Using Multiple Sources of Data to Gauge Outcome Differences Between Academic-Themed and Transition-Themed First-Year Seminars

Abstract

Students in two different types of first-year experience seminar courses at a moderately sized public university were compared using a large variety of measures—both direct and indirect. One of these first-year experience types was a three-credit academic-themed course offered in sections with variable content; the other was a two-credit transition-themed course. In terms of direct measures such as retention to the second year, first-year grade point average, and number of earned credits during the first year, no significant differences were found. The academic-themed seminar did rate significantly better according to certain indirect measures related to academic engagement. These quantitative findings were consistent with qualitative information obtained from focus groups conducted with the students in the academic-themed seminar. The overall picture from across the data sources suggests that students were realizing a greater benefit from the academic-themed first-year seminar.

Keywords

first-year experience mixed methods analysis retention student persistence

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Barefoot

B. O.

Griffen

B. Q.

Koch

A. K.

(2012) Enhancing student success and retention throughout undergraduate education: A national survey, Brevard, NC: John N. Gardner Institute for Excellence in Undergraduate Education.

Barton

Donahue

(2009) Multiple assessments of a first-year seminar pilot. The Journal of General Education 58(4): 259–278.

Birol

Han

Welsh

Fox

(2013) Impact of a first-year seminar in science on student writing and argumentation. Journal of College Science Teaching 43(1): 82.

Cavote

S. E.

Kopera-Frye

(2004) Subject-based first-year experience courses: Questions about program effectiveness. Journal of the First-Year Experience 16(2): 1–18.

Friedman

D. B.

Marsh

E. G.

(2009) What type of first-year seminar is most effective? A comparison of thematic seminars and college transition/success seminars. Journal of the First-Year Experience & Students in Transition 21(1): 29–42.

Keup

J. R.

Barefoot

B. O.

(2005) Learning how to be a successful student: Exploring the impact of first-year seminars on student outcomes. Journal of the First-Year Experience 17(1): 11–47.

Lang

D. J.

(2007) The impact of a first-year experience course on the academic performance, persistence, and graduation rates of first-semester college students at a public research university. Journal of the First-Year Experience & Students in Transition 19(1): 9–25.

Mennenga

H. A.

Tschetter

(2013) Using a first-year seminar to introduce nursing. Nurse Educator 38(5): 218–222.

National Survey of Student Engagement (2010–2011) Validity: Predicting retention and degree progress, Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Center for Postsecondary ResearchRetrieved from http://nsse.iub.edu/pdf/psychometric_portfolio/Validity_RetentionAndDegreeProgress.pdf.

10.

National Survey of Student Engagement (2010–2012) Predictive validity, connecting the dots: Is there a link between student engagement and academic success?, Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Center for Postsecondary ResearchRetrieved from http://nsse.iub.edu/pdf/psychometric_portfolio/Validity_ConnectingTheDots.pdf.

11.

National Survey of Student Engagement (2012) Construction of the NSSE benchmarks, Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Center for Postsecondary ResearchRetrieved from http://nsse.iub.edu/pdf/nsse_benchmarks.pdf.

12.

Pascarella

E. T.

Terenzini

P. T.

(1980) Predicting freshman persistence and voluntary dropout decisions from a theoretical model. The Journal of Higher Education 51(1): 60–75.

13.

Porter

S. R.

Swing

R. L.

(2006) Understanding how first-year seminars affect persistence. Research in Higher Education 47(1): 89–109.

14.

Swing

(2002) Series of essays on the first-year initiative benchmarking study: What type of seminar is best?, Columbia, SC: University of South Carolina, National Resource Center on the First-Year Experience and Students in Transition.

15.

Tinto

(1995) Student success and the construction of inclusive educational communities, Washington, DC: American Association of State Colleges and Universities.

16.

Vander Schee

B. A.

(2011) Changing general education perceptions through perspectives and the interdisciplinary first-year seminar. International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education 23(3): 382–387.