During
the Second session, and during the final week of each learning community,
students were asked to:
your
age. We want the most accurate estimate
of how you see yourself.
Highest Above
Average Below Lowest Highest
Above Average Below Lowest
10% Average Average 10% 10%
Average Average 10%
1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5
Academic
ability ___ ___
___ ___ ___ Popularity ___ ___
___ ___ ___
Artistic
ability ___ ___
___ ___ ___ Public speaking ability ___
___ ___ ___
___
Computer
skills ___ ___
___ ___ ___ Risk-taking ___ ___
___ ___ ___
Cooperativeness ___ ___
___ ___ ___ Self-confidence ___ ___
___ ___ ___
Creativity
___ ___ ___
___ ___ (intellectual)
Drive to
achieve ___ ___
___ ___ ___ Self-confidence ___ ___
___ ___
___
Emotional
health ___ ___
___ ___ ___ (social)
Leadership
ability ___ ___
___ ___ ___ Self-understanding ___ ___
___ ___ ___
Mathematical ability ___
___ ___ ___
___ Understanding of ___ ___
___ ___ ___
Physical
health ___ ___
___ ___ ___ others
Persistence ___
___ ___ ___
___ Writing
ability ___ ___
___ ___ ___
Mark one in each row:
Agree Agree Disagree Disagree
Strongly Somewhat Somewhat Strongly
1
2 3 4
I am able to
handle conflict.
____ ____ ____ ____
I take
personal responsibility for my learning achievements. ____ ____ ____ ____
I feel that
I am a good listener.
____ ____ ____ ____
I feel that
I am able to see the connections among the courses ____ ____ ____ ____
I take.
I feel comfortable participating in class discussions. ____ ____ ____ ____
I feel
comfortable working in groups with other students. ____ ____ ____ ____
I feel
comfortable giving oral presentations in class. ____ ____ ____ ____
I am
confident in my research skills.
____ ____ ____ ____
I feel
that I know how to study effectively.
____ ____ ____ ____
I feel that I
know how to write effectively.
____ ____ ____ ____
We
wanted to see if the impact of the Learning Community experience differed for
first generation college students [n=16] and non-first generation college
students [n=69] for the first term of the NEIU College of Arts and Sciences LC
Initiative. Below are
the mean scores and comparison of mean score changes on the pre and post course
responses. [Note: Because of the small number of first
generation students in our sample, these results are only very
tentative, but they do provide interesting comparisons that merit further
attention in subsequent student samples.]
|
|
First
Generation Means [n=16] Pre-course
Post-course Change |
Non-First
Generation Means
[n=69] Pre-course Post-course
Change |
First
Gen Mean Change – Non-
First Gen Mean Change |
First
Gen Pre- course Mean – Non-First
Gen Pre-course Mean |
First
Gen Post- course Mean - Non-First Gen Post-course Mean |
||||
|
1. Academic ability |
2.56 |
2.25 |
-.31 |
2.50 |
2.35 |
-.15 |
.16 |
.06 |
-.10 |
|
2. Artistic ability |
2.94 |
2.69 |
-.25 |
2.77 |
2.76 |
-.01 |
.24 |
.17 |
-.07 |
|
3. Computer skills |
3.06 |
2.69 |
-.37 |
2.89 |
2.76 |
-.13 |
.24 |
.17 |
-.07 |
|
4. Cooperativeness |
2.88 |
2.13 |
-.75 |
2.06 |
2.04 |
-.02 |
.73 |
.82 |
.09 |
|
5. Creativity |
2.63 |
2.25 |
-.38 |
2.11 |
2.02 |
-.09 |
.29 |
.52 |
.23 |
|
6. Drive to achieve |
1.94 |
2.25 |
+.31 |
2.37 |
2.14 |
-.23 |
.54* |
-.41 |
.11 |
|
7. Emotional health |
2.47 |
2.38 |
-.09 |
2.33 |
2.42 |
+.09 |
.18* |
.14 |
-.04 |
|
8. Leadership ability |
2.13 |
2.19 |
+.06 |
2.40 |
2.39 |
-.01 |
.07 |
-.27 |
-.20 |
|
9. Mathematical ability |
3.00 |
3.06 |
+.06 |
3.10 |
2.89 |
-.12 |
.18* |
-.10 |
.17 |
|
10. Physical health |
2.44 |
2.38 |
-.06 |
2.55 |
2.49 |
-.06 |
---- |
-.11 |
-.09 |
|
11. Persistence |
2.13 |
2.31 |
+.18 |
2.30 |
2.43 |
+.13 |
.05 |
-.17 |
-.12 |
|
12. Popularity |
2.88 |
2.88 |
---- |
2.84 |
2.93 |
+.09 |
.09 |
.04 |
-.05 |
|
13. Public
speaking ability |
2.88 |
2.75 |
-.13 |
3.13 |
2.96 |
-.17 |
.04 |
-.25 |
-.21 |
|
14.
Risk-taking |
2.50 |
2.69 |
+.19 |
2.64 |
2.51 |
-.13 |
.32* |
-.14 |
.18 |
|
15. Self-confidence [intellectual] |
2.44 |
2.19 |
-.25 |
2.49 |
2.36 |
-.13 |
.12 |
-.05 |
-.17 |
|
16.
Self-confidence [social] |
2.38 |
2.19 |
-.19 |
2.55 |
2.52 |
-.03 |
.17 |
-.17 |
-.33 |
|
17. Self-understanding |
2.25 |
2.19 |
-.06 |
2.42 |
2.50 |
-.08 |
.14* |
-.17 |
-.31 |
|
18. Understanding of
others |
2.33 |
2.31 |
-.02 |
2.25 |
2.22 |
-.03 |
---- |
.08 |
.09 |
|
19. Writing ability |
2.75 |
2.63 |
-.12 |
2.74 |
2.63 |
-.11 |
.01 |
.01 |
---- |
|
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20. I am able to handle
conflict. |
1.63 |
1.75 |
.12 |
1.64 |
1.55 |
-.09 |
.19 |
-.01 |
.20 |
|
21. I take personal
responsibility for my learning achievements. |
1.19 |
1.31 |
+.12 |
1.28 |
1.47 |
+.19 |
.07 |
-.09 |
.04 |
|
22. I feel that I am a good
listener. |
1.38 |
1.44 |
+.06 |
1.46 |
1.38 |
-.08 |
.14 |
-.08 |
.06 |
|
23. I feel that I am able to
see the connections
among the courses I take. |
1.63 |
1.69 |
.06 |
1.58 |
1.65 |
.07 |
.01 |
.05 |
.04 |
|
24. I feel
comfortable participating in class discussions. |
1.88 |
1.88 |
---- |
1.89 |
1.73 |
-.16 |
-.16 |
-.01 |
.15 |
|
25. I feel comfortable
working in groups with other students. |
1.50 |
1.50 |
---- |
1.56 |
1.67 |
+.11 |
.09 |
-.06 |
-.17 |
|
26. I feel
comfortable giving oral presentations in class |
2.38 |
2.13 |
-.25 |
2.22 |
2.00 |
-.22 |
-.03 |
.16 |
.13 |
|
27. I am
confident in my research skills. |
2.31 |
1.81 |
-.50 |
1.84 |
1.86 |
+.02 |
-.52 |
.47 |
-.05 |
|
28. I feel
that I know how to study effectively
|
2.19 |
1.94 |
-.25 |
1.93 |
1.85 |
-.08 |
-.17 |
.25 |
.09 |
|
29. I feel that I know how
to write effectively |
2.00 |
1.81 |
-.19 |
2.06 |
1.96 |
-.10 |
-.09 |
-.06 |
-.15 |
Changes of .15 or more are highlighted in red, and items having three or more changes at or above that level are highlighted in purple. Some interesting patterns can be seen.
On “Drive to achieve” [6] and “Risk taking” [14], The two groups move in opposite directions. On “Social self-confidence” [16], non-first generation students show little or no change, while the first generation students—already starting out at a higher self-ranking—rank themselves even higher at the end of the course. It is not surprising that first generation students compare themselves to others as risk takers possessing a high drive to achieve. There first term at Northeastern has given them a different reference group, leading to a reassessment of their self-rating. At the same time, they feel the great deal of “moxie” it has taken for them to move into an entirely new environment—not just new to them, but to anyone around them. Still living in their prior environment, yet having to function in the new one, they continue to be aware of the social challenges of their choice and the demands it places on them socially—in both environments.
On “Academic ability” [1] and “Computer skills” [3], both groups rank themselves higher at the end of the term, but first generation students report a greater change—perhaps reflecting some greater doubts they had at the outset that have been lessened by their college experiences to date. [It should be noted that a great stress is made on using Blackboard in Learning Communities at Northeastern. This stress impacts student post-course ratings on their “Computer skills.”]
On two related items—“Public speaking ability” [13] and “Feeling comfortable giving oral presentations in class” [26]--both groups rank themselves higher at the end of the course.
On five items—“Artistic ability” [2], “Cooperativeness” [4], “Creativity” [5], “Confidence in research skills” [27], and “Knowing how to study effectively” [28]—non-first generation students show little change, while first generation students show increased confidence. This, the gaps between the groups that exists at the start of the term narrow. First generation students grow in their self-confidence in their ability to function successfully in a college setting.
On one item—“Comfort in participating in class discussions” [24]—first generation students show no change, while non-first generation students show an increased comfort level.
Again, these findings are very tentative, given the small number of cases in the survey. Additional data collected in the next round of Learning Communities in the Fall 2003 Term will allow more confidence in any generalizations.
Further, as yet, there are no comparative data from students in regular General Education classes. Thus, it is impossible to know whether these patterns are similar to or different from those of students in regular class sections.