MeriAnn, getting students to participate is a universal frustration. Do you have any techniques that have proved particularly effective?
In my experience, at orientation students don't know what they don't know. This makes it difficult to have a meaningful discussion about their expectations.
Our campus uses surveys as one means of assuring student expectations are being met. In particular our students complete both a quarterly Student Satisfaction Survey as well as and end of course survey. The quarterly survey measures student satisfaction with each different department on campus. The end of course surveys measure the students satisfaction with the course they are completing as well as the instructor. Something that we do here that I think is very important when utilizing surveys is using a proactive approach to making sure students take the survey and then measuring what percentage of our students participated in the survey. Without a proactive approach I think most unhappy students would not take the survey. Without measuring what percentage participated we would not know how valid our sample size was, nor would we be able to evaluate performance and improve on sample size in the future.
We have weekly meetings to talk about at risk students.
We make sure program directors and deans are in the classrooms regularly observing.
We make sure each admissions rep has a product knowledge training, so that each entering student will get a realistic picture of what is happening in the classrooms.
As well as end of course surveys and quarterly student satisfaction surveys. We review the feedback and address conserns accordingly.
Our institution tries to be very upfront and honest about expectations with the students. As instructors we are clear on what we expect of them. We also try to encourage them to participate and be a part of the group, even in online learning, we focus on communication to help the student feel that they are a part of the group and keep them engaged in the process.
At our institution we provide a thorough orientation and at the beginning of each term the students are given handouts that detail the Schools expectations, and the students are given an oppurtunity to discuss their expectations that they have from our institution. Our students are respected, and providing them with Term surveys helps in giving them autonomy and a chance to feel that they are being heard.
Lab is implemented in the ST210. The class has its own speed and the students need to keep up with it. In lab, we put our education to our hands on procedures.
Stelian, does this mean that the class progresses at the speed of the slowest student and that you don't offer labs until everyone reaches a certain level of knowledge?
Yahaira, what changes have you personally implemented as a result of these surveys?
Melissa, how do you keep a balance in this process, getting the positives as well as the concerns? What level of participation do you get at the town hall meetings? Are they for the entire student body or for a more narrowly defined constituency?
That's one of the basic problems of surveys, Terrell. Although it allows you to identify problems, it becomes a very negative experience for the faculty. Any ideas how to bring out positive comments?
At my institution, we like to read and then have hands on activities. We will even use videos along with power points and litaratures. The point in time that our students really meet their expectation and are satisfied, is when we have lab and hands on.
There is a survey given quartely for students to give us feedback on expectations and satisfaction.
We are committed to student satisfaction, thus satisfaction surveys are integrated into each academic term. Data are discussed with staff and action plans are implemented. Additionally, there are town hall meetings students are invited to and have opportunities to share issues or concerns with the program director. Students are assigned an academic advisor to further support and assure student and program expectations are met.
My institution has them do satisfaction surveys to assure that student expectations are being met and that they are satisfied. They seem very biast because the only comments we get are the complaints. If the students are satisfied they tend to just answer the questions and omitt putting a comment in the required place.
Paula, what's the next step? Is this something you can do on your own?
The Student Satisfaction Survey is given to our students upon completion of their program. They are not gone over with any of the staff as I feel they should be. I would like to implent survey's that we hand out throughout the program.
Andrea, I hope that your new institution will provide training and support to help you develop as an instructor.
I am currently a new substitue instructor for my instition so I am not fully aware of their practices for student retention. I do know thought that it is an important topic as I have overheard full time intructor mentioning it. It is interesting to be learning more about it.
I know many do not look at what they are signing. I am always amazed by the comment; "no one ever told me that until now". People use documentation in their favor whenever possible. "It says right here...." or "I never saw that document". It is a shame that so many sign things without reading.
