Fostering Student Attributes: Results from Highline’s SAMS
Helen
Burn
Grant
hburn@highline.edu
Helen Burn
Instructor, Department of Mathematics
Highline Community College
Goals of this Session
•Share evaluation results that show how FT faculty at
Highline are teaching the attributes: surveys/interviews,
tasks.
•Hear your reactions and ideas
•Share “deep thoughts” about student attributes:
What are they, really?
Do our “categories” work?
Will they ever become institutionalized?
SAMS: Student Attributes for Math
Success
Grant goals:
Departmental curriculum groups (Dev Math, Gen Ed Math
[GEM], and STEM) have worked to embed student attributes
into courses through including the attributes in course
learning objectives and through developing specific tasks
that address student attributes.
The student attributes are part of our
departmental “climate.”
•SAs used to frame Achieving the Dream mentoring
program (2006)
•SA learning outcomes included in all dev ed and some
GEM and STEM courses (2009)
•Survey results suggest faculty are thinking hard about
SA’s
Learning Outcomes Examples
•Math 81: Introduction to Algebra
Describe her/his reasoning on a task, including
sources of confusion or errors [Pays attention to detail,
Takes responsibility for own learning]
•Math 91: Essentials of Intermediate Algebra
Describe her/his level of understanding before a formal
assessment as well as steps she/he will take to
improve [Demonstrates intellectual engagement, Takes
responsibility for own learning]
Learning Outcomes Examples
•Math& 146: Introduction to Statistics
Examine and evaluate a statistical process and its
results including recognizing when arguments are valid
and invalid based on how data was collected and
statistical processes used. [Persevere through timeconsuming tasks]
Survey Results (n=10)
•Survey Monkey, Winter 2010
•10/13 (77 percent) FT response rate
•No usable PT surveys
•Some follow-up interviews/discussions
Precollege
College
DEV (n=4)
2
4
GEM (n=2)
1
2
STEM (n=3)
1
3
No CG (n=2) 1
1
Survey Results (n=10)
Agree
Strongly Agree
I am aware of the SA section 4
of the College Readiness
(all STEM)
Standards
6
I am doing more now than in
the past in terms of
incorporating the SA’s into
my teaching
1
8
(all DEV, all GEM)
Conclusion:
There is still room to grow
More awareness in DEV and GEM
Survey Results (n=9)
The SA’s have been
discussed at some point in
my curriculum group
Agree
Strongly Agree
2
7
(STEM)*
(all DEV, all GEM)
*One STEM disagreed
If you agreed, briefly explain what led to the discussion of
the attributes in your group:
Formal structures (n=5): New course, CAF, AtD
Personal interest (n=2)
Taught in the past (n=2)
Conversations with interested colleagues (n=3)
Survey Results (n=9)
What do you feel you are doing differently now than in the
past regarding implementing and discussing attributes?
How have you changed, if at all? (n=9)
Mentioned a specific new task (n=6)
Has been increasing/thinking more about SA (n=5)
Wants to do more and/or better in the future (n=3)
I am more aware of how each class activity
contributes to the attributes. I do group quizzes and
homework presentations.
Intellectual Engagement (n=9)
Perceives mathematics as a way of understanding… (n=6)
Actively explores new ideas, posing questions, .. . . (n=4)
Recognizes patterns . . . (n=7)
Appreciates abstraction and generalization. . . (n=3)
Is willing to take risks and be challenged . . . (n=6)
Contributes and benefits from group problem solving (n=7)
TASKS mentioned:
A natural part of their teaching (n=7)
Gives harder problems, typically in groups (n=5)
Group work (n=7)
“Harder Problem” Examples
• Factor by grouping
96   176   84  154
2
3
2
2
3
2
• Graph the triangle with vertices (-2, 1), (-6, -8), (-11, 5).
Show that this is a right triangle.
“Taking Risks” Examples
• Assign students numbers and choose them at random to
show homework on the board. Or have students volunteer.
• Make student work public using ELMO technology
• Use open-ended tasks that ask students to engage in a
concept without prior instruction.
Takes Responsibility for Learning (n=7)
Attends nearly every class session . . . (n=5)
Conscientiously prepares work assigned for class (n=3)
Examines and learns from errors, seeks help . . . (n=5)
Takes advantage of resources. . . (n=6)
Sets aside necessary time . . . (n=4)
TASKS mentioned (n=8):
Speaks to it (n=5)
Encourages attendance (n=3): Board presentations,
attendance in grade, quiz at beginning of class
Takes Responsibility for Learning
TASKS mentioned (n=8):
Encourage preparation (n=5): Prereading assignment,
reading guides, provide daily schedule, group quizzes,
boardwork
Creates online resources and expects engagement
(n=4): Post notes online, web-based videos, homework,
Angel postings
Examines and learns from errors (n=5): Collect HW
and expect students to review; provide key to exams,
board presentations, error analysis/partial credit request,
retesting scheme, students grading each others’ quizzes
Example Tasks
• Frequent quizzes at the beginning of the class. Tardy
students do not have additional time. . . [Encourages
attendance]
• Provide detailed answers for each test. If class does poorly
on test, an announced make-up quiz will be given within a
week that consists of two or more randomly selected
questions similar to the test. If student obtains full points on
the make-up, half the difference is added to the original score
[Takes responsibility, learns from errors]
• Partial credit requests on exams
Perseveres Through Time Consuming
Tasks (n=8)
Willing to work on challenging problems (n=7)
Successfully completes complex, multi-step tasks (n=5)
Recognizes unproductive approach (n=3)
Is convinced that efforts is important to success (n=4)
TASKS mentioned (n=8)
Projects (n=3), only in stats and Math 95
More advanced problems, critical thinking problems
(n=5)
Speak to importance of effort. Stressed in class or
through Dweck video (n=2)
Pays Attention to Detail (n=4)
Correctly follows all parts of oral and written directions
without needing additional reminders (n=3)
Makes few notational errors . . . (n=3)
TASKS mentioned (n=3)
Points out common errors; uses metacognitive
language (n=2)
Expects details in answers or points deducted (n=1)
Just expects it
Example Tasks
I require calculus students to “write the answer (to a word
problem) in a complete sentence, including units. “Be precise
in the inclusion or exclusion of the descriptor ‘limit as x
approaches a.” . . . Points will be deducted if the details are
omitted.
The Future of Student Attributes?
As written, they are murky. The “categories” are not clear, nor
is their theoretical rationale.
•
•
•
•
Metacognition
Study Skills
Habits of Mind
College Knowledge
At Highline, we recognize that effective teaching requires
that we build SA systematically, rather than haphazardly,
into our teaching.
Weekly Checklist (Diana Lee a la Atul
Gawande)
WEEK ONE
• First Day - Review Syllabus, show logging into MML, introduction to a
notebook organization system
• Midweek – Taking Personal Responsibility (before, during, after class)
• Midweek – Have students bring notebooks and tabs and set them up
• End of Week – Review again Personal Responsibility (before, during,
after class) and review logging into MML . . .
WEEK THREE
• Monday (during exam) do a notebook check (organization, inclusion,
forms filled out)
• Day after exam – Student fill out self-reflection (concepts understood and
study effectiveness)
• End of week – Time management (what does it mean to study
effectively?)
Adding it Up, NRC (2001)
•
•
•
•
Conceptual understanding
Procedural Fluency
Strategic Competence
Adaptive Reasoning: (Capacity for
logical thought, reflection, explanation, and justification)
• Productive Disposition (Habitual inclination to see mathematics
as sensible, useful, and worthwhile, coupled with a belief in
diligence and one's own efficacy
How Students Learn: Mathematics in the
Classroom, NRC (2005).
Principle 1: Teachers Must Engage Students’ Preconceptions
Principle 2: Understanding Requires Factual Knowledge and
Conceptual Frameworks
Principle 3: A Metacognitive Approach Enables Student
Self-Monitoring.
• Emphasis on debugging problems
• Internal and External Dialogue as Support for Metacognition
• Seeking and Giving Help
Carnegie Foundation (2009)
Psychosocial Theories to Inform a New Generation of Student Support
Structures for Learning Mathematics, Fong & Asera (2010)
http://www.carnegiefoundation.org/sites/default/files/elibrary/psychosocial_theories.pdf
“The goal of this paper is to explore theories from psychology that could
inform a new generation of student support committed to increasing
student motivation and academic success” (p. 2)
•
•
•
•
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Bandura’s Theory of Self-Efficacy
Motivational Processes (Goal Orientation, Self-Regulation)
The Social Environment (Stereotype Threat)
Grit, Resilience, and Self-Discipline
Theory to Practice: AYD
The Students and Professors Misunderstand
One Another College Fear Factor: How
Students and Faculty Misundersatnd One
Another. Cox (2009)
•
•
•
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Imposter Syndrome
Advising Needs
College Cultural Capital (Bourdieu)
College Expectations
Redefining College Readiness (Conley,
2007)
http://www.aypf.org/documents/RedefiningCollegeReadiness.pdf
• Key Cognitive Strategies (open mindedness, analysis, reasoning, etc)
• Academic Knowledge and Skills (writing, research, core academics)
• Academic Behaviors (study skills, self monitoring)
• Contextual Skills and Awareness (advising, resources, etc.)
My Framing of Student Attributes
• Understands college norms and values (intellectual engagement,
taking responsibility for learning, actively exploring questions, taking risks,
complexity)
• Prerequisite Knowledge and Skills (writing, research, core academics)
• Metacognitive Skills (self monitoring, self regulation, attn to detail)
• Campus navigation skills (registration/advising, how to approach
faculty, netiquette skills, available resources, etc.)
Helen Burn
Highline Community College
Curriculum Research Group
hburn@highline.edu
www.CurriculumResearchGroup.org