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FYI on FYE: Supplemental instruction works |
| By
Terry Biel |
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Apr 11, 2005 |
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This article is the second in a three-part series on the First-Year Experience Program.
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| Mate Soric, a junior in the College of Pharmacy, led a recent study session for chemistry students. |
In its mission of helping entering freshmen gain the skills and knowledge they need to be successful in their new academic community, the UT First-Year Experience Program is exploring the expansion of several nontraditional teaching styles.
Through FYE funding, the Learning Enhancement Center has been able to expand its supplemental instruction offerings to cover a total of six courses with a history of 30 percent or greater failure rates, according to Luanne Momenee, LEC director. “Rather than look at high-risk students,” she explains, “SI centers on high-risk courses.”
An “SI leader” who has performed well previously in a course and been recommended by his or her instructor attends all lectures for a given course and then holds three study sessions per week open to all students taking that section of the course. It is not a recitation, but rather a collaborative effort to aid students in finding their own best methods of comprehension. “The idea,” Momenee says, “is to make it interactive; the students who are involved become the thinkers, the problem-solvers.”
And SI has not been all hugs and warm feelings: The program is seeing undeniable results. Of students attending at least three SI sessions for the two SI-supported sections of Biology 2150 in spring 2004, 92 percent were “successful” (received a C- or higher grade for the semester), while only 52 percent of students attending zero sessions were successful. In sections without SI offerings, only 64 percent of students were successful. Students attending three or more sessions also boasted an 84 percent retention rate, 21 percent higher than those attending zero sessions. More data is being compiled at the center for the fall 2004 semester.
With expanded SI giving students a leg up on digesting lectures and homework, additional Chem 1200 sections are giving students a chance to tackle work pre-emptively. “Here’s the deal: Chemistry’s tough.” says Dr. Andrew Jorgensen, UT associate professor of chemistry. Chem 1230 is a required course for virtually all science and engineering majors, with around 1,300 students, mostly freshmen, enrolling annually. Of those, typically 10 percent withdraw, 10 percent fail and 10 percent earn D grades.
Modeled after similar programs at other universities, Chem 1200 is a one-credit pass/fail supplement to Chem 1230. Like SI, Chem 1200 is an expansion of a previous program and not a recitation. A two-hour session is held once a week in addition to the original Chem 1230 class time, during which peer leaders examine material given in advance of the Chem 1230 lecture. Through FYE support, Jorgensen intends to increase peer-led Chem 1200 sections from 5 percent to 30 percent of those enrolled in Chem 1230. In its first year following FYE funding, Chem 1200 has about 13 percent participation.
Statistical analysis of Chem 1200 participant performance in Chem 1230 will be done over the summer months, but satisfaction survey results for the last semester have been compiled. In response to the questions “Was the peer leader well prepared” and “Did the peer leader serve a valuable role in the group,” 77 percent of students said “always” and another 22 percent said “usually.”
Where SI and Chem 1200 offer means to keep students on track, Math 990 and the new mathematics lab in Carlson Library provide a way for students to catch up. Those placing into Math 950 or Math 980 may be candidates for Math 990, which uses a combination of automated developmental math skills software and one-on-one attention to teach the skill sets covered in the other two courses.
It is designed for “students who were fairly decent in high school, but who have gaps,” according to Dr. Gwen Terwilliger, program director and associate professor of mathematics. Students may finish their required high school math courses by the time they are juniors, she explains, so by the time they take a college placement test they have forgotten some key fundamentals. In Math 990, “Everybody starts in the same place,” Terwilliger says. Students take a pre-test on every chapter, which the software uses to identify problem areas and develop a study strategy for the student. This format allows each student to progress at his or her own pace.
There are currently 159 students enrolled in Math 990, and their performance in subsequent math courses will be compared to that of students completing Math 980 to examine the impact and effectiveness of this innovative course offering.
Current FYE-supported academic initiatives also include Math 1750 tech support, the Arts Living-Learning Center and the Residence Life Faculty Friends Program.
For more information on these or other First-Year Experience Programs, contact Jennifer Rockwood, FYE director, at 419.530.2330 or click here.
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