James EllerCase Western Reserve Univers ity

Moving In, Through, and Out of the SI Leader Experience

The 9th International Conference on Supplemental Instruction (SI)

The ProblemEducators , employers , parents , and s tudents question:

-The quality of learning and acquired competencies (Arum, 2013)

-The value of a college degree (Doyle, 2011; Willie, 2012; Wood, 2011)

Institutional concerns about:-Accreditation, image, and learning outcomes

(Henning, 2012)

PurposeTo address these problems by describing outcomes associated with how students

experience their roles as SI leaders .

Use Schlossberg’s (1981) Transition Theory as a lens to reveal characteris tics of how students transition from their roles as

s tudents to peer educators .

Research Question

How do students move in, through, and out of the SI leader experience at a mid-sized,

private research university located in the Midwestern United States?

Schlossberg’s Transit ion Theory-understanding how students develop as a number of factors occur s imultaneously

- transition is “an event or non-event that results in change in assumptions and thus requires a corresponding change in one’s behavior and relationships”

- transitions impact people—roles , relationships, routines , and assumptions

-4 S’s , factors that influence how a person copes with transition—situation, self, supports , and s trategies

Supplemental Instruction (SI)

Educational Services for Students is our

academic support departmentat CWRU

Literature ReviewMartin & Wilcox (1996)

-SI leaders have reported developing leadership and communications skills as well as improved academic competency

Lockie & Van Lanen (2008)-appreciation for the divers ity of s tudent learning s tyles- increased unders tanding of course material-greater self-consciousness as a learner-development of closer relationships with faculty-application of SI s trategies in other courses- importance and value of collaborative learning

Literature ReviewHurley, McKay, Scott, & James (2003)

-experience generally positive and a good review of material

Donelan & Kay (1998)- improved communication and presentation skills- increase in own understanding of course material -getting to know other s tudents , facilitating group

activities , helping others learn

Literature ReviewCongos & Mack (2005)

-valued the positive academic impact on s tudents-valued the adulation they received from students

Wallace (1992)-SI leaders performed better academically-enhanced integration of s tudy skills and the

transferability of learning

Literature ReviewStone, Jacobs, & Hayes (2006)

-enhanced relationships with s tudents , faculty, and other SI leaders

-developed a deeper unders tanding of content- formed better s tudy s trategies-developed leadership skills and received exposure to

teaching

Latino & Unite (2012)-benefit from academic skills enhancement

Literature ReviewSmuts (2002)

- final-year law s tudents developed a sense of personal adequacy, improved communication, relationship building, citizenship, and workplace skills

-helped improve their own grades

Goodlad & Hirs t (1989)- increased unders tanding of, and interest in, learning and

the teaching profession-personal growth, increased confidence and sense of

self- fulfillment.

Literature Review

Stout & McDaniel (2006)-support findings of Smuts (2002) and Lockie and

Van Lanen (2008) and add . . .-SI leaders report improved communication-relationship building skills-enhanced personal and professional

development.

Group Discussion1. What reasons have your SI leaders given for wanting to

serve as an SI leader?

2. What challenges have your SI leaders reported during their experience?

3. What resources do you feel your SI leaders find most helpful?

4. What expected and/ or unexpected skills or outcomes have your SI leaders gained as a result of their SI leader experience?

Case Western Reserve University-Est. in 1826 in Cleveland, Ohio on 185 acres

-5,100 undergraduate, and 6,200 graduate and profess ional s tudents representing all 50 s tates and 86 countries

-68% engineering, math, and sciences; 32% management, liberal arts , or undecided

-Graduated our largest class this year with 2,100 graduate and undergraduate s tudents

Case Western Reserve University-SI in place s ince mid-1980’s

-Support 24 courses during fall and spring semesters

-Average 32 SI leaders in fall semester and 24 in spring semester

-Most all begin SI tenure as 2nd

year s tudents

-75% of 1st and 2nd year s tudents pass through SI

Methodology-Phenomenological research design and

methods (Moustakas, 1994)-Combination of purposeful criterion, purposeful

intensity, and maximum variation sampling-Data collected via,

-Questionnaires- Interviews-ARCHIVAL RECORDS -Focus groups

Participants (co- researchers)Co-Researcher SI Discipline(s) SI Experience

Timothy Biology, Chemistry, Engineering, Physics 9 semestersLiam Chemistry 5 semestersLucas Physics 10 semestersKaiser Chemistry, Physics 6 semestersHeath Chemistry 7 semestersPeter Biology 4 semestersKetan Physics 2 semestersMatthew Chemistry, Engineering, Physics 4 semestersWhitney Biology 3 semestersWendy Engineering 5 semestersHaley Physics 6 semestersLucy Physics 6 semesters

Graduate/Professional Student Undergraduate Student Employed* Names listed are pseudonyms.

ResultsStage of Transition and Factors Themes

Moving In(situation, self)

Experience with Peer EducationAcademic SuccessPersonality TraitsPersonal Interests

Moving Through (supports)

Support from SI Team MembersPreparednessOn the Job TrainingTime Commitment/ Management

Moving Out (strategies)

Interpersonal BenefitsIntrapersonal BenefitsAppreciation of Teaching and LearningCampus Connectedness

DiscussionSignificance of Findings for Parents and Students:

-demonstrate addit ional value of a college experience in view of rising costs

Significance of Findings for Higher Education Professionals:-can aid in justifying dedicating resources to SI and similar programs-contribute posit ively to institut ional image-meet/ maintain accreditat ion criteria

Significance of Findings for Potential Employers of College Graduates: -demonstrate quality of learning and competencies

DiscussionLimitations

-The inherent difficulty of duplicating qualitative s tudies

-Limited generalizability because of s ingle s ite and participants

-Divers ity of SI program model internationally

DiscussionFuture Research Recommendations

-Studies that encompass multiple s ites , SI program models and SI leader preparation methods to improve generalizability

-Longitudinal s tudies that follow SI leaders beyond their SI experience to identify additional skills and competencies

Thank You

Moving In, Through, and Out of the SI Leader Experience

James EllerCase Western Reserve Univers ity

ReferencesArum, R. (2013). Stakeholder and public responses to measuring s tudent learning. Society, 50(3), 230-235. doi:10.1007/ s12115-013-9648-y

Congos, D. & Mack, A. (2005). Supplemental instruction’s impact in two freshman chemistry classes: Research, modes of operation, and anecdotes . Research & Teaching in Developmental Education, 21(2), 43-64. Retrieved from http:/ / www.ebscohost.com

Donelan, M., & Kay, P. (1998) Supplemental instruction: Students helping s tudents’ learning. Law Teacher, 32(3), 287–299.

Doyle, W. (2011). The return of the overeducated American?. Change, 43(4), 55-58. doi:10.1080/ 00091383.2011.589780

Goodlad, S. & Hirst, B. (1989). Peer tutoring: A guide to learning by teaching. London: Kogan Page.

Henning, G. (2012). Leveraging s tudent engagement for s tudent and institutional success . About Campus, 17(4), 15-18. doi:10.1002/ abc.21088

ReferencesHurley, K., McKay, D., Scott, T., & James, B. (2003). The supplemental instruction project: Peer-devised and delivered tutorials . Medical Teacher, 25(4), 404-407. doi: 10.1080/ 0142159031000136743conditions that matter. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Latino, J. & Unite, C. (2012). Providing academic support through peer education. New Directions for Higher Education, 157, 31-43. doi: 10.1002/ he.20004

Lockie, N., & Van Lanen, R. (2008). Impact of the supplemental instruction experience on science s i leaders . Journal of Developmental Education, 31(3), 2-14.

Martin, D. & Wilcox, F. (1996). Supplemental Instruction: Helping s tudents to help each other. In G. Wisker & S. Brown (eds.), Enabling student learning: Systems and strategies (pp. 97-101). Birmingham, England: KoganPage Publishers and the Staff and Educational Developmental Association (SEDA).

Moustakas, C. (1994). Phenomenological research methods. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc.

Schlossberg, N. (1981). A model for analyzing human adaption to transition. Counseling Psychologist, 9(2). 2-18. doi: 10.1177/ 001100008100900202

Smuts, K. (2002). The role of s tudent leaders in supplemental instruction. South African Journal of Higher Education, 16(3), 225–231.

ReferencesStone, M., Jacobs, G., & Hayes, H. (2006). Supplemental instruction: Student perspectives in the 21st century. In Dana Britt Lundell, Jeanne L. Higbee, & Irene M. Duranczyk (Eds.), Student standpoints about access programs in higher education (pp. 129-141). Minneapolis , MN: Center for Developmental Education and Urban Literacy, University of Minnesota. Retrieved from http:/ / education.umn.edu/ CRDEUL/ publications.html

Stout, M. & McDaniel A. (2006). Benefits to supplemental instruction leaders . New Directions for Teaching and Learning, 106, 55-62. doi: 10.1002/ tl.233

Wallace, J. (1992). Students helping s tudents to learn. The New Academic, 1(2), 8-9.

Willie, M. (2012). Taxing and tuition: A legis lative solution to growing endowments and the ris ing costs of a college degree. Brigham Young University Law Review, 2012(5), 1665-1704.

Wood, P. (2011). The higher education bubble. Society, 48(3), 208-212. doi:10.1007/ s12115-011-9418-7