WORKS!WORKS!Structured Learning Assistance

@ Ferris State UniversityPresenter: Christina Hollenbeck, SLA Program Coordinator

Brief HistoryBrief History

SLA was developed and piloted at Ferris in 1993 because…

• There was a large discrepancy between the academic expectations of the faculty and the academic readiness of the student populationp p

• Ferris had dozens of courses with C- of better pass rates below 60%

• Ferris had declining student retentionf f• An inability to reach large numbers of students for direct

transference of study/learning methods to the content areas• Ferris had limited academic assistance financial resources

An Active ProgramAn Active Program…

• Over 50 departments within six colleges have participated in the SLA program(Allied Health Sciences, Art & Sciences, Business, Technology, ( gy

and University College)

• Over the past 12 years, SLA has offered more than p y ,1247 course sections serving +27,850 students.

• Faculty Say: SLA produces a positive change in• Faculty Say: SLA produces a positive change in students’ attitudes and the classroom environment

What is SLA?What is SLA?

SLA is an academic support program that results in:

(1) reduced withdrawal and failure rates in high risk for failure, “gateway”,

or essential program sequence courses

(2) improved student retention

(3) more informed course faculty

(4) students with a greater understanding of the course expectations and

professor’s style

(5) assisting large numbers of students economically

Why SLA?Why SLA?

• Tutoring does not reach large groups of students at one time

• Supplemental Instruction doesn’t reach students who will not seek voluntary academic assistance

• SLA is integrated with specific course content andSLA is integrated with specific course content and methods while offering more time on task

• Aside from workshop time, the content, pace and assessments are identical to that of non SLAassessments are identical to that of non-SLA sections

SLA Key FeaturesSLA Key Features

(1) SLA targets courses (not any specific student population)

(2) SLA works within established course offering systems(2) SLA works within established course offering systems

(3) Workshop facilitators are trained Para-professionals

(4) Workshops create small learning communities (SLA is not remedial, it’s collaborative learning)

(5) SLA includes a faculty development component

(6) SLA is voluntary by enrollment (but mandatory by practice)

Attendance PolicyAttendance Policy

• All students are required to attend workshops at any time during the semester in which their cumulativetime during the semester in which their cumulative grade is below ____ % (C).

• Workshops are optional for students who earn above• Workshops are optional for students who earn above a grade of C, but everyone is encouraged to attend.

Students who exceed more than 4 unexcused• Students who exceed more than 4 unexcused absences from required workshops must withdraw or will receive an F in the course.

SLA “Model”SLA “Model”

Workshop EnvironmentWorkshop Environment

• Led by trained facilitators with skills specific to each course

• Lecture material is “re-presented” to students in “new” ways (new material is not presented in workshop)

• All students actively participate

• Peer groups and collaborative learning is encouraged

• Workshops meet 2x per week for 90 minutes each

• Mandatory attendance policy

Facilitator’s TimeFacilitator’s Time

• 3 hrs/week facilitating workshop• ~ 5 hrs/week preparation for workshop

1 2 h / k ti• 1-2 hrs/week meetings• 3 hrs/week attending a lab (if available)• 3-4 hrs/week attending lecture3-4 hrs/week attending lecture

Salary Range$1375 - $2900/semester$1375 $2900/semester

Program Cost?Program Cost?

• Each workshop contains 20 to 60 registered studentsregistered students

• SLA serves 12-15% of the FerrisSLA serves 12 15% of the Ferris student population each semester (~1200 SLA students)

Cost per student = ~$1.65/hr

Instructor’s TimeInstructor’s Time

• Extra time demand on the faculty is only 1 hr/week for meetings with the facilitatorfacilitator

C ti ?Compensation?Faculty Participation is Voluntary

Faculty SayFaculty Say…

Over Two thirds of the faculty involved with SLA over the said that:with SLA over the said that:

• SLA provided much improvement in the learning atmosphere of their classrooms

• They observed a significant positive change in attitudey g p gamong their students in the first 5 weeks of semester

Faculty DevelopmentFaculty Development• More than 90% of the faculty o e t a 90% o t e acu ty

involved with SLA over the past 5 years said they experienced an increased awareness of the needs of their student

• March 2000: The SLA program was awarded the TIAA CREF Theodore M. Hesburgh Certificate ofHesburgh Certificate of Excellence Award for Faculty Development to Enhance Undergraduate Teachingg g

Workshop ActivitiesWorkshop Activities

• Problem Solving Skills

• Collaborative Learning

• Time Management

• Note-taking Strategies

• Textbook Reading SkillsTextbook Reading Skills

• Test-taking Strategies and Practice

• Course Content-specific Activities

• Foster Student Responsibility

• Modeling Successful Student Characteristics/ Behavior

Success !Success !

• Over a 12 year period the average graded pass rate for students in SLA sections was 88% (90% for 2004-05 academic year)

• Over the same period the difference in pass rates between SLA and non-SLA sections was +10.8%

• Retention also rates increased while failure rates decreased (7.6 overall %W, and 3.7 overall %F for 2004-05 academic year)

25

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35

non -20

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Chemistry Examples:

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SLA10

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non-SLA

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CHEM103 CHEM114

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SLA

More Success !More Success !

2004-05 Academic Year:

• 38% of the SLA course sections passed 100% of the students enrolled

• 54% had graded pass rates between 94-99%

• Overall, 90% of the students in SLA course sections earned a C- or highersections earned a C or higher

Students SayStudents Say…

• Between 80 to 84% of students say SLA improved their grade by one-half to one whole letter gradeg

• 90 to 94% of students believe SLA workshops helped them to understand the course material and prepare for tests

• ~ 1/3 of the students who attend workshops are voluntary

• 97% of SLA students believe SLA helped them understand the professor’s lectures betterprofessor s lectures better

• 90% of SLA students recommend this program and would enroll in it again

“SLA has given me a better comprehension

“SLA involvement has greatly Improved i t ti fof the professor’s

lectures.” - SLA STUDENT

instruction for student success.” - SLA FACULTY

“One student went

Http://www ferris edu/sla

“SLA turned out to be more important and beneficial for myself

from a total lack of confidence and mediocre grades to being an “A” student Http://www.ferris.edu/sla beneficial for myself

than I had thought.” -SLA STUDENT

being an A student with a more positive self image.” - SLA FACILITATOR