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 9/28/22 David Arendale 9/28/22

Antiracist activities and policies for student-led study groups

Arendale, D. R., Abraham, N., Barber, D., Bekis, B., Claybourne, C., Edenfeld, K., Epps, K., Hutchinson, K, Jimenez, J., Killingbeck, K, Pokhrel, R., Schmauch, N., & Woodruff, R. (2022). Antiracist activities and policies for student-led study groups. Journal of College Academic Support Programs, 5(1), 12-29. https://doi.org/10.36896/5.1sc1 https://digital.library.txstate.edu/handle/10877/16176

Issues of race and marginalization do not often intersect with publications related to developmental education and learning assistance. Too often, these issues have been ignored. This guide to antiracism policies and practices for student-led study groups is based on a careful review of scholarly articles, books, existing guides, practical experiences by the authors, and feedback from the study group administrators in the field. While much has been written about culturally-sensitive pedagogies for K-16 classroom instruction, little has emerged for guiding postsecondary peer study groups regarding antiracism practices. This guide helps address this gap in the literature and recommended practices. In addition to its application for academic study groups, this guide has value for faculty members to incorporate antiracism learning activities and pedagogies into their courses. Effective learning practices are identified in this article that can be adapted and adopted for supporting higher student achievement, closing the achievement gap, increasing persistence to graduation, and meeting the needs of culturally-diverse and historically-underrepresented students. This is an excerpt from a much-longer and detailed guide that will be published in the near future.

David Arendale 8/23/22 David Arendale 8/23/22

Creation, Conflict, and Survival: Life Lessons from a TRIO Program

“Creation, Conflict, and Survival” is a history story from several equity programs at the University of Minnesota that you might find useful. The co-authors are Bruce and Sharyn Schelske who directed a set of equity programs for over four decades that served historically-underrepresented and disadvantaged students. The story begins with the history of the Integrated Learning Course they created. The IL Course helped their students learn and practice learning strategies applied to a paired content course such as American History. In many ways, it operated as a mandatory SI-PASS-PAL program. But much more. Part two of the article is an extensive set of generic lessons from leading the IL course that could be used with any education program, not just the ones they led. My favorite is “Build your ark before the rain starts.” These life lessons are priceless.

You can download the article at https://hdl.handle.net/11299/241236 The original article that provides more description of the IL course and research studies that supported its effectiveness is available at https://hdl.handle.net/11299/200360

Best wishes to the start of another academic term.