ENGAGING AND SUPPORTING THE WAKE FOREST STUDENT:

PEDAGOGICAL APPROACHES TO SUCCESS

The Office of Multicultural Affairs and The Teaching & Learning Center

WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY

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WELCOME & INTRODUCTIONS!

• Wesley Harris, Assistant Director of the Office of Multicultural Affairs

• Van Westervelt, PhD., Director of the Teaching and Learning Center

• Megan Figueroa (‘06)• Shelly Cardi,

Staff Psychologist, Teaching and Learning Center

• Catherine Ross, Director of the Teaching and Learning Center

• Who else is in the room and why?

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AGENDA• What?

o National trends indicate that students with disabilities are attending college in increasing numbers, primarily because improved services make it possible for them to be successful.

• So what?o Who are our students with disabilities (esp.

reading disabilities and ADHD)? What assets do they bring to our classrooms / campus?

o What challenges do they face?• Now what?

o What can we do to position them for success?

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DISCLAIMERS & LIMITATIONS

• We won’t cover it all.• The information shared will not reflect all

students in all settings / situations.• An intercultural mindset is more effective

than a monocultural one (IDI, LLC, 2012).o But generalizations are still possible.

• Supporting students with disabilities benefits all students.

VAN D. WESTERVELT, PHDSHELLY CARDI , PHD

LEARNING ASSISTANCE CENTER& DISABILITY SERVICES

Reading Disability and ADHD

Distribution of Disabilities by Type (2011-12)

Dyslexia [Reading Disability]

Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is neurobiological in origin. It is characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. These difficulties typically result from a deficit in the phonological component of language that is often unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities and the provision of effective classroom instruction. Secondary consequences may include problems in reading comprehension and reduced reading experience that can impede growth of vocabulary and background knowledge.

G.R. Lyon, National Institute of Health, S.F. Shaywitz, B.A. Shaywitz, Yale University, 2003

Dyslexia [Reading Disability]

A specific learning disability that is characterized by the following:

Neurobiological origin; Difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word

recognition; Poor spelling; and Decoding difficulties

G.R. Lyon, National Institute of Health, S.F. Shaywitz, B.A. Shaywitz, Yale University. 2003

Areas of the Brain Used for Reading

Normal Readers

Dyslexic Readers

Normal & Dyslexic Reading Children

Frontal& Temporo-

parietal

Frontalbut NO

Temporo-parietal

Dyslexia [Reading Disorder]

Difficulties: Deficit in the phonological component of language ; Often unexpected in relation to other cognitive

abilities; Despite the provision of effective classroom

instruction.

Dyslexia [Reading Disability]

E. Willicutt and B. Pennington, 1999

Reading disability 5-10% of populationM:F, 3 or 4:1 in clinic populations, 1.5:1 in

community samplesRuns in families, usually if one parent or an

older sibling has a reading disability there is about a 40% chance of the child having RD

“Twice Exceptional” or “Gifted Dyslexic”

Overcoming Dyslexia

Fortune 5-13-2002 article by B. Morris. Highlighted business and law leaders who were highly successful despite their dyslexia.

• John Chambers• Charles Schwab• Richard Branson• David Boies

Schwab’s Thinking Style

Like Chambers, Schwab fast forwards past the smaller, logical steps of sequential thinkers. “Many times I can see a solution to something and synthesize things differently and quicker than other people.” In meetings, “I would see the end zone and say ‘This is where we need to go.’ This annoys sequential thinkers, he says, because it short cuts their “rigorous step by step process.” [excerpt]

2006 WFU Graduate in General Business

M’s difficulties with Reading, Spelling and copying words became evident in first grade

She received Reading support or was in Resource from 3rd -8th grades

M was described by teachers as having a positive and energetic attitude toward school.

She was eager to get involved and clearly wanted to do well.

An Evaluation

Age 12 years, 5 months7th gradeWISC-III (M=100, SD=15)

Verbal IQ 115 81%ile Performance IQ 133 99%ile

Significantly lower Reading and written language skills

Strong Math skills

An Evaluation

When she moved to high school, M was no longer eligible for support or Resource because she was doing well in her classes.

Informally, her teachers worked with her and gave her extra time on tests when she needed it.

Age 16 Years, 6 months 11th Grade

Subtest Standard Score *

Percentile

Vocabulary 97 42%ileMatrices 130 98%ile

Composite Standard Score*

National %ile Rank

K-BIT IQ Composite

115 84

Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test (K-Bit)

*

WAIT Subtests Standard Score*

%ile Rank

Basic Reading 90 25Mathematics

Reasoning127 96

Spelling 72 3Reading

Comprehension131 98

Numerical Operations

104 61

Listening Comprehension

128 97

Oral Expression

132 98

Written Expression

100 50

Wechsler Individual Achievement Test (WIAT)

What Helps At the College Level

Possible accommodations Extra time on tests/exams (50%) Use of a word processor with spell check Books on tape (novels) Foreign language alternative or modified foreign

language instruction/curriculum Spacing out heavy reading courses across semesters

Study by M.K. RunyanThe effect of extra time on reading comprehension for university students with and

without learning disabilities. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 1991

Group Standard Time Extra TimeLD (n=16) 13%ile 76Non LD (n=15) 82 83

* All students at UC-Berkley

SHELLY CARDI , PHD

ADHD: A Description of the Disorder and the Students It

Affects

ADHD: A Clinical Definition (DSM-IV-TR)

A disorder with a persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity symptoms that can be described as follows: More frequent and severe difficulties than those at a

comparable developmental level Symptoms present before age 7 (12 y/o with DSM-V) Impairment present in at least two settings (e.g. at

home, school or work) Social, academic, or occupational functioning

difficulties Rule out other diagnoses

ADHD

Chronic condition requiring ongoing treatment;

Inability to regulate one’s behaviors, emotions, and attention due to executive function difficulties; and

Many areas of an individual’s life affected

ADHD: An Executive Functioning Disorder

Planning; Working memory; Attention;Problem solving; Verbal reasoning;Inhibition;

Mental flexibility; Task switching; Initiation/

motivation; and Monitoring of

actions

Executive functions is an umbrella term that refers to higher-order cognitive processes that involve the following:

Areas of Brain Affected by ADHDDorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex - processing of information, integration of cognitions and behaviors

Orbitofronal Cortex – involves impulse control, monitoring and ongoing and appropriate behavior

Anterior Cingulate Cortex – involves emotional drives, experiences, and integration

Executive Functioning ADHD Symptoms

Underestimation of time and outcomes; Lack of anticipating consequences; Difficulty applying different problem-

solving strategies; andDifficulty making decisions

Executive Functioning ADHD Symptoms

Difficulty choosing the most appropriate action based on social expectations and norms; and

Lack of consideration, forgetting and/or not following through with tasks necessary to carry out decisions; and

Sense of overstimulation of sights, sounds, and physical sensory information

How does executive functioning affect learning and academic performance?

Difficulty planning and completing projects;

Problems anticipating how long a project will take to complete;

Struggling with telling a story in the right sequence with important details and minimal irrelevant details;

How does executive functioning affect learning and academic performance?

Problems initiating activities or tasks, or generating ideas independently;

Difficulty retaining information while doing something with it such as remembering a phone number while dialing; and

Feelings of fear, being overwhelmed and embarrassed/ashamed

Strengths of Those Diagnosed with ADHD

Creativity;Adventurousness;Looking at the big picture;Thinking outside the box;Comfortable with change and chaos; andLots of energy

Academic Counseling Strategies

Goal setting and MotivationImages of persistenceTime management, balanced approachValue of exerciseReading strategies for dense text books/articlesMappingExternalizing important information and cuesMultiple choice question strategiesManagement of performance anxietyAddressing negative self-concepts

Current WFU Student with ADHD

M is a 20 y/o, Caucasian femaleWAIS-IV (aptitude):

FSIQ – Above Average Working Memory Index – Below Average Processing Speed Index – Below Average

WJ-III (achievement skills): Academic Fluency Scores showed most significant

discrepancies

Difficulties due to executive functioning deficits not lack of cognitive abilities

Current WFU Student with ADHD

At the beginning of academic counseling: Poor grades; Late or missing assignments; Missing classes and appointments; Procrastination; Inconsistent motivation; Low self-esteem; and High level of stress and sense of being

overwhelmed

Current WFU Student with ADHD

With academic counseling: More structured; Higher motivation; Proactive; Focus on learning (not grades); Making good grades; Engaged in class and with professors; Procrastination eliminated; and Engaging in self-care behaviors

Academic Skills Counseling

Helpful to most students experiencing academic difficulties

Individualized strategies based on learning styles, specific difficulties, and emotional obstacles related to learning

Reframed understanding of learning disabilities, ADHD, and intelligence

Approximately 4-10 individual weekly sessions or more as needed

MOTIVATION, METACOGNITION AND MULTIPLE MODALITIES

What Learners Need

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FOOD FOR THOUGHT

“We’ve gotten accustomed to a system in which the very few excel in school (and reap the rewards in the vocational world beyond) and the many stumble along and more or less get by, or get through, or fail.”

Warner, J. 2003. “Clueless in Academe: An Interview with Gerald Graff.” The Morning News, September 16th.

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DEFINITION: MOTIVATION

• Motivation refers to the personal investment that an individual has in reaching a desired state or outcome (Maehr &

Meyer, 1997).• In the context of learning, motivation

influences the direction, intensity, persistence, and quality of the learning behaviors in which students engage.(Ambrose, et al, 2010)

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DEFINITION: MOTIVATION

Principle: Students’ motivation generates, directs, and sustains what they do.

o Valueo Expectancyo Environment

(Ambrose et al, 2010)

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MOUnderstanding Motivation: Ambrose et al, p. 80

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AREAS OF CONCERN

• Hopeless– No expectation of

success– Low levels of

motivation– Behave in helpless

fashions

• Fragile– Want to succeed– Dubious about

abilities– Protect self-esteem

• Feigning understanding

• Avoiding performance

• Denying difficulty• Making excuses

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WHAT FACULTY CAN DO

How can we help students with self-efficacy and keep them motivated?

Metacognition!“Metacognitive interventions…may be an especially powerful tool in helping the “academically adrift” student find a way to get into the game, to become more aware of the kind of thinking that supports strong academic performance.” Ottenhoff, Liberal Education (handout)

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INTRO TO METACOGNITION

• Brief intro to metacognition

• Example of using multiple modalities!

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DEFINITION: METACOGNITION

Metacognition is “the process of reflecting on and directing one’s own thinking”• Metacognitive processes to monitor and control

learning:(Ambrose et al, pp. 190-193).

o Assess the task at hando Evaluate own skills and knowledge, identify

strengths and weaknesseso Plan approach to tasko Apply strategies and monitor progresso Reflect on whether approach is working/adjustments

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WHAT FACULTY CAN DO

• Be more explicit than you may think necessary and repeat.

• Tell students what you do NOT want.• Check students’ understanding of the task.• Provide performance criteria at the same

time as the assignment.

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WHAT FACULTY CAN DO

• Give early, ungraded assessments• Provide opportunities for self-assessment.• Have students do guided peer review• Require students to reflect on and

annotate work

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REFLECTING AND ADJUSTING

• Activities that require reflectiono What did you learn from doing this

project? o What skills do you still need to work on?o Before I took this course I _____, but now

I______.o I used to _____ but now I_____.

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WHAT FACULTY CAN DO

• Help students analyze effectiveness of study skillso Exam wrappers:

• a brief analysis of their performance and relate that performance to how they studied• What types of errors did you make? • What will you do differently next time?

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WHAT FACULTY CAN DO

• Help students set realistic expectationso Accomplished people sometimes struggle

to gain masteryo Learning is work and it does not happen

magicallyo Address student beliefs about

intelligence/learning directly• The brain’s biology

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WHAT FACULTY CAN DO

• Teach using multiple modalitieso Videos or podcasts [with limitations!]

instead of readingso Simulations, case studieso Use of Visuals: art, comics, photoo Engage all senses: get creative!

• EX: in foreign language classes having students respond to and give commands

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WHAT FACULTY CAN DO

Indicators that a course embraces new forms of communication and expression. How many of the strategies apply to you?• Students in one of my classes create concept maps• I have played a YouTube video during class to illustrate a point• I encourage students to include images in their essays• My course website features an audio or video welcome message• At least half of the slides in my last PowerPoint contain no text• I recently played music in the classroom• My most recent handout includes a photo• One of my class assignments is to critique an infographic• I have recorded voice comments in Word documents submitted by students• One of my course projects is a multimedia digital story• I know where to find images with a Creative Commons license• One of the “textbooks” for my course is a full-length movie

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CONCEPT MAPS

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ENDNOTES

BibliographyAmbrose, S., M. Bridges, M. DiPietro, M. Lovett, & M. Norman. (2010).

How Learning Works. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.Branche, J., J. Mullennix & E. Cohn. (2007). Diversity Across the

Curriculum. Bolton, MA: Anker Publishing. Cross, K. P. (2005). What Do We Know About Students’ Learning and How

Do We Know It?”. Center for Studies in Higher Education. University of California, Berkeley, CSHE.7.05.

Davis, B.G., (1993). Tools for Teaching. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.Ottenhoff, J. (2012). Learning How to Learn: Metacognition in Liberal

Education. Liberal Education, Summer/Fall 2011, Vol. 97, No. 34. AAC&U. reprised in Tomorrow’s Professor, 4/9/2012.

Provitera McGlynn, A. (2007) Teaching Today’s College Students: Widening the Circle of Success. Madison, WI: Atwood Publishing.