ENGAGING AND SUPPORTING THE WAKE FOREST STUDENT:

PEDAGOGICAL APPROACHES TO SUCCESS

The Office of Multicultural Affairs and The Teaching & Learning Center

WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY

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WELCOME

• Introductionso Alta Mauro

Director of the Office of Multicultural Affairs

o Hattie Mukombe, Associate Dean of Diversity Admissions

o Catherine Ross Director of the Teaching and Learning Center

• Who else is in the room and why?

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AGENDA

• What?o The case for increased awareness and

competence • So what?

o Who are our students of color and what assets do they bring to our classrooms and campus community?

o What challenges do they face?• Now what?

o What can we do to position them for success?

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DISCLAIMERS & LIMITATIONS

• We won’t cover it all.• The information shared will not reflect all

students in all settings / situations.• An intercultural mindset is more effective

than a monocultural one (IDI, LLC, 2012).o But generalizations are still possible.

• Supporting students of color benefits all students.

• The times, they are a’changin…

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WHAT?

• “Increased diversity on our campus will enrich the fabric of our own community and offer students even more opportunity to learn from one another-an opportunity that incoming students now eagerly seek” (WFU Strategic Plan summary, April 2006).

• Students of color are considered at-risk of stop-out / drop-outo Students at risk were more likely to be Hispanic or Black,

non-Hispanic (12 percent and 14 percent, respectively); Asian/Pacific Islander students and American Indian/Alaskan Native students was also similar (National Center for Education Statistics, 1997).

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SO WHAT?

• “…students who master course content but fail to develop adequate academic self-confidence, academic goals, institutional commitment, social support and involvement may still be at risk of dropping out” (Chandler, 2008).

• “Students must develop a strong affiliation with the college academic environment both in and out of class” (Chandler, 2008).

2008-2009

DIVERSITY ADMISSIONS

• Hattie Mukombe ‘04, MA ‘11• Associate Dean of Diversity Admissions

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2010

2011

2012

10,566

9,869

11,408

4,256

3,933

3,875

1,232

1,242

1,242

Total Incoming Class – Three Year Comparison

Enrolled Accepted Applied

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Enrolled

Admitted

Applied

305

1066

4107

281

973

3380

297

1130

3349

Minority Class - Three Year Comparison

2010 2011 2012

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Total Enrollment Minority Percentage

2010 1232 24%

2011 1242 23%

2012 1242 25%

Fall Freshman Class

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2010

Alaskan Native/ American IndianAsian/ Pacific Is-landerBlack, Non-Hispanic, African Ameri-canHispanic

2011

Alaskan Native/ American IndianAsian/ Pacific Is-landerBlack, Non-Hispanic, African AmericanHispanic

2012

Alaskan Native/ Amer-ican IndianAsian/ Pacific IslanderBlack, Non-Hispanic, African AmericanHispanic

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CHALLENGESAfrican American Enrollment

Private School Sticker Shock

Overall Diversity Enrollment

FAQWhat’s It Like?

Social Adjustment/Engagement

Professor Interaction Sense of Community

Food Graduation/Retention

Post-Graduation Benefits

Liberal Arts Curriculum

Affordability

Minority College-Going Rates

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• On-Campus Programming Recruitment Efforts

• Overnight Programs: VISIONS, MOSAIC• Multicultural Ambassador Team• Non-Profit Partnerships/Tours• International School Counselors Open Houses

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• Off-Campus Programming Recruitment Efforts

• Hometown Ambassadors Program• General Travel – VIP• High School Counselor Education• International Travel

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• Changes to Enhance Diversity

• Test-Optional • VISIONS diversity website• International Recruitment Travels• Tailored Correspondence/Communication• Ambassadors-In-Admissions structure – Hometown

Ambassadors Program• Partnerships and programming expansion with identified

Community Based Organizations• College Prep Workshops• Expansion of Multicultural Alumni-In-Admissions Program

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Scholarship Programs

•Talent Based Scholarships•Heritage Scholarships•Merit-Based Scholarships•Gordon Scholarships•International Scholarships•Magnolia Scholars Program•Other Scholarships

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DISCUSSION

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• Hattie L. Mukombe ’04, ‘11• Associate Dean of Admissions Diversity

• Wake Forest University• P.O. Box 7305

• Winston-Salem, NC 27109• mukombhl@wfu.edu

• x3561

TEACHING EVERY STUDENT

CATHERINE ROSSTEACHING AND LEARNING CENTER

WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY

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How can we foster learning environments in which diversity becomes one of the resources that stimulates learning?

students self

content pedagogy

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How can we foster learning environments in which diversity becomes one of the resources that stimulates learning?

students self

content pedagogy

REFLECTIVE PRACTICE

Questions to ask yourself

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REFLECTION QUESTIONS

• How do your own experiences, values, beliefs and stereotypes influence your knowledge and understanding of groups that are different from your own?

– Do I expect that Asian students will do better?

– Do I assume that all students of color are alike?

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REFLECTION QUESTIONS

• How do your own experiences, values, beliefs and stereotypes inform the way you interact with students whose racial background is different from your own?– Am I afraid of students whose

background differs markedly from mine?– Do I rationalize or tolerate lack of

participation from minority students more than I would from other students?

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REFLECTION QUESTIONS

• How do your own experiences, values, beliefs and stereotypes influence the way you behave in the classroom?– Do I call on all students equally?– How open am I to multiple modes of

discourse?– Am I impatient with students who are

non-native English speakers?

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www.projectimplicit.net

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INTERCULTURAL DEVLOPMENT INVENTORY

(IDI) • The Intercultural Development Inventory® (IDI®) is

a statistically reliable, cross-culturally valid measure of intercultural competence adapted from the Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity.

• The IDI can be used for: – Individual assessment in coaching, counseling

situations – Group analysis in teambuilding efforts, and– Organizational-wide needs assessment for training

design • Alta Mauro and Steven Duke are Qualified

Administrators

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How can we foster learning environments in which diversity becomes one of the resources that stimulates learning?

students self

content pedagogy

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Stereotype Threat

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CLASSROOM BIASES

Definition of Stereotype ThreatClaude Steele at Stanford University

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CLASSROOM BIASES

Joshua Aronson speaking at Elon University, 9/14/12

What do students say?

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CLASSROOM BIASES

Minority undergraduates:• “If minorities are having trouble in class, it is because

they are not trying. You are made to feel that when you ask the professor for help, you are bothering them.”

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CLASSROOM BIASES

Minority undergraduates:• “Students come to a class with different prior

knowledge. It is better if the teacher explains some things rather than assuming the students know it from high school.”

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CLASSROOM BIASES

Minority undergraduates:• “In classrooms students of color don’t feel

comfortable because they may be the only minority and that makes them feel isolated. You feel as though because you are a black person, you shouldn’t be asking questions.”

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CLASSROOM BIASES

• Problematic assumptions?

• Raise our awareness of assumptions– about teaching and learning – about the learning capacities of students– about students’ beliefs about learning

capacity!

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CLASSROOM BIASES

• Problematic assumptions?

• For example: – Students will seek help when they are

struggling with a class.What happens when you fail?

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How can we foster learning environments in which diversity becomes one of the resources that stimulates learning?

students self

content pedagogy

WHAT CAN AN INSTRUCTOR DO?

More than you think…

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Great resource for knowing what to do in the classroom.

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Familiarize yourself with the conditions that activate stereotype threat in the classroom…

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….and how to reduce stereotype threat.

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THE SYLLABUS

• Setting the tone:– Institutional: Wake Forest seeks to be a

place where a vibrant and diverse learning community weds knowledge, experiences and service that lift the human spirit.

– Personal values: instructor statement– Expectations for communication

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THE SYLLABUS

Instructor values: I am committed to providing you with an excellent course experience within an atmosphere of mutual respect and trust. …I value academic excellence, academic integrity, and respect for one another….I expect all those participating in this course to abide by [WFU] policies concerning academic integrity, anti-harassment, and anti-discrimination…(p. 19, Branch, Mullennix, Cohn, 2007)

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THE SYLLABUS

Guidelines for communication:• We should respect diverse points of view. We

do not need to come to agreement on any particular issues; we can agree to disagree.

• Our use of language should be respectful of other persons or groups. As your instructor, I will NOT let injurious statements pass without comment. (Branch, Mullennix & Cohn, 2007)

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CLASSROOM ADVICE

• COMMUNICATION IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING!– What to communicate?

• high standards for all• trust in student abilities to meet standards• curiosity and excitement > grades• positive expectations that are genuine,

challenging and realistic

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THE SYLLABUS

Explicitly stated information:• Clear objectives• Clear guidelines on how to succeed in

meeting objectives• Clear rubrics and rationales for grading• Clear instructions on studying for tests• Clear policies on make-ups, absences,

etc.

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INCLUSIVE CLASSROOM

• Create opportunities for all students to participate:– Don’t call on first student to raise hand

– Use pair and share techniques first to encourage more students to answer

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INCLUSIVE CLASSROOM

• Create opportunities for all students to participate:– Learn and use students’ names– How many of you would share your

thoughts on this question with us?– Group work to ensure everyone

participates

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INCLUSIVE CLASSROOM

• Convey same respect and confidence in abilities of all your students. – Instructor expectations self-fulfilling.

• Tell students you use high standards• You believe they can meet them

• Don’t try to protect any group of students• Be evenhanded in acknowledging good work.

(Tools for Teaching, Davis, 1993, p. 41)

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INCLUSIVE CLASSROOM

• Use metacognitive strategies to promote learning to learn (How Learning Works, pp. 210-211)

– Include requirement that students reflect on and analyze own performance on projects, test, assignments• What did you learn from doing this?• What skills do you need to work on?• How did you study for this? • What will you do differently next time?

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INCLUSIVE CLASSROOM

• Student development + Climate = Learning– Social and emotional gains that students make

during college are considerably greater than the intellectual gains over the same span of time

– Emotions can overwhelm students’ intellect if they have not yet learned to channel them productively

– How Learning Works, p. 157

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INCLUSIVE CLASSROOM

Starting with the affective dimension of learning—that is, all the evidence we now have that how students feel in class and about their

learning influences whether they’ll be successful—we must create a classroom

atmosphere that students see as being safe, welcoming and inclusive.

(Provitera McGlynn, p.34)

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INCLUSIVE CLASSROOM

• Summary:– Start where students are: make

connections to their lives, work, families, cultures, career aspirations…

– Use interactive, collaborative, student-centered learning methods

– Provide opportunities for success: prompt, thorough feedback and genuine concern for academic progress

(Heritage Rocks, To Improve the Academy, 2004,p.185)

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INCLUSIVE CLASSROOM

• Summary:– Be challenging and supportive…(realistic)

high expectations with study groups and other interventions

– Don’t be afraid of emotions. Teach hearts and minds…understand relationship between cognitive and affective

– Teach important new concepts at least 2 or 3 different ways; provide frequent opportunities for reflection, integration and synthesis

(Heritage Rocks, To Improve the Academy, 2004, p.185)

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INCLUSIVE CLASSROOM

Three key questions for faculty:1. Who are my students?2. What strengths do they bring to the table?3. What are their passions?

Uri Treisman, Professor of Mathematics, University of Texas, AAC&U Plenary Address

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IN SUMMARY

“…the most serious barrier to taking learning seriously lies in our failure to take individual differences seriously…but learning is about individuals, and improving learning is about

understanding what goes on in the mind of the learner.”

(What Do We Know about Students’ Learning and How Do We Know

It?, K. Patricia Cross, 2005)

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ENDNOTES

BibliographyAmbrose, S., M. Bridges, M. DiPietro, M. Lovett, & M. Norman. (2010).

How Learning Works. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.Branche, J., J. Mullennix & E. Cohn. (2007). Diversity Across the

Curriculum. Bolton, MA: Anker Publishing. Cross, K. P. (2005) What Do We Know About Students’ Learning and How

Do We Know It?”. Center for Studies in Higher Education. University of California, Berkeley, CSHE.7.05.

Davis, B.G., (1993) Tools for Teaching. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.Derek Bok Center for Teaching & Learning, Teaching in Racially Diverse

College Classrooms, Harvard University. Provitera McGlynn, A. (2007) Teaching Today’s College Students:

Widening the Circle of Success. Madison, WI: Atwood Publishing. Saunders, S. and Kardia, D. Creating Inclusive College Classrooms.

Center for Research on Learning and Teaching (CRLT), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI.

Steele, C. (1999). Thin Ice: Stereotype Threat and Black College Students. The Atlantic.com.

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ENDNOTES

Please send comments and suggestions to:

Catherine RossTeaching and Learning Center

rossce@wfu.edu

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DISCUSSION

Questions?

Comments?

Closing