Plenary Address - Marilee Bresciani

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What do We Know about

Increasing Student Success?

Marilee J. Bresciani, Ph.D.

Professor, Postsecondary Education and

Co-Director of the Center for Educational Leadership,

Innovation, and Policy

Founder and President, Rushing to Yoga Foundation

San Diego State University

3590 Camino Del Rio North

San Diego, California, U.S.A.

619-594-8318

Marilee.Bresciani@mail.sdsu.edu

www.rushingtoyoga.org

Bresciani, M.J.

Guiding Questions

What do we know about student success from our assessment of it?

With what we know, can we determine what we can do to improve student success?

Bresciani, M.J.

Student Success “Knowns”

Informed by Research

• Social and academic integration into college

(Tinto, 1975; Astin, 1993, and lots more)

• Match of institutional environment and/or commitment and student characteristics and/or commitment (Tinto, 1987, and lots more)

• Students’ beliefs and attitudes (Bean, 1980, ditto)

• Expectations of students and institutional members (Kuh, 2003; Rendon, 1994; Solorzano,

Cejna, Yosso, 2000; and lots more)

Bresciani, M.J.

Student Success “Knowns”

Informed by Research, Cont.

• Academic, Social and Financial Support

(Bowles & Jones, 2003)

• Monitoring and feedback on student and institutional members’ performance (Angelo

& Cross, 1993)

• Actual student and organizational learning

(Barr & Tagg, 1995)

• Academic Preparation (Kuh, Kinzie, Buckley,

Bridges, &Hayek, 2007)

Bresciani, M.J.

Discussion Questions

• How much of the aforementioned research is evident in the design of what you do for students who begin their college experience at your institution?

– How about for transfer students?

• How are you collaborating with each other to implement this research?

• How are you evaluating your success?

Bresciani, M.J.

What do we know about student success from national assessment?

Bresciani, M.J.

* In the first 2 years, 45% of students showed no significant improvement in critical thinking, analytical reasoning, problem solving, and written communication skills

* After 4 years, 36% still showed no improvement, but with greater gains for students in

Liberal Arts

"Academically Adrift: Limited Learning on College

Campuses" (2011, University of Chicago Press)

Bresciani, M.J.

Learning that Employers Demand of

Colleges (AAC&U, 2013)

• Critical thinking and analytical reasoning skills

– 82% (In 2009, it was 81%)

• The ability to analyze and solve complex problems – 81% (In 2009, it was 75%)

• The ability to effectively communicate orally and in writing - 80 % (In 2009, it was 89%)

• The ability to apply knowledge and skills to real-world settings– 78% (In 2009, it was 79%)

Bresciani, M.J.

Learning that Employers Demand of

Colleges (AAC&U, 2013)

• The ability to locate, organize, and evaluate information from multiple sources – 72%

• The ability to innovate and be creative - 71%

(In 2009, it was 70%)

• Teamwork skills and the ability to collaborate with others in diverse group settings – 67% (In

2009, it was 71%)

• The ability to connect choices and actions to ethical decisions – 64% (In 2009, it was 75 %)

Bresciani, M.J.

Required Leadership Traits

(Center for Creative Leadership, 2011)

Leaders need to:

• be creative,

• navigate complexity and ambiguity,

• be agile,

• be adaptable,

• be boundary spanning,

• engage in network thinking,

• be self aware, and

• be co-creators

Bresciani, M.J.

Discussion Questions

• How much of the aforementioned assessment results are evident in the design of what you do?

– For transfer students?

• How are you collaborating with each other to implement necessary improvements?

• How are you evaluating your success?

Bresciani, M.J.

What else do we need to consider?

Bresciani, M.J.

Are we Organized in a Way to

Improve Success?

• How do you organize yourselves around student success?

• How do you ensure the success of transfer students?

• What research is evident in the way in which you organize yourself?

• How well do you assess the success of your transfer students?

Bresciani, M.J.

The Course is in the Driver’s Seat…

• Currently, higher education is organized primarily around singular course delivery

– calculations for full-time equivalency and its related funding

– grade point average calculation

– federal financial aid packaging based on course enrollment

– faculty workload assignments, construction of degrees

Bresciani, M.J.

The Linear Student Learning and

Development Experience

Performance Indicators

Inputs Integrated Exp. Outcomes

Outcomes-based Evidence

Bresciani, M.J.

The Non-Linear Learning and

Development Experience

Bresciani, M.J.

Learning is not Linear

Life

Experience

/Cocurricular

Meaning

Making/in tegrate

Content

Knowledge from

Courses

Bresciani, M.J.

So, why would we focus more on modularized segmented learning and reduce funds toward that which promotes students’ meaning making and ability to think critically?

Bresciani, M.J.

Known and Unknown

“Our explanations must be guided by truth; truth cannot be adjusted to conform to what we want to hear.” – Leonard Mlodinow (2011, p.17)

Known ----------------------------------- Unknown

“We don’t yet know the most fundamental laws [of nature or the human mind]…So there seems to be an irreducible mystery that science will not eliminate.” – Steven Weinberg

( http://www.physlink.com/education/essay_weinberg.cfm

)

Bresciani, M.J.

What You Focus on Changes the

Structure and Function of your Brain

(Alvarez & Emory, 2006;

Chan, Shum, Toulopoulou,

& Chen, 2008;

Chiesa, Calati, Serretti,

2011; Goldin & Gross,

2010; Hölzel, Carmody,

Vangel, Congleton,

Yerramsetti, Gard, & Lazar,

2011; Kozasa, Sato,

Lacerda, Barreiros,

Radvany, Russel, Sanches,

& Mello, 2012; Lutz,

Slagter,

Dunne, & Davidson, 2008;

Todd, Cunningham,

Anderson, & Thompson,

2012 )

Bresciani, M.J.

We can Intentionally Change the

Structure and Function of your Brain

Via

Attention,

Emotion, and

Cognitive

Regulation

Training

Bresciani, M.J.

Integrative Inquiry

(Under Review, anticipated publication 2014)

Known/Evidence

Unknown/

Spontaneous

Creativity

Bresciani, M.J.

Student learning and development

Feel/

Sense

Integrative Inquiry

(Under Review, anticipated publication 2014)

Known/Evidence

Via Courses, PLA

Unknown/

Spontaneous

Creativity Via

Intentional

“Messy”

Opportunities

Student learning and development

Feel/Sense

Via

Facilitated

Experiences

Bresciani, M.J.

Discussion Questions

• How much of the aforementioned research is evident in the design of what you do?

• How are you collaborating with each other to implement necessary improvements?

• How are you evaluating your success?

Bresciani, M.J.

Integrative Inquiry Curriculum

Learn more at www.integrativeinquiry.org

Or www.rushingtoyoga.org

Bresciani, M.J.

Questions?

Contact Marilee Bresciani, Ph.D. at rushingtoyoga@gmail.com

or at mbrescia@mail.sdsu.edu

Bresciani, M.J.

References

• Bean, J.P. (1980) dropouts and turnover: The synthesis and test of a causal model of student attrition. Research in Higher Education 12(2 ):155-

187

• Tinto, V. (1975). Dropout from higher education:

A theoretical synthesis of recent research. Review of Education Research 65 (Winter) : 89-125.

• Tinto, V. (1987). Leaving college: Rethinking the causes and cures for student attrition. 2 nd ed.

Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Bresciani, M.J.

References, Cont.

• Kuh, G.J., Kinzie, J., Buckley, J.A., Bridges, B.K.,

&Hayek, J.C. (2007),Piecing together the student success puzzle: Research, propositions, and recommendations

• Rendon, L. (1994). Validating culturally diverse students: Toward a new model of learning and student development.

Innovative Higher

Education, 19, 13-52.

Bresciani, M.J.

References, Cont.

• Solorzano, D., Cejna, M., Yosso, T. (2000). Critical race theory, racial microaggressions, and campus climate: The experiences of African American college students.

Journal of Negro Education , 69,

60-73.

• Kuh, G. (2003). What we’re learning about student engagement from NSSE. Change, 35, 24-

32.

• Astin, A. (1993). What matters in college? San

Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Bresciani, M.J.

References, Cont.

• Angelo, T. & Cross, P. (1993). Classroom assessment techniques: A handbook for college teachers San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

• Barr, R. & Tagg, J. (1995). From teaching to learning: A new paradigm for undergraduate education. Change, November-December , 13-25

• Bowles, T.J. & Jones, J. (2003). The effect of supplemental instruction on retention: A bivariate probit model. College Student

Retention: Research, Theory, and Practice, 5, 431-

439.

Bresciani, M.J.

References, Cont.

• For details on (Alvarez & Emory, 2006; Chan,

Shum, Toulopoulou, & Chen, 2008; Chiesa, Calati,

Serretti, 2011; Goldin & Gross, 2010; Hölzel,

Carmody, Vangel, Congleton, Yerramsetti, Gard, &

Lazar, 2011; Kozasa, Sato, Lacerda, Barreiros,

Radvany, Russel, Sanches, & Mello, 2012; Lutz,

Slagter, Dunne, & Davidson, 2008; Todd,

Cunningham, Anderson, & Thompson, 2012) please refer to the Supporting Research tab at www.rushingtoyoga.org

Bresciani, M.J.

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