From a Long Time English Instructor Turned Administrator

I guess it doesn't really matter what the new to Richland students look like: fat, thin, blonde; what matters is how prepared they are, and they are not, at all. From what I've heard and experienced, most don't know how to take notes, make an outline, or even have realistic expectations of the responsibilities of being students at Richland: turning in papers on time, coming to class and once there, not leaving early, and recognizing that the instructor has better credentials than they do and that what the instructor says to them has greater authority than their opinion. It has been interesting dealing with Millennia students. They come to my office to argue a grade, and their argument is that the instructor is merely expressing an opinion about their paper, and the students' opinion is just as valid. New students coming out of the DISD also have the added deficiency of extreme grading leniency and little to no homework.

Older students new to Richland also have unrealistic expectations. They often have conflicts with life situations versus their classes, and they expect to be excused for their excessive absences because, after all, they couldn't help what caused them to miss. That, and most of them seem to wear their hearts on their sleeves and get very hurt and angry if the grade they receive on a paper is not what they expected. They're often scared and not very confident in the first place, so any obstacle is seen as a threat.

Well, I hope I haven't degenerated into a bitch session--that's not my intent at all. I want students to find some balance between their expectations and the reality of being in college. I'm not sure how to resolve that. Perhaps you might have various instructors from different disciplines come with copies of their syllabi and talk to the students about what they require in their courses and how they grade.

From a Teacher of International Students

I teach international students, and our enrollment has increased by leaps and bounds. According to me, the "new student" at Richland is:
...mostly oriental
    black haired
    shy, frightened
    has very limited English
    is confused
    in culture shock
    homesick
    wants to learn English very quickly

From a Long Time Chemistry Instructor

Good luck with this.  It is vastly needed.  I would say that my entering young students cannot read and follow instructions.  That can be a real hazard in a chemistry lab!  Perhaps because my style of learning involves reading the directions, I tend to give detailed written instructions for assignments, for how to make a grade, for extra credit - everything!  So, it's very frustrating to me (why bother?) when students seem to not have a clue about how to proceed.

From a New Instructor

To me, the new student typically doesn't know how colleges work with the different degree structures or understand what a major or minor is.  The new student doesn't also know how to do career research to help find their job interests in real life beyond college.  The new student also doesn't know things about making decisions regarding expenses during college and how to manage them by making smart decisions with health insurance, car purchases, etc.

It is these things that I have found a need to counsel students on.

From an Adjunct Instructor

I can tell you that he/she looks like someone who doesn't know how to manage time outside of the classroom well, is likely to learn by trial and error, and definitely does not know his/her learning style (www.vark-learn.com) nor how to use reading strategies, such as SQ4R.

From a Journalism Instructor

The students we get have no idea how to study, do work before they get to
class or take notes during class. They expect the professor to hold their
hand. I think they think that since we are a community college, we are just
a continuation of high school and we are not for real.

They need to have a tour of campus including the library and be made aware
of the extras that they qualify for. They need to be exposed to the web and
signed up for the Twitter messages so they can stay in touch.

Also, it would be nice for them to tell us what they are looking for.

An Interesting Exchange from a Long Time, Experienced Reading Instructor

>>> Joe Cortina 6/10/2009 9:20 AM >>>
Thanks for your response, Becki, and thanks also from the feedback from Allatia.  Again, please know that I'm in complete support of the new EDUC 1300 Learning Frameworks course and, indeed, would be happy to advise and/or provide support to the curriculum commitee for this course. 

I do understand that students will still be required to take DREA and DWRI courses in order to eventually enroll in core courses like ENGL 1301, HIST 1301, etc. 

But my concern is this:  Let's assume a student wants to enroll for nine credit hours and this student's assessment scores place him or her into DREA 0093, DWRI 093 and DMAT 0091.  As you know, this student will need all three of these courses eventually, but is not required to enroll in ALL of them each semester.  If this student is allowed to enroll in EDUC 1300, it is conceivable that he or she will be advised to enroll in DREA 0093, DMAT 0091 and EDUC 1300, thereby delaying enrollment in DWRI 0093.  (EDUC 1300 will certainly have some appeal to both advisors and students beacuse it is a new course and because it will carry a 1300-level number.)

I don't think Allatia's comment that "A DREA 0093 student could probably do well in the Learning Frameworks course" is a reason to invite them to do so--given the fact that it may cause them to delay remediation in any area.

And aslo, Allatia suggests that EDUC 1300 will be "a course that will assist the 'college ready' student to be successful in his or her learning in college level academic pursuits," but this will be a contradiction in terms if DREA 0093 and DWRI 0093 students (who are by TSI standards not 'college ready') are allowed to take EDUC 1300, a course designed for 'college ready' students. 

I realize that we're in the preliminary stages of the development of the Learning Frameworks course, so I'm grateful to have the opportunity to share my concerns (and support) early on. 

Again I would like to say that, as a veteran DREA instructor, I know students completing the DREA (and DWRI) sequence would benefit from an additional couse such as EDUC 1300 as they launch into taking core courses.  (Indeed, our district used to offer READ 1301 and READ 1302, advanced reading and study skills courses.  Unfortunately, the necessary attention invested in administering the TASP, THEA and TSI programs caused the removal of these courses from the district's curriculum.)

Thanks for allowing me to contribute to this discussion, Becki.

Joe 



>>> Becki Williams 06/09/09 3:55 PM >>>
Joe,
I asked Allatia Harris for some feedback to your questions/comments.  The Core Curriculum Committee has not prescribed/decided eligibility for enrollment in the Pre-Core Learning Frameworks course, which will likely be called EDUC 1300 Learning Frameworks. The new committee charged to help implement this aspect of the new core will be consulting others, such as you to guide them in the design of the course.  (Mary Darin is also on the committee).    Please let me know your reaction to Allatia's comments.  I appreciate your feedback and questions.  Please contact me at any time with information and/or concerns.  We intend to provide communication and ask for feedback as we move ahead.  Thanks, Becki

Here's Allatia's feedback:

I think the committee should discuss plans for those students in the top
level developmental courses. A DREA 0093 student could probably do well
in the Learning Frameworks course.

I think students in the DREA 0090 and 0091 courses would benefit more
from either the traditional HD0092 or possibly the HDEV 1310  

HDEV 0092   Student Success (3)
In this orientation course, students are introduced to academic and
personal goal-setting and learning skills that enhance their chances for
educational success. Students will learn how to develop positive
attitudes toward themselves, improve communication and decision-making
skills, and make effective use of campus resources. This course supports
students enrolling in other appropriate remediation. (3 Lec.)
Coordinating Board Academic Approval Number 3201015212

HDEV 1310    Career Exploration/Planning (3)
This is a Common Course Number.
An introduction to the process of career decision-making, educational
planning, and job searching. Topics include analyzing personal career
interests, values, and aptitudes; surveying and researching career
fields with related educational and training requirements; practicing
the decision-making process; and basic job search skills such as
completing applications, writing letters of application, developing and
using resumes and interviewing. (3 Lec.)
Coordinating Board Academic Approval Number 5204010004

In my opinion, those students with serious reading and writing
deficiencies are not ready for what you want to accomplish in LRNG 1300
or even HDEV 1310. In order to help them, you would have to water down
the curriculum to a point that no one would benefit.

So - I would say the DW/DR 0090 and 0091 students are not eligible for
LRNG 1300 (and HDEV 0092 is not a substitute for LRNG 1300). I would let
committees discuss and debate what is appropriate for the students in DR
or DW 0093.

Does this help?

You are designing a course that will assist the "college ready" student
to be successful in his or her learning in college level academic
pursuits.


>>> Joe Cortina 6/5/2009 9:01 AM >>>
Hi, Gary ~

As a lifelong developmental reading instructor, I'm curious about and
interested in the development of the new Core Curriculum Learning
Frameworks course--and happy to learn that you're representing Richland
on the district's committee.  Let me say first that I support the
introduction of this course completely and without reservations.  My
experience has taught me that students can, indeed, benefit from "up
front" help provided to them at the beginning of their post-secondary
academic journey.  And I do understand that the Learning Frameworks
course will address a very broad array of skills and success-oriented
behaviors.

I do have a concern, though, that when the course is launched in the
fall of 2010 it might inadvertently divert students from developmental
courses (DREA, DWRI, and DMAT) that they need.  So, my first question
is, "Will students be allowed to take the Learning Frameworks course if
their TSI assessment scores indicate that they need to take DREA?"  Or,
put another way, "Will students need to have met their TSI requirements
in reading and writing (as they do for other core curriculum courses)
before they will be permitted to enroll in the Learning Frameworks
course?"  If Becky and her CC committee have already ruled on this
situation, I'm afraid I just missed this part of the explanation.  Do we
have an answer for this concern of mine at this point?

Gary, as you continue your work on this committee and consider issues
related to developmental reading skills, critical reading/thinking
skills, and study skills, please know that I'll be happy to advise you
if you think I could be of assistance.

Thanks,
Joe

From a Reading Instructor Who Recently Did a Major Course Redesign

 

OPRIE did a recent survey of our students in the   new redesign classes.  Our population is mostly first time in college students, and many come from impoverished backgrounds.  The majority are female, and there is a significant percentage of ESL students.  The bulk range in age from 18-25.  There are also many Latino and African Americans, two of our retention-related KPI issues being addressed in course re-design.

There's a huge gulf between college work and what they did (more accurately didn't do) in high school.  Until recently, many have been unable to bridge the divideIt's also fair to say that our students frequently lack support for their efforts from parents and peers.  This is especially true when it comes to motivation and persistence.  About 1/3 of our students in 0093 give up before they finish the course (about .25-to-.33 don't even take the course exit assignment!) .  In DWRI, we are addressing the problem with study skills workshops.  For example, we use LASSI to teach students about their deficiencies.  In addition, developmental education students typically lack good technology and social skills. 

For another source, take a look at SENSE from UT-Austin.  Survey of Entering Student Engagement looks at entering students across the country; it also provides great information on developmental education students.  In fact, SENSE team participated with OPRIE in a focus group of our instructors.  I hope this helps, Gary.

From a Music Instructor

To me, the new student typically doesn't know how colleges work with the different degree structures or understand what a major or minor is.  The new student doesn't also know how to do career research to help find their job interests in real life beyond college.  The new student also doesn't know things about making decisions regarding expenses during college and how to manage them by making smart decisions with health insurance, car purchases, etc.

It is these things that I have found a need to counsel students on.