Rethinking Support for At-Risk Students

Purpose

The purpose of this Spring 2018 program is to provide educators with methods and tools to identify academically at-risk students and to provide them with effective interventions that improve student success. 

In the Fall 2017, we had 19 faculty and over 900 students participated in the program. Faculty appreciated the individual support provided on PolyLearn's formative assessments and the Gradebook setup.

Participants will need to attend one face-to-face workshop (Mar. 28) and provide support for their Spring 2018 students. Please continue to read for more information. 

Objectives

Upon completion of this program, participants will be able to:

• Create effective assessments (formative and summative) designed for early detection of academic performance issues 
• Use PolyLearn tools and analyze data and reports to determine which students are at risk
• Create effective interventions to engage at-risk students
• Analyze results of the intervention plan for possible improvements in future classes

Stipends

Participants who complete all three components are eligible for a $300 stipend.

Eligibility

Faculty of all ranks (tenure track as well as full- and part-time lectures) are welcome. 

Logistics

The full program consists of:

1. A one-day (six-hour) workshop to develop an at-risk student intervention plan (lunch will be provided)
2. Implementation of intervention plans during Spring Quarter
3. Participation in individual and collective cohort assessments

Face-to-Face Workshop

Wednesday. Mar. 28, 9am-3pm (Workshop scheduled - 35-209)

In this workshop, participants will:

• Enhance one PolyLearn course shell for Spring quarter 2018.
• Develop an array of early-term assessments within PolyLearn and/or in class specifically designed to make academic issues apparent (e.g., quizzes, forum postings, assignments, wiki contributions, workshops, blog entries, lessons, publishers’ resources).
• Learn to evaluate PolyLearn data to review indicators of academic progress.
• Create a communication plan for contacting students to provide supportive interventions.
• Identify indicators to measure the effects of implementing the plan (e.g., grade distributions compared with prior course offerings). 
• Discuss resources and services available to at-risk students.

Participants will need to attend the workshop.  Please register online.

Spring Quarter Activities

• Before the term begins, refine early-term formative assessments for use within PolyLearn and/or in class.
• Before the term begins, design a PolyLearn Gradebook that provides you and your students timely and informative indicators of their academic progress.
• Early in the term, implement formative assessments and evaluate data within PolyLearn's reporting tools (reports, activity completion, grades) to identify at-risk students.
• Within the first four-weeks, contact at-risk students to provide supportive interventions.

Reporting Tasks

• Near the end of the Spring Quarter collaborate with CTLT to survey students about their perceptions and experiences with the intervention plan strategies in the revised course. 
• At the end of the Spring quarter, complete a CTLT survey to share data about student success indicators.

For more information, please contact Tonia Malone at the CTLT.

Register now

 

Comments from the Fall 2017 Participants

 

Student surveys are just now coming in. Here are some of the quotes from the students.

• I think informative assessments and homework are integral parts of doing well in class.
• it was nice to get practice and feedback for the course early in the quarter. set me up for the rest of the quarter
• Having early feedback has been incredibly helpful to me in knowing if my studying is effective, and in planning out the appropriate amount of study time.
• I appreciate Formative Assessments that provide multiple attempts because it helps me with being able to learn from/fix my mistakes and serves as a useful studying technique for the big exams.
• These formative assessments help me keep up with the class, and help me slowly study the information. I think they are a key to being successful in any class.
• I feel that grades of these assessments have improved my ability to succeed in this class because after doing bad on first exam, I started to pay attention and care about how well I performed on my formative assessments/ assignments.

Faculty have replied to feedback emails with….

• Thank you so much for the great feedback! I will be working on it, and contact you later if I have any questions
• Thank you for your comments!
• I updated your suggestions and the video was perfect on your end. I'm a visual learner.
• Thank you so much for your useful feedback.
• Thank you, so much!
• Thank you very much for the guidance with the Gradebook. It was very helpful. I have made the changes.
• Yes, thank you, that is what I was envisioning!
• Thanks for the feedback, that was very helpful.
• Thanks, Tonia, that was exactly what I needed. Excellent demo and explanation!
• Thank you for the suggested edits. I have now incorporated them.
• Thank you for the clarification.
• Thank you once more for all your help with PolyLearn. Yes, the grade book works well, and I directed the students to check their grade.