Mission

The purpose of the learning environment workgroup is to: 

• Review the effectiveness of the academic services to students provided through the Library systems and the Academic Support centers (ASC).
• Study ways to increase student success.
• Keep faculty and staff aware of all opportunities to increase student retention, completion, and placement in employment or continued education.
• Assist the faculty in the application of these services and resources in the teaching and learning activities of the College.
• Review Dual Enrollment Program for quality and access.

For 2006-07, the workgroup focused on the following initiatives to increase student success:  upgrades to the Early Alert system; online instructor evaluations; Ruby Payne’s “A Framework for Understanding Poverty”; and ENGAGE, student engagement techniques. On the agenda for 2007-08 will be: continued refinement of the Early Alert system; the development of a webpage; a review of dual enrollment; and the continued development of “best practices” in student engagement.

Projects

1) Early Alert: - Indian River Stat College’s Early Alert System is designed to promote student success and retention.  Attached to the web grading tool, Early Alert enables instructors to provide students with feedback on class performance, participation, and attendance. Since the system focuses on students who may be experiencing difficulties, it enables the college to assist in providing appropriate interventions to foster student success. A series of improvements were made to the system in 2006-07:  (1) current term; (2) “web mail” link for individuals with email addresses; (3) “send email to all students” feature;  (4) number assigned to each student on class rosters; (5) link to individual student PEP; (6) “notes” column includes special designator; (7) checkbox added to request copy of email to student; (8) added button to include “unsatisfactory participation’ and created a corresponding letter; (8) reformatted the standard Early Alert letter; and (9) production of an Early Alert User Manual.
Click here for Early Alert.

2)  ENGAGE – The Student Engagement sub-committee is currently accumulating the “Best Practices” of effective teaching and student engagement techniques that are currently being used at IRSC. The following is a list of techniques used by almost all departments to increase student engagement in the classroom:

• Small group learning  
• Peer instruction
• Interactive games and quiz shows
• Ask for volunteers
• Know all students’ names and interests.
• Regular quizzes
• Prompt feedback
• Handouts on lecture material
• Demonstrations
• Student presentations
• Know students’ learning styles
• Develop webpage with course materials
• Encourage email and internet usage
• Research papers
• Constant communication with students in person or via email
• Use of publisher software in class
• Use of interactive Power Point lectures

Click here for Student Engagement.

Click on the picture below to view a slide show of the Learning Environment Workgroup

 

 

3)  Online Evaluation – Members of the sub-committee developed  on an online evaluation to be used with all web-based and blended classes. 
Click here for Online Evaluation.

4)  “A Framework for Understanding Poverty”, Ruby K. Payne, Ph.D

• Student success is the key issue in retention, and program/degree completion. In order to assist students in achieving success, it becomes incumbent on educators to go beyond the subject matter and look to where our students come from – what issues do they bring to classroom that could influence learning.  In her books, Dr. Ruby Payne examines hidden rules that impact student success both in and out of the classroom.  She also addresses generational versus situational poverty and the consequent implications for the classroom.   In order to assist faculty in obtaining a better understanding of the students that they teach, a series of 1 – 3 credit courses have been developed focusing on the teachings of Dr. Payne.    These courses are can be used for recertification and are designed with faculty and adjunct faculty in mind.   Be on the lookout for new course offerings in Spring, 2008. http://www.ahaprocess.com

Leonard Pitts, Jr., a Miami Herald columnist, in an article published in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, said poverty in America has become less visible than it was in the past, but that does not take away from the fact that poor people are poor no matter who they are or where they are. 
http://multicultclassics.blogspot.com/2005_09_01_archive.html - Essay 158

For facts regarding poverty in the United States, link to
http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/poverty/poverty.html - poverty in the US.

For information regarding causes of poverty and world issues link to
http://www.globalissues.org/TradeRelated/Facts.asp - poverty in the world.

Members

Betty Talley, Chair & “Ruby Payne” sub group
Dr. Henri Sue Bynum – ex-officio
Anthony Iacono – ex-officio
Alan Roberts – ex-officio
Bobbi Cook
Dr. Fontley Corrodus – early alert sub group
Bernadette Emerick
Flossie Jackson
Sharon Lowe
Casey Lunceford, II
Amani Miller – student engagement sub group
Gerald Mock – online evaluation sub group
Linda Parry
Christin Ranne
Donald Skinner
Thomas Spivey
Michael Stiles
Todd Thurma
Maureen Ware
Sara Whitacre
Susan Wise

Links

Links & Resources:

• A Framework for Understanding Poverty, Ruby K. Payne, Ph.D, www.ahaprocess.com
• People Like Us: Social Class in America, Louis Alvarez & Andrew Kolker, www.pbs.org/peoplelikeus/
• Early Alert Manual
• EDGE Workgroup
• Student Engagement Website - ENGAGE– Amani Miller is working on this one - http://faculty.irsc.edu/ENGAGE/