Student Success Programs at Ryerson: Two Modes of Delivery Don Kinder Bob Jackson Ryerson University Library.
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Student Success Programs at Ryerson: Two Modes of Delivery
Don Kinder
Bob Jackson
Ryerson University Library
Ryerson University
Established as a university in 1993
Former Polytechnic Institute (est. 1948)
19,000 FTEs (comparable to McMaster)
Very Urban campus Commuter campus
Largest Continuing Education program in Canada
12 Graduate programs (including 5 PhD)
Ryerson Library
81 staff Includes 22 librarians Most librarians have
subject specialties besides a regular portfolio
Session Outline
Background: Student Success courses at Ryerson, library involvement, collaboration with faculty
Library’s experience with: Business 100 (BUS100) “Strategies for Success” Arts and Contemporary Studies 102 (ACS102)
“Learning and Development Strategies”
Student Success & Retention: Backround Student success courses relatively new at
Ryerson (last 4 years)
Student Retention: driving force behind student success courses
Significant attrition problems at Ryerson in certain programs, e.g. Business, Sciences/ Engineering
Student Success at Ryerson Ryerson Task Force on Student Retention
struck by VP Academic in 2002. Met for 6 months Released Final Report of recommendations,
Oct. 2002. www.ryerson.ca/lt/resources/task_force/finalrep.pdf (Report)
www.ryerson.ca/lt/resources/task_force/ (Appendices)
Task Force on Student Retention 14 members
Faculty, students, Student Services, Registrar, Secretary for Academic Council (Senate), CE, Library, Learning and Teaching Office (chair)
Task Force tasks:
Reviewed retention strategies Ryerson/others Interviewed departments and schools Examined retention/attrition data Conducted literature review, incl. best
practices for student success (incl. student success courses)
Came up with 7 goals and 80 objectives. Library involved in 10 objectives
Task Force Objectives (Library involvement) and Partners
Assess need for, and develop/implement student success courses,, and assess the effectiveness of these programs. (Library, Program Dean, Student Services)
Promote collaboration between faculty and librarians (e.g. integration of IL standards into curriculum, assignment design.) (Library, Learning and Teaching Office, Depts/Schools/Programs)
Provide seminars for faculty on the incorporation of retention strategies into course design (e.g. IL, assignment design, academic integrity) (Library, Learning and Teaching Office.)
Selected Best Practices: Student Success Courses (Implementation/Delivery) Front load the program (offer it in first term or
first year) First six weeks critical Small class size--no more than 25 students(!) Course should be required (vs. elective) Course should carry academic credit that
applies toward graduation Collaborative effort. Should involve Library,
student support services, Writing Centre, etc.
Where did the Library end up in all of this? Higher profile of library and its services. Recognition as a player in
university endeavours through…
Collaborative work on Task Force with faculty, Student Services, Learning and Teaching Office, VP Academic’s Office, Digital Media Library/Student Services, Library/Writing Centre,
New Arts and Contemporary Studies program (Fall ’03) developed a student success course as a result of the recommendations of the Task Force (ACS102) (Library involvement in planning process from inception)
Increased recognition of role of library in BUS 100
BUS 100 Backgrounder Pre-dated Task Force on Student Retention Proposal for course released Oct. 2000 by the director
of Student Support Services and the Business School Meant primarily to address retention issues Focuses on the development of university-level skills Library not included, initially (had to “force” our way in) Mandatory course for all incoming business students.
Non-credit. Pass/Fail.
BUS 100 (Lab-based Delivery) 430 students (2001 and 2002) 10 sections, 40+ students Hands-on labs with exercises 4 hours (4 weeks) 10 librarians involved Quizzes (4), 2 linked directly to core courses (ACC
and Stats), pre/post test, and online tutorials Quizzes graded (P/F). Created in collaboration with
professors WebCT for online content and quizzes
BUS 100 (Lecture Theatre Delivery) 850 students 2003 (double cohort) and 2004 One large class in theatre Drop-in sessions (2003) 5 weeks for library module, 10-15 minute
presentations 4 librarians involved Quizzes (4), 2 linked directly to core courses (ACC
and Stats), pre/post test, and online tutorials Quizzes graded (P/F). Created in collaboration with
professors Blackboard for online content and quizzes
Course Objectives (all years)
Raise awareness of Library resources & services
Develop library research skills
Identify relevant information sources
Formulate effective search strategies
Course Integration (all years)
Integrated with two first semester courses
ACC 100 : Introductory Financial Accounting (SEDAR)
QMS 102 : Business Statistics (Statistics Canada)
Faculty/Library collaboration in developing course content and quizzes
Course Evaluation (all years)
Pre-Test – designed to assess students knowledge of library resources prior to taking Business 100
Four graded multiple choice quizzes – OPAC, ABI, SEDAR & Statistics Canada
Post-Test - designed to assess students knowledge of library resources after taking Business 100
Delivery using Blackboard Integral to the course given lecture-based teaching
environment
Used widely by Ryerson Business faculty for course delivery
A simple interface well suited to the needs of novice users
Supports the delivery and grading of multiple-choice quizzes
Easy linking to course content
Blackboard Business 100 Site
Assignments
Ryerson Library Links
Library Links : Bizlib
Bizlib : Tutorials
Lectures : Instruction or Entertainment? Delivered Monday mornings in the Ryerson Theatre
Up to 850 first-year students (without coffee!)
Not a lecture theatre (no writing surfaces, etc.)
Shared “air-time” with other performers
Presentations limited to 10-15 minutes
Lectures : Breaking the Ice
Emphasis on Accessibility & Service
Frequent use images to augment lecture content
Pop-cultural references used for emphasis
Infomercial format – short “sight bites”
Lectures : The Top Ten …
The Top Ten reasons why you may benefit from the Library’s Business 100 program….
http://www.dandersonillustration.com/car_David_Letterman_big.jpg
[for graphic]
10 …
The last time you visited a library, Barney was still your favourite TV show
www.cs.utah.edu/ ~riloff/personal.html
[for graphic]
8 …
The last time you used a library card was to pick a lock
http://www.ahajokes.com/crt891.html
[for graphic]
7 …
[Graphic of Conrad Black]
You think that peer review refers to the recent trials and tribulations of a well known author and publisher
5 …
You’ve attempted to use a style guide to coordinate your wardrobe
http://www.waynewolfe.com/images/Drag%20Queen.jpg
[for graphic]
Lectures : Illustrating the Basic Concepts of Library Research
Using images to convey empathy and accessibility
Using pop-cultural imagery to illustrate the basics of library research – defining a topic, developing a search strategy
Reinforced through brief real-time demos of library-based resources
You Begin by Defining Your Topic
Definition is important! Which words or concepts best define or describe your research topic?
[Graphic of very well-defined male and female]
Then Developing a Search Strategy
Often combining 2 or more single concepts…
[graphic]
Jlo AND Ben
To obtain specific results…
[graphic]
Jlo AND Ben
[graphic]
Jlo OR Ben
[graphic]
Jlo NOT Ben
Assessing the Outcome
Comparison of Pre-test and Post-test results
Reviewing student ratings
Reviewing student comments
BUS 100: Fall 2002 (Hands-On Format) N=430 Q3:Google will satisfy
most of my info needs Q4: What is a scholarly
journal? Q5: Boolean operators Q6: Formation of a
strategy using Boolean Q8 Citing resources on
the web
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
Q3 Q4 Q5 Q6 Q8
PrePost
BUS 100: Fall 2003 (Lecture Hall) N=850 Q3:Google will satisfy
most of my info needs Q4: What is a scholarly
journal? Q5: Boolean operators Q6: Formation of a
strategy using Boolean Q8 Citing resources on
the web 0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Q3 Q4 Q5 Q6 Q8
PrePost
Data Comparison: 2002 to 2003 2003 data (less improvement evident
between pre- and post test) may reflect increased class size (430 in 2002 to 850 in 2003)
Lecture format (2003) with little or no personal contact with student. (Lab-based format (2002) allowed for smaller classes of 40 students, hands-on practice, personal help with assignments
How would you rate the Library Sessions?2003 BUS100 Satisfaction
14%
30%
35%
16%
3% 2%
Very Useful
Useful
Slightly useful
Not at all useful
Can't say
No answer
How would you rate the four library assignments? 2003
BUS 100 Satisfaction
9%
30%
31%
23%
4% 3%
Very Useful
Useful
Slightly Useful
Not at all Useful
Can't say
No answer
I feel that the library sessions were:(2003)
37%
10%
41%
6% 6%
Too long
Too Short
About right
Can't Say
No answer
Next Time?
Reduce the number of quizzes
Create a library-specific discussion board on the Business 100 Blackboard site
Embed library-specific discussions on other first-year courses offered through Blackboard
Offer virtual office hours through MSN
Revise online tutorials with Camtasia
Business Students and Additional Library Instruction Library instruction statistics consistently highest for the Business
Program (years 1-4) Saw 3000+ students in library classes in 2004/05 year in addition
to the 850 BUS 100 students 3 Business librarians Can afford to spend less time with students in BUS 100 because
we’ll see them all again in 2nd, 3rd, 4th years when library-based assignments play a greater role in program
BUS 100 intended to introduce some library concepts, and to show a “friendly face”
As a Student Success program—not intended to scare them or present assignments that are too difficult
Arts and Contemporary Studies (ACS102)
New BA program Fall 2003
265 incoming students (’03 and ’04)
Arts/Humanities-focused program
14-week required Credit Course
ACS 102 (“Learning and Developing Strategies”) Course Objectives “Assuming that the 21st century will be led by those
who learn best, the objective of this course is to equip students to realize their full potential in the program, as well as prepare them for life long learning. The course will include opportunities for self-assessment, team work, application and skill development.”
Study skills, information literacy/library skills, group work survival, time management, stress management,, writing skills, self assessment, career planning, equity/diversity, etc.
ACS 102 Library Component Library was part of the curriculum planning
process from the beginning Faculty identified students as having difficulty
grasping differences between scholarly and popular sources, reasons why one would be used over other
Also differences between scholarly finding aids (databases) and Google
ACS 102 Library Component Didn’t want to overwhelm the students with
every possible library research angle
4+ hours contact time, plus library assignment (other departments got 1 or 2 hours)
“Low tech” approach (no Blackboard)
ACS 102 Library Component (Lecture/Presentation) First 2-hour session (265 students)
1 hour presentation on identifying & evaluating information sources (see accompanying PowerPoint presentation) Types of info, relevance, authority, thinking critically
“Small” Group exercise: divided into groups of 10 Distributed magazine, scholarly journal, web site,
or newspaper article Assessed their publication using criteria covered
in presentation (simulating the assignment they would be getting)
“Small” Big Group Exercise1. Who was this written for? Or Who would read this? 2. Who are the authors? 3. Publisher or organization? 4. Where can you find this or buy this? 5. What does it look like – physical characteristics? 6. What distinguishes the magazine/journal/website from the
other sources? 7. When and why would you use each type of source in your
assignments, essays, etc.
ACS 102 Library Component (lab) Second 2-hour session (hands-on lab) 8 sections, 30+ students (2 librarians and 1
TA) Introduced databases and searching
techniques Distributed assignment. Chance for students
to work on it with librarians
ACS 102 Assignment (objectives) Learn to identify scholarly, non-scholarly and
popular sources Learn to identify biases within writing Learn to identify sources that are not appropriate for
university papers Learn to use information legally and ethically
through proper citing and bibliographic style guides Learn to use library databases to find articles in
periodicals
ACS 102 Library Assignment Worth 12% of final course grade Topics chosen by librarians (collaboratively with
faculty) 50 unique topics (2004) (only 5 people/265 with same topic, no one sharing topic in section)
Topics pre-tested to ensure scholarly articles existed in databases
Sample topics: feminism and hiphop culture, police and racial profiling, conflict resolution in schools, sustainable development and corporations, film and depiction of race, celebrity culture, globalization and nation state, animals and mental health (human)
ACS 102 Library Assignment (Questions) (see accompanying Word document for full assignment) What is the purpose of each article or web site
and/or the author’s intent? ( Is the information you have found, fact, opinion, propaganda, advocacy or commercially oriented?)
Who is the intended audience for each article and web site?
Is information about the author available? What are the author’s credentials: is he or she an expert in the field? Are they associated with a reputable institution or organization?
ACS 102 Library Assignment (Questions) Are statements made by the author supported by
real evidence, (studies, research, data gathering, or is the evidence anecdotal?)
Is there a publication date? Does the publication date matter to the information? Is it current or out of date?
Are there any other factors you deem important? For example, writing style, grammatical errors, cultural perspective, etc.
Which source(s) would you use in a research paper? Why or why not for each
ACS 102 Library Assignment (Questions) 1 week to do assignment Marked by librarians (2004) TAs (2003)
Allowed us to determine problems in assignment Marathon sessions together in same room
TAs briefed (most did assignment) Class average: 7.5/10 (2004), 7.3/10 (2003) 14 complaints about marks
ACS 102 Assessment (Library Component) No formal course assessment (pre/post test) Anecdotal evidence: Professors (3) and TAs
(8) very pleased. Student feedback very positive
Ryerson’s experience has been that GPA dips in the first term Students in the ACS program showed an increase
in GPA
ACS 102 Assessment (Library Component)
Fall 2005: ACS Faculty member (Psychology) to administer a series of scales (pre/post tests, tracking students throughout 4 year program) Includes emotional intelligence, reading skills,
beliefs around failure, academic resourcefulness, information literacy, student success, etc.
ACS 102: Best Practices
Front load the program (offer it in first term or first year) First six weeks critical YES
Small class size--no more than 25 students
Course should be required (vs. elective)
Course should carry academic credit that applies toward graduation
Collaborative effort. Should involve Library, student support services, Writing Centre, etc.
YES
30 students/section
YES
YES
YES
Where to? Challenges.
More student success courses? New General Science (BSc) starts Fall 2005. Looking at
starting a student success course for 2006. Director on side, some faculty resistance Workload issues (faculty, librarians, students) Getting everyone together: Collaborative issues with
departments & services Distance Education? Continuing Education? (Camtasia,
Macromedia Breeze, Virtual Office hours)
ASSESSMENT (library component and overall course)
A Selection of Other Library/Ryerson Community Collaborative Efforts “Foundations of Social Work” Tutorialhttp://www.ryerson.ca/library/tutorial/sw/
Ryerson Academic Integrity Model Campus-wide initiative—resources for students, faculty, parents
(all web-based). Will be branded, heavily publicized. Graphical online tutorial for students, with quizzes In time, may be mandatory upon entry to Ryerson Library asked to chair Planning Committee: Director of Provost’s
Office, Student Services, Learning and Teaching Office, Digital Media Office
www.ryerson.ca/acadcouncil/acadintegmodel.pdf
Contacts:
Don Kinder
Coordinator, Library Education
Ryerson University Library
dkinder@ryerson.ca
Bob Jackson
Manager, Ronald G. Besse Information and Learning Commons
Ryerson University Library
bjackson@ryerson.ca
www.library.ryerson.ca
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