Alternative Models of FirstYear General Education Programming

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Alternative Models of First-Year General
Education Programming

• Alternative Models of First-Year General
  Education Programming
• Frederick S. Foster-Clark, John R. Ward, Linda L.
  McDowell, Daniel F. ONeill, and Daniel Weinstein
• Millersville University of Pennsylvania
• Presented at AACUs Network for Academic Renewal
  conference General Education and Outcomes That
  Matter in a Changing World, Phoenix, AZ, March 9,
  2006

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Alternative Models of First-Year General
Education Programming
Overview of Presentation

• This presentation describes a new program model
  for our first-year General Education curriculum
  and begins to assess its effectiveness in
  comparison with alternative program models.
• The First Seminar/Learning Community initiative
  is the cornerstone of the plan to revamp
  Millersvilles General Education program.
• Students were assigned to one of five new
  three-credit, content-based thematic seminars
  linked to a fundamentals course as part of a
  living-learning community.

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Alternative Models of First-Year General
Education Programming
Overview of Presentation (continued)

• The initiative also includes special Student
  Affairs programming, a service learning
  requirement, and the use of peer mentors.
• The session also examines practical issues in
  implementing new models for General Education
  programming and suggests both successful
  strategies and potential pitfalls in the
  implementation process.

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Alternative Models of First-Year General
Education Programming
Profile of Millersville University

• Undergrad enrollment of just under 7000
• 91 fulltime
• 14 minority
• 96 Instate
• Entering fall 2005 class of 1320 students (new
  freshman)
• mean SATs 1061
• Mean Percentile Rank 69
• 7th Ranked Public in US News World Reports
  Masters Universities in the North
• Top Majors
• Undecided (852)
• Buad (815)
• ElEd (772)
• Biol (482)
• ITech (443)
• Comm (422)
• Psyc (351)

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Alternative Models of First-Year General
Education Programming

• Section 1
• Description of the Three-Credit Passion
  Course/Learning Community Initiative

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Alternative Models of First-Year General
Education Programming

• Components of the First-Year Seminar/Learning
  Community (FYS/LC) initiative
• FYS Passion course paired with first-year
  fundamental course (Composition or Speech)
• Living-learning connection (Students live
  together in Freshman dorms)
• Service Learning (15 hour requirement)
• Attentive advising by seminar instructors with
  support from Resident Life and Exploratory
  programs
• Peer mentors (live in dorms one assigned to each
  seminar)

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Alternative Models of First-Year General
Education Programming

• First-Year Seminar (Passion Course) Topics (Fall
  2005)
• Homes and Homelessness
• The Dream of America
• Facing Fear
• Why Dont They Speak English?
• Why We Hate
• See brochure for course descriptions binder for
  syllabi. More details follow on subsequent slides.

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Alternative Models of First-Year General
Education Programming
Three-Credit Passion Course Seminars in
Living-Learning Community Homes Homelessness

• What is a home? What elementsboth physical and
  psychological make up the experience of home?
  How does one come to feel at home in a new
  place? In contrastwhat are the social/emotional,
  economic and psychological consequences of being
  without a home? Who are the homeless? Why are
  people homeless? In this course we will attempt
  to answer these and other questions by studying
  the concepts and realities of home and
  homelessness. The course will also offer a
  service learning opportunity as students
  investigate the problem of homelessness here in
  Lancaster.

• Courses include
• UNIV 179 Homes Homelessness
• ENGL 110 English Composition

Dr. Dan ONeill
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Alternative Models of First-Year General
Education Programming
Three-Credit Passion Course Seminars in
Living-Learning Community The Dream of America

• Courses include
• UNIV 179 The Dream of America
• COMM 100 Fundamentals of Speech

• This course introduces students to various
  interpretations, conceptions, and manifestations
  of the concept, promise, failure, and myths
  associated with the dream of America. Students
  will read fiction, drama, and non-fiction prose
  depicting various American writers perspectives
  of the dream and myths of America. By analyzing
  these readings, students will develop their own
  interpretations of the dream of America and its
  efficacy for a generation uncertain of its
  relevance in their lives.

Dr. Steven Centola
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Alternative Models of First-Year General
Education Programming
Three-Credit Passion Course Seminars in
Living-Learning Community Facing Fear

• Courses include
• UNIV 179 Facing Fear
• ENGL 110 English Composition

• Students in this seminar will explore through
  literature, philosophy, social science,
  religious/wisdom traditions, and personal
  experience the various faces and facets of fear
  as a near-ubiquitous human experience. Facing
  fear also suggests a personal challenge to
  understand fear and to respond to it
  constructively, especially with regard to ones
  own education and growth.

Dr. Barb Stengel
Dr. Barb Stengel
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Alternative Models of First-Year General
Education Programming
Three-Credit Passion Course Seminars in
Living-Learning Community Why Dont They Speak
English?

• Courses include
• UNIV 179 Why Dont They Speak English?
• ENGL 110 English Composition

• Although the majority of immigrants to the US do
  not speak English when they come here, their
  children and grandchildren in many cases no
  longer speak a language other than English. How
  hard is it for immigrants to learn English and
  how hard is it for Americans to learn a second
  language? What does it take to be or to become
  bilingual? We will explore our own linguistic
  family history, learn about current immigrants to
  the US who speak other languages, and discuss
  language policy issues in the US and in other
  countries.

Dr. Suzanne Nimmrichter
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Alternative Models of First-Year General
Education Programming
Three-Credit Passion Course Seminars in
Living-Learning Community Why We Hate

• This seminar will investigate the darker side of
  human emotions and behavior by examining hatred
  its causes, its manifestations in contemporary
  society and historically, and what can be done to
  lessen its incidence and impact. A recent book by
  Rush Dozier, Why We Hate, forms the backbone of
  this seminar. Through critical reading and
  discussion, participants will gain a better
  understanding of the intra-psychic,
  interpersonal, and inter-group dimensions of
  hate. Students will investigate and report upon
  some of the many manifestations of hate through
  independent research supported by both this
  seminar and the linked course (ENGL 110). The
  last portion of the course will look at how we
  can respond to hate in our world and the
  conditions that breed it, both as individuals and
  as a society. A service-learning activity will be
  linked to this portion of the course.

• Courses include
• UNIV 179 Why We Hate
• ENGL 110 English Composition

Dr. Fred Foster-Clark
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Alternative Models of First-Year General
Education Programming

• Section 2
• Evaluation of the Three-Credit Passion
  Course/Learning Community Initiative

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Alternative Models of First-Year General
Education Programming

• Pilot-test Evaluation Methods
• 110 of the 284 Exploratory (Undecided) students
  were randomly assigned to the FYS/LC pilot-test
  program
• Pilot-test students assigned to one of five
  FYS/LC topics based on their stated preferences
• Students completed mid-semester and
  end-of-semester Web-based surveys
• Focus group of pilot-test students held at end of
  semester by assessment staff
• Instructors completed opened-ended surveys
• Students will be followed to check academic
  progress and persistence

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Alternative Models of First-Year General
Education Programming
Freshman Year Mid-Term Survey Fall 2005 Results

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Alternative Models of First-Year General
Education Programming
Freshman Year Mid-Term Survey Fall 2005 Results
Students in the freshman seminar had more serious
conversations with different students, worked
more with classmates outside of class, researched
for a paper more, contributed more to class, and
came to class more prepared than students who
were not in a freshman seminar.

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Alternative Models of First-Year General
Education Programming
Freshman Year Mid-Term Survey Fall 2005 Results
Students in a learning community meet more with
classmates outside of class and tend to believe
more that the University provides them with
needed support than students who are not in a
learning community.

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Alternative Models of First-Year General
Education Programming
Freshman Year Mid-Term Survey Fall 2005 Results
The one-credit seminar was rated higher than the
three-credit seminar for meeting with faculty
outside of class and marginally higher for
evaluation of the entire educational experience.

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Alternative Models of First-Year General
Education Programming
FACULTY REACTIONS TO TEACHING THE FIRST SEMINAR

• Energizing
• I enjoyed a chance to spread my wings after a
  steady diet of required courses.
• Got me out of a teaching rut!
• I really enjoyed the opportunity to get to know
  students wellboth academically and personally.
• Students rose to my high expectations.
• Being both teacher and advisor made me better at
  both!
• I could convey to students that college involves
  a high level of intellectual rigor.

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Alternative Models of First-Year General
Education Programming

• FACULTY REACTIONS IMPORTANT THEMES
• Scholarly Growth
• Professional Development
• Relationships
• Faculty Collaboration
• Quality of Student Work
• Service Learning
• Challenges
• Elaboration of these seven themes follow on
  subsequent slides.

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Alternative Models of First-Year General
Education Programming
SCHOLARLY GROWTH

• Developing a First Seminar provided the
  opportunity to teach a course on a topic about
  which the faculty member feels passionate-- thus
  the nickname Passion Course.
• An opportunity to investigate a new area of
  interest
• A chance to teach a course aligned with a current
  line of research.
• A timely topic with an interdisciplinary
  focus--of interest on both a personal and
  scholarly level

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Alternative Models of First-Year General
Education Programming
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

• Faculty members feel energized by the teaching
  experience
• Faculty members enjoy the chance to spread their
  wings after a steady diet of required courses.
• One faculty member felt that the First Seminar
  experience Can get you out of a teaching rut.
• Pedagogies of the Freshman Seminar (e.g.,
  journaling, service learning) can be used in
  other courses to positive effect

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Alternative Models of First-Year General
Education Programming
RELATIONSHIPS

• Faculty know students wellboth academically and
  personally.
• The First Seminar produced more intensive, more
  intentional relationships with students.
• Relationships between students were more intense,
  creating a greater sense of community.
• Fears about not finding friends at college were,
  for the most part, allayed by belonging to the
  seminar cohort.
• Though it is challenging to be both teacher and
  advisor, both roles were enhanced by the depth of
  relationship with students in the First Seminar.

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Alternative Models of First-Year General
Education Programming
STUDENTS ENGAGED ON AN INTELLECTUAL AND PERSONAL
LEVEL

• Creating a classroom atmosphere in which
• The students feel safe to grapple with
  challenging texts or concepts without appearing
  stupid in front of their peers and professor
• The teacher can challenge students about their
  work ethic and intellectual productivityfactors
  that strongly contribute to their retention and
  success in college.

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Alternative Models of First-Year General
Education Programming
OPPORTUNITY FOR FACULTY COLLABORATION

• Collaborative relationships with other faculty
  members very rewarding.
• Requires consistent effort and communication
• Requires flexibility on part of faculty

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Alternative Models of First-Year General
Education Programming
QUALITY OF STUDENT WORK

• A primary goal of the First Seminar is to develop
  students critical thinking skills.
• Students rose to high expectations.
• Students learned how to take responsibility for
  themselves--and their learning.
• The First Seminar provided a safe but
  challenging place for students to figure out
  the transition to college-level learning.
• Professors support enabled students to perform
  at a higher level than is typical of first year
  students.
• Students were able to be an expert at something

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Alternative Models of First-Year General
Education Programming
SERVICE LEARNING

• When tied to course content Service Learning
  experiences had tremendous effect.
• Students reflected in journals that they had
  learned something valuable about themselves.
• Student evaluations indicated that, for many,
  Service Learning was the most valuable part of
  the course.
• The Service Learning experiences provided a
  connection between classroom discussions and
  real life.
• New students need a lot of support and guidance
  to make this successful.
• Most effective when Professors or Peer Mentors
  could participate in the Service Learning
  experience with the student.

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Alternative Models of First-Year General
Education Programming
FACULTY REACTIONS CHALLENGES

• Developing a brand new course involves a
  tremendous amount of work and preparation.
• Choosing the course topic well. Ideally the
  chosen topic has clear impact on students
  personal livesand can be treated with academic
  integrity.
• Concentrating on course content and goals, and
  students general academic and personal progress
  all at once.
• Providing a Service Learning component often the
  most difficult part of the course to
  administer. Identifying service opportunities,
  arranging transportation and other logistics etc.
  requires considerable advance planning and
  coordination with other campus offices.

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Alternative Models of First-Year General
Education Programming

• Section 3
• Alternatives to the Three-Credit Model for
  First-Year Seminars

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Alternative Models of First-Year General
Education Programming

• Alternative Models for First-Year Seminars (FYS)
• One-credit FYS (UNIV 101) in linked
  Living-Learning Communities
• Themed Exploratory sections (Theme titles Risky
  Business School Days Its Elementary Earth,
  Wind, and Fire Serving Our Community Culture,
  Class, and Change)
• Major-based sections (BSE-Citizenship, Business,
  Biology, Comm/Thea, Earth Sciences, Socy/Anth,
  Special Ed)
• One-credit major-based Stand Alone FYS
• Math, Physics
• See Binder for additional details.

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Alternative Models of First-Year General
Education Programming

• Key Components of One-Credit FYE Seminar (UNIV
  101)
• Seminar format
• Problem Based Learning element
• Information Literacy piece
• Service Learning Activity
• Co-Curricular Extracurricular Activities
• Discussion about General Education/Liberal Arts
  Education
• See Binder for additional details.

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Alternative Models of First-Year General
Education Programming

• Sample Themes of One-Credit FYE Seminar (UNIV
  101)
• Risky Business
• Culture, Class Change
• Earth, Wind Fire
• School Days Its Elementary
• Serving Our Communities
• Ethnic Studies
• Descriptions of each follow on subsequent slides.

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Alternative Models of First-Year General
Education Programming
One-Credit Themed FYS Risky Business

• Plan on entering the workforce after graduation?
  Or, while in school? Have you given any thought
  to potential hazards at work, such as violence in
  the workplace? Hazardous materials? Toxic
  waste? Students who select this option will
  explore health, safety and environmental
  movements in industry and society. Evaluate your
  personal risk and risks to others. We will
  explore the social and financial impacts of
  work-related accidents, illnesses, and incidents
  as well as the safety, health and environmental
  legislation passed to protect the public. Join
  this LC and begin your preparation for the world
  of work!

• Courses included
• OSEH 120 Fundamentals of Safety, Health and
  Environmental Issues
• ENGL 110 Freshman Composition
• UNIV 101 First-Year Seminar

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Alternative Models of First-Year General
Education Programming
One-Credit Themed FYS Culture, Class Change

• What is culture? How does culture impact our
  lives and how many world problems result from
  cultural differences and lack of understanding
  about these differences? Basics about culture,
  including communication, sex roles, social
  organizations, politics, economics, belief
  systems, etc., will begin our exploration. Learn
  more about yourself and gain a greater
  appreciation for the cultural uniqueness of
  others as we look at these issues through a lens
  of current events. Events such as 9-11, the Iraq
  War, Arab-Israeli disputes, even the challenges
  of the Amish in Lancaster County may be better
  understood when examined through the lens of the
  anthropologist. Select this option to enter the
  world of cultural uniqueness and change.

• Courses included
• ANTH 121 Cultural Anthropology
• ENGL 110 Freshman Composition
• UNIV 101 First-Year Seminar

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Alternative Models of First-Year General
Education Programming
One-Credit Themed FYS Earth, Wind and Fire

• Can we predict earthquakes? How do hurricanes
  form? How does an ecosystem recover from a
  forest fire? How do volcanoes result in the
  novel Frankenstein? This LC explores the science
  of natural disaster. We will discuss the
  chemistry, physics, and biology behind the
  formation, occurrence, and aftermath of natural
  disasters and the societal impacts of these
  disasters that collectively result in thousands
  of deaths and billions of dollars of damages each
  year. We will explore these issues through
  current events (e.g. the latest earthquake,
  landslide), film (e.g. Dantes Peak, Twister),
  and literature (e.g. The Perfect Storm, Life on
  the Mississippi). Be prepared for the next
  disaster and join us!

• Courses included
• ESCI 101 Earth Systems Natural Hazards
• ENGL 110 Freshman Composition OR
• WELL 175 Wellness Concepts of Health Fitness
• UNIV 101 First-Year Seminar

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Alternative Models of First-Year General
Education Programming
One-Credit Themed FYS School Days- Its
Elementary

• Do you have an interest in molding the next
  generation, by becoming an elementary teacher?
  This LC will be led by an elementary education
  faculty member who will guide discussions of
  major sociological questions and approaches to
  studying them, with an emphasis on the role that
  education plays when exploring the similarities
  and differences among human groups, organizations
  and societies. If you have an interest in
  elementary education, this LC is for you!

• Courses included
• SOCY 101 Introduction to Sociology
• ENGL 110 Freshman Composition
• UNIV 101 First-Year Seminar

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Alternative Models of First-Year General
Education Programming
One-Credit Themed FYS Serving Our Community

• Have you been active in your community? Have you
  found community service to be rewarding and
  enriching to your life and your learning? And,
  didnt you feel great when you knew you made a
  positive difference in someone elses life?
  Service-learning is an integral part of many MU
  courses. Within the context of learning
  essential information about wellness lifestyles
  that consider your individual interests, goals
  and life situations, youll participate in
  integrated service-learning experiences in these
  LC courses and reflect on the importance of civic
  responsibility in our lives. Join this LC and
  make a difference!

• Courses included
• WELL 175 Wellness Concepts of Health Fitness
• ENGL 110 Freshman Composition
• UNIV 101 First-Year Seminar

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Alternative Models of First-Year General
Education Programming
One-Credit Themed FYS Ethnic Studies Learning
Community

• Courses include
• LATS 201 Intro to Latino/a Studies
• OR
• AFAM 201 Intro to African-American Studies
• ENGL 110 Freshman Composition
• MUSI 263 Popular Music
• LATS/AFAM 179 First-Year Seminar

• Ethnic Studies Learning Community students were
  immersed in a comprehensive program. The students
  were enrolled in 3 to 4 courses with fellow
  participants, lived in the freshman dormitory and
  participated in many other shared learning
  experiences. Two mentors also lived in the dorm
  to provide additional support to students. A key
  component of the Ethnic Studies Learning
  Community pilot program was the regularly
  scheduled mandatory study sessions. Students were
  required to attend 17 hours of mandatory study
  hall. During these sessions, mentors checked
  students completed homework and provided
  tutoring. In addition, the Freshman Seminar
  element of the program provided a one-credit
  experience designed to aid the students
  academic, social, and emotional adjustment to
  college.

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Alternative Models of First-Year General
Education Programming

• Examples of Major-based One-Credit FYE Seminar
• BSE Social Studies (Citizenship) American
  Studies (Fall)
• BSE Social Studies (Citizenship) Global Studies
  (Spring)
• Descriptions of each follow on subsequent slides.

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Alternative Models of First-Year General
Education Programming
One-Credit Themed FYS BSE Social Studies
(Citizenship) American Studies (Fall)

• Courses included
• HIST 105 Intro to the Craft of History
• HIST 106 Contours of US History
• GOVT 111 Intro to American Government
• ENGL 110 Freshman Composition
• EDFN 179 First-Year Seminar

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Alternative Models of First-Year General
Education Programming
One-Credit Themed FYS BSE Social Studies
(Citizenship) Global Studies (Spring)

• Courses included
• HIST 102 Europe and the World, 1789 to Present
• GEOG 101 Global Environment
• GOVT 251 Intro to Global Affairs
• EDFN 179 First-Year Seminar

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Alternative Models of First-Year General
Education Programming
Retention Data for Freshman Learning Communities
with One-Credit FY Seminar Fall 2001 to Fall
2004

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Alternative Models of First-Year General
Education Programming

• Section 4
• First Seminars/Learning Communities in the
  Context of Gen Ed Reform

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Alternative Models of First-Year General
Education Programming
The General Education Context

• Millersville is currently undertaken a major
  reform of its Gen Ed program after 2-3 years of
  study and dialogue
• The inclusion of first-year seminars in
  conjunction with learning communities has been an
  important feature of this reform.
• Creating a simpler, more flexible structure was a
  central guiding philosophy.

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Alternative Models of First-Year General
Education Programming
The General Education Context
Draft Goals Objectives Students, working with
advisors, and taking into consideration
prior-knowledge and experience, purposefully
select courses in the Gen Ed curriculum that
together with required courses, co-curricular and
extra-curricular activities, and major areas of
study help students

• Think, speak, and write clearly. Specifically,
  Millersville students should demonstrate college
  level proficiency in the following areas
• Oral and written communication
• Scientific and quantitative reasoning
• Critical analysis and reasoning
• Technological competency
• Information literacy
• Develop an understanding of the applications,
  usefulness, limitations of, and differences
  between, different ways of knowing developed in
  the traditions of math, science, social science,
  and the humanities.
• Grow in their understanding of people that are
  separated by differing beliefs, values, power,
  wealth, and cultures.
• Develop civic and social responsibility.
• Gain personal enrichment by fostering wellness
  values, and through the study of literature,
  music, art, and other interests that can be
  developed and enjoyed throughout a lifetime.

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Alternative Models of First-Year General
Education Programming
The General Education Context

• Outline of Curriculum Proposal
• Foundations 9 credits
• Composition
• Math
• Speech
• Explore and More 15 credits
• 9 credits Explore
• First Year Seminars (FYS) are strongly encouraged
  and can count for up to 3 of these 9 credits.
  FYS include various options and are typically
  integrated into a Learning Community. Maximum 25
  students for most seminar formats.
• Except for First-Year Seminars, all Explore
  credits must come from programs outside the
  students major. BSE students may not count
  required education courses as Explore courses.
• Advanced writing discipline specific sections
  encouraged that link with course(s) in major .
• Perspectives and / or Capstone.
• Liberal Arts 27 credits minimum
• 3 courses in Math / Science (1 lab science).
• 3 courses in Social Studies
• 3 courses in Humanities
• Skills across the curriculum
• 3 additional Writing-intensive courses in Gen Ed
  or major
• Other curriculum components stressed through
  advisement guidelines.

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Alternative Models of First-Year General
Education Programming

• Section 5
• Summary Promising Practices Pitfalls

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Alternative Models of First-Year General
Education Programming
Summary Promising Practices Pitfalls

• Promising Practices (What has made things work
  better?)
• Getting widespread discussion input
• We used a Task Force process to re-design Gen Ed
  with three rounds of faculty/student focus
  groups, open campus meetings, and continuing
  occasions for faculty input involvement.
• Starting small and building up
• Innovative programming (like the FYS/LC
  initiative) started as small pilot-test with
  assessment opportunities, expanded in second
  year, with full adoption planned for Year 3 or 4.

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Alternative Models of First-Year General
Education Programming
Summary Promising Practices Pitfalls

• Promising Practices (Continued)
• Faculty development
• FYE Coordinator runs yearly two-day workshop to
  support FYS/LC programming
• Outside experts (e.g., Jodi Levine Laufgraben,
  Peggy Maki, John Gardner, Randy Swing, Steven
  Briggs, Ed Zlotkowski, Ed Napieralski, John
  OConnor, Doug Howard) brought to campus for
  consultation training
• Participation in Evergreen Summer LC Institute
  Asheville Institute for Gen Ed
• Center for Academic Excellence sponsors many
  additional programs
• Bringing together academic and student affairs
• Dedicated freshman dorms built on living/learning
  model
• Co-curricular programming, often based in dorms
• Peer mentors provide bridge between dorm/campus
  life and FYS classroom

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Alternative Models of First-Year General
Education Programming
Summary Promising Practices Pitfalls

• Pitfalls (What obstacles have made things
  difficult?)
• Getting innovations to fit established structures
• Where do the First-Year Seminars count? Answer
  Currently, one-credit FYS sections dont really
  count three-credit FYS sections substitute as
  part of distributional, liberal arts requirement
  an imperfect solution!
• Can major-based FYS sections count toward Gen Ed?
  Answer Yes - were working on a system to make
  this possible.
• Resource constraints
• How do you lure FYS instructors away from
  major-based courses or large introductory
  sections to small seminar courses? This works
  against productivity (higher student-faculty
  ratios) and takes away faculty complement from
  departmental needs.

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Alternative Models of First-Year General
Education Programming

• Thanks for attending our presentation. We hope
  youll visit our lovely campus and look us up
  (especially during April or May when the campus
  is in bloom!)
• Contact information follows on the next slide.

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Alternative Models of First-Year General
Education Programming
Contact Information

• Frederick S. Foster-Clark, Department of
  Psychology and Coordinator of General Education
• Email Frederick.Foster-Clark_at_millersville.edu
• Phone [phone]
• John R. Ward, Department of Educational
  Foundations
• Email John.Ward_at_millersville.edu
• Phone [phone]
• Go to http//muweb.millersville.edu/gened/ for
  information about our Gen Ed program and reform
  efforts.