Exploration in Human Behavior

Title III Strengthening Institutions ProjectStrategies for Success Increasing Achievement

Persistence Retention and Engagement

The Strategies for Success Title III initiative is a major five‐year project (2009‐2013) funded bya two million dollar grant from the US Department of Education This initiative is intended totransform Middlesex Community College by improving the academic achievement persistenceretention and engagement of its students

The project focuses on reformed curricula and comprehensive advising Reformed Curriculuminvolves the design of developmental and college Gateway courses and learning communitiesembedded with Core Student Success Skills related to critical thinking communicationcollaboration organization and self‐assessment Overall 45 courses will be impacted over thefive years of the project Comprehensive Advising involves the design of integrated advisingservices to include identification of academic and career goals creation of realistic educationalplans and continuous tracking and intervention with an emphasis on the Core Student SuccessSkills Comprehensive Advising Services will be specifically tailored to each program of studyCross‐division curriculum and advising design teams composed of faculty and staff aredesigning piloting and assessing the curriculum and advising initiatives

The Title III grant provides resources to support faculty professional development related todesigning and piloting new curriculum and advising students The grant also supports thepurchase of advising software programs and the hiring of a Pedagogical Instructional DesignerLearning Engagement Specialist Advising Coordinator and two academic advisors Theresources provided by the grant offer an exciting opportunity for the college community towork together to develop the strong programs and services that will increase student success

Table of Contents

PageIntroduction 2TopicSkill Activity Matrix 4

Lesson PlansUnit Notes Outline 10Students Create Test Questions 11CalendarTime Management Activity 12Learning Style Group Discussion 14Note‐taking 16Student Portfolio 17Rubrics for Self Assessment 18Journaling 20Team‐Based Learning 21Class Survey Data Interpretations 24Self Exploration Assignment 26Debates 28Fishbowl Discussions 30Research Assignment 32Concept Mapping 33I am Exercises (Personality) 35Social Readjustment Rating Scale 37Theories of Personality Project 38Cooperative Learning for Personality Theories 43Researching Controversial Issues 44Group Communication 45Thinking Critically about Individualism and Collectivism 46Self Image vs Ideal Self 48Goal Setting 49Locus of Control 50Handling Problems 53Motivation and Maslowrsquos Hierarchy of Needs 54Relaxation Techniques 55Healthy Lifestyle Choices for a College Student 56Career Assignment 57Evaluating Information 58Love and Commitment 62Exploring Thoughts and Perceptions of Mental Illness 63EQ Test 64Refining a Topic 71

SyllabiLeslie Adams‐Lariviere 73Wayne Currie 80Deanna Lima 86Elise Martin 92

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Explorations in Human BehaviorResource Guide for Infusing College Student Success Skills

Explorations in Human Behavior introduces the study of psychology integrating psychological research andtheories related to human behavior with learning strategies study skills and information on college resources tohelp students learn and sharpen the important skills that contribute to college success This course satisfies aTechnology or Environment or Health Intensive Value and a Behavioral Science Elective requirement

This course along with other Explorations courses at Middlesex Community College is a college level course forfirst semester students who were also placed into at least one developmental level English or math course Thelearning is experiential engaging students in hands‐on learning activities while helping them orient to theexpectations of college

As a part of the Title III grant Strategies for Success Increasing Achievement Persistence Retention andEngagement this and all other developmental and gateway courses are being redesigned to incorporate thefollowing College Student Success Skills (CSSS) Critical Thinking Collaboration Communication Organizationand Self Assessment The course materials and activities will focus on helping students to develop the key skillsof communication critical thinking collaboration organization and self‐reflection Students will have anopportunity to think more explicitly about these skills apply them while learning about and engaging withtheories and concepts of psychology and human behavior and then demonstrate how they have improved theircommunication critical thinking collaboration organization and self‐reflection skills by the end of thesemester For clarification consider the following skill descriptions

bull Critical Thinking includes the ability to use and analyze information gathered from multiple sources and formconclusions based on evidence rather than assumption

bull Communication skills can include the ability to write speak use numbers andor use technology effectivelybull Collaboration includes participating as a member of a community either as part of a group of students in

the class andor a group of people outside of the classroombull Organization skills related to time management note‐taking test‐taking and studying are important for

success in collegebull Self‐assessment skills include setting academic and career goals developing and following a plan to achieve those

goals and utilizing college resources to help students achieve their goals

This resource guide was designed by four faculty members currently teaching the course to share with each andoffer to other faculty teaching the course activities that can help students develop the essential CSSS We hopethat these activities which can and should be modified as appropriate spark ideas for other activities We haveorganized the guide as follows

bull A Table of Contents for the Curriculum Guide

bull A TopicSkills Matrix classifies learning activities by both course topic and CSSSo There are a number of general learning activities andor pedagogies that lend themselves to being

used throughout the course regardless of topic these are listed at the beginning of the matrixo We have also included in the matrix a column with ideas for further experiential learning for

students ndash eg mini civic engagement projects and field trips ndash and the names of departments andareas in Student Affairs that would be likely collaborators We plan to try several of these ideasourselves this semester and encourage you to do the same Research on retention in highereducation tells us that the degree to which students are engaged in activitiesgroupsservices at acollege has a direct and positive impact on their likelihood of remaining in college and graduating

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bull Lesson Plans for the activities including samples of handouts as appropriate Lesson plans include the nameof the faculty member who developeduses the lessonactivity If you have any questions related to aparticular lesson please contact that faculty member via email (see below) ndash they will be happy to answeryour questions

bull Fall 09 syllabi for Explorations in Human Behavior (belonging to the faculty who developed this guide) toprovide ideas for how the integration of many of these CSSS activities can be woven into a course CSSSactivities are asterisked () in these syllabi for ease of identification

bull A survey students will take at the beginning and end of the semester to assess the impact of the integrationof these CSSS learning activities into the course

We hope you find this guide useful we all enjoyed collaborating to develop it and our attached syllabi reflectthe integration of several of each othersrsquo ideas into our own course Donrsquot forget ndash contact us if you have anyquestions regarding any of these activities

Happy teaching

TeamMembers

Leslie Adams‐Lariviere Adjunct Faculty (ladamslarivierecomcastnet)Wayne Currie Adjunct Faculty (curriewmiddlesexmassedu)Deanna Lima Adjunct Faculty (deannalimacomcastnet)Elise Martin Assistant Dean of Assessment and Adjunct Faculty (martinemiddlesexmassedu)

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