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.

Instructional Tech, Web Site Bookmarks David Arendale Instructional Tech, Web Site Bookmarks David Arendale

Google for Scholars: New Web Bookmarks for 2010-07-06

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New Internet Bookmarks for 2010-06-23

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Educaction Access David Arendale Educaction Access David Arendale

Poor college-bound students making poor decisions?

Once again, poor students are blamed for making a foolish decision to pursue college when they could have went after a cheaper and shorter-term vocational training program. A report from the Gates Foundation, reported through the Chronicle of Higher Education, states too many poor students are unemployed after attending college. The report recommends they consider alternative options for less expensive postsecondary education. (See summary of report from the Chronicle). http://chronicle.com/article/Many-Young-Adults-in-Povert/65826/

Let's change the focus of the problem to include the institution. What did they do to support the poor students (or any of their students for that matter)? These issues are even more important for poor students who are most often first-generation in their families to go to college. They are often historically-underrepresented at the college as well. They lack the social capital and support that other students enjoy. 

  • Academic advisors: Did they provide quality academic advising for the student that did more than just help them schedule classes? How long did those advising sessions last? Did they explore why the student was pursuing a partitucle academic major and future career aspirations? Especially if they are faculty members, do the academic advisors receive any training to do their job?
  • Course instructors: Did they include anything in their courses on how to take what happened in class and help them interpret it for usefulness in the job market or did they just teach abstract concepts in class with no relevance?
  • Student affairs: How sufficient is the number of counselors and career advisors to serve the number of students? Do they provide services for undecided majors? Do they even have a center for career guidance? If so, does it offer seminars for interviewing skills, resume building, and the like. Are these services available when students need them like evenings and weekends?

Like anything, the answers are always more complex. Students have a part in this, but the institution has an even bigger responsibility to support their students (and alumni) with life time success.

From the Chroncile of Higher Education:  Many Young Adults in Poverty Have a College Degree, Report Says By Sara Lipka  http://chronicle.com/article/Many-Young-Adults-in-Povert/65826/

Increasing proportions of low-income young adults are pursuing higher education, but some remain poor even with a postsecondary degree, according to a new report from the Institute for Higher Education Policy. In 2008, among Americans ages 18 to 26 whose total household income was near or below the federal poverty level, 47 percent were or had been enrolled in college, compared with 42 percent in 2000. Eleven percent of them had earned a degree, a proportion roughly equivalent to that eight years ago, according to the report, which is based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey. The institute is a nonprofit group in Washington that conducts public-policy research to encourage access and success in higher education.

In introducing its report, the group called into question President Obama's declaration in his State of the Union address in January that "the best anti-poverty program around is a world-class education." Poor students go to college academically unprepared, the report says, and, amid competing family and work obligations, they accumulate debt "that could have been avoided by pursuing a different type of degree or a credential."

None of the 11 percent of low-income graduates should remain in poverty, said Gregory S. Kienzl, director of research and evaluation at the Institute for Higher Education Policy. "If you have a degree, you should no longer be poor," he said. Across all racial and ethnic groups, greater proportions of low-income young adults were or had been enrolled in college in 2008, compared with 2000. Hispanic students showed the largest percentage-point increase, to 37 percent from 29 percent. Low-income Asian and Pacific Islander and white students enrolled at the highest rates in 2008, 62 percent and 51 percent, respectively; the greatest proportions of low-income degree holders were also from those groups.

The report, "A Portrait of Low-Income Young Adults in Education," is the first in a series financed in part by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The next report will focus on attendance and enrollment patterns among low-income students, Mr. Kienzl said, including that black and Hispanic women more often attend for-profit institutions than public four-year colleges.

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21st Century Practice, Best Practices, Culture, Educaction Access, Educational Theories, Learning Assistance David Arendale 21st Century Practice, Best Practices, Culture, Educaction Access, Educational Theories, Learning Assistance David Arendale

Learning Assistance Often Ignores Impact of Culture on Learning of Students

Too often learning assistance and developmental education conferences and publications treat the issue of cultural and ethnic diversity as only an issue of demographics and not of pedagogy. Decades ago it was believed that sensitivity in this area was observing and honoring cultural events and including people of various cultures in class materials. This was a good start after that the previous focus only on dominant culture examples.The next step is required in learning assistance, teach multiculturally. WHile this has been widely adopted in education, the learning assistance community is far behind. Following is a good reader to illustrate practical ways to meaningfully engage students of different cultures in the classroom, honor their expertise, and make the classroom a richer and more productive environment for students of all cultures and backgrounds.

Higbee, J. L., Lundell, D. B., & Duranczyk, I. M. (Eds.) (2003). Multiculturalism in developmental education. Minneapolis, MN: Center for Research on Developmental Education, General College, University of Minnesota. Retrieved July 4, 2004, from: http://tinyurl.com/2e5wa23

The first three chapters of this monograph provide models for integrating multiculturalism in developmental education. The remaining chapters focus on conversations related to multiculturalism in developmental education, reported by our colleagues in the General College of the University of Minnesota. The work of these authors reflects the General College's efforts to implement its multicultural mission. The following chapters are included in this monograph: The Centrality of Multiculturalism in Developmental Education (Karen L. Miksch, Patrick L. Bruch, Jeanne L. Higbee, Rashné R. Jehangir, and Dana Britt Lundell); Walking the Talk: Using Learning-Centered Strategies to Close Performance Gaps (Donna McKusick and Irving Pressley McPhail); Creating Access Through Universal Instructional Design (Karen S. Kalivoda); Multicultural Legacies for the 21st Century: A Conversation with James A. Banks (Patrick L. Bruch, Jeanne L. Higbee, and Dana Britt Lundell); Is there a Role for Academic Achievement Tests in Multicultural Developmental Education? (Thomas Brothen and Cathrine Wambach); The Triumphs and Tribulations of a Multicultural Concerns Committee (David L. Ghere); MultiCultural Development Center (MCDC): Sharing Diversity (Ghafar A. Lakanwal and Holly Choon Hyang Pettman); Summary Report on the Third National Meeting on Future Directions in Developmental Education: Grants, Research, Diversity, and Multiculturalism (Dana Britt Lundell); Report of the Future Directions Meeting Multicultural Themes Track (Jeanne L. Higbee and Holly Choon Hyang Pettman); and appendices.

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Are Student Attitudes Towards College the Key Factor in Academic Failure?

From the Chronicle of Higher Education: Attitude Seems to Matter Most http://chronicle.com/article/In-Student-Retention-Attitude/65756/  "Ms. Mislevy and Ms. Campbell studied dozens of different items from the Beginning Student Survey to see which ones predicted enrollment behavior. For both women and men, the single most powerful predictor was the "attitude toward the University of Maryland" question. In response to that finding, Ms. Mislevy said, a campus committee on retention plans to encourage faculty members and dormitory resident advisers to have conversations with first-year students about their perceptions about the university. In cases in which students strongly dislike Maryland, the committee would like to know exactly why."

 This is a classic case of the fallacy of correlation rather than establishing causation. One could conclude that what students really need is a motivation talk by Tony Robbins to "pump up their attitude" toward the school. It is really the student's fault for not having the "right attitude" toward the school. Interesting idea to have the students with bad attitudes have to talk to a COMMITTEE and explain "exactly why" they have this attitude towards Maryland. I am sure that most freshmen, especially the historically underrepresented ones, would have a great attitude about facing a committee of old people in suits who represent the power elite at the school that the students need to graduate from.

Alternative theories that might explain the "attitude correlation" with success.

 

  1. Maybe the privileged White kids attending Maryland were better prepared socially, emotionally, and academically than the "bad attitude" students.
  2. Perhaps the institution (surprise, surprise) and its dominant culture may repel first generation, economically disadvantaged, or students of color. See my comment above about why "interrogating" the students would be ineffective, if not an encouragement for the students to get out since they obviously have bad attitudes.

 

The root causes of student dropout rates has more to do with the institution than the students. Let's find out the institution's culture and its attitude towards students before we grill the students on their attitudes.

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21st Century Practice, Best Practices, Educational Theories, Instructional Tech David Arendale 21st Century Practice, Best Practices, Educational Theories, Instructional Tech David Arendale

Socially contructed learning spaces rather than instructional technology

I have been thinking about the terms "instructional technology" and "learning technology." They are often used interchangeably by many, includinig myself.  Doing so blurs their distinctions. I have implemented a number of Web 2.0 learning tools within my class: wiki web pages, podcasts, self-create music vidoes on a history topic, etc. Yesterday Brian Fredrickson and I facilitated a conference session on "Social media and learning spaces in schools, work sites, and communities." It was at MinneBar with over 1,000 in attendance. We had a great discussion and many within the audience shared how they use Web 2.0 for learning purposes.

Over the past couple of years, I now understand that my role is creating and facilitating "learning spaces" within the classroom so that students are active participants and co-creators of the class experience and learning outcomes. It is really not about which Web 2.0 technology tool or services that is used, it is the engagement and co-creation by students that makes the difference. It reminded me about the classic Barr and Tagg article from the mid 1990s that identified the shift from a teacher-dirven to a student collaborator learning environment within the classroom.

Barr, R. B., & Tagg, J. (1995). From teaching to learning: A new paradigm for undergraduate education. Change Magazine, 27(6), 13-25. Retrieved July 4, 2004, from: http://critical.tamucc.edu/~blalock/readings/tch2learn.htm

This is one of the most often cited articles on this topic and is credited by some as helping to influence higher education significantly since it was published in a journal that is frequently read by college presidents and chief academic and student affair officers. According to the authors, a paradigm shift is occurring in American higher education. Under the traditional, dominant "Instruction Paradigm," colleges are institutions that exist to provide instruction. Subtly but profoundly, however, a "Learning Paradigm" is taking hold, whereby colleges are institutions that exist to produce learning. This shift is both needed and wanted, and it changes everything. The writers provided a detailed matrix to compare the old instruction paradigm with the new learning paradigm in the following dimensions: mission and purposes; criteria for success; teaching/learning structures; learning theory; productivity/funding; and nature of roles.

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