Remember your emo*ons entering first year or star*ng a new job? Post your answer at Men*.com Results Code: 68 33 99
Transi*on Pedagogy: Guiding instructors to support students as they teach York University Atlanta FYE Conference February 2017
Introduc.ons Diane Beelen Woody Associate Professor and past Associate Dean Teaching & Learning Michelle Miller Project Lead, Services for Students Natasha May Educa*onal Developer, Teaching Commons
About York University 52,000 Students 11 Facul.es 200 Programs 30% 5,800 24% 93% Interna.onal English as First Commute Students from Second Genera.on 178 Countries Language
An exercise in empathy: Think about arriving at York U as a student … Remember your emo*ons entering first year or star*ng a new job? Post your answer at Men*.com Results Code: 68 33 99
Sampling of what York students say about their first year …
Curricular Feature …… that creates addi.onal challenges Absence of a First Year Seminar Program and of common reading program Students enroll in General Educa*on courses and in the intake/gateway courses in their disciplinary programs; great array of choices; limited opportunity to be part of a “cohort”
Ins.tu.onal structure …….that creates addi.onal challenges Departmental undergraduate program offices Student support Faculty level advising services abound Learning Commons in the but are located library in mul.ple units, Learning Skills Centre some examples: Wri.ng Centre Neighborhoods called “Colleges” typically linked to residences.
Seizing an opportune moment….. YU START , an online set of modules for students during their pre-entry summer at hWp://yustart.yorku.ca/ using at its themes the Five Senses of Australian researcher Alf Lizzio ( Purpose, Resourcefulness, Academic Culture, Capability and Connectedness ) a student preparedness survey to probe students’ self- assessment of readiness, poten*al issues and awareness of useful resources, with feedback and follow-up
Promo.ng awareness of supports for students & faculty Complete set of campus resources provided to students and their parents via YU START SPARK – Student Papers & Academic Resource Kit hbp://www.yorku.ca/spark/ Designed to make available to both instructors and students resources for comple.ng assignments with modules grouped into: Gedng Started s Exploring s Pulling it Together
What needed to be addressed? Limited Limited awareness Limited awareness of among faculty awareness of typical “transi.on of the range of the vast body issues” faced by supports of research incoming on transi.on available to students, students and and on resul*ng, in some to instructors transi*on quarters, in a lack and how to pedagogy of empathy access them
Goals of our project over 2 years Build awareness in Coalesce tools, instructors of first resources, into an year transi*on issues online toolkit Offer inspira.on for Validate and reaffirm teaching first year the instructor role students for first year students
Projected outcomes Iden.fy pilot projects Disseminate and opportuni.es for informa.on about our faculty members to first-year students and collaborate and become supports available involved in SoTL Develop and design Outline steps for an online toolkit that instructors to create affords access to a their own “toolkit” to broad set of resources, address their teaching promising prac.ces context and .p sheets
Accomplishments in Year 1….. Brainstorming with a cross-campus advisory group Focus groups with instructors, TAs and students Moving from a “messy closet” to a FYE toolkit for 1000 level instructors Surprise!
FYE in the Classroom Toolkit Instructors have indicated that the toolkit needs to meet their primary needs…. • Gecng started with data, Essen.al templates, for course Toolkit design and engagement, ongoing evalua*on • Address specific Delving aspects of teaching at Deeper – the 1000-level and addi.onal allow instructors to resources to create a customized customize toolkit • Enable instructors to Staying connect with colleagues to Connected collaborate in communi*es and of prac*ce and pilot Inspired projects
Focus during Year 2….. Looking to the future Developing the and addressing resources in format proposed by instructors sustainability – and addressing the Key role of the technical components Teaching Commons
Overall Approach Developed • Used the literature to guide us, and transi*on Framework pedagogy as our framework • Focused on harnessing faculty (and graduate student) vitality Established • Fostering self-efficacy in faculty Principles • Promo*ng transi*on pedagogy within the collegium Gathered • Conducted Focus Groups with students, faculty Qualita.ve and teaching assistants Data Created Toolkit • Held follow up focus groups using case studies to Version 1 garner feedback Sought • Iden*fied opportuni*es for enhancement based Feedback on faculty reac*ons and stated needs Assessing, • Version 2, technical enhancements, nes*ng Improving, within communi*es of prac*ce and ins*tu*onal Sustaining structures
Modicum of sa.sfac.on that we…. Transi.on Framework Transi.on Pedagogy Resources • Provided a • Generated • Started a framework for awareness widespread understanding and of other campus inten.onally important conversa.on suppor.ng students ini.a.ves about and faculty and transi.on members through resources pedagogy the Lizzio senses on campus • Ongoing professional development through the trio of savoirs (knowledge), savoir-faire (skills), savoir-être (set of adtudes) Use of technology….
What resonates for instructors….. • Emphasize a clear, common star*ng point; clarity and ease Essen.al Toolkit of access, naviga.on and “doability” are paramount • Allow for a personalized toolkit depending on the par*cular Going Deeper teaching context, and relevant research and the data • Visibility, stability , and an Stay Connected open-ended invita*on to share, and Inspired collaborate and contribute
Some caveats ….. A toolkit for instructors holds the same inherent dangers as a course management site for students. Things to think about: keep it meaningful an overwhelming amount and relevant and of data and research doable a one-size-fits all allow for personalizing approach isola.on and focus on promote collabora.ons, informa.on rather community, engagement than engagement
Ongoing challenges Timelines for ongoing involvement of key individuals and inevitable lag between first focus groups and official launch of project Involvement of part-.me and contract faculty From disciplinary focus to a broadly conceived student support model From a gatekeeping mentality to a gateway mentality Ongoing professional development through frameworks that inspire and renew
FYE in the Classroom Toolkit – Version 1 hbp://futurestudents.yorku.ca/fye/
Dr. Diane Woody dwoody@yorku.ca Natasha May maynat@yorku.ca Michelle Miller millerm@yorku.ca Experiences elsewhere…..
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