GSC Faculty E-News for March 2019

Working Together Toward a New Future for GSC. Granite State College’s mission is to expand access to public higher education to adults of all ages throughout the state of New Hampshire and beyond. As part of that mission, we strive to provide all adults in the state of New Hampshire with a high-quality education that is accessible and affordable for all.  The higher education industry continues to be a competitive environment that requires universities and colleges to be nimble and ready to adjust to changing needs. As we move forward with our upcoming strategic plan, we begin to imagine what GSC’s vision for the future will be. What is it that makes Granite State College unique from the other higher education institutions? How do we stay competitive within this market? How do we continue to offer an education that is both affordable and accessible for students of all ages and backgrounds? One tool that will help us reach this goal is assessment. Continual assessment of our curriculum and programs provides us with valuable information that will help guide us in providing an engaging, enriching, and dynamic curriculum for our students. In this month’s newsletter you will see some of the great initiatives already underway.  In addition, you will find helpful strategies for providing meaningful, structured and timely feedback and assessment for your students. Thank you for all you do!

With regards,  Dr. Scott Stanley, Provost & Vice President of Academic Affairs

Strategies for Student Success and Achievement

Increasing Student Achievement through Formative Assessment Formative assessment can be a fantastic way to increase overall student achievement within your classroom. The December 17, 2018 Faculty Focus article “ Assessment for Learning: It Just Makes Sense ” written by Dr. Cathy Box, outlines some strategies for faculty to use.    Here are a couple of strategies that can help students form a formative assessment within your classroom: Have students use examples of both strong and weak work. Group students in groups of two and have them evaluate both examples together. TSAR – Think, Share, Advise, Revise – “TSAR is a peer tutoring strategy created by BSCS (Biological Sciences Curriculum Study) that helps students serve as resources for one another as they gain a deep understanding of the concept at hand.” Effective Assessment Strategies As faculty, we are continually looking for new and innovative ways to create meaningful assignments, regardless of class size. Here are some tips for doing just that: Create and follow clearly defined rubrics to help provide an effective yet efficient way to grade Use peer-to-peer assessments for formative and summative assessment. Encourage student self-evaluation for formative and summative assessment. Utilize Moodle technology to provide automated feedback on assessments. Implement outcome-based projects. Align semester assessments cumulatively. What are some tools that you have used for assessing student progress? Please let us know by completing a brief online form by clicking here ! 

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Are you curious about how to embrace UDL in your teaching and learning, yet are stretched for time? Visit the GSC Faculty Lounge in Moodle here for tips about how to bring UDL into your class in just 20 minutes!   The on-demand resource area for UDL includes a quick video series that has been helping faculty embrace UDL in small ways that make big changes for students. Explore today and stay tuned for more resources and UDL professional development opportunities in the coming year!   Have you used UDL in your work at GSC? Share your insights with us online here !

Student Learning Outcomes Assessment Update This past fall term, GSC faculty used Moodle-based competency assessment to look at students’ demonstrated learning in 15 different courses. This involved 47 sections and over 600 students. Faculty in general education courses looked at students’ performance on key signature assignments in the courses to gauge learning in three major categories of communication, critical/comprehensive thinking, and application of knowledge.  Faculty in the integrative capstone courses focused specifically on two writing competencies. Initial results are promising: students in the capstone courses were almost exclusively performing at the capstone or program level in their writing (92%), while students in the general education courses were generally performing at the general education or program level (70%).  Staff are working now to break the information down to share with groups of instructors for each course to help facilitate conversation about how best to support students’ learning in these key areas.

For more information on student learning outcomes assessment or other academic effectiveness efforts at GSC, please contact Dr. Carina Self at carina.self@granite.edu .

FEBRUARY FACULTY SPOTLIGHT

Kathy DesRoches, Ed.D. Kathy DesRoches is GSC’s Program Director for the M.S. in Leadership Program. After a recent program review, her focus has been on innovating the M.S. in Leadership program. Recently she organized the first of many weekend intensive classes in Conway. Despite the weather for that weekend, students were engaged and very satisfied and excited by the new format. Kathy and her team are currently working to make all eight core courses within the M.S. in Leadership program available within the weekend intensive hybrid format in order to provide new learning opportunities for students. Upcoming hybrid weekend intensives will be available for students in our Portsmouth, Concord, and Rochester campuses.    Kathy is also currently developing open education resources for her courses within the M.S. program. In her LD820, Cultivating Leadership Capabilities course she will engage students in the creation of new open education resources for the program.   In addition to her responsibilities as Program Director, Kathy serves on the NH Women in Higher Education Leadership Board of Directors as the Program Chair. Kudos to you, Kathy, for your dedication to both GSC and the higher education industry in general.  We are lucky to have you!

New Hampshire Lodging and Restaurant Association The Managing Human Resources in Hospitality is a two-day, face-to-face workshop for Human Resources personnel to explore the fundamentals of effective performance management. Participants will develop skills to interview, hire, and evaluate employees in order to build a positive and productive workplace culture. The two sessions will take place at Granite State College, Concord campus in March. Network 4 Health The Foundations of Leadership is a hybrid workshop with four face-to-face workshops and an online component for current leaders or soon to be leaders within the healthcare industry. Participants will build skills in Leadership Essentials, Strategies, Communications Team Building, Coaching, and Mentoring. The four live sessions will take place at Granite State College, Manchester campus through March and April.

If you have questions about potential partner opportunities or professional development for your business or community please reach out to Rachael French , GSC Business Partnership Manager. Information about the many services provided by GSC Learning Solutions can be found here !

Engaging Students with Weekly Videos Using Zoom!

"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams" ― Eleanor Roosevelt

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