The Toolbox | Vol. 20, No. 4

VOLUME 20

•

ISSUE 4

•

FEBRUARY 2022

THE TOOLBOX A Teaching and Learning Resource for Instructors

DESTINATION REFERENCES: HELPING STUDENTS CONNECT NOW WITH LATER T

he decision to pursue a college degree is Brad Garner a significant life event. Students choose this Innovation & Partnerships Indiana Wesleyan University path for a variety of personal reasons. According to Horn and Moestra (2020), the predominant student narrative for deciding to go to college has typically been to get the best possible job after graduation. Additional reasons for attending include the attainment of learning and knowledge, family/social expectations (e.g., “That is what I am expected to do”), and access/affordability (e.g., convenience, a good program for personal goals). Regardless of the reason, the most common themes for choosing college as an option are typically personal and future-oriented.

Despite the varied reasons for choosing to begin college as part of their life path, only 46.2 % of students finish that journey with a degree (Hanson, 2021). Equally compelling is data indicating that 61% of those who have graduated from college would change their majors if they could go back and do it over. Another 26% would change their majors so they could pursue their passions (Johnson, 2021).

Colleges and universities typically offer support and guidance designed to assist students in being successful as learners. These resources, however, often have a primary focus on the logistical aspects of the college experience (e.g., Advising, Scheduling, Financial Aid). As a result, students sometimes find themselves checking off boxes, course after course, without any serious reflection on what they are learning and how it contributes to their desired future. As an additional form of assistance, conversations regarding the connections between course-based learning and a student’s aspirations could occur at a more granular level and consistently throughout a student’s time in higher education. By making small, focused changes in course design, instructors can provide learning experiences that promote reflection and the application of course content to current and future pursuits. This issue of The Toolbox will focus on basic strategies that instructors can employ to help students delve into their reasons for attending college, future dreams, and life goals.

National Resource Center for The First-Year Experience® and Students in Transition, University of South Carolina

@

If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.

—Henry David Thoreau, American essayist and poet (1817-1862)

www.sc.edu/fye/toolbox

1

TH E TOOLB O X

VOLUME 20

Conversations Around Relevance Relevance is a tricky concept. Students tend to subjectively judge the relevance or usefulness of academic content included in their courses. These perspectives could be based on their interest in topics being discussed, their opinions about the instructor, or whether they believe the content is genuinely “worth knowing” (Roberson, 2013).

Realistically, students may not be in the best position to evaluate what might be meaningful and valuable in their future careers. This observation is not intended to criticize students and their thoughts and feelings about their courses. Instead, it highlights an opportunity for faculty to facilitate conversations around the specific content in their courses and long-term applications.

As a frame of reference, Pisarik and Whelchel (2018) proposed a range of categories to describe the types of relevance found in course content. Relevance (or its counterpoint of irrelevance) could occur in several ways: » Academic relevance — academic tasks that are relevant because they help students accomplish their educational goals (e.g., writing a research paper, integrating large volumes of information, discerning truth vs. opinion). » Occupational relevance — applicable to future occupational or career goals. Academic content or tasks offer students a job skill or occupational knowledge they could use on-the-job in the future (e.g., database use for accounting purposes, clinical nursing procedures, lesson planning for teachers). » Personal relevance — lifelong skills such as money or time management or psychological skills (e.g., grit, emotional intelligence, resilience). » Indirect relevance — how specific academic activities can eventually lead to skills relevant to their lives (e.g., critical thinking, technology use, presentation skills, website creation, working in a group).

Conversations around these descriptors can help students think critically and gain confidence in the relevance of what they are learning. This process also helps faculty evaluate what and how they teach.

Helping Students Make the Now and Later Connections There are various ways faculty can build relevance into their courses and help students connect with their learning and future lives.

•

ISSUE 4

•

FEBRUARY 2022

UPCOMING EVENTS CONFERENCES 29th National Conference on Students in Transition Atlanta, Georgia

October 2-4, 2022 Proposals will be accepted Summer 2022

ONLINE COURSES Supporting the Collegiate StudentAthlete Outside of Sport Instructor: Amy Densevich

April 4-29, 2022 Registration Deadline: March 25, 2022

Understanding and Supporting Transfer Student Success Instructor: Catherine Hartman

May 23 - June 17, 2022 Registration Deadline: May 16, 2022

The Bridge to Anywhere: Enhancing Student Success and Institutional Impact Through Bridge Programs Instructor: Andrew (Drew) Newton

June 27 - July 22, 2022 Registration Deadline: June 22, 2022

Made to Measure: Intermediate Principles of Assessment Instructor: Dallin George Young

July 25 - August 19, 2022 Registration Deadline: July 19, 2022

» Specific Applicability References — By far, the most accessible and straightforward strategy is for instructors to make purposeful references to what is being learned and how it is applicable in various settings.

For example, a comment like “Let’s apply this to what is going on in the news” or “Here is why we need to master this skill” serves as a “relevance alert” that help students connect the dots. » Interviews with professionals serving in the field — Consider assigning students the task of interviewing someone currently working in the

WWW.SC.EDU/FYE National Resource Center for The First-Year Experience® and Students in Transition, University of South Carolina

www.sc.edu/fye/toolbox

2

TH E TOOLB O X

VOLUME 20

•

ISSUE 4

•

FEBRUARY 2022

AVAILABLE NOW academic field or profession they have chosen. As a preliminary activity, it is also helpful to ask students to submit a tentative list of topics they will cover and the types of information they will be seeking from their interviewees. » Instructor One-on-One Conversations — As an instructor, you have specific expertise related to the topics you teach. At the same time, your students have questions they may not be willing to pose in class.

Therefore, assign students the responsibility of scheduling a one-onone conversation with you. During these 20-30 minute conversations, students can ask clarifying questions about what they are learning (and, perhaps, how it applies to what lies ahead for them). » Guest speakers — Using your network of contacts, invite potential employers to share their perspectives on what students are learning and how it applies to their roles and responsibilities. These could be done in the classroom or by using a web-conferencing tool. » Use of Media Related to “Real World” Applications — There is an abundance of videos and other digital content that feature professionals from various fields as they share information about the work they do and the skills necessary to be successful. Take advantage of these web-based resources as sources of information or discussion prompts (Cardon, 2013). » Performance Tasks — Chun (2010) proposed the use of “performance tasks” as a way to help students apply their learning: Students assume roles in a scenario that is based in the “real world” and contains the types of problems they might need to solve in the future. The more the students can imagine themselves in the scenario, the more engaged they are likely to be. The scenario might directly relate to their likely careers (e.g., students in a journalism program might be asked to write a magazine article). They may be asked to apply course knowledge and skills outside of a career (e.g., students who have taken biology might advise a friend with cancer). Or they may need to apply their knowledge in areas unrelated to a vocation and in a way that represents a significant transfer of knowledge and skills (e.g., by voting in an election or selecting a daycare for their children) (p. 25).

Performance tasks are hands-on and require students to make direct applications to what they are learning. » Ongoing Faculty Auditing of Content and Assignments — As an instructor, it is essential to continually take stock of what is being taught and the level at which it is current and relevant in your academic discipline or profession. Make this a regular part of your course development process each semester.

Sustaining Support for Sophomore Students: Results from the 2019 National Survey of Sophomore-Year Initiatives Research Report No. 11

By Catherine Hartman & Dallin George Young Paperback ISBN 978-1-942072-37-9 (2021) $30.00 Ebook ISBN 978-1-942072-38-6 (2021) $23.99 Library Ebook ISBN 978-1-942072-39-3 (2021) $95.00

A semiannual refereed journal providing current research and scholarship on significant student transitions. The primary purpose of the Journal is to disseminate empirical research findings on student transition issues.

To submit or subscribe, please visit www.sc.edu/fye/journal

WWW.NRCPUBS.COM National Resource Center for The First-Year Experience® and Students in Transition, University of South Carolina

www.sc.edu/fye/toolbox

3

TH E TOOLB O X

VOLUME 20

By bridging people and resources outside the traditional boundaries people and resources outside the traditional boundaries of higher education, instructors provide opportunities for students to make connections between course content and what they envision themselves doing after graduation.

•

ISSUE 4

•

FEBRUARY 2022

Submission Guidelines for The Toolbox For complete guidelines and issue dates, see www.sc.edu/fye/toolbox/

REFERENCES

Audience: Toolbox readers include full-time and adjunct faculty; academic advisors; and administrators focused on faculty development, teaching and learning, academic success, and the first college year.

Cardon, L. S. (2013, November 30). Diagnosing and treating millennial student disillusionment. Change: The Magazine of Higher Learning. Retrieved October 5, 2021, from https://eric.ed.gov/?q=source%3A%22Change%3A%2BThe%2BMagazine%2Bof %2BHigher%2BLearning&pg=21&id=EJ1047783.

Style: Articles, tables, figures, and references should adhere to standard set forth in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.).

Enhance the relevance quotient in the courses you teach!

Chun, M. (2010). Taking teaching to (performance) task: Linking pedagogical and assessment practices. Change: The Magazine of Higher Learning, 42(2), 22-29.

Hanson, M. (2021, August 9). College graduation statistics. EducationData.

Retrieved October 2, 2021, from https://educationdata.org/number-of-collegegr aduates#:~:text=U.S.%20College%20Gr aduates&text=4%2Dyear%20 institutions%20average%20a,the%20graduation%20rate%20is%2046.2%25.

Horn, M. B., & Moestra, B. (2020, January 6). The pervasive narrative that students are going to college just to get a job isn’t always so true (opinion). Inside Higher Ed. Retrieved October 2, 2021, from https://www.insidehighered.com/views/2020/01/06/ pervasive-narrative-students-are-going-college-just-get-job-isnt-always-so-true.

Johnson, R. (2021, July 27). New survey finds most college grads would change majors: BestColleges. BestColleges.com. Retrieved October 2, 2021, from https://www. bestcolleges.com/blog/college-graduate-majors-survey/.

Pisarik, C., & Whelchel, T. (2018). Academic relevance: College students’ perspective.

International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 30(1), 26–35.

Roberson, R. (2013, September). Helping students find relevance. American Psychological Association. Retrieved October 7, 2021, from https://www.apa.org/ed/precollege/ ptn/2013/09/students-relevance.

Length: Original articles should be no longer than 1,500 words. The editor reserves the right to edit submissions for length.

Submit your article online by using our submission form.

Please address all questions to: Brad Garner, Toolbox Editor Indiana Wesleyan University 1900 West 50th Street Marion, IN 46953 Email: brad.garner@indwes.edu Phone: 765-677-3341

About The Toolbox The Toolbox is an online professional development newsletter offering innovative, learner-centered strategies for empowering college students to achieve greater success. The newsletter is published six times a year by the National Resource Center for The First-Year Experience and Students in Transition at the University of South Carolina.

The online subscription is free. To register for newsletter alerts and access back issues, please visit www.sc.edu/fye/toolbox.

Publication Staff Founding Editor: Brad Garner Managing Editor: Rico Reed Copyeditor: Lisa Grundy Graphic Designer: Stephanie McFerrin

National Resource Center for The First-Year Experience® and Students in Transition, University of South Carolina

www.sc.edu/fye/toolbox

4