All I Really Need to Know about Advising Theory, I Learned From….

NACADA International Conference

Sheffield, UK

Tuesday, July 11, 2017

Ryan Scheckel

Note: All references in this session are taken from Drake, J. K., Jordan, P., & Miller, M. A. (Eds.). (2013). Academic

advising approaches: Strategies that teach students to make the most of college. San Francisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons

(available at the NACADA booth in the exhibitor area of this conference, online at the NACADA Store, and from other fine

retailers).

A brief scene from one of the six extant Star Wars films (copyright Lucasfilm, LLC; Disney; and/or whomever else)

accompanies each section summary from Approaches (listed below) for purely thematic and educational purposes. No

monetary gain is claimed by the presenter, NACADA, or any other related parties.

Table of Contents

PART ONE: Foundations (the Original Trilogy)

1. Pragmatism & Symbolic Interactionism

2. & 3. Teaching & Learning Theories

4. Developmental Advising

PART TWO: A New Light (the Prequel Trilogy)

5. Motivational Interviewing

6. Appreciative Advising

7. Strengths-based Advising

8. Self-authorship Theory

9. Proactive Advising

10. Advising as Coaching

PART THREE: A New Lens (The Clone Wars & Star Wars Rebels)

11. Constructivism & Systems Theories

12. Socratic Advising

13. Hermeneutics

PART FOUR: A New Path (the Disney Era)

14. Envisioning the Future

1. Pragmatism & Symbolic Interactionism

• The philosophical basis for advising is pragmatism.

• “The meaning of conceptions is to be sought

in their practical bearings, that the function

of thought is to guide action, and that truth

is pre-eminently to be tested by the

practical consequences of belief.”

• The sociological basis for advising is symbolic

interactionism.

• “Reality emerges from the meaning that

individuals share regarding the physical,

ideological, and social aspects of their

environment.”

• People are meaning makers and advising is a meaning making process.

• Advising should be an intentional process.

“You’ll find that many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view.”

Institutional conditions for student success (Tinto): • High, clear, and consistent expectations • Available support • Feedback supporting early understanding of

academic performance is utilized • Opportunities for involvement with the

community (faculty, staff, and peers) • Relevant and value added learning

High-impact practices (Kuh): • First-year seminars and experiences • Common intellectual experiences • Learning communities • Writing-intensive courses • Collaborative assignments and projects • Undergraduate research • Diversity/global learning • Service and community-based learning • Internships • Capstone courses and projects

Notes:

2. & 3. Teaching & Learning Theories Instructional Pedagogy:

Clear objectives

Standards and accountability

The hook (a.k.a. an anticipatory set)

Input (or information) vehicles

Modeling critical thinking and problem solving

Checking for understanding

Design for mastery

Guide to closure

Expect independent practice Good teachers:

Are clear

Employ variability

Show enthusiasm

Are task-oriented

Construct opportunities for learning

Demonstrate care and concern Bad teachers:

Communicate incompetence

Offend

Are indolent (absent-minded, not present, disorganized) Connecting learning principles to advising:

Goals should be clear, reasonable, and positive

Learning Requires Active Involvement

Motivated Students Learn More Effectively

High Expectations Encourage High Achievement

Students Need Feedback

Interactions Promote Learning

THE Caveat: Each Student is Different

“You’ve taken your first step into a larger world.”

Notes:

BONUS: LEARNING THEORY MAP ▶ bit.ly/18B9Pw2

4. Developmental Advising Timeline:

1970 – Hardee introduced important terms: teacher-learner environment and the student’s educational, vocational, and personal concerns

1972 – Crookston o a developmental view of advising with growth as the

outcome o advising as teaching o developmental-prescriptive advising dichotomy/continuum

1972 – O’Banion o five-step model included educational, vocational, and

personal elements o identified skills, knowledge, and attributes for each step o advocated for a campus network approach

1982-1984 – the concept is firmly established o Winston, Ender, & Miller’s “Developmental Approaches to

Academic Advising” published o Theorists included Perry (educational), Super (vocational),

and Chickering (personal)

Today: o Not a theory o A strategy/method/technique/approach/way of doing

advising with theories of development as the framework o With informational, relational, and conceptual aspects o Holistic in nature: educational, career, and personal

dimensions influence each other and cannot be separated o A shared process: students must be honest and forthcoming,

advisors tolerant and provocative; both must be trustworthy o And based on student growth as the measure of success

“I am a Jedi, like my father before me.”

Notes:

5. Motivational Interviewing Miller & Rollnick’s 4 Processes:

1. Engaging – the relational foundation, involves listening and determining if MI is the appropriate approach

2. Guiding – involves identifying a change goal, setting the agenda, and if necessary giving information and advice (with student permission)

3. Evoking – the crux for MI, includes recognizing and eliciting change talk

4. Planning – involves negotiating change goals and plans, strengthening commitment, and implementing/adjusting behavior change

Martino & Hopfer’s 4 General Principles:

1. Expressing empathy 2. Developing discrepancy 3. Rolling with resistance 4. Supporting self-efficacy

Strategies:

OARS (Open questions, Affirming, Reflecting, & Summarizing)

Evoking change talk via DARN (Desire, Ability, Reason, Need to change)

Tackling resistance

Creating readiness

Planning

“Perhaps I can find new ways to motivate them.”

Notes:

6. Appreciative Advising

“A social constructivist advising framework and approach rooted in appreciative inquiry, an organizational change theory focused on the cooperative search for the positive in every living system and leveraging this positive energy to mobilize change.”

A research-based advising model with demonstrated impact and effectiveness on student success.

A theory-to-practice package for academic advisors.

Has been expanded to a broader appreciative education model, used in a variety of student affairs settings.

The Six Phases of Appreciative Advising: 1. Disarm – plan and work to make a positive first impression 2. Discover – continue to build rapport by learning about student’s

strengths, skills, abilities, and stories 3. Dream – elicit student’s hopes and dreams for their futures 4. Design – partner with students to create plans to accomplish the

visions they share in the Dream phase 5. Deliver – support students to take responsibility for executing their

plans 6. Don’t Settle – continually encourage improved student

performance while also working to improve your own

“I’m going to be the first one to see ‘em all!”

Notes:

7. Strengths-based Advising Bedrock premise: Capitalizing on one’s areas of greatest talent likely leads to greater success than investing comparable time and effort to remediate areas of weakness. Interdisciplinary foundations:

Social Work – clients possess the ability to overcome adversity, grow, and succeed

Business (via Performance Management) – feedback and awareness of talents motivates toward engagement and excellence

Positive Psychology – emphasizes optimal human functioning and connecting with intrinsic motivation

Higher Education (the Talent Development approach) – every student can learn with the proper balance of challenge and support

“Boo-doo dweet!”

Challenges:

Resistance to change and perceived costs of adopting strengths-based approaches

Lack of confidence or expertise with new instruments or strategies

Talent identification is not the goal, strengths development is.

The myth that weaknesses are ignored (they’re not, you just approach them from a position of strength). Steps:

1. Identify students’ talents 2. Affirm and increase awareness of strengths 3. Envision the future 4. Plan specific steps for student to reach goals 5. Apply students’ strengths to challenges

Notes:

8. Self-Authorship Theory

A relatively new constructive-developmental perspective on human psychosocial maturation.

Characterized by a shift from dependence on an authority to an intrinsic understanding of self that guides decision-making.

Marked by crossroads (Baxter Magolda) and provocative moments (Pizzolato).

Emphasizes an individual’s developing capacity when setting goals and taking action to balance:

o critical evaluations of information o personal beliefs and values, and o relationships with others.

“He must live. I need him!”

The Learning Partnership Model – LPM (Baxter Magolda & King):

Validate students as knowers – via reflective conversations, help students recognize and validate their role as knowledge constructors; collaborate in and support the self-authorship process

Situate learning in students’ experiences – encourage students to use their existing knowledge and experience as a foundation for interpreting new situations; help students identify the obstacles that might hinder achievement of plans instead of simply diagnosing and referring

Define learning as mutually constructing meaning – as a partner (not an expert), contribute perspectives to help students reach nuanced interpretations of their experiences and help them explore their own interpretations

Translating Theory to Advising Practice:

Assist students in building their internal foundations through reflective conversations;

Help reduce the distraction of external pressures, such as peers, family, or social expectations so students can find their own voice; and

Encourage students to act on their internal voice, trust it, and align beliefs with actions.

Notes:

9. Proactive Advising

Formerly known as “intrusive advising”

First appeared in Glennen’s work in 1975

Earl (1988): “a deliberate, structured student intervention at the first sign of academic difficulty”

Communication calendar!

Beatty’s four barriers: o Student characteristics o Faculty and staff issues o Curricular matters o Family concerns

Boylan’s three phases: o Introduction and (pre-)intervention o Monitoring o Acting based on information collected

“I don’t like just waiting here for something to happen to her.”

Notes:

10. Advising as Coaching • Rooted in historical apprenticeship and mentoring practices.

• Emerged as an outgrowth of executive coaching, leadership

development, and adult education programs.

• Is ultimately a one-on-one developmental process.

• The Three Levels of Advising as Coaching....

“Enter the bureaucrats...”

Notes:

11. Constructivism & Systems Theory

Theory is becoming ever more essential because it provides a framework of ideas to make sense of shifting situations.

Constructivism: o a way of thinking about knowing o Piaget: the original constructivist o Vygotsky: social constructivism

Systems theory: o a philosophical lens through which one can

understand phenomena by looking at patterns o Provides a conceptual, visual way to consider

the elements of practice o Tukey (1996) argued that a systems theory

approach was the best way to integrate advising with the central mission of the institution.

“It surrounds us and penetrates us. It binds the galaxy together.”

Notes:

Academic Advising

Advisor Student

Institution External

Influences

12. Socratic Advising • A critical thinking framework

• An assessment of student thinking

• Breaks issues down to component parts via Socratic questioning

• A proactive (and provocative) advising style

• Helping techniques are easily leveraged

• A teaching and learning approach

Figure 12.1. Paul and Elder’s critical-thinking framework based on

the Socratic approach to inquiry

Critical thinkers routinely apply intellectual standards to the elements of reasoning in order to develop intellectual traits.

Notes:

“Why wish you become Jedi, hm?”

Figure 12.5. Socratic Advising Process

13. Hermeneutics

Is fundamentally concerned with understanding

Asks: o How is understanding possible? o How does one know when an understanding is

accurate? o What must one already know to understand?

Has foundations in humanities disciplines

Holds connections with academic advising: o All advising is mediated through discourse:

language o Advising uses narrative language o Sense is made from within contexts of

experience Heidegger:

Interpretation begets meaning and meaning is individually made

Our connectedness to (being-with) others conditions us

Our world and its frameworks influence us

Time alters meaning

“So certain are you.”

Gadamer:

Prejudgments are inescapable, so they must be engaged

o Review personal history with questions o Consider the influence of formal education o Know oneself o assess attitudes and values

Hermeneutic Circle: the whole/parts paradox

Question: any utterance is the answer to a question

I/Thou: three ways to consider the advisor (I)/student (thou) relationship

o They are predictable, controllable, immutable

o I know them better than they know themselves

o I seek to know them as they truly are (epistemic humility)

Application:

Recognize the difficulties with the opacity of language

Consciously involve yourself with the processes of interpretation

Set up and engage in a two-sided conversation

Recognize and probe for context

Actively embrace self-reflection Notes:

14. Envisioning the Future

Marc Lowenstein offers a vision, not a prediction, and challenges the dominant theoretical influences of academic advising

Advisors and students: o Advising is locus of learning, not a service o Advising gives meaning to education o Advising is a year-round, non-administrative enterprise o Advising is transformational o Advising socializes students to take responsibility o Advising helps students create meaning and see patterns in

their learning

Advisors and institutions

o Advising is rightfully a credit-bearing activity o Advisors are faculty members o Advising and assessment are inextricable linked o Advisors are campus thought leaders o Advisors expect and are expected to continue learning o Admissions brags about advising programs

Advisors and academia o Advising gains high status as a career o Advising is informed by cutting-edge thinking o Advising is non-preferentially informed by many disciplines and

paradigms o Advisors contribute to non-advising conferences and journals o Advisors debate their ideas about the future.

“There has been an awakening. Have you felt it?”

Notes: