Student Success Programs at Ryerson: Two Modes of Delivery

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Student Success Programs at Ryerson Two Modes of
Delivery

• Don Kinder
• Bob Jackson
• Ryerson University Library

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Ryerson University

• Established as a university in 1993
• Former Polytechnic Institute (est. 1948)
• 19,000 FTEs (comparable to McMaster)
• Very Urban campus Commuter campus
• Largest Continuing Education program in Canada
• 12 Graduate programs (including 5 PhD)

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Ryerson Library

• 81 staff
• Includes 22 librarians
• Most librarians have subject specialties besides
  a regular portfolio

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Session Outline

• Background Student Success courses at Ryerson,
  library involvement, collaboration with faculty
• Librarys experience with
• Business 100 (BUS100) Strategies for Success
• Arts and Contemporary Studies 102 (ACS102)
• Learning and Development Strategies

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Student Success Retention Backround

• Student success courses relatively new at Ryerson
  (last 4 years)
• Student Retention driving force behind student
  success courses
• Significant attrition problems at Ryerson in
  certain programs, e.g. Business, Sciences/
  Engineering

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Student Success at Ryerson

• Ryerson Task Force on Student Retention struck by
  VP Academic in 2002.
• Met for 6 months
• Released Final Report of recommendations, Oct.
  2002.
• www.ryerson.ca/lt/resources/task_force/finalrep.pd
  f (Report)
• www.ryerson.ca/lt/resources/task_force/
  (Appendices)

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Task Force on Student Retention

• 14 members
• Faculty, students, Student Services, Registrar,
  Secretary for Academic Council (Senate), CE,
  Library, Learning and Teaching Office (chair)

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Task Force tasks

• Reviewed retention strategies Ryerson/others
• Interviewed departments and schools
• Examined retention/attrition data
• Conducted literature review, incl. best practices
  for student success (incl. student success
  courses)
• Came up with 7 goals and 80 objectives. Library
  involved in 10 objectives

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Task Force Objectives (Library involvement) and
Partners

• Assess need for, and develop/implement student
  success courses,, and assess the effectiveness of
  these programs. (Library, Program Dean, Student
  Services)
• Promote collaboration between faculty and
  librarians (e.g. integration of IL standards into
  curriculum, assignment design.) (Library,
  Learning and Teaching Office, Depts/Schools/Progra
  ms)
• Provide seminars for faculty on the incorporation
  of retention strategies into course design (e.g.
  IL, assignment design, academic integrity)
  (Library, Learning and Teaching Office.)

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Selected Best Practices Student Success Courses
(Implementation/Delivery)

• Front load the program (offer it in first term or
  first year) First six weeks critical
• Small class size--no more than 25 students(!)
• Course should be required (vs. elective)
• Course should carry academic credit that applies
  toward graduation
• Collaborative effort. Should involve Library,
  student support services, Writing Centre, etc.

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Where did the Library end up in all of this?

• Higher profile of library and its services.
  Recognition as a player in university endeavours
  through
• Collaborative work on Task Force with faculty,
  Student Services, Learning and Teaching Office,
  VP Academics Office, Digital Media
• Library/Student Services, Library/Writing Centre,
• New Arts and Contemporary Studies program (Fall
  03) developed a student success course as a
  result of the recommendations of the Task Force
  (ACS102) (Library involvement in planning process
  from inception)
• Increased recognition of role of library in BUS
  100

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BUS 100 Backgrounder

• Pre-dated Task Force on Student Retention
• Proposal for course released Oct. 2000 by the
  director of Student Support Services and the
  Business School
• Meant primarily to address retention issues
• Focuses on the development of university-level
  skills
• Library not included, initially (had to force
  our way in)
• Mandatory course for all incoming business
  students. Non-credit. Pass/Fail.

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BUS 100 (Lab-based Delivery)

• 430 students (2001 and 2002)
• 10 sections, 40 students
• Hands-on labs with exercises
• 4 hours (4 weeks)
• 10 librarians involved
• Quizzes (4), 2 linked directly to core courses
  (ACC and Stats), pre/post test, and online
  tutorials
• Quizzes graded (P/F). Created in collaboration
  with professors
• WebCT for online content and quizzes

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BUS 100 (Lecture Theatre Delivery)

• 850 students 2003 (double cohort) and 2004
• One large class in theatre
• Drop-in sessions (2003)
• 5 weeks for library module, 10-15 minute
  presentations
• 4 librarians involved
• Quizzes (4), 2 linked directly to core courses
  (ACC and Stats), pre/post test, and online
  tutorials
• Quizzes graded (P/F). Created in collaboration
  with professors
• Blackboard for online content and quizzes

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Course Objectives (all years)

• Raise awareness of Library resources services
• Develop library research skills
• Identify relevant information sources
• Formulate effective search strategies

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Course Integration (all years)

• Integrated with two first semester courses
• ACC 100 Introductory Financial Accounting
  (SEDAR)
• QMS 102 Business Statistics (Statistics Canada)
  
• Faculty/Library collaboration in developing
  course content and quizzes

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Course Evaluation (all years)

• Pre-Test designed to assess students knowledge
  of library resources prior to taking Business 100
• Four graded multiple choice quizzes OPAC, ABI,
  SEDAR Statistics Canada
• Post-Test - designed to assess students knowledge
  of library resources after taking Business 100

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Delivery using Blackboard

• Integral to the course given lecture-based
  teaching environment
• Used widely by Ryerson Business faculty for
  course delivery
• A simple interface well suited to the needs of
  novice users
• Supports the delivery and grading of
  multiple-choice quizzes
• Easy linking to course content

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Blackboard Business 100 Site
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Assignments
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Ryerson Library Links
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Library Links Bizlib
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Bizlib Tutorials
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Lectures Instruction or Entertainment?

• Delivered Monday mornings in the Ryerson Theatre
• Up to 850 first-year students (without coffee!)
• Not a lecture theatre (no writing surfaces, etc.)
• Shared air-time with other performers
• Presentations limited to 10-15 minutes

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Lectures Breaking the Ice

• Emphasis on Accessibility Service
• Frequent use images to augment lecture content
• Pop-cultural references used for emphasis
• Infomercial format short sight bites

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Lectures The Top Ten

• The Top Ten reasons why you may benefit from the
  Librarys Business 100 program.
• http//www.dandersonillustration.com/car_David_Let
  terman_big.jpg
• for graphic

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10

• The last time you visited a library, Barney was
  still your favourite TV show
• www.cs.utah.edu/ riloff/personal.html
• for graphic

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8

• The last time you used a library card was to pick
  a lock
• http//www.ahajokes.com/crt891.html
• for graphic

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7

• Graphic of Conrad Black

• You think that peer review refers to the recent
  trials and tribulations of a well known author
  and publisher

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5

• Youve attempted to use a style guide to
  coordinate your wardrobe
• http//www.waynewolfe.com/images/Drag20Queen.jpg
• for graphic

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Lectures Illustrating the Basic Concepts of
Library Research

• Using images to convey empathy and accessibility
• Using pop-cultural imagery to illustrate the
  basics of library research defining a topic,
  developing a search strategy
• Reinforced through brief real-time demos of
  library-based resources

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You Begin by Defining Your Topic

• Definition is important! Which words or concepts
  best define or describe your research topic?
• Graphic of very well-defined male and female

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Then Developing a Search Strategy

• Often combining 2 or more single concepts
• graphic
• Jlo AND Ben

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To obtain specific results

• graphic
• Jlo AND Ben

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• graphic
• Jlo OR Ben

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• graphic
• Jlo NOT Ben

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Assessing the Outcome

• Comparison of Pre-test and Post-test results
• Reviewing student ratings
• Reviewing student comments

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BUS 100 Fall 2002 (Hands-On Format)

• N430
• Q3Google will satisfy most of my info needs
• Q4 What is a scholarly journal?
• Q5 Boolean operators
• Q6 Formation of a strategy using Boolean
• Q8 Citing resources on the web

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BUS 100 Fall 2003 (Lecture Hall)

• N850
• Q3Google will satisfy most of my info needs
• Q4 What is a scholarly journal?
• Q5 Boolean operators
• Q6 Formation of a strategy using Boolean
• Q8 Citing resources on the web

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Data Comparison 2002 to 2003

• 2003 data (less improvement evident between pre-
  and post test) may reflect increased class size
  (430 in 2002 to 850 in 2003)
• Lecture format (2003) with little or no personal
  contact with student. (Lab-based format (2002)
  allowed for smaller classes of 40 students,
  hands-on practice, personal help with assignments

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How would you rate the Library Sessions?2003
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How would you rate the four library assignments?
2003
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I feel that the library sessions were(2003)
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Next Time?

• Reduce the number of quizzes
• Create a library-specific discussion board on the
  Business 100 Blackboard site
• Embed library-specific discussions on other
  first-year courses offered through Blackboard
• Offer virtual office hours through MSN
• Revise online tutorials with Camtasia

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Business Students and Additional Library
Instruction

• Library instruction statistics consistently
  highest for the Business Program (years 1-4)
• Saw 3000 students in library classes in 2004/05
  year in addition to the 850 BUS 100 students
• 3 Business librarians
• Can afford to spend less time with students in
  BUS 100 because well see them all again in 2nd,
  3rd, 4th years when library-based assignments
  play a greater role in program
• BUS 100 intended to introduce some library
  concepts, and to show a friendly face
• As a Student Success programnot intended to
  scare them or present assignments that are too
  difficult

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Arts and Contemporary Studies (ACS102)

• New BA program Fall 2003
• 265 incoming students (03 and 04)
• Arts/Humanities-focused program
• 14-week required Credit Course

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ACS 102 (Learning and Developing Strategies)
Course Objectives

• Assuming that the 21st century will be led by
  those who learn best, the objective of this
  course is to equip students to realize their full
  potential in the program, as well as prepare them
  for life long learning. The course will include
  opportunities for self-assessment, team work,
  application and skill development.
• Study skills, information literacy/library
  skills, group work survival, time management,
  stress management,, writing skills, self
  assessment, career planning, equity/diversity,
  etc.

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ACS 102 Library Component

• Library was part of the curriculum planning
  process from the beginning
• Faculty identified students as having difficulty
  grasping differences between scholarly and
  popular sources, reasons why one would be used
  over other
• Also differences between scholarly finding aids
  (databases) and Google

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ACS 102 Library Component

• Didnt want to overwhelm the students with every
  possible library research angle
• 4 hours contact time, plus library assignment
  (other departments got 1 or 2 hours)
• Low tech approach (no Blackboard)

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ACS 102 Library Component (Lecture/Presentation)

• First 2-hour session (265 students)
• 1 hour presentation on identifying evaluating
  information sources (see accompanying PowerPoint
  presentation)
• Types of info, relevance, authority, thinking
  critically
• Small Group exercise divided into groups of
  10
• Distributed magazine, scholarly journal, web
  site, or newspaper article
• Assessed their publication using criteria covered
  in presentation (simulating the assignment they
  would be getting)

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Small Big Group Exercise

1. Who was this written for? Or Who would read
   this?
2. Who are the authors?
3. Publisher or organization?
4. Where can you find this or buy this?
5. What does it look like physical
   characteristics?
6. What distinguishes the magazine/journal/website
   from the other sources?
7. When and why would you use each type of source in
   your assignments, essays, etc.

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ACS 102 Library Component (lab)

• Second 2-hour session (hands-on lab)
• 8 sections, 30 students (2 librarians and 1 TA)
• Introduced databases and searching techniques
• Distributed assignment. Chance for students to
  work on it with librarians

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ACS 102 Assignment (objectives)

• Learn to identify scholarly, non-scholarly and
  popular sources
• Learn to identify biases within writing
• Learn to identify sources that are not
  appropriate for university papers
• Learn to use information legally and ethically
  through proper citing and bibliographic style
  guides
• Learn to use library databases to find articles
  in periodicals

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ACS 102 Library Assignment

• Worth 12 of final course grade
• Topics chosen by librarians (collaboratively with
  faculty) 50 unique topics (2004) (only 5
  people/265 with same topic, no one sharing topic
  in section)
• Topics pre-tested to ensure scholarly articles
  existed in databases
• Sample topics feminism and hiphop culture,
  police and racial profiling, conflict resolution
  in schools, sustainable development and
  corporations, film and depiction of race,
  celebrity culture, globalization and nation
  state, animals and mental health (human)

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ACS 102 Library Assignment (Questions) (see
accompanying Word document for full assignment)

• What is the purpose of each article or web site
  and/or the authors intent? ( Is the information
  you have found, fact, opinion, propaganda,
  advocacy or commercially oriented?)
• Who is the intended audience for each article and
  web site?
• Is information about the author available? What
  are the authors credentials is he or she an
  expert in the field? Are they associated with a
  reputable institution or organization?

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ACS 102 Library Assignment (Questions)

• Are statements made by the author supported by
  real evidence, (studies, research, data
  gathering, or is the evidence anecdotal?)
• Is there a publication date? Does the
  publication date matter to the information? Is
  it current or out of date?
• Are there any other factors you deem important?
  For example, writing style, grammatical errors,
  cultural perspective, etc.
• Which source(s) would you use in a research
  paper? Why or why not for each

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ACS 102 Library Assignment (Questions)

• 1 week to do assignment
• Marked by librarians (2004) TAs (2003)
• Allowed us to determine problems in assignment
• Marathon sessions together in same room
• TAs briefed (most did assignment)
• Class average 7.5/10 (2004), 7.3/10 (2003)
• 14 complaints about marks

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ACS 102 Assessment (Library Component)

• No formal course assessment (pre/post test)
• Anecdotal evidence Professors (3) and TAs (8)
  very pleased. Student feedback very positive
• Ryersons experience has been that GPA dips in
  the first term
• Students in the ACS program showed an increase in
  GPA

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ACS 102 Assessment (Library Component)

• Fall 2005 ACS Faculty member (Psychology) to
  administer a series of scales (pre/post tests,
  tracking students throughout 4 year program)
• Includes emotional intelligence, reading skills,
  beliefs around failure, academic resourcefulness,
  information literacy, student success, etc.

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ACS 102 Best Practices

• Front load the program (offer it in first term or
  first year) First six weeks critical YES
• Small class size--no more than 25 students
• Course should be required (vs. elective)
• Course should carry academic credit that applies
  toward graduation
• Collaborative effort. Should involve Library,
  student support services, Writing Centre, etc.

• YES
• 30 students/section
• YES
• YES
• YES

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Where to? Challenges.

• More student success courses?
• New General Science (BSc) starts Fall 2005.
  Looking at starting a student success course for
  2006. Director on side, some faculty resistance
• Workload issues (faculty, librarians, students)
• Getting everyone together Collaborative issues
  with departments services
• Distance Education? Continuing Education?
  (Camtasia, Macromedia Breeze, Virtual Office
  hours)
• ASSESSMENT (library component and overall course)

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A Selection of Other Library/Ryerson Community
Collaborative Efforts

• Foundations of Social Work Tutorial
• http//www.ryerson.ca/library/tutorial/sw/
• Ryerson Academic Integrity Model
• Campus-wide initiativeresources for students,
  faculty, parents (all web-based). Will be
  branded, heavily publicized.
• Graphical online tutorial for students, with
  quizzes
• In time, may be mandatory upon entry to Ryerson
• Library asked to chair Planning Committee
  Director of Provosts Office, Student Services,
  Learning and Teaching Office, Digital Media
  Office
• www.ryerson.ca/acadcouncil/acadintegmodel.pdf

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Contacts

• Don Kinder
• Coordinator, Library Education
• Ryerson University Library
• dkinder_at_ryerson.ca
• Bob Jackson
• Manager, Ronald G. Besse Information and Learning
  Commons
• Ryerson University Library
• bjackson_at_ryerson.ca
• www.library.ryerson.ca