Category: Advising

Advising, Professional

Advancing Academic Advising: A Collaborative Approach to Transform Advising & the Student Experience

The Advisor That Cares

Allison Scully's avatarAdvising in Canada

Echo Pittman, PhD, is the Associate Director (Academic Advising & Outreach) in the Office of the Registrar at Memorial University of Newfoundland. Sarah Arnott, MMSC, PMP is the Manager, Strategic, Planning & Liaison in the Office of the Chief Information Officer at Memorial University of Newfoundland.

Photo of authors: Echo Pittman and Sarah Arnott

Introduction

Concerns about the student educational experience, student progress, and degree completion often motivate post-secondary institutions to actively seek innovative ways to enhance engagement and improve student success. It is known that student success is affected by a wide range of factors. However, quality academic advising plays a positive role in enhancing students’ sense of belonging and persistence (Drake, 2011; Kuhn, 2006) as Drake (2011) describes the power of advising by stating, “it is the very human art of building relationships with students and helping them connect their personal strengths and interests with their academic and life goals” (p. 8).

Recognizing academic advising plays…

View original post 1,901 more words

Action Research, ADL Program, Advising, ePortfolios, Evolution, Goals, Growth, Growth Mindset, Humor, Innovation Plan, Leadership, Learner's Mindset, Learning, Personal, Professional, Professional Learning, Reflecting, Research

Academic Writing & Mindset

The Advisor That Cares

I greatly appreciate Dr. Meeuwse holding office hours. This has rejuvenized the collaborative aspect of learning that I enjoy (and miss) so very much. I love that we have a facilitator who genuinely wants to help us be successful in our writing. I have picked up some great tips for approaching this literature review. I already feel more comfortable and familiar with the content of my research. I still really struggle to articulate how I believe my innovation plans are innovative and are the first of many steps toward a better experience for students and advisors.

Last week, Dr. Meeuwse shared a tip on her research approach during her doctoral experience.

She gave a beautiful nugget of knowledge when she suggested we approach paraphrasing by making bullet points of no more than two words (citing the source as we go) while reviewing relevant literature.

Tonight she gave additional details.

Read the article through, read it aloud, making bullet points with in-text citations, then put it away (the source material). Go and write sentences from memory (trying not to return to the source material so you aren’t tempted to reuse the authors’ words or meanings instead of expressing your learning).

This program’s craftsmanship never ceases to amaze me. I have a very specific visual image in my head of Dr. Harapnuik telling us how sneakily he manipulates us into learning.

Embarking on this course, I really had to give myself a pep talk. I dreaded whichever class had another one of those dang lit reviews. I forced myself to reflect as those old patterns of panic tried to creep in. Almost immediately, I recognized that I had to own whether or not I had embraced and accepted a learner’s mindset. Would I let research and academic writing scare me away from the authentic work I have been doing throughout this program to bring flipped advising to life?

Looking at the work I have completed up to this point in the program made me recognize that I am very familiar with my innovation plan. I am approaching my research efforts with much more specificity than my first attempt at a literature review. I definitely have a better understanding of the point of the darn thing. I am still struggling to explain what I hope to do with flipped advising and how students accurately identifying coursework for registration is the first significant step forward for our advisors and students.

Nonetheless, by standing on multiple means of support found in the literature, I will have a clearer picture of exactly how action research will guide the process toward revolutionizing advising.

Action Research, ADL Program, Advising, ePortfolios, Goals, Growth, Leadership, Learner's Mindset, Learning, Personal, Professional, Professional Learning, Reflecting, Research

Professional Learning Plans

The Advisor That Cares

In my quest for research for my action research literature review, I came across an article that immediately made me think of my professional learning plans. Specifically when looking to the future of professional learning and how an innovation to advising could transform advising interactions.

Screenshot of "Looking to the Future" section of linked webpage.

Academic Tutors/Advisors and Students Working in Partnership: Negotiating and Co-creating in “The Third Space”

I did not even realize it, but this is an exciting “perspective piece” to find as a wonderful confirmation of what I envisioned throughout my professional learning plans that include this type of peer partnership.

Reference

McIntosh, E. A., Steele, G. E., & Grey, D. (2020). Academic tutors/advisors and students working in partnership: Negotiating and co-creating in “The third space.” Frontiers in Education, 5. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2020.528683

Action Research, ADL Program, Advising, Evolution, Goals, Growth, Growth Mindset, Humor, Learner's Mindset, Learning, Personal, Reflecting, Research

Am I a researcher?

The Advisor That Cares
Image of authors workspace. A pair of reading glasses is resting on a spiral notebook with a background of a full box of pens, a highlighter, John Dewey's book, and a cup of cream topped coffee sits on a coffee warmer.

The strangest thing is beginning to happen. As I read literature, I recognize authors I have previously read, cited, and studied. This recognition of source material is a very entertaining phenomenon as I am reviewing and searching for new resources and information on my innovation topic.

Action Research, ADL Program, Advising, ePortfolios, Goals, Growth, Growth Mindset, Influencer, Innovation Plan, Leadership, Learner's Mindset, Learning, Personal, Professional, Professional Learning, Reflecting, Research

Relevant Research

The Advisor That Cares

So I really feel like I have been on a quest for precisely the type of information I just found.

Transformations in academic advising as a profession

For the first time, I have found a recent piece of literature that connects directly to the goals of my innovation plan. Let me see if I can explain this connection and my excitement at finding it.  

I struggle to accurately explain why an innovation involving blended learning (Horn & Staker, 2017) could revolutionize advising. An advising innovation will impact students and advisors at my institution for all reasons cited in this body of work.

My innovation plan seeks to create more time and comfortable space within advising appointments for meaningful interactions (Troxel et al., 2021). Until we find an effective way to get the course registration and degree plan requirements out of the way, advising will continually miss potentially life-altering opportunities. 

My action research study will utilize a quantitative design to narrowly focus on any correlation between study agency over accurate course registration and a blended learning advising module on the same topic. 

  • Variable one:
    • A blended learning advising module covering how and where to find degree plan requirements, degree progression plans, course registration procedures, and other registration-related tasks such as holds, balances, or action items needed for course registrations. 
  • Variable two: 
    • Student agency, as evidenced by the ability to outline course plans accurately and effectively before the advising session for the upcoming registration period. 

Methods:

  • Student pre-advising Likert and Likert-like questions regarding upcoming course registration, advising module information, and overall perceptions of readiness for next semester’s course registration
  • Advisor post-advising Likert and Likert-like questions regarding the accuracy of course selections made by the student, the quality of questions students ask during advising sessions and the advisor’s perceptions of the student’s preparedness for course registration. Advisors will rank the accuracy of registration plans and relevance to the student’s degree program. Finally, advisors will rate the overall advising interaction and depth of conversation. 

References

Horn, M. B., & Staker, H. (2017). Blended: Using disruptive innovation to improve schools. John Wiley & Sons.

Troxel, W. M., Bridgen, S., Hutt, C., & Sullivan‐Vance, K. A. (2021). Transformations in academic advising as a profession. New Directions for Higher Education, 2021(195–196), 23–33. https://doi.org/10.1002/he.20406

Action Research, ADL Program, Advising, Evolution, Goals, Growth, Growth Mindset, Learning, Personal, Professional, Reflecting

Research Rabbit Hole

The Advisor That Cares

I am embarking on my second literature review ever in my forty-six years of life, and I am actually excited about it. We have been challenged and encouraged throughout the ADL Program to make our projects authentic. There is just something amazing that happens when your passion and your practice align.

(I reserve the right to panic and freak out at any moment)

The most significant benefit of making this learning journey authentic is the genuine excitement to learn more about what we are passionate about in life. I am incredibly passionate about empowering college students to take the wheel of their academic journey. I want them to ask informed questions and know where to verify information accuracy. Humans are flawed and inevitably make errors and assumptions or give inaccurate information. My passion is showing people the path and letting them set the pace.

My action research proposal is a big step away from this passion project in many ways. Instead of understanding the heart of students or advisors, I am focusing on how a flipped advising approach could create space in advising interactions for the truly impactful conversations that keep students engaged in the learning opportunities and face any challenges life throws at them through that process.

Deep conversations about life changes, evolving interests, overcoming mindsets, and setting goals for the future are life-affirming for advisors and students. The only way to get to this deeper level of conversation is to move the time-consuming registration conversations to a blended learning environment. If students can research their degree audits and know how to sequence their coursework to meet prerequisite requirements, advising appointments become spaces for forming trusted relationships.

Deeper and deeper down the research rabbit hole, I am thankful that I get to research two topics near and dear to my heart: advisors and students.

Action Research, ADL Program, Advising, ePortfolios, Goals, Growth Mindset, Innovation Plan, Learner's Mindset, Learning, Personal, Professional, Professional Learning, Reflecting

Topics for AR

The Advisor That Cares

Here we are on the due date of the first assignment for the Action Research course, and I am still refining and finessing my action research question. The book and my literature review have made it clear that pinpointing the action research topic is critical. Failure to do so effectively will make me evaluate the wrong data or jump to faulty conclusions. I am doing my best to remove bias from my topic question (which is difficult to do when considering your passion project). I am really narrowing in on the topic to isolate specific variables. The vital behaviors process keeps coming to mind as I identify precisely who, what, when, and how this action research process will unfold.

In reflection, as I finalize my action research question, I thought I would share some of my questions:

What might I be able to do differently with my advisees that could facilitate agency and preparedness for advising appointments/course registration?

What might I be able to do differently with my advisors that could facilitate their knowledge, accuracy, and confidence?

Is there a difference in advising effectiveness between traditional and flipped advising for freshman and sophomore university students?

To what degree does the use flipped advising tools and strategies impact student readiness for advising.

Does a flipped advising module on how to read your degree audit increase student agency in course selections?

To what degree do advising ePortfolio resources impact students’ progress through their degree plan requirements?

What are the attitudes of students toward the use of advising ePortfolios/Flipped advising tools/strategies? (Qualitative study option)

What is the nature of the relationship between college students’ academic course selections toward degree completion and their advising experience?

What is the effect of flipped advising techniques on incoming cohorts of college students on the development of student agency?

What advising practices are most closely associated with effective advising? (too broad)

How does a personally curated advising ePortfolio improve student preparation for course selections made during advising appointments? (rejected for bias)

How does using advising ePortfolios increase student agency over course selections during course registration advising sessions? (rejected since we don’t know if it will increase agency)

How will using an advising ePortfolio stimulate student agency for/over/in first-year course selections?

How does the use of flipped advising (blended learning) increase student agency in course selections made by first-year college students?

In what ways is student agency impacted by a flipped advising module on degree requirements as evidenced by accurate curricular choices?

In what ways does a flipped advising module on degree planning impact student agency in making curricular choices?

In what ways does a flipped advising module on degree planning facilitate student agency in making curricular choices during the first year of college?

Action Research, ADL Program, Advising, Growth Mindset, Learner's Mindset, Learning, Tips

AR – Back to Basics

The Advisor That Cares

So I feel like I’m playing a bit of a game… two steps forward, one step back in my new Adventures in Action Research. You see, I thought I had developed my action research topic/question and identified my research method, but I can’t help but ask myself, do I even care. The more I think about the original problem that drove me to my innovation, the more I feel like I need to refine and finesse what I’m interested in finding out.

So in my typical fashion. I’m going back to basics. My basics. As you might remember, if you’ve read any of these prior ramblings, finding additional sources online always helps me process the information I have been reading and studying.

As I review different sources, I find different nuggets that help me understand the task at hand. I am really trying to put in the maximum amount of time, effort, and due diligence into this initial planning stage so that once I prepare my Action Research Outline, I will be well on my way to the foundation for my Action Plan.

The Short Version:

John Spencer. (2017, January 11). What is action research? [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ov3F3pdhNkk

While I was still searching for Learner’s Mindset Discussions on the topic, I came across a lovely video series on action research. This is a really nice overview of the Action Research process.

The Long Version:

Conexiones: The Learning Sciences Platform. (2019, September 24). Action research: How to conduct action research, by Tracey Tokuhama-Espinosa, Ph.D. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWaVbxGMeVI

I hope it helps as you wrap your mind around this new adventure too.

Action Research, ADL Program, Advising, ePortfolios, Goals, Growth, Growth Mindset, Humor, Innovation Plan, Learner's Mindset, Learning, Personal, Professional, Reflecting

ADL and AR

The Advisor That Cares

Reading Action Research: Improving Schools and Empowering Educators by Craig Mertler has me reflecting upon the ADL program up to this point. We have poured blood, sweat, and tears into our innovation project. Now we are asked to research the validity of some aspect of our innovation or the innovation itself. I don’t know about everyone else, but I am freaking out at the possibility that I could determine my innovation is garbage!

I am wrapping my head around evaluative validity concerning qualitative research and am honest enough to acknowledge that remaining “unbiased” while reporting data is a tall order (Mertler, 2019, p. 142). I will keep reading in hopes that through this process, I will learn to be objective and see the greater good of refining my innovation, but in the middle of this book, I will honestly report that I am a little freaked out.

Reference

Mertler, C. A. (2019). Action research: Improving schools and empowering educators (6th ed.). SAGE Publications, Incorporated.

ADL Program, Advising, Evolution, Goals, Growth, Growth Mindset, Influencer, Leadership, Learner's Mindset, Learning, Learning Community, Personal, Professional, Professional Learning, Reflecting

Change hurts

The Advisor That Cares

My department is going through so many simultaneous changes right now. It is difficult for many to adapt and adjust. Still, I am doing what I can to share my heart, highlight the opportunities, and allow everyone to propose solutions.

I have witnessed firsthand the panic caused by sit-and-get training. Over the last several weeks, individual teams have come together to receive an overview of each other’s degree plans and departments and to build a collaborative network of support by grouping majors into career clusters and communities of interest, also known as meta-majors. This change poses a complete shift in everything our advising unit has ever done. It requires that advisors expand beyond specializing in one to a few majors to an entire catalog of majors based on four broad categories (arts, communication, and education; business and industry; public service; or science, technology, engineering, and math).

Add to this challenge that our office desperately needs more staffing due to several departmental challenges, including a complete restructuring and new leadership.

Change heals

The restructuring has provided leadership opportunities at every level. Some have arisen to the challenge, and I can hear hopefulness in their voices again. Some are still overwhelmed and doing their best to hold on for the learning ahead of us. Our advising unit has a long history of high turnover. Party because only a few people understand what goes into academic advising and the high demands of the profession. Others are looking to begin a career at an institution of higher learning, and advising is a common entry point for those with a degree. Many in our advising unit are working outside of their degree areas. Several advisors are either working toward, hold a graduate degree, or have multiple degrees because they understand the value of an education. They flourish as the leaders and teams embrace the opportunity to build solutions to advising challenges.

As I watch the team members working together, I see healing happening. I see a positive workplace culture forming. I see such great brainstorming and communication happening all across the advising unit. I see individuals that no longer feel like separate islands doing their own thing. Instead, I see warriors dressing for battle, determined to make it through the challenges and frustrations that change brings to make things even better than they were before.

Change

As advisors find hope in a supportive environment, I see a team that will embrace change in the future as an opportunity.

“There is nothing permanent except change”

— Heraclitus