How Do You Do It? Course & Curriculum Development for Counseling & Library

Faculty

Kevin Bontenbal, Cuesta College

Michelle Pilati, Rio Hondo College

Description

• A chorus of voices point colleges toward the importance of integrating counseling and library components into the curriculum process for course and program development. Embedding a required counseling visit or library research project into a course outline is much more likely to prompt students to use resources about which they might otherwise remain ignorant.

“How do you do it?”

• “importance of integrating counseling and library components into the curriculum process for course and program development.”

• Why?

Why?

• Increase student success

• Align with/support basic skills development in general as well as the BSI

• Information competency

• Promoting services – Increase student awareness– Increase staff and faculty awareness

CCLC Convention - November 21, 2008

CCLC ConventionAnaheim, California, November 21,

2008The Basic Skills Initiative:

Implementation and Student Success

Carole Bogue-Feinour, Vice Chancellor, Academic Affairs, System Office

Lori Gaskin, Vice President, Academic Affairs/Student Services, Lake Tahoe Community College

Robin Richards, Vice President, Student Services, College of the Siskiyous

Mark Wade Lieu, President, Academic Senate, Ohlone College

CCLC Convention - November 21, 2008

The Basic Skills Initiative

What is our System doing to improve the

success of ESL & basic skills students?

CCLC Convention - November 21, 2008

What topics did the statewide project workshops address?

• Curriculum Design and Alignment Across Disciplines

• Integration of Instruction with Student Services

• Teaching Strategies and Methods of Instructional Delivery Using Technology

CCLC Convention - November 21, 2008

What areas are being strengthened with BSI? • Professional Development – 91% of colleges• Instructional Practices and Academic Support• Counseling Support• Integration of Instruction and Support Services• Orientation, Assessment, Placement• Program Evaluation & Use of Data• Financial Aid to Developmental Students

CCLC Convention - November 21, 2008

Who is being hired to help with BSI at the colleges?

• Tutors

• Coordinators

• Counselors

CCLC Convention - November 21, 2008

Effective Practices in Basic Skills Area A- Organizational and Administrative

Practices

Area B – Program Components

Area C – Staff Development

Area D – Instructional Practices

CCLC Convention - November 21, 2008

Area A - Organizational & Administrative Practices

• Summer “bridge” programs involving instruction and student services

• Learning communities programs involving instruction and student services, linking courses to labs, counselors, tutors

• Counselor visits to classrooms

• Weekly meetings between instruction and student services

CCLC Convention - November 21, 2008

Area B-Program Components

Orientation, Assessment and Placement• Conduct special orientations for basic skills

students

Regular Program Evaluations• Develop tracking system for student retention

and success

CCLC Convention - November 21, 2008

Area B-Program Components

Counseling support is substantial & integrated• Counselor visits to developmental education

classes• Assign counselor to developmental education

students (case management approach)

CCLC Convention - November 21, 2008

Area C – Staff Development

• Site visits, workshops, and conference participation

• Visiting experts

• Teaching learning center coordinator

• In-service on developmental education pedagogy

CCLC Convention - November 21, 2008

Area D – Instructional Practices

• Implement Reading and Writing Across the Curriculum

• Develop Writing, Math & Reading labs• Supplemental instruction• First-year college experience

Approaches

• Curriculum Process• Courses

– Stand alone– Component of an existing course

• Embed– Unit, assignment, or activity

• Linking courses – learning communities• Tutorials/guides• Orientations/class visits

Curriculum Process• Do library and counseling services play a

role in your curriculum process?

• Counseling examples?

• Library examples?

• Should there be a role in the curriculum process?

Curriculum Process• Should library and/or counseling elements

be a required component of all courses?

• Pros/cons?

Courses

• Stand alone– Library or Counseling 101

• Component of an existing course– Such as?

Examples

• Cuesta Library

– Library Research Workbook - ENGL 201A

– Research Skills for the Information Age course

– Online library tutorials

– Library orientations

Linking courses – learning communities

• Linking counseling courses to other courses is common – what about linking library courses to other courses?

• Are there “natural fits”?

Tutorials/guides

• Online

• Paper

• Online unit for integration into online courses – or as an add-on for a campus-based course

• What is the best approach?

Orientations/class visits

• How do you ensure that such visits are effective?

• What approaches can be used to get “buy-in”?

• What about online classes?

Conclusions?

• Effectively integrating student support services is essential for student success.

• Do it!