Education Commons^™

The Predictable Relationship Between Demographic Factors And Persistence Of First-Year Students At A Historically Black College & University, Dominic Thomas, Syreeta Landy-Blacklock, Jessica D. Davis, Lillian Poats, Ronnie Davis, Dwalah Brown-Fisher

The Journal of the Research Association of Minority Professors

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship and predictability of demographic factors, on the persistence rates among first-year, full-time, four-year degree-seeking students at a Historically Black College and University. Specifically, this study focused on the predictive power of demographic factors (gender, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status), and (high school GPA and number of hours passed) on the persistence rates among first-year, full-time, four-year degree-seeking students attending a Historically Black College and University.

The study approached the research questions from a correlational research design perspective. This type of research design was the most appropriate for this study because the …

As You Like It: Building, Executing, And Assessing An Adaptable Library Instruction Program For First-Year Experience Courses, Joy I. Hansen

Communications in Information Literacy

Providing targeted experiences for first-year students both inside and outside the classroom is essential for building connections and creating a foundation for skill development necessary for academic success. Many first-year programs include a standalone course for incoming students or specific content weaved into existing course offerings. Information literacy skill-building holds an important place in these efforts; therefore, instruction librarians are provided additional opportunities to collaborate with faculty and reach students. Depending upon the size of the institution, however, the sheer number of first-year courses combined with shrinking library staff pose challenges. This Innovative Practices article is one library’s experience with …

Improving First- And Second-Year Student Writing Using A Metacognitive And Integrated Assessment Approach, Leanne Havis

Journal of Response to Writing

Metacognition emphasizes an awareness and understanding of one’s thought and cognitive processes, along with management of cognition through multiple strategies including organizing, monitoring, and adapting. Before students can truly become effective writers, they must develop an appreciation for the amount of planning, organization, and revision that comprises a writing assignment. In order to improve student writing, the exam autopsy approach, an integrated post-exam assessment model that draws upon self-assessment, peer review, and instructor feedback, was modified to include metacognitive components for use with essay exams and writing assignments. The current study employed a mixed-methods design with a quasi-experimental, non-equivalent group …

Fdst 132- Practical Applications In Food Science — A Peer Review Of Teaching Project: Benchmark Portfolio, Rossana Villa-Rojas

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

The aim of this course portfolio was to assess improvement of students’ literature research skills and scientific writing after embedding communication lectures, activities and assignments in FDST 132 Practical Applications in Food Science. This is a terminal laboratory course for first year Food Science majors with basic science knowledge. The goal of the course is to allow students to put in practice some basic food science principles and work with their cohort. This portfolio outlines the changes made to this course, the rationale for embedding lectures and assessments in scientific communication. The specific skills and topics I aimed to teach …

Perceptions Of Stress And Coping In Traditional Age First-Year College Students, Bridgett Grant

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This qualitative research study examined the perceptions of stress and coping in traditional-age, first-year college students. This study sought to form an understanding of the participants’ lived experiences relating to stress and coping throughout their first semester of college. Five participants’ were separately interviewed twice for the purposes of data collection. The findings from the data analysis process showed that these first-year college students experienced stress as a result of new and challenging academic expectations while also trying to navigate interpersonal relationships. Further, participants’ in this study experienced stress as a result from interacting with social media. These traditional-age, first-year …

The Struggle Is Real: Helping First-Year And Transfer Students Develop Fundamental Research Skills, Renee Montgomery, Christina C. Wray

Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy

Starting at a new University or College can be exciting and challenging. However, first-year and transfer students may struggle with fundamental research skills, which are not explicitly taught in the classroom. Libraries are in the perfect position to fill this gap. This workshop will explore how to develop an online research skill building series using the University of Central Florida’s experiences with their Research Tips Tuesdays program. The presenters will share how they identified student needs, built campus partnerships and utilized web conferencing software to meet students where they are and when they need it most. At the completion of …

Intrusive Advising And Retention Practices In A College Of Agriculture: A Case Study Of First-Year Student Experiences, Amanda Martin

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the perceptions of first-year students who experienced intrusive advising and retention initiatives in the College of Agriculture at Louisiana State University (LSU). Research participants consisted of 20 first-year students enrolled in the college in the fall of 2018. One-on-one, face-to-face interviews with first-year students were conducted to gain insight and understand student experiences with intrusive advising and retention initiatives within the College of Agriculture. College student retention and factors that contribute to understanding retention have been extensively studied (Astin, 1993; Braxton, Hirschy, & McClendon, 2004; Habley, Bloom, & Robbins, 2012; …

Ten First Years, Jennifer Osterhage

Greater Faculties: A Review of Teaching and Learning

No abstract provided.

Imls Sparks Ignite Il Framework Cooperative Project Final Performance Report, Appendix F: Outcomes & Indicators For Student Performance, Jessame Ferguson

IMLS SPARKS Ignite IL Framework Cooperative Project for At-Risk Student Success in Smaller Colleges

This document is an appendix to the Final Performance Report for the IMLS Sparks Ignite IL Framework Cooperative project. It contains the four outcomes and the performance indicators for each outcome.

Imls Sparks Ignite Il Framework Cooperative Project Final Performance Report, Appendix D: Focus Group Report, Joel M. Wright, Jessame Ferguson

IMLS SPARKS Ignite IL Framework Cooperative Project for At-Risk Student Success in Smaller Colleges

This appendix to the Final Performance Report for the IMLS Sparks IL Cooperative Project grant is the report on the focus groups. The focus group research summarized herein represents a segment of the overall IMLS grant proposal process, and should be viewed not as a separate endeavor, but rather as an integrated approach to the overall research questions in the grant proposal. In conjunction with the pre-test/post-test survey driven component, the findings from the focus group research help to strengthen the case for the value of librarian-driven pedagogy in positively impacting the academic and intellectual growth of all students, and …

Imls Sparks Ignite Il Framework Cooperative Project Final Performance Report, Jessame Ferguson

IMLS SPARKS Ignite IL Framework Cooperative Project for At-Risk Student Success in Smaller Colleges

This is the Final Performance Report for the SPARKS Ignite IL Framework Cooperative Project for At‐Risk Student Success in Smaller Colleges. Through a partnership of five institutions led by McDaniel College, we developed new best practices for ensuring information literacy education programs at smaller institutions support success and persistence of at‐risk students in their critical first‐year. We used the newly adopted Association of College & Research Libraries Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education to develop and test new assessment methodologies and engaging educational experiences for first‐year students. The project took place in 2017. The report summarizes our successes, challenges …

Your Journey To First-Year Success: A K-State First Companion Textbook, Brent Weaver, Mandi Mckinley, Reagan Swank, Cydney Alexis, Tara Coleman, Jaime Detour, Jessica Preston Kerr, Cheryl Rauh, R J. Youngblood, Mariya Vaughan

NPP eBooks

This textbook companion is a resource to help students successfully navigate through their first year at Kansas State University. It serves as part of the K-State First mission to create an outstanding university experience for every first-year student by helping with the transition to college-level learning and college life. The textbook helps improve chances for student success by focusing on fostering campus community, offering resources for diverse activities, highlighting academic expectations, and empowering students with personal responsibility and social agency. Instructors are encouraged to use the textbook in their K-State First classes, and it is also offered as a direct …

The Impact Of Information Literacy Instruction On Student Success: A Multi-Institutional Investigation And Analysis, Joni Blake, Melissa Bowles-Terry, N. Shirlene Pearson, Zoltan Szentkiralyi

Fondren Library Research

The GWLA Student Learning Outcomes task force analyzed the data from over 42,000 first-time, first-year freshmen and over 1700 distinct courses from 12 research institutions to determine the impact(s) of information literacy instruction integrated into course curriculum on several student success measures.

Key findings include:

• Student retention rates are higher for those students whose courses include an information literacy instruction component.
• On average, First-Year GPA for students whose courses included information literacy instruction was higher than the GPA of students whose courses did not.
• Students exposed to library instruction interactions successfully completed 1.8 more credit hours per year than their …

Hoping To Teach Someday? Inquire Within: Examining Inquiry-Based Learning With First-Semester Undergrads, Erik Jon Byker, Heather Coffey, Susan Harden, Amy Good, Tina Lane Heafner, Kathrine Brown, Debra Holzberg

Journal of Inquiry and Action in Education

Using case study method, this study examines the impact of an inquiry-based learning program among a cohort of first-semester undergraduates (n=104) at a large public university in the southeastern United States who are aspiring to become teachers. The Boyer Commission (1999) asserted that inquiry-based learning should be the foundation of higher education curricula. Even though inquiry pedagogies are emphasized in teacher education, many prospective teacher candidates have limited experience with inquiry as a constructivist practice from their K-12 settings. This study investigates the effects and first-semester undergraduates’ perceptions of an inquiry-based learning project. The research is grounded in Knowledge Building …

Faculty Perceptions Of Teaching Information Literacy To First-Year Students: A Phenomenographic Study, Lorna M. Dawes

UNL Libraries: Faculty Publications

This study examines faculty perceptions of teaching information literacy and explores the influence of these perceptions on pedagogy. The study adopted an inductive phenomenographic approach, using 24 semi-structured interviews with faculty teaching first-year courses at an American public research university. The results of the study reveal four qualitative ways in which faculty experience teaching information use to first year students that vary within three themes of expanding awareness. The resulting outcome space revealed that faculty had two distinct conceptions of teaching information literacy: (1) Teaching to produce experienced consumers of information, and (2) Teaching to cultivate intelligent participants in discourse …

Academic Advising Support For Students On Academic Probation, Kaitlyn N. Stormes, Gregg J. Gold

IdeaFest: Interdisciplinary Journal of Creative Works and Research from Cal Poly Humboldt

No abstract provided.

Imls Sparks Ignite Il Framework Cooperative Project Grant Proposal, Jessame Ferguson

IMLS SPARKS Ignite IL Framework Cooperative Project for At-Risk Student Success in Smaller Colleges

This is the narrative written for the IMLS Sparks IL Framework Cooperative Project grant proposal. Through a partnership of five institutions led by McDaniel College, including Goucher College, Ursinus College, Washington College, and Washington & Jefferson College, we propose to develop best practices for ensuring information literacy education programs at smaller institutions support success and persistence of at-risk students in their critical first-year. We will use the newly adopted Association of College & Research Libraries Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education to develop and test new assessment methodologies and engaging educational experiences for first-year students. The project will take …

Finding Relevance, Competence, And Enjoyment: The Development Of Domain Identification And Interest In First-Year Science Majors, Chloe Ruff

Education Faculty Publications

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine how first-year college students perceive their development of domain identification with, and interest in, their prospective science major during their initial year of college. Four themes emerged from the coding and analysis of interviews with eight first-year science students: Self-Definition in Flux, Feeling Competent, Expressing Interest through Enjoyment, and Relevant to Me. These themes were mainly consistent with the current model of domain identification (Osborne & Jones, 2011) but differ from the current model of interest development (Hidi & Renninger, 2006). Theoretical and practical implications are included for faculty and advisors …

Examining Synergies In A First-Year Leadership Development Course.Pdf, Amber Manning-Ouellette, Cameron Beatty

Cameron C. Beatty

No abstract provided.

First-Generation College Students: A Qualitative Exploration Of The Relationship Between Parental Education Level And Perceptions Of Faculty-Student Interaction, Micol Hutchison

Theses and Dissertations

While quantitative research has determined that first-generation college students (FGS) are less likely to interact with faculty than are their non-FGS peers, this qualitative study examines how incoming first-year college students, both FGS and non-FGS, perceive faculty-student interaction and whether they consider it important. Addressing different types of interaction with college instructors, both in-class and out-of-class, participants across a range of FGS status shared their views through surveys, individual interviews, and focus groups. Focusing specifically on incoming first year students, this study also explores the motives for, impediments to, and encouragements to faculty-student interaction that students identify. Finally, the study …

Overview Of Uk 101: Academic Orientation Course, Benjamin C. Withers, Randolph Hollingsworth

Undergraduate Education White Papers

A review of UK 101, "Academic Orientation Course", and its impact on retention and graduation rates at the University of Kentucky (UK). The study includes charts showing the differences in retention and graduation rates over time from 2001 to 2013. It also explores key issues and suggested next steps within the context of UK's efforts to raise the number of first-year students and the use of the shared curriculum by colleges for their specialized sections to meet the needs of their new students. This white paper is the result of collaboration between many units at UK together with the Division …

Postsecondary Writing: First-Year Students’ Perceptions Of College Writing Preparedness, Kerri E. Hoppe

Higher Education Student Work

As access to higher education continues to grow it is important to consider the way students are prepared for college level work. This is especially true in the area of writing, which is considered to be the academic skill most linked to success at the college level (Conley, 2008). This qualitative study investigates college writing preparedness through the perspectives of ten first-year students at a small, liberal arts institution in Massachusetts. The study sought to explore how K-12 institutions and postsecondary schools can work to better prepare students for college writing. Participants described the differences between secondary and postsecondary writing …

A Broadly Implementable Research Course In Phage Discovery And Genomics For First-Year Undergraduate Students, Tuajuanda C. Jordan, Sandra H. Burnett, Susan Carson, Steven M. Caruso, Kari Clase, Randall J. Dejong, John J. Dennehy, Dee R. Denver, David Dunbar, Sarah C. R. Elgin, Ann M. Findley, Chris R. Gissendanner, Urszula P. Golebiewska, Nancy Guild, Grant A. Hartzog, Wendy H. Grillo, Gail P. Hollowell, Lee E. Hughes, Allison Johnson, Rodney A. King, Lynn O. Lewis, Wei Li, Frank Rosenzweig, Michael R. Rubin, Margaret S. Saha, James Sandoz, Christopher D. Shaffer, Barbara Taylor, Louise Temple, Edwin Vazquez, Vassie C. Ware, Lucia P. Barker, Kevin W. Bradley, Deborah Jacobs-Sera, Welkin H. Pope, Daniel A. Russell, Steven G. Cresawn, David Lopatto, Cherly P. Bailey, Graham F. Hatfull

Publications and Research

Engaging large numbers of undergraduates in authentic scientific discovery is desirable but difficult to achieve. We have developed a general model in which faculty and teaching assistants from diverse academic institutions are trained to teach a research course for first-year undergraduate students focused on bacteriophage discovery and genomics. The course is situated within a broader scientific context aimed at understanding viral diversity, such that faculty and students are collaborators with established researchers in the field. The Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Science Education Alliance Phage Hunters Advancing Genomics and Evolutionary Science (SEA-PHAGES) course has been widely implemented and has been …

The Relationship Between Living Arrangement, Academic Performance, And Engagement Among First-Year College Students, Denise Shata Balfour

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

One way students become engaged in their undergraduate experience is through place of residence. Factors associated with high academic performance suggest high levels of engagement in campus life. This study investigated the relationship between living arrangement and the academic performance of first-year, full-time undergraduate students. The researcher also considered age, gender, race/ethnicity, and key characteristics of student engagement as moderating factors in the relationship between living arrangement and the academic performance.

Students enrolled at a four-year, public research university located in Southeastern Virginia were utilized for this study. The final participant group consisted of 870 first-year, full-time students who participated …

Do Honors Programs Make A Difference During The First Year Of College? The Development Of Critical Thinking Skills And Exposure To Good Practices In Undergraduate Education, Amanda Kay Moore

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This longitudinal study analyzed pretest-posttest data to 1) examine the influence of honors programs on first-year college students' critical thinking skills, 2) to determine whether students in honors programs receive more exposure to good practices in undergraduate education than their non-honors peers, and 3) to assess the effect of good practices on critical thinking. The quasi-experimental study also investigated whether the influence of honors programs on critical thinking skills varied in direction and magnitude for male versus female students and White versus students of color. To replicate an earlier study conducted by Seifert et al. (2007), the current study utilized …

From High School To College: Factors Shaping The Collegiate Experience, Mary Jane S. Secuban

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose for conducting this study was to develop an understanding of undergraduate college students' Social readiness for the collegiate experience. The study made use of a qualitative approach and a narrative research design that used focus group interviews. The seven focus group interviews were conducted at four sites across the Southern and Midwest United States, including different institutional types. These institutions included a community college, private college, research and comprehensive state university. A total of 21 undergraduate first- and second-year students participated. The findings included external factors such as parents, siblings, friends and teachers having a significant influence over …

The Influence Of Demographic Characteristics, Cognitive And Non-Cognitive Attributes On The Effectiveness Of The Ladders Probation Intervention Program, Terri M. Mathews

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

Retention is an important measure for institutions of higher education thereby making improved academic success and increased retention of paramount concern to university administrators. This concern has resulted in a body of literature addressing retention and the development of retention programs. Few of these programs however, have been empirically evaluated for their effectiveness and repeatedly, the literature has cited the need for evaluation of retention and probation programs across demographic, cognitive and non-cognitive characteristics. The purpose of this research was to determine whether the LADDERS (Let Academic Difficulty Disappear to Energize and Retain Students) program developed by Old Dominion University …

The Non-Cognitive Attributes Of First-Year At-Risk Students Who Are Academically Successful And Retained At Old Dominion University, Tisha M. Paredes

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

With a decrease in state and federal funding, higher educational institutions need to focus on retaining students. However, student retention is a multifaceted problem that requires varied solutions. Traditional measures, or cognitive measures, of student success, such as pre-college knowledge (SAT and high school grade point average) have not explained how higher education institutions retained students, especially students who are considered at-risk. Since the nature of student retention is idiosyncratic, research needs to focus on other measures, such as students' non-cognitive factors. Tinto has outlined non-cognitive factors, such as pre-college characteristics, goals and commitments, and institutional experiences, which influence students' …