Research and Scholarship
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Item Open Access Proverbial Wisdom From K-State’s First Book: How to run a successful selection committee and approach a meaningful first year common reading experience.(2021-10-27) Coleman, Tara; Finch, Emily; tcole2; egfinchCommon reading programs provide first-year students with common experiences that facilitate their engagement in the academic and social domains of college life. The experience gives faculty and staff the opportunity to engage and connect with students inside and outside of the classroom, and allows them to model academic behavior and intellectual discussion. Providing students with a stepping stone to make connections, through a book and related programming, K-State students aren’t thrown into campus life and left to navigate and fend for themselves. Selected books often address difficult themes, and serve as effective tools in bridging cultural gaps, and addressing issues in inclusion, diversity, equity, and access proactively rather than retroactively. In this session, we will talk about the guiding principles that shape the success of K-State’s First Book. We talk about the program’s history, and then dive into the administrative considerations and guiding principles that shape each stage of the common reading selection process. We will discuss decision making principles on various topics including: membership, selection criteria, partnerships, programming, and evaluating outcomes. We will also provide recommendations based on our experience on how to administer a successful and diverse common reading program and a successful book selection process.Item Open Access Trickle-Down Engagement: Maximizing Teacher and Student Engagement in First-Year Courses(2017) Saucier, Donald; Miller, Stuart; saucierWhile much research has examined the engagement of college students in the classroom, relatively little research has examined the engagement of their teachers. This session explores the possibility that enhancing the engagement of college teachers will “trickle down” to enhance the engagement (and learning) of their students. Presenters will explore the results of their research program investigating college teachers’ subjective experiences in teaching, the correlates of these experiences, and the outcomes these experiences have on students’ engagement and learning. The data supports the “trickle-down engagement” model, and suggests practical recommendations to improve the engagement of both college faculty and students in their shared courses.Item Open Access Archiving (for) the Future: Creating First-Year Experience Programs Digital Archives(2017-02-11) Coleman, Tara L.; Eiselein, Gregory; Vaughan, Mariya; tcole2; eiselei; mbjvK-State First is often contacted by schools interested in creating a first-year experience program. Between outside requests and internal needs, we decided to establish an archive in Kansas State University's institutional repository. We store, preserve, and showcase our work creating and maintaining our program in this archive. This session will provide an overview of how FYE programs can create their own digital archives documenting their programs' histories and successes. We will share concrete examples of K-State's decisions, the process of creating our Digital FYE archive, and we will provide recommendations for programs wanting to create their own archives.Item Open Access Experiences of Academic Engagement and Classroom Community in Learning Communities(Kansas State University. K-State First., 2015-02-09) Saucier, Donald; Priest, Kerry; Eiselein, Gregory; Miller, Stuart; Martens, Amanda; Faculty; Faculty; Faculty; Student; StudentDo learning communities increase experiences of academic engagement and classroom community? If so, do these effects generalize to other classes? In Study 1, the presenters assessed students’ experiences of classroom community from the beginning to the end of the semester. In Study 2, they assessed students’ experiences of classroom community and academic engagement in learning community courses, compared to their experiences in a large introductory course, and to the experiences of other students in the large introductory course who were not in learning communities. This session provides insight into experiences of academic engagement and classroom community both within and beyond learning communities.Item Open Access Student Identify and the First-Year Learning Community(Kansas State University. K-State First., 2013-02-24) Eiselein, Gregory; Priest, Kerry; Saucier, Donald; Brack, Jenna; Lehning, Emily; Faculty; Faculty; Faculty; Staff; StaffHow does a student's sense of identity impact his or her desire to participate in a learning community? Using research on the Kansas State University CAT Community program, this session examines how attention to student identity formation, including a student's desire for belonging, impacts the short-term and long-term success of learning communities. The session includes practical advice on how to consider identity formation in your strategic planning, instructional design, marketing efforts, and advising process.Item Open Access Trickle Down Engagement in First-Year Common Reading Programs(2016) Coleman, Tara L.; Saucier, Donald; Miller, Stuart; tcole2; saucierCommon reading programs provide first-year students with common experiences that facilitate their engagement in the academic and social domains of college life. We investigated how the levels of engagement in common reading programs (e.g., recommended the book to students) by individuals in academic support roles (e.g., instructors, advisors, student life personnel) predicted students’ engagement in the book and book-related activities, as well as students’ retention of book content. We will discuss the importance of trickle down engagement (e.g., from instructors to students) in the success of common reading programs and offer practical recommendations to increase engagement in common reading programs.
