Taking the Next Step in Building a Coherent
First Year Learning Experience
NAU’s First Year Learning Initiative
Karen Pugliesi, Vice Provost for Academic Affairs
Michelle Miller, Chair, Department of Psychology and Director, NAU Course Redesign Team
Blase Scarnati, Director, First Year Seminar and Global Learning, Office of the Vice Provost for Academic Affairs
First Year Courses:
The Last Frontier
• Strategic goals: Student success, progress to
degree
• Key metric: 1st to 2nd year retention
• Robust suite of first year programs leaves formal
curricular experiences relatively untouched,
unaligned
First Year Courses
• Determine the shape of first year academic
experience
• Socialize students for success
• Set the foundation for learning
• Convey institutional expectations and values
• First year academic outcomes
• Impact probability of retention
• Affect progression in academic programs
Being Deliberate About What
Matters
• First year courses designed and implemented by
numerous units
• Course designs variable– many lack strong internal
alignment or do not use best practices
• Multi-section courses not coordinated
• Low course completion rates
• No systematic integration with academic support,
advising, and other programs
• Unable to capture fine grained data about student
progress
The First Year Learning Initiative
(FYLI)
• Common characteristics combine rigor
and support, geared to needs of first year
students
– Course certification
• Grounded in authentic practice at NAU
– Leadership Group
• Also grounded in research, SOTL
– E.G., Academically Adrift; Decoding the
Disciplines; research in cognitive psychology,
motivation
Three key areas
• Socializing students
for excellence
• Design
• Alignment
All FYLI courses must address
each of these key areas
Socializing students to
excellence
Building critical practices, commitment
Promoting help-seeking behavior
Challenging and rigorous work
Scaffolding from novice to expert learner
Design
Active
engagement/active
pedagogy
Required
attendance/participation
Role of lecture
Rubrics
“Early and often”
Connect to student
interests, understanding
of the discipline
Pre-assessment
Co-curricular learning
experiences
Alignment and coordination
Learning
outcomes
Communication, not
standardization!
Assessment
(grades)
Coordination
Learning
activities
Shared goals
and
standards
Consistent,
challenging
student
experience
FYLI Certified Courses in Fall
2011
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
BIO 181: Unity of Life I: Life of the Cell
BIO 192: Introduction to Exercise
Science
BIO 201: Human Anatomy / Physiology
I
CHM 152: General Chemistry II
CIS 120: Introduction to Computer
Information Systems
ENG 105: Critical Reading and Writing
in the University Community
FS 111, 121, 131, 141: First Year
Seminar Topics in Science; Topics in
Aesthetic & Humanistic Inquiry; Topics
in Cultural Understanding; Topics in
Social & Political Worlds
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
HON 100/190: Introduction to Honors /
Seminar in Critical Reading and
Writing I
HON 291, 292, 293, 294: Honors
Topics in Aesthetic & Humanistic
Inquiry; Topics in Cultural
Understanding; Topics in Science;
Topics in Social & Political Worlds
MAT 102X: Intermediate Algebra
MAT 108: Algebra for Precalculus
MAT 119: Finite Mathematics
MAT 125: Precalculus Mathematics
MAT 136: Calculus I
PHY 111: General Physics
PHY 161: University Physics
STA 270: Applied Statistics
25 courses
10,111 students
Impacts
• > 4 % increase in A,B, and C grades
• Math: 4 courses 8-10 % increases in
A, B and C grades; 3 w/ success
rates > 80%
• 20 new courses for Spring 2012
• Inspiring best practices
30
Student Success Impacts
20
22.22
17.59
17.02
FYLI
10
Non-FYLI
0
Mean DFW % (D, F, or WIthdraw
27.61
AY 10-11
Time period
Fall 11
The interaction between time period (before/after FYLI) and FYLI status is statistically
significant, p = .002.
What Supports
FYLI’s Success?
• Faculty buy-in
•
•
•
•
Research basis
Values basis
Peer to peer
Faculty empowerment
• Institutional support
• “Safe zone”
• Infrastructure
• Rapid response capacity
• Certification process
Next Steps
• Expand course certifications
• Assess impact on grades and
learning outcomes
• Evaluate and improve course
designs and coordination protocols
• Strengthen integration with
coaching and academic support
programs
• Market FYLI with prospective and
new students
• Integrate into new University
College
NAU
First Year Learning
Initiative
www.nau.edu/fyli
Facebook.com/naufyli
Michelle.Miller@nau.ed
u
Blase.Scarnati@nau.ed
u
Karen.Pugliesi@nau.ed
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