1. Specific Context of the Teaching/Learning Situation
- How many students are in the class?
- The assigned advising cohort size varies semester-by-semester based upon course availability, program enrollment, and financial factors of individual students.
- The current Fall 2022 cohort size sits at 680 assigned advisees for the Fall 2022 semester.
- Is the course primary, secondary, undergraduate, or graduate level?
- The advising course being created serves graduate level students.
- How long and frequent are the class meetings?
- There will be no mandatory class meetings due to the asynchronous nature of advising interactions but instead will provide a continuously available course shell with modules covering different aspects of the advising course.
- How will the course be delivered: live, online, blended, flipped or in a classroom or lab?
- Primarily online but when individualized interaction is needed then a flipped approach will be used to ensure that students have the opportunity to interact with the course material, activities, and assessments prior to advising meetings to illustrate the process of self-directed learning and information synthesis.
- What physical elements of the learning environment will affect the class?
- There should be no physical considerations as advising will be handled online, just as their selected program/certification/major are handled.
- What technology, networking and access issues will affect the class?
- Since advisees are enrolled in online programs, technology, networking, and access issues should already be addressed. Students will need access to a computer and the internet to participate in the advising course.
2. General Context of the Learning Situation
- What learning expectations are placed on this course or curriculum by: the school, district, university, college and/or department? the profession? society?
- Advising is charged with getting students registered for program coursework according to departmental course offerings and student remaining requirement needs. Advising must teach students everything they need to know in order to matriculate through program requirements up to the point of graduation.
- The programs will teach the students what they need to know in order to become counselors, principals, and innovative educators, while advising will assist them in making meaning of their learning experiences.
- Ultimately, advising seeks to further individuals learning process as they strive to be functional professionals in their chosen industry.
3. Nature of the Subject
- Is this subject primarily theoretical, practical, or a combination?
- An advising course will include both theoretical and practical aspects since there are practical aspects of the college experience and specific program requirements that students need to meet. Nonetheless, in the bigger picture the advising course seeks to guide students through the theoretical process of making sense out of their education. Through exercises, activities, and reflections; the advising course seeks to facilitate each individual learner in making meaningful connections throughout their time with the institution and beyond.
- Is the subject primarily convergent or divergent?
- The advising course is both convergent and divergent in nature, as there are aspects of the advising process that require information transfer and content delivery. These aspects fall in line with policies and procedures affecting students throughout their time with the institution. However, the advising course seeks to guide the student through the process of making meaning out of their time with the institution. By helping the student connect with passions and purpose for their specific learning goal, this advising course seeks to provide context for the learner to reflect upon their learning journey, make meaningful connections between their coursework and their experiences, all while setting goals for their long-term academic and professional pursuits.
- Are there important changes or controversies occurring within the field?
- Advising is an evolving field that consistently strives to prove its value to both students and administrators. Students who experience significant learning environments like this advising course will be the most valuable example of the importance of successful, quality advising to a students academic experience.
- An important consideration will be making sure the advising course is viewed as a valuable resource for the students since advising is not mandatory at the graduate level but the content of the course will prove invaluable in the learning process.
4. Characteristics of the Learners
- What is the life situation of the learners (e.g., socio-economic, cultural, personal, family, professional goals)?
- Learners are adults from a wide variety of professional experiences, personal situations, family obligations, cultural diversity, and socio-economic situations. There is no single commonality among advisees aside from the fact that they have previously obtained a bachelors degree. A majority are currently employed full-time as many programs have years of service or position requirements as a consideration for admission.
- What prior knowledge, experiences, and initial feelings do students usually have about this subject?
- Students will have experienced a variety of advising experiences prior to enrollment into this advising course. Some may have had extensive advising in their undergraduate education and some may have had zero advising interactions, depending on the models at their previous institutions.
- What are their learning goals and expectations?
- Once again with such a large diversity of learners their goals and expectations are vast. Some students are returning after many years away from higher education and any formalized learning process. Some students are returning for a second masters degree and have some preconceived ideas of what will be required of them. Some students will feel confident about their learning abilities while others will lack confidence in themselves and their abilities to learn.
5. Characteristics of the Teacher
- What beliefs and values does the
teacheradvisor have about teaching and learning?- The advisor sees themselves as a facilitator or coach with aspirations of meeting each learner where they are currently at and equipping them with knowledge, experiences, and information that can help them be well informed, self-directed, learners.
- What is his/her attitude toward: the subject? students?
- The advisor is passionate about assisting students in becoming well informed learners in their chosen field. The subjects are varied and while the advisor is not the instructor of any individual program course requirement they seek to provide the lens through which each learner makes significant connections between and among content areas and to make sense of their learning experience.
- The advisor values each student as unique individuals with a variety of experiences, insights, challenges, and obligations. They seek to provide individualized service to each learner on an as needed basis while providing generalized information to all students to enrich their learning experience.
- What level of knowledge or familiarity does s/he have with this subject?
- The advisor is a lifelong learner themself. They actively seek to understand all program requirements and university policies to equip students with the information they need to make informed choices along their academic path.
- What are his/her strengths in teaching?
- The advisors strengths in teaching are their genuine passion to help learners be successful in their academic pursuits. The advisors strength in teaching is that they will work to equip learners with answers to questions they did not know to ask and the self-reliance needed to make the most of their intended program, major, certification, and/or licensure during and beyond their time at the institution.
The Advisor That Cares 