Developing Engaged Citizens Through the First Year ... · College’s commitment to prepare “its graduates for lives of service and fulfillment in their communities and the world.”

Developing Engaged Citizens Through the

First Year, Interdisciplinary Seminar

Jay Barth

Pete Gess

Todd Tinsley

Hendrix College

Hendrix College’s History of Engaged Learning

and Civic Engagement Work

Your Hendrix Odyssey: Engaging in Active Learning has been an integral part of the Hendrix

curriculum since 2005.

Through the Odyssey Program, students complete engaged learning projects in at least three

different categories as part of their graduation requirements. Students select projects from the

following six categories:

Artistic Creativity

Global Awareness

Professional and Leadership Development

Service to the World

Undergraduate Research

Special Projects

The Odyssey categories require clear reflection exercises on the part of all students completing

projects in them.

The Path to The Engaged Citizen

• Western Intellectual Traditions

• Journeys

• April 2012: Final Faculty Vote for The Engaged

Citizen

“The Engaged Citizen: An

Interdisciplinary Seminar”

• Combines the spirit of Hendrix’s Odyssey Program with the College’s commitment to prepare “its graduates for lives of service and fulfillment in their communities and the world.”

• Interdisciplinary and collaboratively taught by dyads of faculty from different disciplines who approach a shared topic from different methodological "ways of knowing.”

• Faculty have differing interpretations of what the theme “the engaged citizen” entails.

• Some student choice in the selection of their TEC section; a continued focus on smaller seminar settings.

“The Engaged Citizen” (TEC) Learning Goals

All dyads share a common set of learning goals adopted by faculty vote:

• The ability to comprehend and appreciate a set of complex issues relevant to being engaged citizens.

• The ability to make connections between the evidence and methods from two distinct disciplines in order to formulate arguments about engaged citizenship.

• The ability to express those arguments clearly in writing and discussion.

• The ability to engage in and reflect on experiential learning that connects directly to the classroom experience, preparing the students for vibrant Odyssey experiences later in their Hendrix careers.

TEC Shared ParametersAlong with an assumption that students will spend at least 2/3 of their class time in groups of 15 or smaller, there were four shared components, which faculty are free to interpret as they choose:

1) At least one formal writing assignment for each professor

2) An engaged learning activity

3) Reflection upon the engaged learning activity

4) A summative experience during finals week (at the scheduled final time); can be an exam, presentations, group event, etc.

The Engaged Citizen:

Assessment

2013 Summer Institute on General

Education and Assessment

The ability to comprehend and appreciate a set of

complex issues relevant to being engaged citizens.

TEC will set the

stage for Hendrix

Seniors to …

“discern and understand core principles about complex

issues” related to engaged citizenship.

High Achieving Demonstrates a sophisticated understanding of the complexity

of elements that contribute to engaged citizenship in a manner

that transcends the course itself.

Competent Clearly understands the complex array of elements regarding

engaged citizenship as relates to the topic of a particular TEC

course.

Needs Improvement Is able to define some issues relevant to engaged citizenship,

but does not fully explore the complexities examined in the

course.

Unsatisfactory Exhibits understanding of individual elements of engaged

citizenship in the context of the course, but from a narrow

perspective.

The ability to engage in and reflect on experiential learning that

connects directly to the classroom experience, preparing the students

for vibrant Odyssey experiences later in their Hendrix careers.

TEC will set the

stage for

Hendrix Seniors

to …

“reflect on their studies” and “engage with the world based on their

inquiry and deliberation.”

High Achieving Provides an expansive enumeration of the ways that the experiential

learning component puts classroom knowledge into practice and

enhances that knowledge, and has already begun to thoughtfully

design future experiences based on this introduction.

Competent Thoughtfully participates in the engaged learning component of the

course and describes how it connects to the classroom experience,

and provides evidence of some consideration of future experiences.

Needs

Improvement

Participates in the engaged learning component of the course and

describes some connections to the classroom experience, but does

not provide evidence of further reflection.

Unsatisfactory When prompted, reflects on the experiential learning component of

the course, but without connection to the course’s content.

19%33%

37%40%

43%

22%37%

34%28%27%

22%37%37%

26%31%

26%36%37%39%

31%

44%44%

45%40%35%

41%38%44%

38%42%

36%39%

42%46%

42%

44%38%

41%33%

42%

29%17%

15%13%17%

29%16%

18%24%

21%

31%18%

16%19%

19%

24%20%

18%22%19%

8%6%

3%7%6%

8%8%

5%10%9%

11%6%5%

9%8%

6%6%4%

6%8%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

2013201420152016

Engaged Learning

2013201420152016

Expression of…

2013201420152016

Connections…

2013201420152016

Engaged Citizenship

Faculty Assessment of Student Learning Goals

High Achieving Competent Needs Improvement Unsatisfactory

Part III. INSTRUCTOR EVALUATION:

[Instructor 1]

PEDAGOGICAL STYLE / TEACHING METHODS:

______ The instructor displays a clear understanding of course topics.

______ The instructor’s teaching methods were appropriate to the course.

______ The instructor used class time effectively.

______ The instructor presented material clearly, emphasizing major points and their

relationships.

______ The assignments given were relevant to the goals of the course.

______ The class atmosphere was conducive to the free exchange of questions and ideas.

______ The instructor was intellectually stimulating and prompted me to think.

______ The instructor usually was aware of whether or not members of the class were

following the lecture or discussion with understanding.

______ The course texts were appropriate and contributed to the learning process.

______ Other assignments—films, papers, etc.—were effective instructional tools.

______ The instructor explained difficult material in a way I could understand.

Student Evaluations

RESPONSE SCALE:

SA = Strongly agree

A = Tend to agree

N = Neutral or uncertain

D = Tend to disagree

SD = Strongly disagree

Part I. COURSE EVALUATION:

For this section, please evaluate the course as a whole.

_______ This course increased my awareness of the evidence and methods from two

distinct disciplines.

_______ This course caused me to make connections between these two distinct

disciplines.

_______ This course led me to examine the concept of engaged citizenship.

_______ Having two professors teach this course enhanced my learning.

_______ As a result of this course, I have strengthened my ability to express arguments in

writing.

_______ As a result of this course, I have strengthened my ability to express arguments in

discussion.

_______ The experiential learning component had clear goals that related to the theme of

the engaged citizen.

_______ The experiential learning component connected to the classroom experience.

_______ The course content led me to explore my future role as an engaged citizen.

_______ The course content was relevant to my liberal arts education at Hendrix.

_______ The course content was challenging.

_______ The course cultivated my abilities and capacities.

_______ Learning goals and grading procedures were clearly explained.

_______ The assignments required in the course were conducive to my learning.

The Engaged Citizen Fall 2016

Part III. INSTRUCTOR EVALUATION:

[Instructor 2]

PEDAGOGICAL STYLE / TEACHING METHODS:

______ The instructor displays a clear understanding of course topics.

______ The instructor’s teaching methods were appropriate to the course.

______ The instructor used class time effectively.

______ The instructor presented material clearly, emphasizing major points and their

relationships.

______ The assignments given were relevant to the goals of the course.

______ The class atmosphere was conducive to the free exchange of questions and ideas.

______ The instructor was intellectually stimulating and prompted me to think.

______ The instructor usually was aware of whether or not members of the class were

following the lecture or discussion with understanding.

______ The course texts were appropriate and contributed to the learning process.

______ Other assignments—films, papers, etc.—were effective instructional tools.

______ The instructor explained difficult material in a way I could understand.

55%

73%

65%

61%

62.1%

63%

75%

73%

75%

72%

56%

79%

73%

73%

74%

22%

8%

13%

15%

17.3%

14%

7%

8%

8%

13%

19%

6%

10%

9%

12%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

2013

2014

2015

2016

The course content led me to explore my future…

2013

2014

2015

2016

The experiential learning component had clear…

2013

2014

2015

2016

This course led me to examine the concept of…

TEC: Engaged Citizenship

Agree Neutral Disagree

66%

78%

78%

74%

68.1%

75%

87%

86%

83%

80%

80%

86%

86%

88%

80%

15%

7%

9%

11%

12.5%

11%

3%

3%

9%

10%

10%

4%

4%

3%

10%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

2013

2014

2015

2016

Having two professors teach this course enhanced…

2013

2014

2015

2016

This course caused me to make connections…

2013

2014

2015

2016

This course increased my awareness of the…

TEC: Multidisciplinarity


64%

78%

71%

72%

71%

63%

69%

65%

69%

66%

57%

66%

59%

66%

59%

12%

5%

8%

5%

12%

13%

6%

11%

9%

15%

19%

8%

14%

9%

20%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

2013

2014

2015

2016

The course cultivated my abilities and capacities.

2013

2014

2015

2016

As a result of this course, I have strengthened my ability to express

arguments in discussion.

2013

2014

2015

2016

As a result of this course, I have strengthened my ability to express

arguments in writing.

TEC: Expression of Arguments


73%

78%

78%

75%

70%

67%

74%

79%

80%

76%

63%

75%

73%

75%

72%

12%

8%

8%

9%

13%

11%

3%

6%

3%

9%

14%

7%

8%

8%

13%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

2013

2014

2015

2016

The course content was relevant to my liberal…

2013

2014

2015

2016

The experiential learning component connected…

2013

2014

2015

2016

The experiential learning component had clear…

TEC: Engaged Learning


Reflection

• How to link the classroom to the world of engaged citizenship?

• How to move from multidisciplinary thinking to interdisciplinary integration?

• How to improve first year student oral and written argumentation?

• How to assess goal attainment and impact?

QUESTIONS?

Jay Barth

Pete Gess

Todd Tinsley

Hendrix College

Documents

Developing Engaged Citizens Through the First Year ... · College’s commitment to prepare “its graduates for lives of service and fulfillment in their communities and the world.”