Setting the Stage for Success
with the First Day of Class
Christine Harrington Ph.D.
Middlesex County College
charrington@middlesexcc.edu
www.drchristineharrington.org
January 7, 2015
Writing a Letter Activity
Pretend you are a student who
is walking out of your first day
of class. Write a letter to a
friend about your experience.
Agenda
Goals of
First Day
Strategies
to Achieve
Goals
What is the goal of the
first day of class?
The First Day of Class
Anderson, McGuire & Cory (2011)
Goals Get Attention
Immersion in Course Content
Developing Skills
Establish Connections
First Day Goals
Value of Course
Together
• Expectations and learning tasks
• Challenging yet supportive
environment
First Day Goals: Engagement with:
Content
Professor
Classmates
What is YOUR goal?
Motivational Conditions that Enhance
Motivation to Learn
Wlodkowski and Ginsberg (1995)
Establishing Inclusion
• Respect and Connection
Developing Attitude
• Positive Mindset and Internal Locus of Control
Enhancing Meaning
• Real World Applications and Critical Thinking
Engendering Competence
• Self-efficacy and Celebrating Success
Establishing Inclusion
Wlodkowski and Ginsberg (1995)
A Word of
Caution about
Icebreakers
Respect and Connection
Being Culturally Responsive
Brody, Ross, Gallingane, & Hambacher (2007)
• Explain the importance
of relationships and then
have an opportunity to
get to know each other
• Establish expectations
and belief in student
ability to achieve
A Look at Some Research….
13
Fostering Connection Before the
Semester even Begins…
Legg and Wilson (2009)
The Study…
66 college
students
Randomly
assigned
Received e-mail 1
week prior to
class
Did not
receive e-mail
Legg & Wilson, 2009
Overall perception of the course
4.6
4.5
4.48
4.45
4.4
4.3
4.2
4.1
4.14
4.03
4
3.9
3.8
First Week
Legg & Wilson, 2009
Last Week
Did not receive
e-mail
Received Email
Increased
Attitudes,
Perceptions,
and Motivation
16
The First Day of Class
Wilson and Wilson (2007)
First Day of ClassUndergraduate
Students
Positive ConditionFriendly Videotape
Negative
Condition- Nonemotional
Videotape
17
Results:
Wilson and Wilson (2007)
Positive First
Day
(friendly):
• Higher motivation
across the semester
• Higher grades
The Reciprocal Interview
First Day of Class Activity
Hermann, Foster, & Hardin (2010)
377 College
Students in
16 sections
Activity
Support,
Satisfaction
No Activity
The Reciprocal Interview
1.
5 or 6 students spent
10-15 minutes
discussing course
expectations, etc.
2.
Instructor interviewed
group representative
3.
Groups spent 5-10
minutes creating
questions for instructor
Hermann, Foster, & Hardin, (2010)
Results:
More favorable attitudes toward class
Valuable Learning Experience
4.6
4.5
4.4
4.3
4.2
4.1
4
3.9
3.8
4.55
Valuable Learning
Experience
4.11
No Activity
Activity
Hermann, Foster, & Hardin, (2010)
First Day of Class Activity
McGinley and Jones (2014)
111 Undergraduate
Students
Intro to
Psychology and
Upper Level
courses
2 Experimental
Groups
2 Control Groups
The Study
McGinley and Jones (2014)
Review of
Syllabus
Intervention
for
Experimental
Group
Questionnaire
The Intervention
McGinley and Jones (2014)
• Groups of 3-4
▫ Discuss perceptions and
feelings about class,
connection to goals and
topics of interest
• Each student identified a
question to ask professor
• Professor learned student
names
The Results…
McGinley and Jones (2014)
6.8
6.6
6.4
6.2
6
5.8
5.6
5.4
5.2
5
Control
Experiment
Games on the First Day
Vander Schee (2007)
• Exchange Gamehow products flow through
distribution channel
▫ 5 minute explanation
▫ 15 minute game
▫ 5 minutes for selecting
winners
▫ 25 minute debriefing and
discussion
Games on the First Day: The Study
Vander Schee (2007)
52 Students in
Principles of
Marketing Course
Control Group
=27
Experimental
Group = 25
Games on the First Day: The Results
Vander Schee (2007)
Not Surprisingly…
• Game- More Satisfied with Course
Surprisingly…
• Game- Believed course requirements
were better explained (even though this
was not different)
Games and Social Presence
Lee,Jeong, Park & Ryu (2011)
Conditions
Online
Game
Independent
Game
Lecture
Online Game users had
▫ Better experience
▫ Better performance
▫ More social presence
More Ideas….
Classroom Karoake?
Baker (2012)
• Sociology Large Lecture Class
• Connections between
concepts in song and the
class
• Less threatening
environment
• Encouraged social
interactions
Using Music to Reduce Stress
Ferrer et al. (2014)
• Student and
Instructor
Selected Songs
during Class
Reduced Stress
Psychology Example
• The Name Game and
How Memory Works
• For Upper Level
Courses: Dusting off
the Cobwebs Exercise
Using the Syllabus
YOUR Plan?
Remembering the Goal: Does Your
Plan Meet Your Goals?
Thank You for Participating! Best
Wishes with A Successful Start on
Your First Day of Class
Questions?
Contact Christine Harrington at
charrington@middlesexcc.edu