Learning How to Learn: A Student Success Course for At Risk Students

Abstract

It is well known that university students with ineffective learning strategies and low motivation are at risk for lowered grades and stress. Given the needs of these students, Mount St. Vincent University developed the Student Success Course (SSC), a 14-week intervention that offers instruction in learning strategies, self-management, and motivation. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the SSC for 100 undergraduates on academic probation. From pre- to post-test, participants reported a significant increase in cognitive strategies, study skills, and motivation as well as a significant decrease in test anxiety and procrastination (ps < .05). Over time, participants also demonstrated a significantly improved GPA (p < .0001). These results support the hypothesis that the SSC is an effective intervention, at least in the short-term, for improving learning and motivational strategies in at risk students. Il est reconnu que les étudiants d’université dont les stratégies d’apprentissage sont inefficaces et qui ont une faible motivation risquent de souffrir de stress et d’obtenir de mauvaises notes. Au vu des besoins de ces étudiants, Mount St. Vincent University a mis en place un cours pour faciliter la réussite des étudiants (Student Success Course - SSC). Il s’agit d’une intervention de 14 semaines au cours de laquelle on enseigne des stratégies d’apprentissage, de gestion autonome et de motivation. L’objectif de cette étude est d’évaluer l’efficacité de ce cours dans le cas de 100 étudiants de premier cycle placés en probation. Les participants ont rapporté, avant et après le test, une augmentation significative de leurs stratégies cognitives, de leurs compétences en matière d’apprentissage et de leur motivation, ainsi qu’une baisse importante de leur anxiété face aux examens et de leur procrastination (ps < .05). Avec le temps, les participants ont également démontré une augmentation de leur moyenne pondérée cumulative (p < .0001). Ces résultats soutiennent l’hypothèse selon laquelle le cours en question représente une intervention efficace, tout au moins à court terme, pour améliorer les stratégies d’apprentissage et de motivation chez les étudiants à risque.

Interpreting Students' Experiences with Academic Disappointments Using Resourcefulness Scores as a Lens

“…Hence, it would be beneficial for universities to help students to develop a sense of control over their studies. Fortunately, academic success and self-management training programs involving weekly seminars on topics ranging from problem solving and learning strategies to research skills to motivation have been effective at helping students learn resourceful and academic skills and modify their negative academic beliefs (Bowering, Mills, & Merritt, 2017;Kennett, 1994;Reed et al, 2011;Reed et al, 2009). Whereas resourceful behaviors are thought to be acquired in childhood and early adolescence through informal interactions with parents and significant others, particularly resourceful others adopting a warm, loving, and supportive parenting style (Rosenbaum, 1990;Turkel & Tezer, 2008;Zauszniewski et al, 2002), formal and extensive instruction of general and academic-specific resourceful behaviors by supportive and encouraging instructors who are knowledgeable in education techniques is important at the university level (Bowering et al, 2017).…”

“…Fortunately, academic success and self-management training programs involving weekly seminars on topics ranging from problem solving and learning strategies to research skills to motivation have been effective at helping students learn resourceful and academic skills and modify their negative academic beliefs (Bowering, Mills, & Merritt, 2017;Kennett, 1994;Reed et al, 2011;Reed et al, 2009). Whereas resourceful behaviors are thought to be acquired in childhood and early adolescence through informal interactions with parents and significant others, particularly resourceful others adopting a warm, loving, and supportive parenting style (Rosenbaum, 1990;Turkel & Tezer, 2008;Zauszniewski et al, 2002), formal and extensive instruction of general and academic-specific resourceful behaviors by supportive and encouraging instructors who are knowledgeable in education techniques is important at the university level (Bowering et al, 2017). Academic success and self-management programs, therefore, focus on formally teaching key academic and resourcefulness skills, such as writing and editing skills, library research skills, time management and planning skills, deep learning strategies, goal-setting techniques, and constructively coping with academic stress, and these often extend over the course of an entire academic semester (see Bowering et al, 2017;Kennett, 1994 for details about course content).…”

“…Whereas resourceful behaviors are thought to be acquired in childhood and early adolescence through informal interactions with parents and significant others, particularly resourceful others adopting a warm, loving, and supportive parenting style (Rosenbaum, 1990;Turkel & Tezer, 2008;Zauszniewski et al, 2002), formal and extensive instruction of general and academic-specific resourceful behaviors by supportive and encouraging instructors who are knowledgeable in education techniques is important at the university level (Bowering et al, 2017). Academic success and self-management programs, therefore, focus on formally teaching key academic and resourcefulness skills, such as writing and editing skills, library research skills, time management and planning skills, deep learning strategies, goal-setting techniques, and constructively coping with academic stress, and these often extend over the course of an entire academic semester (see Bowering et al, 2017;Kennett, 1994 for details about course content). Encouragingly, students initially scoring lower on the SCS and who completed Kennett's (1994) program showed the greatest gains in resourcefulness and self-efficacy; however, those who scored extremely low on the SCS were the most likely to drop out, possibly because, as we observed in our study, they beat themselves up about failures, .…”

“…Students scoring low on the SCS in our study were unaware of how to implement effective study strategies, unmotivated to work hard, possessed a pessimistic explanatory style for both successes and disappointments, experienced difficulties learning from academic disappointments, and earned lower grades, thus putting themselves at greater risk of dropping out of university. Nonetheless, the aforementioned studies show that universities can play a crucial role in helping students gain the necessary resourcefulness skills to succeed academically by implementing academic success or selfmanagement (and perhaps self-compassion) training programs and perhaps targeting these programs to students in their first year of study (Bowering et al, 2017).…”

Bringing College Classrooms to the Community: Promoting Post-Secondary Access for Low-Income Adults Through Neighbourhood-Based College Courses

“…In aiming to build the academic skills of students, Canadian colleges and universities have sought to promote post-secondary accessibility for under-represented groups, including low-income adult learners, through continuing education and related initiatives. These initiatives can take a variety of forms, and include credit-based transition courses, financial support, counselling/advising regarding potential programs of study, academic upgrading services, and the provision of childcare (Bowering, Mills, & Merritt, 2017;Childs, Hanson, Carnegie-Douglas, & Archbold, 2017;Michalski et al, 2017). Such initiatives aim to mitigate the effects of situational barriers that students face, challenge institutional barriers, and effect an attitudinal shift in participants' academic confidence.…”