Award Title 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