Sarah Korpi, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Director, University
of Wisconsin
It is the end of the
academic year. A time of celebration for graduates and a time of reflection for
university employees. In the moments that follow the somewhat chaotic
conclusion to courses and a commencement
for new graduates, we take time to pause and think about how our instruction in
the past course went. As we celebrate the successes of the past year and our
most recent graduates, let us also take the time to consider some of the deltas
– the moments when we noticed that something wasn’t going as well as we had
hoped or planned. These deltas can provide helpful insight into how we can
adjust our courses or our approach for the next cohort of learners as we engage
in the important work of iterative and ongoing improvement.
 |
| Professor Bill Davis |
Also in our 2023 article, we discussed the
mattering theory and how impactful feeling noticed by, important to, and cared
for by others could be (Rosenberg, 1985; Rosenberg & McCullough, 1981). In
the classroom, we explained, when we increase student perceptions of awareness,
importance, and dependence, we will likely form the types of connections with
learners that result in them reaching out to us when things get difficult. We
recommended several strategies for increasing student perceptions of awareness (greeting
learners as they enter, publishing general weekly updates, emailing learners to
encourage them to share something about their week with the class); importance
(asking students how they are doing, requesting that students share a challenge
and a success in a message board, thanking students for their contributions);
and dependence (telling students we are looking forward to seeing them at the
next live learning session or seeing their next discussion post, emailing to
tell students that they were missed when they are absent, calling out how we as
instructors benefit from our students insights).
Professor Sarah Korpi
An additional strategy that we have been
working on this year is building high levels of psychological safety in the
classroom. Psychological
safety is an individual's perception of the workplace or other environment as
safe for taking interpersonal risks, such as speaking up, expressing ideas, or
asking questions without fear of negative consequences to self-image, status,
or career (Kahn, 1990). The concept
of psychological safety came out of the organizational science field more than
a half-century ago (Schein & Bennis, 1965) and has flourished more recently
as a topic of study in organizations. Scholars have identified organizational
benefits such as increased performance (Baer & Frese, 2003; Schaubroeck et
al., 2011) and engagement (Rich et al., 2010; Christian et al., 2011). Since
classrooms are groups of people working toward a common goal and understanding
(meeting the learning outcomes) under the direction of a leader (the
instructor), it follows that the benefits of increased psychological safety in
organizations and workplaces can also extend to our classrooms. Below, we
outline some of the ways that we enhanced student retention and fostered a
caring environment in our classrooms this past academic year.
In
our roles at each of our institutions (Bill as faculty and Program Chair at
UAGC and Sarah as Director of DEI and Learning Engineering at University of
Wisconsin), we encouraged associate faculty members and instructional staff to
adopt practices that increase student perceptions of mattering and classroom
psychological safety. These practices are in line with UAGC Culture of Care
pillars.
Practice #1:
Our goal is to facilitate meaningful connections with the content, ensuring
that knowledge transfer occurs. To achieve this, we incorporate learning tools,
strategically using videos in discussion forums and utilizing interactive
storyboards on websites to enhance knowledge transfer. When faced with
challenging situations, we embrace the role of leader coaches, proactively
reaching out to students, providing mentoring, and offering coaching support.
By leading with empathy and acting with compassion, we have observed better
responses from students and increased their active participation. Additionally,
by understanding students' experiences, goals, and learning styles, we have
established stronger connections.
The results from implementing
this practice are as follows:
Result [1]: We have observed
increased student engagement and positive feedback about the various learning
tools place in the course (videos, infographics, storyboards). Students have
commented content is relative and helps students bridge the gap between theory
and practice.
Result [2]: Taking initiative
to reach out to students and inviting them to zoom meetings, or reaching out
via email or phone has results in positive interactions and dialogue with
students. Students are open and express their appreciation for our outreach and
it builds their confidence.
Result [3]: When students
struggle and we observe opportunities for increase outreach students have
expressed their appreciation to us and meaningful outcomes have occurred. More
discussion forum participation and students have expressed their appreciation
to us. It has led to increase mentoring and coaching and student success.
Result [4]: By reading the
students responses in the post your introduction forum and other forums, we
understand their journey and goals. As outcomes, we have been able to build
further rapport and trust and understand each individual student’s needs and
learning styles more closely and students tell us they appreciate our interest,
and this makes them more comfortable and increases their self-efficacy.
Practice 2: Data analysis also plays a crucial role in our ongoing
efforts to enhance student success throughout the course. We constantly
leverage data, dashboards, and look for areas to improve the student
experience. For example, looking at student postings, time in course, and
dashboard and signalz data we can understand student performance and the
influence and impact within course in regard to learning.
The results from implementing
this practice are as follows:
Result [1]: Reviewing each
student’s weekly posts and providing substantive feedback has allowed us to be
proactive and respond in real time. Students have shared that they appreciate
our feedback, and they are open to more feedback from us and our suggestions
that further learning.
Result [2]: Dashboard are
helpful and noticing voids in dashboards have helped us focus in on where there
are opportunities to coach or offer suggestions for improvement. Students have
expressed how they appreciate our support, encouragement, and communications.
This has led to more engagement in the course.
Result
[3]: By reviewing the times spent in the course we have been able to reach out
and connect with students who may need to dedicate more time to the weekly
tasks and provide suggestions for improvement. This opened dialogue with
students about time management and incorporated the student’s advisor if they
needed additional resources.
Practice #3: The benefit of increased perceptions of psychological safety
in the classroom is an increased willingness to make mistakes and take risks.
Of course, we know as educators that making mistakes is a necessary part of
learning. Taking risks might look like students reaching out for help or
guidance.
The results from implementing
this practice are as follows:
Result [1]: By being positive,
modeling consistency and engaging students in the forums, through Siganlz,
email, of phone calls, we are showing we care and want them to have the best
learning experience possible. We have seen students exude more confidence and
express their appreciation to us for providing an effective learning
environment, which has led to an increased initiative in the course and
improved their self-efficacy.
Result [2]: Many students will
reach out and request one-on-one meetings with us. Some have returned and asked
for career advice or rec letters. It all positive when we lead by example.
Result [3]: We have seen
improved grade point averages and student motivation in the course.
Result
[4]: Increased participation with their peers in the course. Students learning
from each other.
By consistently demonstrating that we are
committed educators who genuinely care about their growth, we establish a
foundation of trust and support, this increases student’s feelings of
psychological safety in our courses. Overall, we are proud of the progress we
have made in implementing the strategies outlined in this article. By
consistently applying these principles and actively engaging with our students,
we are creating an environment that fosters their success and well-being. We
look forward to hearing your thoughts on these efforts and any additional
strategies you may have implemented. Together, we can continue to make a
positive impact on student retention and success.
References
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International Journal of Industrial, Occupational and Organizational Psychology
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Cha, M. (2016). The mediation effect of
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perfectionism and depression: Based on the social disconnection model. Personality
and Individual Differences, 88, 148–159.
Christian,
M. S., Garza, A. S., & Slaughter, J. E. (2011). Work engagement: A
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