Making an IMPACT on First Year Student Success by Teaching Students How to Learn
Awards Categories
Careers, Academic Support, Service-Learning, Community Service and related
Executive Summary
Many students struggle their first year of college. One of the primary reasons many of them falter is due to lackluster academic performance. Most of these students performed very well in high school but many of them are left shocked and deflated after their first semester wondering if they are cut out for the academic challenges of college. After working with students for the past 20 years, the Center for Academic Success (CAS) at Louisiana State University (LSU) has determined that students ARE academically capable of handling the work, but most do not know the appropriate strategies needed to successfully perform at the college-level.
The following email was sent to a high school counselor by a first year LSU student.
“…I cannot possibly tell you how many people I have met here who had a 4.0 in high school and are now failing most of their classes. They never learned to assert themselves or study in high school, and in college, being able to study is of the utmost importance… Warn those GPA people now. If you do not know how to study or manage your time, you will become a drop out college student who had a high GPA in high school.”
Students bring with them the same study techniques they used in high school, and are unaware why these tactics are not adequate. LSU does not have a required first year seminar course so many students do not get the message about what it takes to be academically successful. In 2009 with the support of both Student and Academic Affairs, the CAS partnered with First Year Experience (FYE) and University College at LSU to create the IMPACT program for the approximately 14% of first year students on warning or probation after their first semester. The objective of this program was to assist students in learning appropriate strategies to achieve at the levels required in college-level coursework, and follows LSU’s desire to provide students with a holistic approach to their student involvement and academic experience.. In 2010, the program was revised and expanded to all first year students to increase participation.
The program is currently voluntary and consists of a conference style workshop conducted in the spring semester which includes an on-line follow-up component via LSU’s course management system, Moodle. The results of the program in Spring 2010 were very positive with students showing increased GPA and better retention. Based on these results, we would like to enhance participation in this program to aid in raising the first to second year retention rate and performance evidenced through GPA. Students’ propensity to return the following year is more likely for each GPA point (e.g. 2.0 vs 3.0) earned as stated in a recent study of LSU students. Therefore, increasing the GPAs of first year LSU students is expected to increase their retention. This program is doing exactly what it was intended to do and we would like to share it as a model for others in need of similar programs.
Award Description
LSU is the flagship institution in the state of Louisiana with an enrollment of approximately 25,000 undergraduate students and 5,000 graduate students. It is designated as a Doctoral Level Research Extensive University by the Carnegie Foundation and is one of only 25 universities nationwide holding both land-grant and sea-grant status.
LSU’s internationally recognized Center for Academic Success (CAS), within the Division of Student Life, serves as an academic support unit for all LSU students, faculty, staff, departments and organizations and provides programs and services key to the LSU mission of “challenging undergraduate and graduate students to achieve the highest levels of intellectual and personal development.” Through services such as learning strategies consultations, tutoring and peer-led collaborative study groups, students are encouraged to develop critical thinking skills and achieve higher levels of intellectual learning. As demonstrated by its designation as the 2004- 2005 Outstanding Learning Center in the nation by the National College Learning Center Association, the Center for Academic Success is recognized by its peers as one of the nation’s premier learning centers. Among the learning centers in LSU’s Flagship 2020 peer group, the CAS is one of only two that have received this award. The effectiveness and necessity of the CAS is also well recognized by the LSU community as evidenced by budget support received from a wide variety of LSU departments and organizations.
In 2009, the CAS was approached and supported by the University’s newly created First Year Experience program to design an academic program to assist first year students on academic warning or probation. The CAS worked closely with University College (UC) to inform students about the program and to assist with assessment. UC, within Academic Affairs, serves as the portal of entry for most incoming freshmen, returning and transfer students who are not yet eligible for admission to a degree-granting senior college
Many types of assessments have been collected over the years, demonstrating learning strategies education success. These assessments have focused on the utility of the learning strategies information to students, their usage of the strategies, and the impact that developing learning strategies have on their confidence in their ability to succeed.
Evidence of Learning Strategies Education Relevance to Student Performance
The examples below provide the evidence that when students are taught how to learn, their performance usually takes an immediate and dramatic turn for the better (the after performances are bolded and underlined).
Improved Test Scores
• Travis, junior psychology - scores: 47, 52, 82, 86 • Robert, freshman chemistry - scores: 42, 100, 100, 100 • Aimee, junior organic chemistry - scores: 54, 82,76, 78 • Dave, senior analytical chemistry - scores: 65, 67, 61, 107
Improved GPAs
• Terrence, junior bio engineering - cumulative GPA: 1.67 (after four semesters), 3.54 (fall 2003), 3.80 (spring 2004) • First year STEM program (underrepresented minorities) - GPA: earned a 3.73 vs. the 3.17 from students with comparable high school GPAs and ACT scores.
Student Testimony
“I never had problems making good grades in high school but I really struggled with adapting to college my first semester and started off with a 1.5 GPA….. I was skeptical about going to the CAS. I definitely think going to CAS had a major impact on my getting a 3.8 this semester.”
The CAS learning strategies component is, by design, a service that fosters both intellectual and personal development by promoting self-awareness in students in order for them to utilize appropriate cognitive-science, research-based strategies for achievement. Self-awareness promotes development, increasing productivity and accomplishment, and creating future leaders and life-long learners. Research has definitively shown that academic support, via learning strategies education, has a direct correlation to student performance, persistence, and timely graduation at the university level. So, when asked to create a program to help first year students, the CAS knew exactly what it needed to do to make a significant IMPACT.
The IMPACT Program
An overwhelming number of students enter universities lacking the appropriate skills to be academically successful. The CAS learning strategies consultants translate cognitive science findings into specific and practical strategies that leave students with a renewed confidence in their ability to excel. Concepts are organized in themes that resonate with students and have been designed to be easily implemented. This information teaches students about how they learn, how to get organized through time management strategies, how to perform well on tests, and how to reduce stress that interferes with academic performance. As simple as some of these concepts may appear, they are not common knowledge for most students or faculty.
Program Objectives
• To enhance critical thinking and course material understanding by teaching students metacognitive learning strategies. • To disseminate research-proven concepts to enhance student learning, engagement and development. • To improve student retention and academic performance.
2010 Program Structure • Participants – open to ALL first year students • Highly recommended for students on academic warning or probation • Format: o 3 hour session . Basic Study Strategies Concepts (1 hour)
i. Bloom’s Taxonomy
ii. Study Cycle
iii. Time Management (basic)
iv. Available Academic Support Resources
. Break (light refreshments) . Break Out Sessions (choose 2- 45 minute sessions)
i. How I Learn
ii. Get Organized
iii. Ace My Tests
iv. Reduce My Stress
. Follow-up
a. On-line Workshops (see www.lsu.edu/learn) or Moodle Course (On-line Workshops – for all others except pilot group). b. Moodle Course - Pilot group with UC
c. CAS IMPULSE Sessions
d. FYE Individual Check-in Sessions – for selected populations
. Program was offered at 2 times for student convenience . Program was advertised using various outlets, social media, and emails
Program Content
(see http://www.cas.lsu.edu)
How I Learn • Students discover the differences between high school and college learning expectations.
• Students ascertain how the brain learns and the hierarchy of learning via Bloom’s Taxonomy.
• Students discover their own Unique Learning Style and the role it plays in their learning.
• Students learn about Fixed vs. Growth Mindsets and that effective learners are learners who utilize the best strategies.
Get Organized
• Students learn goal-setting techniques.
• Students discover time management tools to help them reach their academic, personal and career goals.
• Students are encouraged to explore and enhance motivation to achieve their goals.
Ace My Tests
• Students learn about The Study Cycle, a system for studying based on cognitive science research.
• Students discover specific learning strategies to aid in the retention and higher order thinking necessary to perform on college exams such as: Concept Mapping, reading strategies, self-testing, teaching others, examining returned tests, etc.
Reduce My Stress
• Students assess current stress levels, identify stressors, and recognize the effects stress has on their academic performance.
• Students learn stress management and test anxiety management techniques such as engaging in healthy behaviors, cognitive restructuring, and relaxation.
Moodle Component
The purpose of this element is to engage students beyond the original IMPACT workshop, to help them process the information learned in the workshops, and to assist them with the implementation of the new strategies learned.
Our first pilot group comprised of students from University College, who were invited to participate via email. Students were assigned facilitators from the Center for Academic Success, First Year Experience, or University College. Students were instructed to complete four modules, one at a time within a specified time frame. Each module contained a discussion component, monitored by the assigned facilitator, who encouraged student through the process. Each module centered around the four themes taught at the workshop.
Assessment Data
During the first implementation of the IMPACT Program in spring 2009, the program was designed such that students participated in a pre and post test, a series of workshops, individual consultations, Supplemental Instruction, tutoring, or any combination of the above services. The targeted student population was first-year students on warning and probation (less than a 2.0 grade point average) from the previous fall semester. 107 students participated in the program in some form or fashion, with all but 4 on warning and probation. When comparing students who participated to those who did not, both IMPACT (1.30 fall, 1.86 spring) and non-IMPACT (1.33 fall, 1.74 spring) students improved their grade point averages (GPA) from the fall to the spring semester, using the traditional 4.0 GPA scale. However, IMPACT students improved their GPA from a lower level to a higher level than non-IMPACT students. Students that completed the entire workshop series had the highest mean GPA (2.025) as compared to all other students. And, those who chose not to attend any workshops had the lowest mean GPA (1.725). In addition, focus groups were conducted during this time. IMPACT students reported that prior to attending the program they were “hesitant”, “reluctant to try”, “nervous”, and “uncomfortable”. However, after participation in IMPACT, their hesitation turned to “confidence”. When taking into account that the workshops yielded the biggest improvement in student grade point averages, the spring 2010 IMPACT Program was redesigned, providing students with a 3-hour, conference–style workshop, where they attended an opening session and chose to attend 2 of 4 breakout sessions on the following topics: How I Learn, Get Organized, Ace My Tests, and Reduce My Stress. In addition to targeting first-year students on warning and probation (less than a 2.0 GPA from the fall), the program expanded to invite all first-year (freshmen and transfer) students. 129 total students participated in the program, of which 116 were first-year students (the targeted population). Of the 116, 63 students were on warning and probation (less than a 2.0 GPA from fall) and 53 were in good standing (2.0 GPA or higher from fall).
Preliminary statistics show that all first-year IMPACT students increased their GPA by 0.414 points on a 4.0 scale (1.906 fall, 2.320 spring) as compared to non-IMPACT students whose GPA slightly decreased over the same time frame (2.770 fall, 2.746 spring). Transfer students who participated in the IMPACT Program exhibited a bigger jump in GPA at 0.723 (1.323 fall, 2.046 spring), especially compared to their non-IMPACT counterparts who also showed a slight decrease in GPA (2.599 fall, 2.565 spring). Freshmen increased their GPA as well, by .379 (1.972 fall, 2.351 spring) when they participated in IMPACT as compared to those who did not (2.802 fall, 2.778 spring). Both IMPACT (1.239 fall, 1.813 spring) and non-IMPACT (1.165 fall, 1.544 spring) warning and probation students increased their GPA, with IMPACT students demonstrating a larger increase. And those in good standing who participated in IMPACT increased their GPA by 0.522 (2.493 fall, 3.015 spring) when compared to non-IMPACT who, again decreased their GPA (2.890 fall, 2.760 spring). Furthermore, IMPACT participants, through a survey on the workshop, reported that the program was helpful. 97% of those who attended IMPACT stated that attending the program improved their performance on graded academic work including, tests, quizzes, and assignments. The preliminary data also suggests that the program is affecting retention rates, especially those for good standing students. Using the 14th-day class enrollment numbers, 91% of IMPACT participants in good standing were retained from first to second year, when compared to the total LSU first-year student population of 84.1% retention rate. It is also promising to note that 70% of warning and probations students (less than 2.0 GPA) returned for the second year. Further analysis is being conducted on this program to confirm these results and/or address more comparisons to obtain truer numbers.
Additionally, student feedback was very good. After the 2009 program focus groups were conducted and ascertained that students did not know about services offered through the Center, and if they did they were reticent to go because of the perception that is only for students who are struggling. Students wanted students to be the face of the CAS so that it would be less intimidating to use the services. Here is a quote from one student who attended IMPACT:
“I find LSU is a big school and can be overwhelming. The biggest thing I had to learn to balance was school and everything else. So many people are used to coming out of High School being 3.5 or 4.0 students with a set routine, and it is a different ball game when they get here. Anything to motivate someone else, to let them know they need to find a balance; otherwise they are setting themselves up for failure. I found the balance through the Center for Academic Success.”
In 2010, the responses were also good from students with most of them citing their biggest disappointment was that they were unable to attend all four breakout sessions. In 2009, Over 97% of students stated that attending IMPACT improved their performance on graded academic work, including, tests, quizzes, and assignments.
The biggest struggle with the program is trying to increase voluntary attendance of students. Currently ways are being assessed to increase attendance.
In recent years, administrators are looking at channeling more resources to assist in increasing both the grade point averages and in turn, the retention rates and overall success of students at LSU. Increased grade point averages have been shown to increase retention rates, therefore, programs such as IMPACT which assist enhancing student skills, development, and confidence will benefit students and the entire university.