tool to communicate with an instructor about coursework. **
 * ** 35% say they //never// discussed an assignment or grade with an instructor. **
 * ** 25% say they //never// asked for help from an instructor regarding questions or problems related to a class. **
 * ** 27% say they //never// received prompt written or oral feedback from instructors on their performance. **
 * ** 68% report that they //never// discussed ideas from readings or classes with instructors outside of class. **
 * ** 84% report that they //never// used face-to-face tutoring. **
 * ** 65% say they //never// used writing, math, or other skill labs. **
 * ** 49% say they //never// used a computer lab (Engaged learning) **
 * Early student engagement was the focus of this faculty-driven symposium. Colleagues from all NOVA campuses shared strategies and techniques that they had either used or would like to try in order to make connections with their students in the first three weeks of class. No formal presentations, just short demonstrations and discussion. All participants left with ideas and strategies that they could try in their own classes. They came to share, listen and learn about what has worked for colleagues on other campuses and online. **
 * SENSE benchmark(s) **
 * ** Early Connections **
 * ** High Expectations and Aspirations **
 * ** Clear Academic Plan and Pathway **
 * ** Engaged Learning **
 * ** Academic and Social Support Network **
 * See all the SENSE survey questions: **[|**http://www.ccsse.org/sense/survey/survey.cfm**]
 * Strategies involved: **
 * 1) ** Technology (please specify) **
 * 2) ** Collaboration between students **
 * 3) ** Active Learning **
 * 4) ** Advising **
 * 5) ** Peer tutoring **
 * 6) ** Classroom Assessment techniques **
 * 7) ** Social Media **
 * 8) ** In-class technique or activity **
 * 9) ** Online technique or activity **
 * ** Introductory forum—this is where students introduce themselves to others. Here the instructor introduces her/himself first to take away anxiety of ‘being first’. **
 * ** Creation of one assignment in the first week. **
 * ** Combatting test anxiety by addressing much of the material before tests are taken in blogs/journals. **
 * ** NOVA Faculty Tips from the AtD Symposium 2011 **
 * ** Elevator Pitch: Have students explain a concept in the amount of time it would take to ride an elevator. **
 * ** Write one or two questions on board at the end of class to assess what they learned during that period? **
 * ** Midterm satisfaction survey: What do you like? What needs improvement? (Use FAST survey or Survey Monkey) **
 * ** Class writes a letter at the end of the semester to the next semester’s students describing how to do well in the class. **
 * ** Faculty mentoring- Discuss strategies for success in class to make students feel more comfortable. **
 * ** Do an early assessment to establish accountability. **
 * ** Have students submit an introductory paragraph. Erase invisible barrier! **
 * ** Establish a class goal and remind them of the goal when they need to refocus. **
 * ** Have students share a personal goal with a partner. **
 * ** Work with a calendar and have students map out time needed for math studies. **
 * ** Promote the use of a binder. **
 * ** Advice: It’s better to take fewer courses than to have to repeat a course because you took too many. **
 * ** Put syllabus online. Give a syllabus quiz with ten key points. **
 * ** Promote formulas on index cards as a test-taking strategy. **
 * ** Cultural sensitivity: Where does your name come from? **
 * ** “The Stressors in Your Life” essay **
 * ** Reflective journals at end of class **
 * ** Goals for the week **
 * ** Instructor does an introduction on Youtube **
 * ** Show students you care. **
 * ** Checklists to help prepare assignments. **
 * ** Use role-playing, scenarios, pros and cons **
 * ** Tip for students- E-mail a buddy when not going to be in class. **
 * ** Assign study groups to keep them on track **
 * ** Ask personal interests and incorporate these in class. **
 * ** Eleven-minute J.K. Rowlings Inspirational Commencement Speech You Tube: “The Fringe Benefits of Failure” **
 * ** Name tags on the forehead! Shake hands. Tell us something we do not know about you. **
 * ** Facebook page for class **
 * ** Emphasize difference between High School and College **
 * ** Focus on relationships: Have students use personal examples. **
 * ** Major in something to get a job; minor in something you love. **
 * ** Guilty Pleasures icebreaker. **
 * ** Polleverywhere.com **
 * ** Clickers **
 * ** In order to combat ‘learned helplessness’ the presenter uses the following techniques to draw students into the (online) classroom setting some of which could also used in a face-to-face environment. **
 * ** Welcome email before class starts **
 * ** Email contains content that helps students direct through blackboard **
 * ** Pre-quiz testing ‘Blackboard readiness’ **
 * ** Number of assignments in the course **
 * ** Location of Discussion Board **
 * ** Checking email regularly **
 * ** In order to make students feel comfortable during their first class students are to draw a picture of themself and describe their results. **
 * Prior to the first meeting in the classroom, a set number of questions (4 or more) are created on a chapter-by-chapter basis. In order to engage students from the onset of class, students are put into groups of 3, 4 or 5. Groups have to elect a leader and then are given the questions. At this time they are given the date when these questions are due which will correspond to the syllabus. **
 * Group members decide among themselves who does which question. They will exchange email addresses because the leader is expected to collect all answers via email and then write an email with only ONE attachment containing the group’s answers to the faculty member. Each group will receive their task for the entire semester; they should be engaged more than once. Here are more ground rules: **
 * ** The answers to the questions are graded. **
 * ** These question answers are then made available to all students via Blackboard and serve as a study guide for exams. **
 * Tips after engaging the above technique for one semester: **
 * ** It would be best if the leader is exempted from answering questions but instead is made responsible for the quality of answers. This would mean that the entire group gets the same grade rather than the individual student. **
 * ** Students do read the book more often; know what is in the book. **
 * ** These answers have been coming in on time—sometimes the leader takes over the task of answering a question if a group member is not forthcoming with the answer. **
 * ** It takes diligence on the site of the professor to keep track of all such emails/postings if more than one class engages in this manner. **
 * Open Notebook/ OpenTextbook/ Open Index Card**
 * ** Table 3 discussed the results of open notebook/open book and/or open index card exams to lessen exam anxiety. Several techniques were mentioned: **
 * ** Index card—students can fill up an index card with everything they want (both sides) and take it into the exam. **
 * ** One piece of paper—students can fill up one DIN-4 paper with everything they want on both sides; however, it must be handwritten. Good for classes where essay exams are the norm. **
 * ** Students can take their entire notebook to class; everything MUST be handwritten; graphs can be included (hand-drawn). Faculty must check prior to exam. **

=All-Faculty Symposium on Faculty Engagement 2011=
 * Read all about the first face to face [|All-Faculty Symposium]here**
 * This was the first of what will become a series of intercampus faculty activities designed for the exchange of ideas on engaging classroom activities.** **The All-Faculty Symposium is a project sponsored by [|NOVA Achieving the Dream]**

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