Cognitive Schemas, Expertise

Development, and Promoting

Student Success

Dr. Peter Collier, Portland State University

2011 PSU Student Affairs Professional Development Meeting

My ResearchMy Research

Issue that contributes to relatively poorer academic performance for

ALL students :

they may not have a clear

understanding of how college

works

Traditional Model of Ed Traditional Model of Ed achievementachievement

Understanding of Understanding of Course MaterialCourse Material

Student’s Student’s AbilitiesAbilities

Student’s Student’s PerformancPerformanc

eses

Two Path ModelTwo Path ModelUnderstanding of Understanding of

Professor’s ExpectationsProfessor’s Expectations

Understanding of Understanding of Course MaterialCourse Material

Student’s Student’s AbilitiesAbilities

Student’s Student’s PerformancesPerformances

Cultural Cultural CapitalCapital

Academic Academic SkillsSkills

Actual Actual CapacityCapacity

Demonstrated Demonstrated CapacityCapacity

Collier & Morgan, 2007

One way to promote college

student success is to facilitate their

negotiation of the upper path of

the two-path model – i.e. increase

their relative level of student

expertise

Model of Student Problem-solving

1.Identify the problem / issue

Model of Student Problem-solving

1.Identify the problem / issue

2. Develop range of possible solutions

Model of Student Problem-solving

1.Identify the problem / issue

2. Develop range of possible solutions

3. Select preferred solution

Model of Student Problem-solving

1. Identify the problem / issue

2. Develop range of possible solutions

3. Select preferred solution

4. Act on choice & monitor outcomes

Experts are more likely to

Experts are more likely to

• quickly recognize issue

Experts are more likely to

• quickly recognize issue

• develop multiple workable solutions

Experts are more likely to

• quickly recognize issue

• develop multiple workable solutions

• generate high-success solutions

Experts are more likely to

• quickly recognize issue

• develop multiple workable solutions

• generate high-success solutions

• evaluate solution more realistically

Experts are more likely to

• quickly recognize issue

• develop multiple workable solutions

• generate high-success solutions

• evaluate solution more realistically

• chose a high-success solution

Experts are more likely to

• quickly recognize issue

• develop multiple workable solutions

• generate high-success solutions

• evaluate solution more realistically

• chose a high-success solution

• turn chosen solution into action that

addresses issue

How does Student Expertise develop?

SchemaSchema:organized cognitive

knowledge structure of conceptually

related elements that guide the

processing of information

No schemaNo schema

SchemaSchema

Why Should we care?Why Should we care?

1. Schemas influence info processing Schematic individuals are:

• quicker in recognizing schema related information • more certain when judging if new info relates to important schemas

2. Schemas develop as new info is incorporated

becoming a “college student” becoming a “college student” involves the development of 2 involves the development of 2

schemasschemas

role schema: role schema: organized knowledgeorganized knowledge

about being a college studentabout being a college student

self-in-role schema: self-in-role schema: organizedorganized

knowledge about myself in knowledge about myself in regards toregards to

being a college studentbeing a college student

Role / self-in-role schemas Role / self-in-role schemas develop by combining more develop by combining more

rudimentary “event schemas” or rudimentary “event schemas” or scriptsscripts

event schema /script:event schema /script:

detailed “line of action” for detailed “line of action” for completingcompleting

specific schema-related tasksspecific schema-related tasks

issue

resource

strategy

Model of an Event schema Collier,2009

Expertise = well developed schemaExpertise = well developed schema

expert / schematic person is:• quicker to recognize issue

• more likely to know set of workable strategies for addressing issue

• more likely to select a high-likelihood-of-success strategy

• more likely to know relevant resources for implementing strategy

How are role and self-in-role schemas built from “scripts?”

Process of adding additional Process of adding additional scripts toscripts to

role and self-in-role schemas role and self-in-role schemas continuescontinues

until person realizes immediate until person realizes immediate goal –goal –

for a student this might be for a student this might be successfullysuccessfully

completing 1completing 1stst year in school year in school

More complete schemas = greater # More complete schemas = greater # of scripts for addressing key issuesof scripts for addressing key issues

I propose that having greater # of I propose that having greater # of scriptsscripts

for addressing specific college for addressing specific college adjustmentadjustment

issues may explain these students’issues may explain these students’

superior 1superior 1stst year academic year academic performanceperformance

From my research: participation in From my research: participation in mentoring program facilitated the mentoring program facilitated the

development of more complete development of more complete schemasschemas

Practical SuggestionsPractical Suggestions

(caveat)(caveat)

Expertise Development

Advising / Mentoring and

promoting student success

Expertise development advising /mentoring involves

“experts” sharing useful information about

• what to do in order to succeed at the university,

• insights into the culture of higher education, and

• tips on how to become “more expert” students.

This approach involves helpingThis approach involves helping

students succeed by making them students succeed by making them

aware of available campus support aware of available campus support

services and showing how those services and showing how those

services can help with specific services can help with specific

college adjustment issues. college adjustment issues.

In addition, this approach provides

students with a variety of scripts for

how to use specific campus

resources appropriately as well as

strategies for key campus

interactions

Understanding of Understanding of Professor’s ExpectationsProfessor’s Expectations

Understanding of Understanding of Course MaterialCourse Material

Student’s Student’s AbilitiesAbilities

Student’s Student’s PerformancPerformanc

eses

Cultural Cultural CapitalCapital

Academic Academic SkillsSkills

Actual Actual CapacityCapacity

DemonstratDemonstrated Capacityed Capacity

AA

Points of ImpactPoints of Impact

BB

22ndnd point from my research point from my research

Within the framework of the my

intervention, it appears WHAT

mentoring information is

provided is more important than

HOW that information is delivered

On-line Mentoring Works.

This is important because of set of related issues:

• how to identify range of possible adjustment issues

• matching campus resources to issues

• indentifying strategies that work

• advisor/mentor availability when students need information

University StudiesUniversity StudiesUniversity.Connect University.Connect

SystemSystem

http://uconnect.unst.pdx.edu

On-line resources exist

“Access without support is not opportunity”

Dr. Vincent Tinto Syracuse University

Dr. Peter CollierProfessor of Sociology,Portland State Universitycfpc@pdx.edu503-725-3961