StrengthsQuest Plus LASSI Equals Behavior
Change: Student Self-Assessments Used in a
Freshman Seminar to Promote Active Learning
Dr. Dawn Remmers
Director of University Advising, Student Success and Testing
Services
Gateway Advantage program:
Overview
 150 – 250 provisionally admitted students each Fall
 Limited courses for first semester enrollment
 Required to take three-hour course: EDUC 1302:
College Learning Course
 Meet with an Academic Advisor in the University
Advising Center for undeclared students two times in
Fall semester
 Continuation Requirements:
 2.0 GPA in 12 hours of completed coursework
 No course grades of “F”
 Students not meeting Gateway requirements in their
first semester are dismissed from UT Arlington
Cornerstone of Gateway:
EDUC 1302 - College Learning Course
 Three Major Modules of the Course:
 Self-Exploration – StrengthsQuest and Learning and Study
Strategies Inventory (LASSI)
 Self-Regulation and Behavior Management
Micros oft Word
Document
 Cognitive Theory and Learning Strategies
 Course Assignments
 Midterm and Comprehensive Final Exams
 Completion of On-line LASSI Instructional Modules:
http://www.hhpublishing.com/_onlinecourses/study_strate
gies/BSL/index.html
 Miscellaneous exercises and writing assignments
 Self-directed Behavior Change Project
Behavior Change Project: An Example
of Active Learning
 Self-Assessments: StrengthsQuest and LASSI
 Investigate their results: Reflection paper, class, LASSI
on-line Modules
 Identify an academic-based target behavior for
modification
 Conduct library research – 3-day module in the library
 Develop a self-change contract
 Collect self-observed data on their behavior
 Write an APA-style paper detailing their research,
methods, findings, and conclusions
 Progressive assignments and final paper ≈ 50% of grade
Self-Assessment: StrengthsQuest
(SQ)
 www.strengthsquest.com
 Basic Premise of SQ:
Top achievers recognize their talents, build on
them (creating strengths), and apply them in
creative ways to help themselves achieve. (SQ,
2nd Ed., p. 8)
 On-line StrengthsFinder Assessment  Top Five
Signature Themes
 Talents…Strengths…Genius = Positive self-esteem &
sense of empowerment
Self-Assessment: Learning and Study
Strategies Inventory (LASSI)
 http://www.hhpublishing.com/_assessments/LASSI/inde
x.html
 On-line assessment tool that measures students’
awareness and use of learning and study strategies
 10 scales:
Anxiety
Self-Testing
Attitude
Selecting Main Ideas
Concentration
Study Aids
Information Processing
Time Management
Motivation
Testing Strategies
Investigation Begins…
 Use various exercises from the StrengthsQuest
Curriculum and Learning Activities to explore and
apply our Strengths
 Apply Strengths creatively in academics and manage
certain weakness
 LASSI On-Line Instructional Modules (as homework):
http://www.hhpublishing.com/_onlinecourses/study_str
ategies/BSL/index.html
 Everyone completes the Time Management Module
 Students select two additional modules that they
personally want to manage better
 Reading and exercises that help a student reflect on their
behavior in the area and how they could improve
Target Behavior
Investigation of
Strengths and
Weaknesses
Behavior
Modification
Theories
Select a Target
Behavior for
Modification
Micros oft Word
Document
Contract: ABCs of Behavior Change
 Identify a problem (target) behavior and the
antecedents and consequences
 Identify if they want to decrease a problem behavior or
increase another behavior that will solve the problem.
 Identify what they are going to observe or measure
during the week of Baseline and two weeks of
“Treatment”
 We encourage students to use “Treatments” at the
ABCs from their Strengths
Contract
Overall Conclusions
 The Behavior Change Project allows students to reflect
on themselves and use the information actively.
 StrengthsQuest and LASSI make for a more positive
combination of assessments with this at-risk population.
 The Behavior Change Project allows for students to
actively use the behavior management skills learned in
class.
 The active learning is personalized and requires higher
order thinking such as application, analysis, synthesis
and evaluation (Bloom).
 Overall, the project encourages students to use the basic
premise of SQ… use what you do well to succeed
Student Reactions…
 LASSI scores tend to be poor on the majority of the scales, so
students report in evaluations more positivity in knowing they
have strengths that offset the focus on their weaknesses.
 Average Fall to Fall Retention Rate:
60.4%
 Versus 30% or less retention without GW
 Average Fall to Fall Retention Rate all FR:
 GPA
Fall 2005
Overall
2.37
Met
Not Met
Condition Condition
s
s
3.08
1.10
66.5%
Not GW
2.21
Student Reactions cont…
 Student-Reported Survey Results
 I will use what I have learned from the behavior
change project to improve my behavior in the future.
On a 5 pt. scale: 3.32  3.48  3.60
Increasing effectiveness as refine the project
 The StrengthsQuest book and assessment tool have
been useful for my academic life.
On a 5 pt. scale: mean rating over several years = 3.10
 The LASSI has been useful for my academic life.
On a 5 pt. scale: mean rating over several years = 3.04
 I feel better prepared to meet my academic goals.
On a 5 pt scale: 3.37  3.42  3.90
Student Reactions cont…
 GW students reported the cumulative GPA they
expected to achieve…
2.5 – 3.0 GPA expected
 On the average, GW students received:
2.0 – 2.3 GPA received
Contact Information
Dr. Dawn Remmers
Director of University Advising, Student Success, and
Testing
University of Texas at Arlington
Box 19196
Arlington, Texas 76019
Ph: 817-272-7162
dremmers@uta.edu
Gateway Advantage website:
http://www.uta.edu/uac/gateway-home/