The Effect of Supplemental Instruction on Transfer Student Success in STEM Courses National Institute for the Study of Transfer Students January 26, 2012.

The Effect of Supplemental Instruction on Transfer Student Success in STEM Courses

National Institute for the Study of Transfer StudentsJanuary 26, 2012

Marty Bonsangue, Mark Filowitz, James Hershey, Hye Sun Moon, Ed Sullivan, and Sean Walker

This study was funded in part by the National Science Foundation

California State University Fullerton• Second largest univ. in the 23-campus CSU system– >35,000 students enrolled – 57% Female– HSI Status– Ethnic Distribution- Fall 2011

• Hispanic 32%• White 30%• Asian/Pacific Islander 22%• African American 3%• Indian, Multiple Race Non-Hispanic, International Students and

Unknown 13%

• Admit approx. 5,000-6,000 transfer students per year

Biology 171 Evolution and Biodiversity

• First course in the Biology Major at CSUF• Large lecture – 180 to 240 students per class• 40 – 60% Success Rate• Topics & Skills– Organismal Diversity– Microevolution– Macroevolution– Descriptive Statistics, Presentations, Scientific

Writing

Math 150A – Calculus I

• First course in the Math, Computer Science, and Engineering Majors at CSUF

• Small classes – 25 to 40 students per class• 30 – 60% Success Rate• Topics & Skills– Functions– Derivatives and Integrals– Applications– Presentations, Mathematical Writing

What is Supplemental Instruction?

• Developed at University of Missouri at Kansas City

• Targets Tough Classes, NOT Students or Professors (< 70% passing rates)

• Difficult Material, not Evil Professor

More on SI• Four Key Players– SI Supervisor– Faculty– SI Leaders– Students

• Leaders are trained, go to class and model good student behavior, and meet regularly with supervisor and faculty

Bio 171 SI Leaders Fall 2011

SI at CSUF• Began in 2008 with four classes

(2 secs Calculus I, 2 secs Biodiversity)• In Spring 2012, approx 800 STEM students

participating across 45 sections• Forty-five undergrad SI leaders involved• CollAlg, Precalc, BusCalc, Calc 1 & 2,

Biodiversity, GenChem, OChem, & CompSci• All students enrolled in course are actively

invited and recruited

Summary of SI Results• Success rates around 80 % (SI) v. 50 % (non-SI)• GPA around 2.5 (SI) v. 1.7 (non-SI)• Significant results for each ethnic and gender

group• Strongest effects observed for URM students

and transfer students• No differences in academic predictors for SI

and non-SI students (overall & within groups)

Focus on Calculus ICalc I Data: Fall 2008-Spr 2011

Native Students Course GradeCalc I Course Grade: URM by SI Partic.

NOT PARTICIPANT PARTICIPANT1.00

1.50

2.00

2.50

1.26

2.17

1.74

2.41

URMNon-URM

Native Students Calc I Success Rate: URM by SI Partic.

NOT PARTICIPANT PARTICIPANT0.10

0.30

0.50

0.70

0.90

0.38

0.73

0.58

0.81

URMNon-URM

Transfer StudentsAcademic Predictors

Non SI SI

No. of Students 40 34Transfer GPA 2.95 2.97

Transfer Students OnlyCalculus I Results

Non SI SI

Course Grade 1.43 2.40Success Rate 45 % 79 %

Transfer StudentsCalc I Course Grade: URM by SI Partic.

NOT PARTICIPANT PARTICIPANT0.50

1.00

1.50

2.00

2.50

0.66

2.30

1.82

2.40

URMNon-URM

Transfer StudentsCalc I Success Rate: URM by SI Partic.

NOT PARTICIPANT PARTICIPANT0.10

0.30

0.50

0.70

0.90

0.20

0.89

0.58

0.76

URMNon-URM

Transfer Students Calc I Course Grade: Ethnic. by SI Partic.

NOT PARTICIPANT PARTICIPANT0.50

0.70

0.90

1.10

1.30

1.50

1.70

1.90

2.10

2.30

2.50

1.77

2.42

0.83

2.43

1.27

2.11

1.88

2.45ASIAN - Total

Black - Total

HISPANIC - Total

WHITE - Total

Transfer StudentsCalc I Success Rate: Ethnic. by SI Partic.

NOT PARTICIPANT PARTICIPANT0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

0.7

0.8

0.9

0.65

0.79

0.10

0.86

0.38

0.72

0.58

0.82

ASIAN - Total

Black - Total

HISPANIC - Total

WHITE - Total

Transfer StudentsCalc I Grade: Gender by SI Partic.

NOT PARTICIPANT PARTICIPANTTotal

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

1.35

2.08

1.49

2.58

FEMALEMALE

Transfer StudentsCalc I Succ. Rate: Gender by SI Partic.

NOT PARTICIPANT PARTICIPANTTotal

0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

0.7

0.8

0.9

0.38

0.75

0.50

0.82

FEMALEMALE

Summary• Si participation linked with higher passing rate

and course grade for all groups (ethnicity, gender, transfer status)

• No academic predictor differences between SI and non-SI students

• Most dramatic results observed for URM transfer students (based on limited sample)

• Exit survey shows 90 % + students overall feel SI was helpful or extremely helpful

Future Directions• SI Helps Level the Playing Field for Students by

Gender, Ethnicity, and Transfer Status• SI is Building an Academic Program for Future

Teachers (SI Leaders)• The Results Make a Strong Case for Institutional

Funding

Issues and Challenges• Efficiently Identifying Transfer Students Enrolled

in a STEM course• Effectively Recruiting Transfer Students in a

Timely Way• Consistently Funding and Staffing Strong SI

Programs in STEM

Thank [email protected]