Collaborative Study Sessions Support Student Success

from E-Source for College Transitions | Vol. 15, No. 3

by National Resource Center for The First-Year Experience and Students in Transition

Affinity From Afar: Connecting iCharleston Students to the College of Charleston

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Vol. 15 | No. 3 | August 2018 8

Collaborative Study Sessions Support Student Success

For first-year college students, new challenges are a way of life. At the University of Texas at Austin, the Texas Interdisciplinary Plan (TIP) Scholars program, housed within the College of Natural Sciences (CNS), is designed to help at-risk students overcome those challenges.

TIP serves about 450 students entering the CNS each year. The Scholars are assigned to TIP based on lower than average SAT scores and a lower probability of graduating in four years, as determined by the matriculation dashboard implemented through the university’s provost office. Other factors characterizing TIP Scholars, such as low socioeconomic backgrounds, first-generation status, and underrepresented populations, also position them as among the most vulnerable students for success in STEM.

Since 1999, TIP’s design has evolved to meet the changing needs of students. As a success initiative, TIP intentionally strives for a smallcommunity atmosphere within a large, public Tier 1 institution. TIP also incorporates wrap-around services that foster academic success and a sense of belonging to the university to more than 500 incoming first-year students. These services provide layers of support including peer mentoring, integrated academic advising, common academic experience courses, linked classes, staff–professor cooperation, dedicated student space, collaborative study sessions (CSS), and peer-to-peer student engagement.

The TIP Scholars program provides collaborative study sessions and other layers of support for at-risk students at the University of Texas at Austin. Photo courtesy of Kerri Harmon

Kerri Leigh Harmon Program Coordinator

University of Texas at Austin

“Students who

participate inCSS demonstratelearning in higher

education andbuild confidenceand relationships

by working in these

settings. ”

CSS Structure

CSS began at UT Austin in 2014 when TIP moved away from traditional student tutoring. This change was implemented after the university learned that the term tutoring held a negative connotation for incoming students and educators viewed it as passive. As opposed to traditional tutoring services, CSS affords students active participation and ownership in the learning process. It is among the most important initiatives of the TIP program.

CSS involves a collaboration of trained peer leaders (course assistants), staff, and faculty invested in the TIP community and uses small-group study sessions to help students succeed in the most challenging lower-division CNS courses (e.g., chemistry, biology,

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Vol. 15 | No. 3 | August 2018 9

calculus). Students who participate in CSS demonstrate learning in higher education and build confidence and relationships by working in these settings. They also test their understanding of course material through active learning and Socratic questioning (Obenland, Munson, & Hutchinson, 2012). For example, when asked about manipulating ideal gas laws in chemistry, the course assistant (CA) might respond by encouraging the student to first explain the basics of the concept.

Benefits to the TIP First-Year Cohort

CSS aims to help students in the CNS program succeed in their entry-level STEM courses and become independent learners. These students learn from their peers and collaborate outside of class to discuss and review material. Ogden, Thompson, Russell, and Simons (2003) found that such supplemental instruction (SI) programs not only give students a chance to improve academically but also allow them to bond with one another and the institution. UT Austin uses CSS to target a specific population and closely aligns it with the mission of the CNS program, offering another opportunity for TIP students, staff, and faculty to foster a strong sense of community and promote connection. In addition, CAs serve as role models and are trained to anticipate that students in CSS will form strong social bonds and share frustrations, disappointments, and successes. Much literature supports using peers in these types of leadership positions to create an environment that bolsters the academic and social transition of students (Sanft, Jensen, & McMurray, 2008).

Benefits to the TIP Student Leaders

CSS allows accomplished STEM students to serve as CAs, where they actively mentor their peers, remain proficient in course material, gain valuable leadership experience, and develop professional skills. CAs earn about $10 an hour, which is funded through the TIP program. The program coordinator works closely with faculty to hire, train, and supervise these student employees, who must complete a training course composed of leadership, ethics, communication, and campus resources both academic and personal. Through this training and by re-attending lectures, leading discussions, and facilitating collaborative study sessions, CAs enhance their own academic journey. Many of the CAs who progress to graduate or professional school (e.g., medical, dental, pharmacy) mention how their time as a CA contributed to high scores on their MCAT, DAT, or other professional or admissions exams. The CA position is held in high regard and appreciated by the faculty.

“For the Fall 2016 semester,

TIP Scholars were more likely to meet or exceed the cumulative GPA predicted by the provost’s office. ”

Benefits to TIP

Ning and Downing (2010) found that SI positively impacts the development of strong independent learners—one of the TIP program’s main goals. UT Austin designed CSS to ensure its CAs were integral resources for instructors, helping students transition into independent learners. Because every CA must successfully complete the training course and demonstrate proficiency in the material, they are well suited to guide student success. They must attend lectures and help professors in the program with discussion sections. They also facilitate small-group study sessions, lead reviews, work with students who are struggling academically, guide students in Socratic questioning, and mentor them as they

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acclimate to new learning environments (e.g., flipped classrooms). The CAs’ unique relationships with professors and students allow them to serve as a bridge, identifying areas where students are weak in “real time” and before assessments. This information allows teachers to reiterate or adapt their focus for class material.

Implications and Effectiveness

CSS is in its fourth year at UT Austin. Data indicate TIP Scholars who routinely attend CSS sessions have a higher overall GPA and completion rate than non-participating peers. For the Fall 2016 semester, TIP Scholars were more likely to meet or exceed the cumulative GPA predicted by the provost’s office (see Table 1).

Table 1

Actual Performance Compared with Predicted GPA for CNS Students, Fall 2016

Met or exceeded predicted GPA

Lower than predicted GPA

TIP Scholars

(n = 552)

307

245

Non-TIP Scholars (n = 1,798)

589 33 1209 67

Currently, 45 CAs support CSS during the fall and spring semesters. All TIP Scholars are encouraged to attend CSS to enhance their academic experience. Last fall, UT’s Qualtrics data indicated they did so at least 2,113 times, and 419 of 575 (73%) TIP Scholars attended CSS at least once.

TIP Scholars embraces the notion that through hard work, dedication, and support in a cohort structure, students entering the university at a disadvantage are more likely to persist and meet their academic goals. Gasiewski, Eagan, Garcia, Hurtado, and Chang (2012) found that students who are comfortable seeking help outside class and collaborating with peers on course material are more likely to be engaged academically. TIP has a small, dedicated team of staff, advisors, professors, and student leaders who are deeply invested in engaging students and encouraging them to seek help. While the holistic combination of TIP’s wrap-around services contributes to student success, we encourage institutions and first-year programs to replicate a version of collaborative study programming to support the success of their comparable student populations.

References

Gasiewski, J., Eagan, M., Garcia, G., Hurtado, S., & Chang, M. (2012). From gatekeeping to engagement: A multicontextual, mixed method study of student academic engagement in introductory STEM courses. Research in Higher Education, 53(2), 229-261. doi:10.1007/s11162-011-9247-y

Ning, H. K., & Downing, K. (2010). Connections between learning experience, study behaviour and academic performance: A longitudinal study. Educational Research, 52(4), 457-468. doi:10.1080/00131881.20 10.524754

Obenland, C. A., Munson, A. H., & Hutchinson, J. S. (2012). Silent students’ participation in a large active learning science classroom. Journal of College Science Teaching, 42(2), 90-98.

Ogden, P., Thompson, D., Russell, A., & Simons, C. (2003). Supplemental instruction: Short- and long-term impact. Journal of Developmental Education, 26(3), 2-8.

Sanft, M., Jensen, M., & McMurray, E. (2008). Peer mentor companion. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin.

Contact

Kerri Leigh Harmon kerri.harmon@austin.utexas.edu

Collaborative Study Sessions Support Student Success

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E-Source for College Transitions | Vol. 15, No. 3