Transcript Involving Students in Institutional Research and Planning Maureen Pettitt, Ph.D. Skagit Valley College Presented at PNAIRP October 2002

Involving Students in
Institutional Research
and Planning
Maureen Pettitt, Ph.D.
Skagit Valley College
Presented at PNAIRP
October 2002
Session Topics
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Why involve students in institutional
research and planning
Example: Technical Writing Research
Teams
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Advantages and Challenges of Student
Involvement
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Studies for review of general education
curriculum
Students, Faculty, and IR
Your examples, ideas and issues…
Undergraduate Research
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If learning is the
coin of the realm,
then student
involvement in
research is the
gold!
Undergraduate Research
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An often-cited factor in encouraging student
engagement and student involvement
described by Astin, Tinto, and Boyer
One of the “facilitating strategies” for
Teaching to Create Intentional Learners in the
recently released AACU National Panel
Report, Greater Expectations (2002)
Should not be thought of as only available to
students in research universities
Planning for a Review of the
General Education Curriculum
English 270 (Technical Writing)
Student Research Team Projects
Background
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Instructor: Dr. Lynn Dunlap
Similar strategy used in her
Technical Writing class in 1991 as
part of the college’s general
education reform efforts
Students had access to the 1991
studies, bound in a report format
Implementation
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Charge to the student research teams
from the co-chairs of the Assessment
Committee
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Mike Witmer, chair of Social and Behavioral
Sciences and Dr. Maureen Pettitt, Director
of Institutional Research
Co-chairs also served as “consultants”
to research teams: research design,
survey development, data collection
Research Team Projects
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Multiculturalism in the Curriculum
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Analyzed course syllabi, interviewed faculty
from liberal arts and professional areas to
determine the extent multiculturalism is infused
in the curriculum.
On-Ground and Distance Education Course
Characteristics
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Examined core courses in English, Math,
Natural Science, and Social Science to compare
objectives, text, materials, assignments,
assessments, grading, etc.
Research Team Projects
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General Education Course-Taking Patterns of
Professional Students
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Used student surveys and de-identified transcript
data to examine how/why students in professional
programs choose their “related education” courses
Communication and Group Skills in the
Sciences
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Analyzed requirements and opportunities for
students in science courses/majors to develop
communication and group skills
Research Team Projects
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Course Assessment Strategies
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Analyzed course syllabi to identify assessment
strategies being used at SVC by instructors and
the degree to which those assessment methods
were 1) clearly identified and 2) appropriate to the
objective they were measuring
IR Role
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Teamed with faculty during first
week in class to discuss research
design; attended periodically during
the quarter to answer questions
Available for office “consultation”
sessions—student research teams
needed help primarily with survey
development
IR Role
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Provided de-identified data about
student course taking patterns in
several professional/technical
programs for one team
Read final team reports; worked
with instructor on feedback and final
grades for projects.
Advantages,
• Increases visibility and value of IR on
campus
• Expands IR resources
• Students have opportunity to learn
how data becomes information; about
organizational culture and info politics;
to discern patterns, causes,
relationships (i.e., critical thinking)
More Advantages…
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From the students’ perspective, the most
important aspect was that their work was
to be compiled, bound, and used to
make important decisions on the
campus.
For them, this was in stark contrast to
course projects that seemed to have no
use or meaning outside the course.
….and Challenges
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Time spent preplanning and
coordination with
faculty
Time spent in class
and with research
teams outside of
class
Time reading and
critiquing team
reports
What about your campus?
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Existing—
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Do you have some examples about
successful student research on your own
campus?
How did it come about? What was IR’s
role?
What worked well? What didn’t work so
well?
What about your campus?
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Future—
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Are there initiatives or activities on your
campus that could benefit from student
research projects?
Do you have projects in your office that
might be aligned with courses?
What steps could you take to
encourage this?