Grantham University

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Grantham University

• Swaddling Support Services
• Building Online Orientation Programs
• John LaNear, PhD
• Cheryl Hayek

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Adult Student Success A Nations Opportunity

• 54 million working adults in the United States
  have not completed a four year degree
• The gap between qualifications and job demands,
  will create a shortage of 9 million qualified
  workers by 2014
• To help offset this deficit, it is estimated that
  the United States will have to increase degree
  production by 40 over the 20 year period
  2005-2025

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The Challenge to Higher Education

• Online attrition rates are 10-20 higher than
  their face to face counterparts (Angelino,
  Williams, Natvig, 2007).
• Adults seek online education to meet their busy
  lifestyle needs.
• Research to date indicates that add-on programs
  do not work student success must be integral to
  the students academic program
• Barriers are both personal and situational

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The Mission

• As DETC institutions, we are called to
• stimulate excellence in student services
• Be responsive to the dynamic, global distance
  education community

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The Solution Theoretical Foundation
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Cognitive Load Theory

• ...first time eLearners often experience
  cognitive overload in the early stages of an
  online course and it is suggested that this is a
  likely contributor to high dropout rates,
  particularly in terms of those withdrawing within
  the first few weeks of the course start
• (Tyler-Smith, 2006,3).

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Adult Learner Theory Andragogy

• Adults are motivated to learn new material if
  applicable to their real-life situations.
• Adults learn best in informal, comfortable,
  flexible, nonthreatening settings (Knowles)

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Departure Theory

• Inclusive programs avoid add-ons
• Result is segmentation
• Make retention efforts integral to student life
  not marginal
• Change the 1st year of college conditions
• We have to change the environment that we ask
  them to thrive in

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Adult Transition Theory
The Individual in Transition (Schlossberg, 1984)
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HOW?

• Swaddling Support Services

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Why Swaddling Support?

• GTJ

• RESULTS
• Limit stimulus overload
• Change the environment
• Offer flexible support

• PROBLEM
• Distress due to overstimulation
• Premature
• New environment is cold and uncomfortable
• No support

INTERVENTION
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Need for Adult Learner Swaddling

• Premature/readiness test
• Reduces startle effect (Cognitive Load Theory)
• Warm, secure environment (Knowles)
• Integral to students program no add-ons
  (Tinto/parker)
• Flexible (allows for growth and separation)
  (Vygotsky)
• Real-life centered (Knowles)

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Swaddling Student Support Services

• We surround our students with early integrated
  support.

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So, What is GU100?

• Student success has less to do with aptitude and
  IQ than with a positive attitude, curiosity,
  determination, effort, character, and learning
  how to learn best.
• It takes these students beyond study skills, to
  life skills.
• GU100 is paired with an Academic Companion Course
  to assist the student through not one, but 2
  academic courses so that in just 8 weeks, a
  student has earned 4 credits!

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Academic Companion Courses ACC

• Students take GU100 simultaneously with an ACC.
  All ACCs were chosen because they are deemed
  confidence building courses
• In each of the 8 week of GU100, the student
  learns a new study topic or life skill.
• During each week, the student applies this study
  skill to their academic companion course

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The Results are Two-fold
Students put their study techniques to use
immediately.
Students are studying for their academic course
while doing the GU100 assignment.
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How do ACC courses work with GU100?
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Sample Mind Map GU100/GP210 Assignment
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GU100/CJ101 Study Skills
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100 and 200 level Confidence Building Courses
Blooms Taxonomy Courses of Student Interest
Relevance
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Academic Advising
Developmental Advising
Shared between students, advisors, and Student
Progress Reps
Educational Planning
Career Planning
Monitor Academic Performance
Readiness Testing
Course Selection
Self-Directed Learning
Policies Procedures
Persistence Retention
Advising as Teaching
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Training Faculty
Especially high-risk students who overcame the
odds and succeeded in college cited one or two
events, when someone had made personal contact
with them...thats what made the
difference. Vincent Tinto
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What are the online best practices?

• Merging all research, Grantham has developed its
  own faculty training model
• VIP2
• VIP2
• Visible Immediate Personal Proactive

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Grantham University Educational Support
Services
It takes a village to raise a child.
African Proverb It takes an entire university to
support a student.