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Belonging, the physical space of the university campus and how it is perceived by students: a quantitative analysis among a diverse student group.
Full text linkThe physical space of campus may influence student belonging. Quantitative data were collected using a bespoke questionnaire among a diverse group of students at a post-92 UK university. A total of 635 students, primarily female, undergraduate and of diverse ethnicity participated. Overall sense of belonging and agreement that campus space was important were high, with no differences by study or demographic characteristics. The main functions identified were academic or social, as were the spaces students considered most important. Gender and ethnicity differences in the extent to which the campus matched expectations were seen
Speak Up: Teaching Self-Advocacy Skills at the Communication Center to Students with Disabilities
Full text linkAccording to the National Council on Disability (2015), an estimated 2 million undergraduates have an identified disability and are, by law (i.e., the Americans with Disabilities Act [1990]), entitled to accommodations. The use of academic accommodations is positively correlated with increased grade point average (GPA), higher persistence rates, and shorter time to degree completion. However, a plethora of data indicate students underutilize their accommodations for a multiplicity of reasons. One reason cited by students is a lack of confidence related to their inexperience with requesting accommodations. Therefore, it is imperative to facilitate access to communication skills related to self-advocacy. Communication centers (CC), and the consultants working there, are equipped with the expertise to instruct students to effectively advocate for accommodations. Additionally, an abundance of research indicates the efficacy of peer supports in teaching new skills making the CC an ideal venue for teaching self-advocacy skills. The current study utilized a multiple probe across participants design to evaluate the effect of self- advocacy instruction and visual prompts conducted at a university CC on the ability of three college students with hidden disabilities to request academic accommodations from their instructors. Results indicated a functional relation between the use of the self-advocacy skills and students’ ability to request accommodations from their instructors. Social validity data indicated students felt the instruction was helpful and gave them the language and confidence to speak up and request their accommodations from instructors.
Book Review: Counterstory: The Rhetoric and Writing of Critical Race Theory
No full textThis manuscript reviews Aja Martinez's (2020) book Counterstory: The Rhetoric and Writing of Critical Race Theory
Examining Social Learning in an Active Learning Classroom through Pedagogy-Space-Technology Framework
Full text linkThis case study examined students' and the instructor's perceptions of active learning classrooms (ALC) as well as their interactions in a class in a Midwestern university. Data were gathered from classroom observations and semi-structured interviews with faculty and students in a graduate-level course. Thematic analysis was used to analyze interview data; and inductive content analysis was used to analyze the weekly video recordings. The results showed that the active-learning classroom was perceived as more flexible environment for movement and communication in small groups than that in the traditional classroom. The implications for the active learning classroom design were provided
Applying Appreciative Principles to Improve Systems that Serve Students
Full text linkAppreciative Inquiry is an organizational change model that seeks to identify and build upon existing strengths to create the best of what might be (Cooperrider & Whitney, 2000). Bloom et al. (2008) applied and expanded Appreciative Inquiry principles to create the Appreciative Advising framework which includes 6 Phases designed to support students in leveraging their experiences and strengths to achieve their goals. This paper presents the addition of Design Thinking as a human-centered process that adds to the appreciative frameworks currently in use for enhancing educational practices. Specifically, Design Thinking can be used to address challenging organizational systems and structures that may hinder students’ ability to fully achieve their goals. An example of utilizing Design Thinking to build a better system of communication with students is presented
Diversity and Making: A Living History Quilt
Full text linkDue to a lack of diversity found in the maker movement, makerspaces are going through an evaluation. Academic libraries have an opportunity to rebuild makerspaces and programming from a place of equity. At a University located in the Midwestern United States, the Library maker program collaborated with the Asian American and Asian Resource Cultural Center to make a quilt from printed archival photos, student photos and recorded stories. The result was a “living history” quilt that reflected Asian community and culture on campus. This paper explores diversity in making through collaboration, details of the project process and lessons learned
Successful at Scale: 500 Faculty, 39 Classrooms, 6 Years: A Case Study
Full text linkDespite trending investment in active learning infrastructure to support student learning, inclusion, and career preparedness, few universities have achieved the orchestration of campus stakeholders and pedagogical reform at scale. This article presents a process-oriented model for developing faculty and students for success in these evolving academic environments. Key features of the model developed include: holistic and strategic involvement of campus teams, rapid iteration of a portfolio of learning space types, and flexible, future-proofed spaces aligned with faculty preparedness. This approach can be translated to inform hyflex teaching and learning planning as institutions pivot to serve students in a post-pandemic world
Student Anxiety In Active Learning Classrooms: Apprehensions and Acceptance of Formal Learning Environments
Full text linkAbstract: The number of undergraduate students who report having at least one disability has been on the rise since the 1970s. With the advent of Active Learning Classrooms (ALCs), understanding how these students experience ALCs is critical to creating a fair and equitable experience for all students. This report examines one subset of this population: students with some form of diagnosed Anxiety Disorder. Although over a quarter of U.S. undergraduates report a diagnosis of some kind of Anxiety Disorder, this study focused on those who sought disability accommodations in their ALC classes. Using structured interviews, this paper identifies 11 elements of the classroom and learning experience that affect such students in these spaces. The paper concludes with recommendations instructors can take to improve the learning experience for students with anxiety and anxiety disorders.
The link between learning spaces and employability outcomes
Full text linkUniversities are investing considerable funds in designing and building innovative learning spaces without knowing the positive impact on student learning and their achievement of employability skills for the 21st century. There is a possibility of designing these new generation learning spaces to enable active and deep learning approaches to be employed to improve student learning outcomes and their achievement of employability skills. This paper proposes that an evaluative framework for innovative learning spaces and tools to measure the impact of these learning spaces on students’ achievement of employability skills is a worthy endeavour. Best practice innovative active learning strategies can then be identified and incorporated into a professional learning module for academics teaching in higher education. The outcomes can guide universities in developing learning spaces that maximise student learning consistent with 21st century employability skills