This blog focuses on my scholarship in my five research projects: learning assistance and equity programs, student peer study group programs, learning technologies, Universal Design for Learning, and history simulations. And occasional observations about life.

David Arendale 10/25/08 David Arendale 10/25/08

Journey to Learning Assistance Excellence

At the CRLA National Conference I shared a presentation on common practices among outstanding developmental education and learning assistance units across the U.S. A handout of the most essential slides from the presentation is attached to this blog posting. Click on the following web link to download a PDF. It is a large file so please be patient for it to donwload. Enjoy. Download file

David Arendale 7/12/07 David Arendale 7/12/07

Universal Instructional Design and Student Retention

I am making a concurrent presentation at the annual Noel-Levitz Conference on Student Recruitment, Retention, and Marketing today. The topic is on Universal Instructinoal Design (UID), an approach to education that seeks to reduce barriers to learning for all students enrolled in a class. In the past, a traditional model has been to provide accommodations for students with a disability that made a request for help. UID is a proactive approach that states that many accommodations that were formerly provided for only a few in the class would actually benefit everyone in the course. Such UID actions can be relatively simple such as providing extended time for all students in the class to complete exams. Taking the time pressure out of the assessment process increases the comfort level of students that lead to higher achievement on exams as well as a less stressful experience for students. Other UID actions can be substantial such as providing alternative ways to access course material through computer tutorials and the like. Our University received a UDSOE federal grant to explore how to practically implement UID within both the classroom as well as student services in postsecondary education. For copies of my conference handouts, PowerPoint slides, and web links to our grant web site, please click on the following, http://nl2007.arendale.org Please post comments about UID to this blog page and let's continue the conversation;. Take care, David

Such UID actions can be relatively simple such as providing extended time for all students in the class to complete exams. Taking the time pressure out of the assessment process increases the comfort level of students that lead to higher achievement on exams as well as a less stressful experience for students. Other UID actions can be substantial such as providing alternative ways to access course material through computer tutorials and the like.

Our University received a UDSOE federal grant to explore how to practically implement UID within both the classroom as well as student services in postsecondary education. For copies of my conference handouts, PowerPoint slides, and web links to our grant web site, please click on the following, http://nl2007.arendale.org Please post comments about UID to this blog page and let's continue the conversation;.

Take care,
David

David Arendale 12/2/06 David Arendale 12/2/06

Podcasting as an Academic Enrichment and Academic Support

Greetings, It has been some time since my last posting to this blog page. It has been a busy fall term with several major teaching tasks. One of the exciting experiments for the fall academic term has been the introduction of a weekly Internet podcast that provides an academic enrichment and academic support for my introduction to world history course. This course is primarily taken by first smester, first-year students. It has been a fascinating experiment to see how this and other Web 2.0 learning tools (like wiki web pages) could be an asset for anyone in the course, whether or not they were academically-underprepared. It is too early to report on the utility, though early reports appear favorable from the students. If you are interested in learning more about this experiment with podcasting, please go to the following web site, http://podcasting.arendale.org I have prepared two online narrated PowerPoint presentations. one is a basic overview of podcasting. The other presentation describes using the technology in education. I share some of the ways that I am experimenting with this technology. In addition to these presentations, I also provided nearly a dozen handouts on podcasting in general and information about my history podcast in particular. Many of the handouts have active web links embedded inside of them, so all you need to do is to click on the links and you will be taken to the web sites. I plan to return to more regular postings to this blog page. I have plenty of new articles and reports that I have read in the past couple of months. I look forward to sharing some short abstracts of them. Many of these publications are available through the Internet so I will include their web addresses.

If you are interested in learning more about this experiment with podcasting, please go to the following web site, http://podcasting.arendale.org I have prepared two online narrated PowerPoint presentations. one is a basic overview of podcasting. The other presentation describes using the technology in education. I share some of the ways that I am experimenting with this technology. In addition to these presentations, I also provided nearly a dozen handouts on podcasting in general and information about my history podcast in particular. Many of the handouts have active web links embedded inside of them, so all you need to do is to click on the links and you will be taken to the web sites.

I plan to return to more regular postings to this blog page. I have plenty of new articles and reports that I have read in the past couple of months. I look forward to sharing some short abstracts of them. Many of these publications are available through the Internet so I will include their web addresses.

David Arendale 9/14/06 David Arendale 9/14/06

Cuenta corriente asociacion golf

Muraskin, L. (1997). "Best practices" in Student Support Services: A study of five exemplary sites. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Education. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED416784). Report summary retrieved April 9, 2005, from http://www.ed.gov/offices/OUS/ PES/higher/sss4.html This report examines "best practices" in the delivery of Student Support Services (SSS), one of the Special Programs for Disadvantaged Students collectively known as the TRIO programs. The study is based on case studies that were conducted in five local SSS projects during early 1996. The five projects were drawn from 30 projects in the National Study of Student Support Services, a longitudinal survey of students begun in 1991.

Muraskin, L. (1997). "Best practices" in Student Support Services: A study of five exemplary sites. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Education. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED416784). Report summary retrieved April 9, 2005, from http://www.ed.gov/offices/OUS/ PES/higher/sss4.html
This report examines "best practices" in the delivery of Student Support Services (SSS), one of the Special Programs for Disadvantaged Students collectively known as the TRIO programs. The study is based on case studies that were conducted in five local SSS projects during early 1996. The five projects were drawn from 30 projects in the National Study of Student Support Services, a longitudinal survey of students begun in 1991.

David Arendale 8/16/06 David Arendale 8/16/06

Package Courses

Wilcox, K. S., delMas, R. C., Steward, B., Johnson, A. B., & Ghere, D. (1997). The "package course" experience and developmental education. Journal of Developmental Education, 20(3), 18-20, 22, 24, 26. The effect of package courses-based on the learning community model-on several educational outcomes was investigated for linked courses: a content course; an academic success/study skills course; and, in some cases, a noncredit math course. Package course students earned higher student outcomes and additional qualitative benefits were observed at the General College of the University of Minnesota.

Wilcox, K. S., delMas, R. C., Steward, B., Johnson, A. B., & Ghere, D. (1997). The "package course" experience and developmental education. Journal of Developmental Education, 20(3), 18-20, 22, 24, 26.
The effect of package courses-based on the learning community model-on several educational outcomes was investigated for linked courses: a content course; an academic success/study skills course; and, in some cases, a noncredit math course. Package course students earned higher student outcomes and additional qualitative benefits were observed at the General College of the University of Minnesota.

David Arendale 8/15/06 David Arendale 8/15/06

Learning Communities

Tinto, V. (1998). Leaning communities and the reconstruction of remedial education in higher education. Journal of Higher Education, 68(6), 599-623. A version of the document retrieved July 4, 2004, from: http://soeweb.syr.edu/faculty/vtinto/files/%20 Learning %20Better%20Together.pdf The author suggests that variations of learning communities are more effective than stand-alone remedial courses for underprrepared students. A number of institutions have successful concurrently enrolled developmental students in reading courses that are linked to an academic content course which result in higher student outcomes than students enrolled in classes where the curriculum is not coordinated.

Tinto, V. (1998). Leaning communities and the reconstruction of remedial education in higher education. Journal of Higher Education, 68(6), 599-623. A version of the document retrieved July 4, 2004, from: http://soeweb.syr.edu/faculty/vtinto/files/%20 Learning %20Better%20Together.pdf
The author suggests that variations of learning communities are more effective than stand-alone remedial courses for underprrepared students. A number of institutions have successful concurrently enrolled developmental students in reading courses that are linked to an academic content course which result in higher student outcomes than students enrolled in classes where the curriculum is not coordinated.

David Arendale 8/14/06 David Arendale 8/14/06

Accelerated Learning Groups

Stansbury, S. (2001). Accelerated Learning Groups enhance Supplemental Instruction for at-risk students. Journal of Developmental Education, 24(3), 20-22, 24, 26, 28, 40. In order to both increase Supplemental Instruction (SI) attendance by a wider range of students and improve academic achievement, Accelerated Learning Groups (ALGs) were developed. A pilot study investigated whether at-risk students who participated in an ALG/SI combination demonstrated higher self-efficacy and SI attendance than those who participated in only SI. Results suggested that at-risk students were more likely to participated in 12 or more SI sessions if they attended an ALG/SI combination than if they attended only SI. In addition, the range of final grades was higher for those who attended an ALG/SI combination than for those who attended only SI. The development of prerequisite skills was essential for the efficacy of SI to serve academically underprepared students who may shun the very academic intervention that would be of most help to them. Additional research is warranted to investigate this area.

Stansbury, S. (2001). Accelerated Learning Groups enhance Supplemental Instruction for at-risk students. Journal of Developmental Education, 24(3), 20-22, 24, 26, 28, 40.
In order to both increase Supplemental Instruction (SI) attendance by a wider range of students and improve academic achievement, Accelerated Learning Groups (ALGs) were developed. A pilot study investigated whether at-risk students who participated in an ALG/SI combination demonstrated higher self-efficacy and SI attendance than those who participated in only SI. Results suggested that at-risk students were more likely to participated in 12 or more SI sessions if they attended an ALG/SI combination than if they attended only SI. In addition, the range of final grades was higher for those who attended an ALG/SI combination than for those who attended only SI. The development of prerequisite skills was essential for the efficacy of SI to serve academically underprepared students who may shun the very academic intervention that would be of most help to them. Additional research is warranted to investigate this area.