Know Your Audience

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Know Your Audience

• Using technology to help students on probation
• 31st Annual Conference on Academic Advising,
  Baltimore MD
• Jason Gasper-Hulvat
• Shannon OBrien
• 2007 NACADA Annual Conference Session 169 Code 2

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Agenda

• Provide a context
• Present past probation intervention
• Introduce a new probation intervention called
  Back on Track
• Present findings
• Discuss future endeavors

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Temple University

• Size
• Over 25,000 undergraduate students
• Setting
• Urban (Philadelphia, PA)
• University Studies
• One of 13 undergraduate schools and colleges
• Undeclared students with less than 60 credits
• 1675 students
• 3 full-time professional academic advisors

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University Academic Warning

• Less than 24 credits and a cumulative GPA (cGPA)
  below 2.0, or
• At least 24 credits, cGPA above 2.0, and semester
  GPA below 2.0
• Students on warning must register with their
  academic advisor

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University Academic Probation

• At least 24 credits and a cGPA below 2.0
• Students on probation must register with their
  academic advisor

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Where Do I Stand Workshops

• In Spring 2006 and Fall 2006 students on academic
  warning or probation were required to attend a
  Where Do I Stand workshop before registering
  for the next semester.
• E-mail notification was sent instructing students
  to sign up for a workshop session.
• One hour, lecture style, sessions led by an
  Advisor reviewed academic warning, probation, and
  dismissal policies as well as strategies to
  improve GPA.
• Workshops were offered beginning one week before
  and continuing until just after priority
  registration.

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Fall Semester 2006 Participation

• 230 Students on Warning or Probation
• Workshops were offered for a five week period
  beginning one week before priority registration.
• 72 students (31.3) signed up for one of 12
  offered sessions.
• 61 students (26.5) attended a session.
• Of those 61 students, 31 students (13.5)
  attended a session prior to their priority
  registration date.
• Students who did not attend a workshop during
  this period were seen individually.

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Development of Back on Track

• Our Goals
• Increase participation
• Reduce time spent on workshops/individual
  sessions presenting information (passive)
• Provide all students with the same probation
  intervention (consistent, accurate information)
• Increase time spent engaging students in a
  one-on-one dialogue about warning/probation and
  how to improve academic performance (active)

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Development of Back on Track

• With our students in mind
• Grew up with computers
• Are technology savvy internet, email, instant
  messaging, text messaging, MySpace, Facebook,
  Blackboard
• Expect immediate gratification
• Prefer instant communication

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Back on Track Features

• Anonymity
• Convenience - opportunity to complete
  immediately, 24/7 Access
• Familiarity - offered through Blackboard, which
  students have to use for most of their courses
• Instant feedback
• Interactive rather than passive

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Back on Track Demonstration

• http//tuportal.temple.edu

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Spring Semester 2007

• On March 12th, 286 Students on Warning or
  Probation were notified of enrollment in the
  Back on Track Blackboard course.
• On May 9 we removed 49 students who did not
  enroll for spring 2007 courses, had late grade
  changes, or transferred to another school or
  college.
• The following outcome data is based on a total of
  237 students.

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Spring Semester 2007 Participation

• Within 24 hours 83 of 237 students (35) accessed
  the Back on Track Blackboard course and 37
  students (16) completed the required material.
• After 1 week 76 students (32) completed the
  required portions on the Back on Track material
  exceeding total participation in the Fall 2006
  Where Do I Stand workshops.
• As of March 29th (end of priority registration)
  169 students (71) had accessed the Back on
  Track Blackboard course and 119 students (50)
  had completed the required material.
• By the end of the spring 2007 semester 173
  students (73) had completed Back on Track

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Application

• Provided students with information on academic
  policies and procedures, university resources and
  strategies
• Identify factors that led to warning/probation

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Follow-up Assessment Results

• Average score of 9 out of 10 on follow-up quiz
  indicates students understand policies.
• However, 33 of students missed the question
  about the repeat policy.
• Created opportunity for Advisor to clarify the
  repeat policy and explain how a student can use
  it to improve GPA.

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Probation Self-Assessment Results

• N158
• I managed my time poorly I procrastinated, and
  then I didnt have time to finish things f 114,
  72.2
• I had difficulty doing well on exams, even though
  I thought I knew the material f 88, 55.7
• I had personal problems that interfered with my
  ability to concentrate or complete my work f
  78, 49.4
• I didnt keep up with the assigned readings f
  69, 43.7
• I felt isolated, anxious, tired, depressed, and
  unable to focus on anything for sustained periods
  of time, or I had little or no motivation to
  complete assignments or even to attend class f
  59, 37.3
• I didnt go to class f 50, 31.6

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Back on Track Future

• Enhancement of contents using data gathered from
  the Academic Self Assessment.
• Create different interventions for different
  populations first time on warning, first time
  on probation, continuing on probation, in danger
  of dismissal.
• Move from a reactive to a proactive approach

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Guest Access to DUS Back on Track
(Presentation Version)

• Step 1 Go to http//blackboard.temple.edu
• Step 2 Select Bb Course Catalog in the TUlinks
  box at the left
• Step 3 Type Back on Track (Presentation
  Version) in the Search for a Course box and
  click GO
• Step 4 Select the Preview button to access the
  course as a guest

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Presenter Contact Information

• Shannon OBrien shannono_at_temple.edu
• Jason Gasper-Hulvat jasongh_at_temple.edu
• THE ACADEMIC RESOURCE CENTER
• 1810 Liacouras Walk, 1st Floor, Suite 101
• www.temple.edu/dus
• dus_at_temple.edu, 215-204-2500
• Monday to Friday, 830am to 500pm