Am I getting through? Surveying students on what messages they recall from the first day of STEM classes

Abstract

Background The first day of class helps students learn about what to expect from their instructors and courses. Messaging used by instructors, which varies in content and approach on the first day, shapes classroom social dynamics and can affect subsequent learning in a course. Prior work established the non-content Instructor Talk Framework to describe the language that instructors use to create learning environments, but little is known about the extent to which students detect those messages. In this study, we paired first day classroom observation data with results from student surveys to measure how readily students in introductory STEM courses detect non-content Instructor Talk. Results To learn more about the instructor and student first day experiences, we studied 11 introductory STEM courses at two different institutions. The classroom observation data were used to characterize course structure and use of non-content Instructor Talk. The data revealed that all instructors spent time discussing their instructional practices, building instructor/student relationships, and sharing strategies for success with their students. After class, we surveyed students about the messages their instructors shared during the first day of class and determined that the majority of students from within each course detected messaging that occurred at a higher frequency. For lower frequency messaging, we identified nuances in what students detected that may help instructors as they plan their first day of class. Conclusions For instructors who dedicate the first day of class to establishing positive learning environments, these findings provide support that students are detecting the messages. Additionally, this study highlights the importance of instructors prioritizing the messages they deem most important and giving them adequate attention to more effectively reach students. Setting a positive classroom environment on the first day may lead to long-term impacts on student motivation and course retention. These outcomes are relevant for all students, but in particular for students in introductory STEM courses which are often critical prerequisites for being in a major.

Access to Online Formative Assessments in Lower-Division Undergraduate Biology Courses: Investigating Barriers to Student Engagement

“…While previous research has found that many instructors provide this type of guidance on the first day of class ( Lane et al. , 2021 ; Meaders et al. , 2021 ), we have also noticed that students seem to most readily recall this messaging when it has been reiterated consistently across the semester ( Brazeal et al.…”

Ready, Set, Go? Impact of the Pandemic on Student Readiness: Laboratories, Preparedness, and Support

“…To decrease student anxiety while describing laboratory expectations, instructors can discuss the laboratory curriculum and environment, including the roles the instructor and teaching assistants have in providing support in the course. 25 The results of this research also provide guidance for college chemistry instructors to support students' time management and study skills. There are a variety of options instructors can such as creating weekly planners distributed through a Learning Management Systems (LMS) as either standalone documents or videos.…”

“…1,2,24 These impacts, the unfinished learning, and disrupted and disparate learning experiences are carried into chemistry classrooms by incoming students. Synthesizing these findings with the research on communication during the first day of class 25 suggests that it is beneficial to acknowledge students' pandemic related experiences. This action conveys an understanding of their situation and can emphasize the availability of academic and well-being resources to support students.…”

“…Emerging evidence from K–12 student learning studies show significant negative impacts on learning related to the pandemic. , Further analysis of the emerging evidence reveals disparate impacts across groups, especially impacting students that identify as PEERs. ,, These impacts, the unfinished learning, and disrupted and disparate learning experiences are carried into chemistry classrooms by incoming students. Synthesizing these findings with the research on communication during the first day of class suggests that it is beneficial to acknowledge students’ pandemic related experiences. This action conveys an understanding of their situation and can emphasize the availability of academic and well-being resources to support students.…”

“…23−25 The analysis and interpretation of the data collected in this study can be used to guide the laboratory curriculum and what instructors can do on the first day of class to prioritize talking points and support to students. 25 Given the findings of this study and the literature pertaining to the first day of class activities, college chemistry instructors are encouraged to support student learning in the laboratory by developing a plan to enhance laboratory knowledge around safety, recognition of glassware/equipment and its use, techniques, and reasoning. Digital badging to improve students' hands-on laboratory skills has been shown to be effective in enhancing students' knowledge, confidence, and experience, and articles within this journal provide guidance.…”