The Developmental Education Conference held at Disney's Coronado Springs in March 2008 was rich in scope and design. The conference's host, Houghton-Mifflin, included a variety of sessions to meet the needs of all attendees. I attended several sessions; however, one session, "Embracing the Challenge of the First Year" stands out above all because of my interest in helping to advance University College. Dr. Mary Stuart Hunter, the session's presenter, focused one of the most important questions students ask when they begin college these days: "Why is the transition to college so difficult?" With this question in mind, Dr. Hunter shared theory, research, and promising practices as relates to the first-year college experience. She described a range of programs offered by college and universities and the role faculty can play in making students' first-year experience rewarding and memorable.
Dr. Hunter stressed the importance of
- defining first-year student success,
- planning early for assessment,
- developing and communicating learning outcomes,
- sending consistent messages to students and faculty,
- communicating high expectations of students, and
- using assessment results to improve teaching and learning.
As a result of attending this and other sessions, I came away with new insights on how WSSU can enhance its developmental education program.
No comments:
Post a Comment