Teaching Strategies of Leeward Faculty who Have High Student

Success Rates

Results Obtained from Course Rate Subcommittee:Chris Manaseri, Sandy Hoshino, Laurie Lawrence, Jeff Judd, Jonathan Wong, Gwen Williams, and JP Whittaker

Course Rate Subcommittee Goal: ◦Identify teaching strategies of Leeward Faculty that are associated with high rates of student success.

Student Success is defined as courses in which at least 75% of the students pass the class with a C or higher.

Overview

Identifying the Instructors: ◦Excel Spreadsheet provided to subcommittee

that listed instructors with 75% or greater success rates in a particular course within last few semesters.

◦Committee members chose 3-4 different folks to interview from different divisions (AH, BUS, LA, MS,SS, VT)

◦17 instructors have been interviewed so far (3 – AH; 3 LA; 4 MS; 4 SS; 2 VT; 1 BUS)

Overview

Identifying the Interview Questions and Organizing the Answers: ◦Framework Based on Social Cognitive Theory (Skill, Will, and Belongingness)

Overview

Environmental Factors

Personal Factors

Behavior(Learn Material)

1. Can I learn the material? (Self-efficacy or Skill)

2. Do I want to learn the material? (Outcome, Value, or Will)

Skill x Will = Motivation to Learn

3. Do I feel safe and comfortable learning the material?(Positive learning environment or Belongingness)

Desired behavior is the result of the reciprocal

interaction among personal,

environmental, and behavioral factors

SKILL (self-efficacy)◦In what ways do you organize your lessons

and/or assignments so that they are clear to your students?

WILL (intrinsic /extrinsic/value)◦In what ways do you make your lessons and/or

assignments meaningful for students. BELONGINGNESS (positive learning env)

◦What do you do to make the learning environment safe and comfortable for all of your students?

Example Interview Questions

Interview Results

Leeward Instructors with student success rates of 75% or greater did the following to promote their students’ skill at learning course material:

1. Determine Students’ Prior Knowledgea. Review course syllabus and Laulima extensivelyb. Review previous course concepts with current coursec. Review what students know about current topicd. Give pretest to determine knowledge for current topice. Use COMPASS test results to check correct placementf. Get writing samples at beginning of semester

Interview Results: Skill (Self-efficacy)

2. Provide Clear Assignment Instructionsa. Organize lessons in clear, sequential orderb. Write down daily schedule on board each classc. Incorporate daily routines to lessen confusiond. Write down instruction steps for every

assignmente. Make an instructional video for every assignmentf. Post all instructions and assignments onlineg. Use Laulima to communicate to studentsh. Review each assignment in class

Survey Results: Skill (Self-efficacy)

3. Provide Clear Assessment Criteriaa. Provide rubric for every assignment

4. Scaffold (chunk) Large Assignmentsa. Assign weekly projects instead of a few large projectsb. Break assignment up & piece back together at endc. Release course materials only a week or two befored. Provide fill-in-the-blank outline for note takinge. Break reading down via PowerPoint during lectures

Survey Results: Skill (Self-efficacy)

5. Model the Assignmenta. Demonstrate how to complete the assignmentb. Provide models of completed assignment

6. Use a Variety of Teaching Strategiesa. Use lecture, visuals (video), humor, paired partners,

group activities, collaboration, movement, small and whole group discussion, games, and problem or project-based approaches.

Interview Results: Skill (Self-efficacy)

7. Clarify Difficult Conceptsa. Use analogiesb. Use videosc. Use role-playingd. Break difficult concepts into parts, and explain

the meaning of each part.e. Repeat unfamiliar terms

8. Encourage Class Participationa. Ask students questions regarding concepts

throughout class in both small and whole group discussion

Interview Results: Skill (Self-efficacy)

9. Provide Continuous Feedback a. Give weekly homework/quizzesb. Provide practice tests before examc. Make comments on assignments focused on improvementd. Post comments and grades on Laulima in a timely mannere. Display grades after each assignment in class (using code)f. Meet with students to discuss progress in courseg. Allow students to self-assess on assignmentsh. Allow students to ask each other questions regarding

assignment

Interview Results: Skill (Self-efficacy)

10. Allow Students to Improve Assignmentsa. Allow students to improve assignments (depends)b. Allow students to make up quizzes (case by case)c. Give extra credit

Interview Results: Skill (Self-efficacy)

Share what you do in your classroom that you think helps support your students’ skill

Share what you think you need to focus on more to help support your students’ skill

Reflection Break!

Interview Results

Leeward Instructors with student success rates of 75% or greater did the following to promote their students’ will at learning course material:

1. Connect Concepts to Real-World a. Use instructor or students’ personal experiences b. Use real-life examples and scenariosc. Use current events and topics

2. Connect Concepts to Culture/Communitya. Apply concepts in the context of students’ culture and languageb. Use community members as guest speakersc. Use community resources as part of assignments

3. Connect Concept to Use in Student’s Livesa. Demonstrate how concepts are useful or practical to students’ livesb. Allow students to choose assignment topics to explore

4. Connect Concepts to Current Technologya. Use current technology (blogging, twitter, facebook) to explore concepts

Interview Results: Will (Intrinsic)

1. “Nag” Students a. Remind students continuously to complete assignments

2. Connect Performance to Future Goalsa. Connect positive performance in class to reaching future goalsb. Shares personal experiences in reaching future goals

3. Give Extra Credita. Build in extra credit to encourage participation and to

enhance assignment completion

Interview Results: Will (Extrinsic)

Share what you do in your classroom that you think helps support your students’ will

Share what you think you need to focus on more to help support your students’ will

Reflection Break!

Interview Results

Leeward Instructors with student success rates of 75% or greater did the following to promote their students’ belongingness at learning course

material:

1. Know Students’ Namesa. Learn names of students in first week (nametags)

2. Establish a Clear Code of Conducta. Discuss expectations of class conduct and consequencesb. Include Leeward Code of Conduct in syllabus and discuss in classc. Ask students to sign a professional code of conduct contract

3. Is Approachable and Available for Helpa. Be visible to students as much as possibleb. Encourage students to visit office or seek help (provide tutors)c. Contact underperforming students and offer helpd. Reply to emails within 24 hourse. Discusses strategies with students to improve performance

Interview Results: Belongingness

4. Use Appropriate Humora. Use self-deprecating humor to keep learning environment relaxedb. Use humor to let students know that it is okay not to be perfect

5. Create Safe Discussionsa. Assures students to freely express viewpoints with no judgmentsb. Assures students that all viewpoints are valued (put ups only)c. Assures students that there is no penalty for wrong oral answersd. Assures students that all shared information will remain discreet

Interview Results: Belongingness

6. Encourage Students to Help Each Other (Learning Community)a. Remind students to help each other in collaborative assignments

(not a competition)b. Assigns roles for each student in a collaborative assignmentc. Encourages students to share notes with the classd. Has students choose own class teams and partners themselvese. Use ice breakers and interactive activities frequentlyf. Switch students’ seat and partner’s seat frequently

Interview Results: Belongingness

Share what you do in your classroom that you think helps support your students’ belongingness

Share what you think you need to focus on more to help support your students’ belongingness

Reflection Break!