CDL Academic Support: Embedding Academic Support into

Credit Bearing Courses

Craig Lamb and Terry Vamvalis

April 29, 2011

CDL Regional Conference

2

Agenda

3

So, why embed academic support?

4Benefits

• Cost savings• Efficiency• Reach more with less• Research in the field

shows positive benefits• Support our students in

ways that fit their lives

5

CDL’S COURSE ASSISTANT PROGRAM

6Why a Course Assistant approach?

• Embrace a larger number of students instead of one-at-a-time student tutoring approach

• High demand for peer tutors for those high need courses and limited number of those tutors. IE: Statistics

• Provide a new channel of communication for students in order to improve the flow of information

• Make available another resource in the course who would work with the instructor to identify students in need of additional intervention.

• Note: CA would act purely from an alert/informative angle while the instructor would act from a proactive angle; contacting students in need

6

7

CDL’s Course Assistant Model

• Notice placed in course alerting students of CA presence and CA’s responsibilities and availability. IE: Tutoring, assignment clarification, etc.

• Bi-weekly and mid-term progress reports required from CAs.

• End of term survey conducted to students, paralleled with end of term reports from CAs and instructors.

• Outcomes collected and analyzed against all sections of courses and previous years to determine impact.

• Continuous reflection using ALL data and adjusting accordingly.

7

• Students who complete three hour on-line training and obtain an instructor referral can be a course assistant (CA).

• Job description outlines responsibilities; agreed upon between CA and instructor.

• Continuous collaboration between area coordinators and instructors to identify high need areas.

• Embed trained peer tutors (course assistants) into high need areas.

Note: Work-study funds are available to students who meet federal work-study guidelines

8Center Benefits

• Students have immediate assistance without seeking it out.• Addresses a larger group of students in courses with low outcomes. • Course assistant (CA) increases students awareness of beneficial

college resources.• Provides the CA the opportunity to experience a teaching

environment, be part of a community and reinforce course content and concepts.

• Supports instructor so he/she can focus on content and concepts and students who require additional assistance beyond what a CA can provide.

9Instructor Benefits

• Promotes communication as some students seem to feel more comfortable bringing issues to the CA.

• Increases the feeling of instructor presence.• Through greater surveillance of student participation, CA can assist

instructor in identification of students who may need intervention, thus allowing for greater student retention and success.

Perspective from a Genetics instructor: Pauline Carrico, Ph.D., Area Coordinator and Mentor, Natural Science:

10Course Assistant (CA)Data

• Piloted in January 2010– 12 Course Assistants (CA)

– 12 Sections of high need courses (statistics, algebra, calculus 1 and 2, intro to psychology and human biology).

– 213 students had access to a CA.

• May 2010– 9 Course Assistants

– 9 Sections of high need courses (statistics, introduction to psychology, human biology and algebra).

– 178 students had access to a CA.

11Course Assistant (CA) Data con’t…

• November 2010– 2 Course Assistants (CA)

– 2 sections of human biology

– 40 students had access to a CA.

• January 2011– 15 Course Assistants (CA)

– 16 sections of high need courses (statistics, introduction to psychology, human biology, algebra, genetics, community organizing, human nutrition and abnormal psychology).

– 309 students had access to a CA.

12Student feedback concerning CA

• “CA was always up beat, positive and willing to help…she let me call whenever, due to the time difference.” Human Nutrition

• “CA was an invaluable resource to me. She was always certain to reassure me of her availability…instrumental to my successful completion of this course.” Algebra

• “CA was a definite asset to the class and really helped!”

• “My first experience with a CA…found CA to be extremely helpful and knowledgeable.”

• “I was amazed at how helpful the CA was and how easily the communication was.” Intro. to Psychology

• “I would very much recommend CA in other courses. I found it especially important in intense and somewhat complicating courses such as statistics. Thank you for providing my course with one.” Statistics

• “If not for the instructor and CA’s help with assisting and tutoring me with MS Excel, I would have dropped the class as I was totally lost.” Statistics

13Instructor feedback concerning the use of a CA

• “Everything is working out just fine with Candy. She is very conscientious and is very helpful to the students.” (Leslie Lamb, Community Organizing)

• “Jennifer is doing a great job.  She hasn't fielded as many questions as Stephanie did, but I think that is just the group of students.  She is very helpful thorough to the ones who do reach out to her.  She does a nice job with the discussions too.”  (Megan Capone, Algebra)

• “Daniella is doing a wonderful job as the course assistant for my algebra courses.  She responds very quickly to student inquiries and is thorough in her responses.  Some of my students for the September term gave her specific mention as being a great help in the end of the term discussion area and on the end of term course evaluations.  I would be delighted to work with Daniella for as long as she is available.” (Starra Sherin, Algebra)

14Instructor feedback concerning the use of a CA

• “She is everything I could hope for in a CA.  Thank you.” (Deborah Tremblay, Intro. to Psychology)

• “Student is doing an absolutely excellent job. I'm grateful to have her; she's a wonderful exemplar of the Course Assistant program.” (Matt Starr, Intro. to Psychology)

• “Student is doing an EXCELLENT job! She is a great resource for the students!” (Christine Testani, Introduction to Psychology)

• “He is working out fine. He continues to field questions for me and helps me monitor who is participating in discussions.” (Pauline Carrico, Genetics)

• “I am very lucky to have this student as my Course Assistant again. I would not trade him for anything. It is still a new concept to them but they do find the value of Ask A Question and the CA as the semester progresses.” (Linda Biuso, Human Biology)

15

How else can academic support be embedded?New for 2011/12

16

Online study groups pilot

• Elluminate Study Groups– Current pilot with Statistics– Students seeking assistance meet

in Elluminate with a peer tutor– 6-8 students participate at once– 1-2 times a week, evenings for 2-3

hours– Future study groups will include

the following courses: Introduction to Accounting, Intermediate Accounting 1 & 2, Introduction to Psychology and others

17Pearson’s MyFoundationsLab

• Self-paced skill diagnostic and remediation program

• Reading, writing and math• Students can engage with

the product even before their first term at the college

• Please attend the poster session this afternoon for more information

18More skill assessment opportunities

• SmarterMeasure

• Pearson’s MyFoundationLab

• Criterion

• Compass

19Developmental Writing Coaching

• For students with severe writing deficiencies

• Individualized 1-on-1 assistance

• Phone, email, Elluminate

• For needs beyond Smarthinking

20

As well as…

21Everything that students are currently using

• Academic reading and writing assistance

•Math assistance

•Study skills assistance

•Academic skills assessment

22

Who to contact in Academic Support

• Misc questions/concerns:– By email at: CDLAcademic.Support@esc.edu– By phone at: 800-847-3000 ext. 2300

• Tutoring, Course Assistant questions/concerns: Terry Vamvalis– By email at: Theresa.Vamvalis@esc.edu– By phone at: 800-847-3000 ext. 2478

• Skills assessment, high level issues: Craig Lamb– By email at: Craig.Lamb@esc.edu– By phone at: 800-847-3000 ext. 2464

23

Questions?