Supporting Student Development and Success With Pre ...apps.nacada.ksu.edu/conferences/ProposalsPHP/... · and Success With Pre-Advising Reflective Writing 2017 NACADA Annual Conference

NACADA2017:Wirth&Chris2ansen 13September2017

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Supporting Student Development and Success With Pre-Advising

Reflective Writing

2017 NACADA Annual Conference St. Louis, MO

KARL WIRTH

Geology Department

ADRIENNE CHRISTIANSEN Political Science and

Jan Serie Center for Scholarship & Teaching

Macalester College St. Paul, MN 55105


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Background

Model grew out of reform-rich environment •  multi-year effort to highlight & improve

academic advising •  utilize the benefits of “reflective practice”

Designed with student life cycle in mind Required no institution-wide buy-in, adoption,

or funding to improve advising

Education for the Knowledge Age •  Information •  Technology •  Globalization •  Rapid Change

College education

•  Self-directing learners •  Self-authored


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Who will help them map out their futures? Or the pathways for getting there?

REQUIREMENTS •  First Year Course •  General Education •  Disciplinary Major •  Capstone

“Arc” of an Undergraduate Education

high school

? •  Self-directing learners •  Self-authored

College education

Some Choices That Students Face…

high school

College education

Declare a major

Career & life plans

Capstone research Gen Ed requirements Explore disciplines

Choose electives

Co-curricular activities


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Challenges of Finding Own Voice

“By the time they graduate from college, most students still have not achieved the kind of self-authorship that would allow them to think independently, make choices, and pursue their dreams.”

Baxter Magolda (2002)

Journey Toward Self-Authorship

Dependent on others for answers,

values, identity

Beginning to question

authority, form views, develop

identity

Forming own sense of values

and views to guide decisions

Self-Authored Life

Externally Focused >>

>> Internally Focused

Recognizing that multiple

perspectives exist

Evaluating multiple perspectives based

on internal beliefs

Act consistently based on internal

beliefs

Hodge, Baxter Magolda, and Haynes (2009)

“a shift from uncritical acceptance of external authority to critical analysis of authority in order to establish one’s own internal authority”


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Advising – Purpose of Education

“While all college educators need to focus attention on helping students recognize and achieve the larger outcomes of higher education, academic advisors are in a strategic position to engage students in thinking about the larger purposes of their educations.”

White and Schulenberg (2012)

Self-Directing Learners

Evaluate Monitor

Plan

Metacognitive Control (self-regulation)

Metacognitive Knowledge (declarative, procedural, conditional)

Personal Resources

Prior Knowledge

Available Strategies

Task Requirements

Type of Learning

Appropriate Strategies

Goals Beliefs

Attitudes Motivation

Reflection

Reflection Reflection

Reflection

Modified from Ertmer and Newby (1996)

“… are strategic, self-regulated, and reflective”


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Goals for Academic Advising

Help students:

•  stay focused on the “big picture”

•  be empowered to make own decisions

•  find coherence in their choices

•  develop the whole person alongside the scholar

Goals of Pre-Advising Reflections

•  pre-engage and prepare students for advising conversations

•  nurture students’ development

•  inform students (and advisors) about broader institutional goals for learning

•  improve advisor effectiveness

•  redefine academic advising as learning

•  promote student retention and success


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Developing an Advising Co-Curriculum

Inspired by:

•  Baxter Magolda and King (2008)

•  Beloit First Year Initiative - Gummer (2012)

For each semester, articulate:

•  Learning goals

•  Advising themes

•  Reflection prompts

Goals and Themes Sem. Goals Advising Theme

All Learning to Learn Intentional Learners

1 Liberal arts Exploration

2 Developing self-authorship Agency

3 Intellectual & practical skills Practice

4 Electing a major Intellectual community

5 Becoming a Professional Disciplinary knowledge, skills & dispositions

6 Capstone Research Integration & Application

7 Preparing to Graduate Vocation & Next Steps


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Pre-Advising Reflection Model

•  Students Complete Pre-Advising Reflection

§  Hosted by Google Forms

§  Identify, reflect, and interpret experiences

•  Read by Instructor Before Advising Session

•  Starting Point of Advising Conversation

Example Pre-Advising Reflection


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Example Reflective Prompts - Learning •  Identify two specific learning goals you have for the

semester ahead, and explain how you might be able to achieve them and what will be required of yourself and others to do so.

•  What general skills (e.g., quantitative, writing, critical thinking, speaking) would you like to improve? Identify one interesting course that would further your efforts in this area.

•  What aspects of learning (e.g., asking questions in class; arranging meetings with professors; deeper reading; deeper study strategies; turning in assignments on time) would you like to work on during the next semester? Describe a strategy for doing this during the next semester.

Example Reflective Prompts •  Describe the aspects of your college experience that have

brought you the most joy or satisfaction. Why…

•  Describe one way in which you are now different from the person who first arrived. Do you have new knowledge that gives you a different understanding of the world…

•  Identify at least one (kind of) course to take that will involve exploration of the unknown and/or risk-taking.

•  Identify at least one curricular or co-curricular opportunity to investigate.

•  Have your long-term career or educational interests or goals changed? If so, how are they different? If not …


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Advising Themes and Prompts

After reading the reflective prompts, consider the following:

•  What might we learn about our students, and what might they learn about themselves, from this approach?

•  How could this model be modified to suit the needs of your own institution?

•  How might this model be adapted to support student learning in other contexts?

Feedback from Faculty Advisors “I know better what questions to ask/where to focus limited time with students”

“I would say it’s been a great way to… and remind both me and the student to move beyond ‘transaction-based advising’”

“The answers to the questions helped me start conversations that felt more fulfilling”

“… last spring my advisees reported that they were very satisfied with their advising sessions”

“I incorporated a series of the questions into the sophomore gateway course on “The Study of History” to help students reflect on what they had leaned in the class AND what they hoped to do in the future”


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Feedback & Assessing Agency

Developing Student Agency Rubric

adapted from AAC VALUE rubricshttp://serc.carleton.edu/acm_face/student_agency/

4 3 2 1 0Internalization

(internalization, self-generation or regeneration of “interests” or breadth)

Articulates learning goals and impacts not primarily focused on credentials, requirements, or generalized markers of success (although those may be mentioned); demonstrates intent to pursue interests within & beyond the classroom.

Articulates learning goals and impacts that are not primarily focused on credentials, requirements, or generalized markers of success (although those may be mentioned).

Articulates learning goals and impacts primarily in terms of credentials, requirements, or generalized markers of success, but shows some grasp of what they entail and their connection to personal learning goals.

Articulates learning goals and impacts in terms of gaining credentials, fulfilling requirements, or obtaining generalized markers of success; makes minimal or no connection to personal learning goals.

No learning goals/ impacts articulated (although social or other goals might be given, without any mention of learning)

Curiosity

(surface-level identification vs. deeper analysis and hypothesis formation)

Uses deep exploration of the topic (and its relevance to lived experience) to pose new questions of self and others. Cites specific examples. Addresses questions fully.

Demonstrates strong desire to explore topic in depth and gain insight into lived experience thereby. Cites specific examples. Addresses all or most parts of both questions.

Explores topic somewhat superficially, but clearly demonstrates interest in gaining insights through the process, and cites specific examples. Addresses all or most parts of both questions.

Addresses topic at surface-level with little or no mention of specific examples demonstrating little interest beyond desire to fulfill assignment and/or does not address significant parts of questions. One question may be blank.

No interest in deeper examination; minimal surface-level answer(“I want my band to be known nationally and to pass all my classes so I don’t flunk.”) and does not address significant parts of questions. One question may be blank.

Reflection

(dichotomous self-analysis vs. multiple interrelated factors in past and future)

Makes plans or envisions a future self based on experiences that have occurred across multiple and diverse contexts, exploring complexity of context in depth.

Evaluates changes in own learning over time, recognizing complex contextual factors (e.g., works with ambiguity and risk, deals with frustration, considers ethical frameworks).

Takes account of specific contexts in describing most strengths and challenges, and suggests the value of this knowledge outside of that immediate context.

Describes own performances with general descriptors of success and failure (bad writer, great student, etc). Little or no contextualization or reference to value outside of context.

No reference to self-knowledge in description of goals or impacts: “In high school my teacher came dressed as George Washington; anyone would remember that.”

Ownership

(recognition of role of self and other in learning process and sense of its relevance; strategizing to achieve goals)

Demonstrates clear recognition of the relevance of the learning process and nuanced sense of roles of self and others in learning process, setting specific goals and articulating coherent strategies for achieving them.

Demonstrates clear recognition of the relevance of the learning process, and of the roles played by self and others, in that process. Planning is specific and thoughtful.

Demonstrates some recognition of the relevance of the learning process, and of the roles played by self and others, in that process. Planning includes some specific steps.

Demonstrates limited recognition of own role in the learning process in primarily passive terms (educators or others are represented as primary agents) OR represents self as sole actor with no reference to others Planning may be vague, incomplete, or absent.

Fails to demonstrate recognition of own role in the learning process; no evidence of planning or strategizing to achieve goals (if goals are articulated).

Questions to consider:• In what areas (e.g., academic, social, personal) do students set goals?• Where do students locate learning ( e.g., classroom, social interactions, co-curriculuar, community)?

Early Results: •  Students more prepared for advising •  Increased self knowledge and ownership •  Deeper advising conversations

Developing Agency Rubric •  Internalization •  Curiosity •  Reflection •  Ownership

serc.carleton.edu/acm_face/student_agency/

Intended Outcomes •  “pre-engage” students for advising conversations and

improve student decision-making about course selection, co-curricular opportunities, and future plans

•  nurture students’ development of reflective skills, habits of mind, and sense of agency

•  inform students (and advisors) about the rationale for, and value of, core components of the liberal arts curriculum

•  foster advisor knowledge and effectiveness through greater understanding of students’ educational experiences and goals, and a “curricular view” of advising

•  redefine academic advising as a learning curriculum

•  promote student retention and success


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Other Opportunities •  encourage new students to engage actively and

critically with the campus community through thoughtful exploration and reflection

•  advance, deepen, and structure crucial relationships and conversations between advisors and advisees

•  promote deeper conversations about learning, education, and pathways among students and advisors

•  give students and faculty experience thinking about opportunities offered by reflective practices

•  provide evidence about teaching, assessing, and improving “liberal arts” learning, other institutional values, and student development

Benefits of Pre-Advising Reflections

•  Low cost (requires no funding, little extra time)

•  Can be used by faculty or professional academic advisors alike

•  Improves efficiency and quality of advising

•  Model is endlessly adaptable to different institutions, disciplines, and educational contexts

•  Serves many purposes, including educational, student development, career preparation, faculty development, and assessment


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further thoughts on pre-advising reflective writing …?

Sources of Inspiration Baxter Magolda, M.B., 2002, Helping students make their way to adulthood: Good company

for the journey: About Campus, January-February 2002, p. 2-9.

Baxter Magolda, M.B., and King, P.M., 2008, Toward Reflective Conversations: An Advising Approach That Promotes Self-Authorship: Peer Review, Winter, p. 8-11.

Ertmer, P. A., & Newby, T. J. (1996). The expert learner: Strategic, self-regulated, and reflective. Instructional science, 24(1), 1-24.

Gummer, N., 2012, Developing and Assessing Student Agency: ACM FaCE Project Website: http://serc.carleton.edu/acm_face/student_agency/

Hemwall, M.K., and Trachte, K.C., 2005, Academic Advising as Learning: 10 Organizing Principles: NACADA Journal, v. 25(2), p.74-83.

Hodge, D.C., Baxter Magolda, M.B., and Haynes, C.A., 2009, Engaged Learning: Enabling Self-Authorship and Effective Practice: Liberal Education, v. 95, no. 4, p. 16-23.

Mezirow, J., (ed), 2000, Learning as Transformation: Critical Perspectives on a Theory in Progress: Jossey-Bass, San Francisco, CA.

Pizzolato, J.E., 2008, Advisor, teacher, partner: Using the Learning Partnership Model to reshape academic advising: About Campus, March-April 2008, p. 18-25.

White, E.R and Schulenberg, J., 2012, Academic Advising – A Focus on Learning: About Campus, January-February, 2012, p. 11-17.

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Supporting Student Development and Success With Pre ...apps.nacada.ksu.edu/conferences/ProposalsPHP/... · and Success With Pre-Advising Reflective Writing 2017 NACADA Annual Conference