First-year Experience Program Research Articles

Improving accessibility, engagement and usefulness of online information literacy tutorials based on student feedback

PurposeIn order to evaluate a new series of online information literacy tutorials, students in a first-year experience program were invited to take a perception survey. The survey asked respondents if they perceived the tutorials to be accessible, engaging and useful. The feedback informed changes to tutorial learning objects in order to improve student learning of information literacy concepts.Design/methodology/approachData were collected using a survey instrument comprised of quantitative and qualitative questions about online tutorial accessibility, engagement and usefulness. All students enrolled in first-year experience courses at the end of the Fall 2022 semester were invited to take the survey.FindingsThe results suggest that the majority of respondents perceive the tutorials as useful for completing college-level assignments (62.5%) and easy to access and navigate (85%). Ratings for engagement are mixed; less than half of respondents perceive the tutorials to be engaging (44%). Analysis of qualitative questions may point to a connection between the perceived usefulness of a tutorial and a user’s engagement with the material.Originality/valueThis paper discusses the evaluation of tutorials comprised of vendor-produced content mixed with institutionally created content. It includes the survey instrument designed to collect student perceptions of these tutorials.

Students’ transition experiences: positioning FYE interventions in a student transition model

The transition from high school to university can be a challenging and overwhelming experience for many students. As such, it is imperative for higher education institutions to implement effective interventions to support students during this critical period. This article examines the positioning of First-Year Experience (FYE) interventions within a student transition model. The study was conducted by reviewing existing studies, articles, and books related to FYE interventions and their impact on students' transition experiences. The researchers utilised various academic databases, such as EBSCO, JSTOR, and Google Scholar to gather relevant literature on the topic. The methodology used in this study involved systematically searching for and critically evaluating existing literature on FYE interventions and their role in students' transition experiences. The researchers then synthesized and analyzed the findings from the selected literature to identify trends and gaps in the existing research. Through a review of existing literature, this article explores the various factors that influence students’ transition experiences, the role of FYE interventions, and recommendations for future research and practice. The findings of this research indicate that students’ transition experiences are multifaceted, encompassing academic, social, and personal adjustments. Academic stress, social integration, and identity development are identified as key challenges, faced by students during their transition to university life. The role of FYE interventions in addressing these challenges is perceived to be crucial, highlighting the importance of academic support, mentorship, and opportunities for social connection, provided by these programs. The implications of this research suggest the need for a holistic student transition model that encompasses academic, social, and personal dimensions of the transition experience. FYE interventions are positioned within this model as a key component in supporting students through their transition to university life. The findings also emphasize the importance of tailoring FYE programs to meet the diverse needs of students, taking into account factors, such as cultural background, socioeconomic status, and individual learning styles. In conclusion, this research contributes to the understanding of students’ transition experiences and the positioning of FYE interventions within a comprehensive student transition model. It highlights the diverse challenges, faced by students during their transition to university, and underscores the importance of tailoring FYE programs to meet these challenges. The findings of this research have implications for the design and implementation of effective FYE interventions, emphasizing the need for a holistic approach that addresses the academic, social, and personal dimensions of students’ transition experiences.

A Case Study on the Development of the First-Year Experience Programs

A Case Study on the Development of the First-Year Experience Programs

THE FIRST-YEAR EXPERIENCE INCORPORATING THE ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT APPROACH AT KOBE TOKIWA UNIVERSITY

In Japan, the first-year experience that rapidly gained attention at the beginning of the twenty-first century was clearly positioned in 2008 as formal undergraduate educational programs (The Central Council for Education, 2008). The term “first-year experience” is defined as a “comprehensive educational program primarily created for freshmen” to promote their smooth transition from high school to university and to create successful academic and social experiences at university (The Central Council for Education, 2008). Thus, the first-year experience is a specific program with activities implemented by diverse universities to fit the unique needs of their first-year university students (Tachi, 2008). One important issue of the first-year experience within the undergraduate program has been identifying ways to guarantee the quality of education. Kobe Tokiwa University’s four departments (medical technology, nursing, child education, and dental hygiene) require students to gain strong abilities to collaborate and cooperate in teams to be responsible for future team medical care or a school as a team. Therefore, in 2018, the university implemented a first-year experience program that incorporated the organizational development approach instead of the conventional human resource development approach. This article shares our experiences using a first-year experience program that incorporates the organizational development approach, and we discuss the potential of this approach for the first-year experience. To estimate the effectiveness of organizational development approach in FYE, we analyzed and compared the interim data that were reported on students in 2017 and 2018 using a text mining method. By introducing this “Organizational Development” approach into the students’ first-year educational curriculum, results suggest that it is possible to “deepen self-understanding” and “cooperate in self-understanding of others” at an early stage of a student’s enrollment. It is thought that this approach could become another effective method for universities to use for training professional persons as interpersonal aid workers.

One Size Doesn’t Fit All: Students’ Perceptions of FYE Approaches

First-Year Experience (FYE) programs have become a focal point for efforts to transition and retain all students, as numerous studies suggest that such initiatives deepen students’ academic preparation for college and support their emotional investments in the campus community. Using quantitative and qualitative data gathered from 842 students in 54 courses during Fall 2013 and 2014, this article considers the comparative merits of Living Learning Communities (LLC), “habits of mind” First-Semester Core (FSC) courses, a hybrid-model (LLC-FSC) initiative, and non-FYE courses by considering students’ perception of their academic gains and social engagement. Survey results indicate that students perceive very different benefits across the various FYE models, especially when the FYE is housed in disciplinary rather than general education courses. The comparisons suggest the need for an intentional, goals-oriented approach to FYE programs, as a “one-size fits all” approach may not result in both academic growth and community engagement for students. For institutions with limited faculty and curricular resources, the choice of which type of FYE model to adopt is particularly important.

The Parent First-Year Experience on a Community College Campus

This study explores the effects of a Parent First-Year Experience (PFYE) program at Washtenaw Community College. Specifically, the study addresses attitudes and perceptions of parents who participated in the PFYE program over the course of two years and the relationship between parent participation and students’ academic success and retention. A total of 71 (year 1 n=37; year 2 n=34) parents responded to the online survey. Researchers learned that parents who participated in the PFYE understood the milestones of their students’ first year and felt prepared to support their student through transition. Results indicated that the combination of parent orientation, e-newsletters, workshops, webinars, and online communication comprise an acceptable PFYE format. Beyond practical implications, this study serves as a launching point for future research and theories related to parental connectivity to the community college and further studies assessing the effects of PFYE programs.

How the Implementation of a First-Year Experience Program Could Improve Student Satisfaction and Sense of Belonging at an Urban Mid-Sized College

This study gathered information from first-, second-, and third-year on-campus students to better understand their perceptions of their college experiences and how the creation of a first-year experience program could improve student satisfaction and sense of belonging at an urban mid-sized college. The qualitative data in this study revealed the importance of utilizing students’ perceptions to improve the college experience.

First-Year Experience Programs for Nursing Students

First-Year Experience Programs for Nursing Students

Set your students up for success with integrated first-year experience

PHOENIX — Students want a formal introduction to your campus, and research shows that orientation and first-year experience programs help lead to successful retention of students across all types of institutions, said Alicia Moore, dean of student and enrollment services at Central Oregon Community College. Moore recently implemented a mandatory first-year experience program that requires new students to participate in orientation, advising, and a college success course.

Incorporating High-Impact Practices for Retention: A Learning Community Model for Transfer Students

Transfer from one institution to another is increasingly common for students during the course of their higher education careers. The number of students moving from community colleges to four-year universities continues to rise. Transfer students report experiences of alienation, isolation, and other personal and academic challenges. To address this problematic transition, the authors propose a cohort-based learning community model that incorporates high-impact practices of first-year experience programs demonstrated to improve retention. These include enhanced advising, project-based student collaboration, application of knowledge across courses, collaboration of core faculty, peer support, and required participation in campus activities. This model, applicable to any major and particularly useful for those comprised heavily of upper division courses, is applied in a Sociology department. Findings from the pilot study suggest that students experience increased sense of community, improved academic and social integration, and great promise for retention. Ultimately, the comprehensive model and assessment plan detailed in this article can be implemented in a similar manner across disciplines and universities for a variety of student populations of concern.

The Role of Community College First-Year Experience Programs in Promoting Transfer Among Latino Male Students

ABSTRACTA qualitative case study approach was used to examine Latino male students and First-Year Experience (FYE) programs aimed at promoting student transfer. Two FYE programs at two community colleges in California were studied: Bridgetown Community College and Portlake Community College (pseudonyms). Study participants included four groups: Latino male FYE students, Latino male FYE alumni, FYE counselors, and FYE coordinators. Data collection strategies included semi-structured interviews, site observations, and document analysis. Analysis of data involved both deductive and inductive approaches, and resulted in identification of four findings critical to the success of FYE programs and their work with Latino males: (a) the need to support help-seeking behaviors, (b) the need to address the “long journey” to transfer, (c) the need to support students’ work burden and financial constraints, and (d) the need to incorporate approachable and culturally responsive practices. Overall, the study offers insights into how community colleges might strengthen transfer support for Latino males through FYE programs.

A Shared Multi-Disciplinary Creativity Requirement for First Year Students

Even though interest in embedding creativity into tertiary curricula has grown internationally, little scholarship exists about implementation strategies or the efficacy of linking creativity pedagogies to first-year experience programs. This practice report describes how Suffolk University in Boston, Massachusetts, inserted a new creativity requirement for first-year students as a part of curriculum reform in the College of Arts and Sciences and in the Sawyer Business School in spite of considerable resistance. It will demonstrate the uniqueness of the approach and suggest anticipated outcomes in advance of a comprehensive assessment process now underway.
 

Distributed and collaborative: Experiences of local leadership of a first-year experience program

Local level leadership of the first year experience (FYE) is critical for engaging academic and professional staff in working collaboratively on a whole of institution focus on student transition and success. This paper describes ways in which local informal leadership is experienced at faculty level in an institutional FYE program, based on interviews with faculty coordinators and small grant recipients. Initial analysis using the distributed leadership tenets described by Jones, Hadgraft, Harvey, Lefoe, and Ryland (2014) revealed features that enabled success, such as collaborative communities, as well as faculty differences influenced by the strength of the external mandate for change in the FYE. More fine-grained analysis indicated further themes in engaging others, enabling and enacting the FYE program that fostered internal mandates for change: gaining buy-in; being opportunistic; making use of evidence of success and recognition; along with the need for collegial support for coordinators and self-perceptions of leadership being about making connections, collaboration, trust and expertise.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Mental Health and Academic Success of First-Year College Students

The prevalence and severity of mental health issues are increasing among college students, and such issues pose a threat to health and academic performance. Responses from 66,159 undergraduate students about mental health and academics from the American College Health Association-National College Health Assessment II were examined using regression analyses. Differences in mental health diagnoses were found by classification with first-year students reporting higher rates of self-injury and seriously considering suicide. Upperclassmen reported higher rates of academic impact from mental health factors. Findings indicate one’s first-year of college as the prime time to promote awareness of and strategies to prevent mental health issues or negative academic effects; implications for first-year experience programs are discussed.

Report on First-Year Experience Program in College of Acupuncture and Moxibustion

Report on First-Year Experience Program in College of Acupuncture and Moxibustion

Information Literacy Instruction Programs: Supporting the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Community at Virginia Tech

When developing instructional programs related to information literacy at a university, a logical audience to focus on is undergraduates. However, information literacy spans far beyond the traditional ability to find, access, evaluate, use, and properly cite information. It also encompasses the ability to evaluate the impact of scholarship, determine appropriate data-management practices, understand author rights, promote ethical use of scholarship, and maintain an awareness of changes in scholarly communication. Between 2010 and 2016 librarians at Virginia Tech have focused on developing programs to strengthen several of these information literacy skills across the continuum of students, faculty, and extension agents in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS). Starting with undergraduates, traditional information literacy skills were incorporated into the two CALS First-Year Experience programs. A scientific writing workshop and online information literacy course were designed for CALS graduate students. Extension agents and faculty were introduced to both traditional and more advanced applications to explore how changes in the information landscape impacts their work. This paper will discuss how these librarians have partnered to create and promote these information literacy initiatives.

From one-shot sessions to embedded librarian: Lessons learned over seven years of successful faculty-librarian collaboration

Successful information literacy programs require collaboration between multiple constituencies, including faculty, staff, administrators, and librarians. The purpose of this article is to share some of the lessons we’ve learned in our faculty-librarian partnership, in the hope that it might inform and guide others seeking to build successful collaborations as they strive to promote information literacy on their campuses. Our collaboration began somewhat modestly in 2008 with a traditional oneshot session, overoptimistically designed to teach a class of first year sociology students everything they might need to know about library research. Over the next six years, we shaped, customized, tweaked, and adjusted our approach until we arrived at a fully embedded librarian model. The First Year Experience (FYE) Introduction to Sociology course now includes five hands-on information literacy sessions that use active learning, several additional appearances by the librarian in the classroom, and mandatory one-on-one meetings between each student and the librarian. The librarian and subject faculty member also worked together to create the syllabus and other course materials, including a handbook for student e-portfolios that are a required component of Alfred University’s FYE program. Although the initial impetus for change came from a restructuring of the FYE program, which requires each course to be either writing or information literacy intensive, we have taken our collaboration well beyond the required parameters. Along the way we have seen significant improvement in student research papers. We hope to provide a more comprehensive analysis of our assessment data in a future publication. Fully embedded team teaching is the gold standard The ideal to strive for is a situation in which librarians and teaching faculty are complete equals working together on the content and coverage of the information literacy components of the course. Although this ideal cannot always be reached due to various local constraints, interdisciplinary teams often make for a richer educational experience. By endeavoring to move beyond the traditional one-shot model towards full embeddedness, we demonstrate that information literacy is fundamental to generating and consuming knowledge across all disciplines.

First Year Experience: How We Can Better Assist First-Year International Students in Higher Education

While many American colleges and universities are providing a First Year Experience (FYE) course or program for their first year students, those programs are not often customized to take into account international students’ (IS) unique challenges. Using quantitative and qualitative methods, this study evaluated a FYE course that was customized for IS in a college setting. Nineteen IS and eight domestic students (DS) who attended FYE classes completed a survey; 18 of the 19 IS were interviewed. Overall, the FYE class was successful in terms of helping IS to familiarize themselves with academic resources and expectations, understanding American culture, making more American friends, and improving their English language skills. Suggestions for future integration of IS into FYE programs are discussed.

Supporting Students in the Margins: Establishing a First-Year Experience for LGBTQA Students

This paper describes the creation of a comprehensive First-Year Experience program for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and ally (LGBTQA) students. Background information on First-Year Experience programs, LGBTQA populations, and the benefits of providing this program are described. The authors discuss how to plan and implement this program on other campuses and discuss issues and future considerations for helping campuses meet the needs of special populations

Contextualizing Information Literacy Enrichment Through a Common Reader in a First-Year Experience Seminar

First-year students typically lack adequate skills in using library resources and understanding basic information literacy. Due to the importance of information literacy skills for success in the first year, the California State University, Bakersfield (CSUB) Library has been an active partner with the campus First-Year Experience program. In order to respond to the challenges that students face in developing library-related academic skills, the authors developed nine information literacy modules embedded in a First-Year Experience course that is focused on a multicultural common reader.