Making SI Work for Senior Students: Supporting the Professional Development of Volunteer SI Leaders Tom Klubi, Learning Strategist, Robert Gillespie Academic Skills Centre
Challenge confronting Program • Transition from funded to non-funded model has meant dependence on volunteer SI leaders (Facilitators): • How much to ask of volunteer Facilitators: – How much involvement per week? – Team (2-3 Facilitators per team) approach – how many teams? • How to give back to volunteer Facilitators: – provide these senior students with an experiential learning opportunity, through which they can acquire skills and experiences that contribute to their professional development.
FSG Aggregates 2005 - 2014 7942 Total FSG Sessions 8000 180 7225 Total Attendances 7500 7186 165 Total Unique Students 160 7000 Total Unique Students 2+ Sessions 6500 141 140 Total of FSG courses 6000 134 Facilitator Cadre (Paid/Volunteer) 5500 5196 120 5072 5044 5000 4732 4500 100 3919 91 4000 85 80 3500 3000 2725 60 58 2328 2500 2159 2166 1989 37 1866 2000 40 1487 1475 1279 30 33 1500 26 29 1255 29 29 24 20 26 21 933 878 834 17 1000 20 650 567 524 509 1163 338 1147 1110 500 292 893 762 770 824 644 512 0 0 20055-20061 20065-20071 20075-20081 20085-20091 20095-20101 20105-20111 20115-20121 20125-20131 20135-20141 Funded by GE Grant Not funded *Note 1: Change over to 12 week term – September 2009 Note 2: Composition of facilitator cadre for 2008/09 – 30 paid/ 28 volunteer
Facilitator and Session Totals: Winter Term 2014 Facilitators Weekly Course by Course Sessions Notes BIO 153 13 5 BIO 207 11 5 BIO 210 15 6 CHM 120 17 7 CHM 243 24 10 ENV 100 10 4 FRE 272 1 1 FRE 373 1 1 FRE 382 1 2 FSL 406 1 1 LIN 100 4 2 MAT 102 9 5 MAT 133 14 5 MAT 134 12 5 MAT 135 13 7 MGT 120 16 7 PHY 137 6 3 PSY 100 10 4 SPA 100 4 2 STA 107 4 2 French (CTEP) 7 3 Totals 193 87
Three key program mechanisms that contribute to Facilitator development • Portfolio building. • Program Assistants mapping sessions. • Active Instructor involvement in supporting Facilitator teams .
Practical Definition of “Professional Development” • Is the portfolio enough for “professional development”? • Portfolio shows variety of experiences, uses the “facilitating philosophy” to structure and align reflective pieces, and interfaces with the resume (and CCR) concepts of tailoring, work in progress, and transferrable skills and competencies. • Program Assistants entirely dedicated to the production of professional-quality dossier-like supporting records and documents. • Direct support from course Instructors – who better to help Facilitators construct a professional paradigm that establishes meaning from their experiences than a teaching professional? The Facilitators in essence become junior colleagues, being mentored from the professional perspective.
1. Features of Portfolio Approach • A portfolio features material that would showcase the variety of the Facilitator's experiences, as well as linking the portfolio material to transferrable skills and competencies featured in resumes. • The portfolio also encourages the development of a reflective process within each Facilitator (a “ facilitating philosophy ”) that would give focus and shape to the portfolio.
Portfolio Approach: Variety of Facilitator Experiences • Showcases Variety : – in session types and objectives – in types and number of courses supported – in session materials (session plans, handouts, feedback from Learning Strategist, Program Assistants and Instructors) – in Facilitator experiences (facilitating sessions, meetings with Instructors, assisting with Facilitator training)
Portfolio Approach: Reflection on the Facilitator Experience • Emphasis on reflective thinking and writing : – Training module conducted by our Centre’s Writing Specialist devoted to critical thinking and reflective writing skills. – Goal is for each Facilitator to build a “ Facilitating Philosophy ” as a core around which a number of reflection pieces on various experiences (assessment of a session, impressions of training, reactions to feedback from program assistants and instructors) can be built into the portfolio.
The Portfolio as Resume • Involvement of the Career Centre and the Co- Curricular Record program in helping Facilitators visualize their portfolios as an organic part of their resume. – Concept of “ tailoring ” – using portfolio materials as a Master Reserve to configure a variety of resumes. – Using the facilitating philosophy as a context for experiential learning as a co-curricular activity. – Portfolio as a “ work in progress ” to chronicle personal growth and the acquisition of a skills set inventory.
The Portfolio as a Resume – Linking Transferrable Skills and Competencies • Co-Curricular Record connects Facilitator experiences with Inventory of Competencies: – Communication – Teamwork – Leadership – Self-awareness – Reflective thinking – Knowledge application to daily life
My Facilitating Philosophy A facilitated study group differs from regular classroom in that it provides a comfortable environment for students to share their thoughts and work collaboratively. The aim is not to teach but to help students initiate their own learning - a process that facilitates undoing their learned helplessness. As a facilitator, the goal is not to teach course material but rather to guide students in accessing information from the best possible sources. Since facilitators have already taken the class and achieved top grades, they possess knowledge on how to target the information for maximal output. Sessions focus on the best study techniques tailored to the specific course, developing study strategies, discussing and clarifying concepts, and comparing study notes. I can personally attest to the importance and effectiveness of facilitated study groups. Since facilitating study sessions, I have begun forming my own study groups to obtain the same support and collaborative learning environment that is the keystone of well organized FSG groups. Demonstrating the importance of taking initiative in one's own learning in a supportive and collaborative environment is the goal of every facilitated study group.
My Facilitating Philosophy As a facilitator I strive to create a positive learning space for students: a space to engage students, encourage questions, and promote discussion. My goal as a facilitator is to share study strategies and study approaches that assist students in becoming effective and efficient learners. Facilitated Study Groups are a dynamic, symbiotic process. A facilitator's role is to connect with students, understand students' problems, and guide students' navigation towards a solution. Through the guiding process, facilitators fortify their understanding for the course material and reinforce their skills to communicate clearly, logically and creatively. From my experience, motivation is a key factor in a students' success. When I facilitate study sessions, I aim to feed the students' motivation through short term goals, such that students are constantly rewarded by their hard work and good study habits. A high level of motivation drives persistence and practice, and ultimately, students gain skills that will help them become independent, self-directed learners.
Sample Outline
Sample Outline Cont’d
Sample Outline
Sample Outline Cont’d
2. Program Assistants Creating Visual Records of Sessions • Main role for the Program Assistants – to produce visual records (schematic diagrams accompanied by photos – about 7 of each per session). – Feedback – enables Program Assistant to give each Facilitator team immediate feedback so that adjustments can be made for future sessions. – Session Record – documents the Facilitator’s session and complements the other materials (session outline, reflection pieces) to provide a more complete representation of the study group session for the Facilitator’s portfolio.
Visual Mapping Sample
Visual Mapping Sample
Visual Mapping Sample
Visual Mapping Sample
3. Instructor Involvement in Supporting Facilitator Teams • The direct and active involvement of the course Instructors is essential, as the guidance, feedback and insight that they provide to the volunteer Facilitator teams comes from a professional perspective . • The course Instructors maintain regular contact with their Facilitator teams to compare notes and discuss best practice, to structure and coordinate session planning, and to anticipate student concerns.
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