Adult Student Success: How Does Awareness Correlate to Program Completion?

Student Success Strategies:
Understanding How Student
Awareness and Strategic Skills
Correlate to Program Completion
Presented by:
Dr. Barbara Calabro and
Dr. Melanie Yerk

Andragogy
(Resource: Anderson,T.editor. The Theory and Practice of Online Learning, 2nd ed, (2008).
Edmington: Au Press)
Andragogy is the theory behind the process of helping
adults learn. Pedagogy refers to the theory and practices
for the teaching of children, where the teacher is the
focal point. Andragogy shifts the focus from the teacher
to the learner. The theories of andragogy state that
adults learn best when they have control over their
learning.

Pedagogy vs. Andragogy
(Resource: HTTP:WWW.EDUCATORSTECHNOLOGY.com/2013/05/AWESOME-CHART-ON-PEDAGOGY-
VS-ANDRAGOGY.HTML)
Pedagogical Andragogical
The Learner • Learner is dependent on
teacher for all learning
• Teacher assumes
responsibility for what is
taught and how it is learned
• Teacher evaluates learning
• Learner is self-directed
• Learner is responsible for
his/her own work
• Self-evaluation is
characteristic of this
approach
Role of Learner’s
Experience
• Learner comes to activity
with little experience that
could be tapped as resource
for learning
• The experience of the
instructor is most influential
• Learner brings more
experiences to the
classroom
• Adults are a rich resource
for one another
• Different experiences
assure diversity
• Experience becomes a
source of self identity

Pedagogy vs. Andragogy (cont.)
Pedagogy Andragogy
Readiness to
Learn
• Students are told what they have to
learn in order to advance to the
next level
• Any change is likely to trigger readiness
to learn
• The need to know in order to perform
more effectively in some aspect of one’s
life is important
• Ability to assess gaps between where
one is now and where one wants to be
Orientation to
Learning
• Learning is a process of acquiring
subject matter
• Content units are sequenced
according to subject matter
• Learners want to perform a task, solve a
problem, live in a more satisfying way
• Learners must see relevance to real life
tasks
• Learning is organized according to
life/work situations rather than subject
matter
Motivation for
Learning
• Primarily by external pressure,
grades and fear of failure
• Internal motivators: self esteem,
recognition, better quality of life, self
confidence and self actualization

Motivation and
Personality Development
(Resource: Personality Test-for-Teaming)
Recognition of different personality types often helps
students identify and resolve discord within their groups
before they become dysfunctional. Once they understand
why people act in certain ways, they tend to interact
more amicably.
It is important for students to be able to :
• Understand their own personality types;
• Recognize different personality types;
• Identify characteristics of the four basic personality types
• Understand why productive groups are comprised of a variety of personality
types

Motivation and
Personality Development
(Resource: Personality Test-for-Teaming)
• To allow students to better understand their individual
personality types, a personality assessment is
recommended.
• The following link will allow students to access a free
personality assessment that uses the four basic
personality types (and corresponding color references
of red, yellow, green, and blue) as its premise:
http://www.quia.com/files/quia/users/kkacher/WrldHlth
Resrch_handouts/Personality-Test-for-Teaming

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
(Resource: Addressing Our Needs-
Maslow Comes to Life for Educators and Students)

(Resource: Addressing Our Needs- Maslow Comes to Life for Educators and Students)
Tier One
Meeting Physiological Needs in the Classroom
• Water bottles
• Focused attention practices: These practices, involving breathing, imagery and sound, last
one and a half to two minutes as students close their eyes or focus on an object of attention,
practicing quieting their minds from the free-flowing thoughts that bombard our thinking
every day.
• Physical surroundings: These include room arrangement, color, temperature, plants, etc.
• Food: Provide a mixed snack bar and have the class designate times to grab some energy bites
and continue working.
• Instrumental Music
These elements contribute to brain-compatible learning by creating a physical environment that
is inviting, warm and friendly!

Tier Two
Stability, Safety and Security, Freedom from Fear
• Attitude: Sometimes it is enough to have a personal affirmation that creates feelings of safety
and security. For example: "Right now in this moment I am safe. I am breathing, I am aware,
awake and I can think and feel!“
• Worry drop box: As you enter the room, drop a written concern in a box situated by the door.
Research shows that writing out our concerns and worries frees up the working memory and
relieves anxiety.
• Pin-ups: The class assigns various students to physically post a compliment or affirmation
each day. We all need to feel validated and often lose sight of our strengths and talents
because the brain is wired with a negative bias. These pin-ups help us focus on positive
experiences and behaviors instead of faults and mistakes.
• Common experiences: Develop class guidelines together. Create a class blog. Invite outside
speakers that promote service and safety: police officers, counselors, former students who
have risen above difficult situations, etc.

Tier Three
Belonging and Love
• Classroom service project
• Partnered work
• Celebrations: Create special and celebratory days all year long: birthdays, VIP days, strength day, progress
days, colorful days, etc.
• Working together: Assign these roles within the class:
– Listener
– Recorder of feelings and thoughts
– Small group of decision-makers
– Student who "cares for" the teacher, office staff and other students
– Poetry reader
– Designer of classroom decorations
– Gatekeeper who checks for disputes and conflicts
• Community circle: For 3-10 minutes at the beginning and ending of class, share a time where empathy is
defined, discussed and brought to life. You might also share movie clips, personal narratives, or a story to
jumpstart the day.
• Identity: A classroom theme, flag, song, flower and animal totem.

Tier Four
Achievement, Recognition and Respect of Mastery, Self-Esteem
• For students to feel capable and successful, we must create an
environment that lends itself to this type of mastery.
• Expert Day: Students get to demonstrate personal expertise.
• Career Day: Bring in college students and community members to
share the possibilities of academic and professional success
following high school.
• Display skills as a class: Create and design quizzes, assignments
and instruction for students in other classes and grades.

Tier Five
Self-Actualization and Self-Fulfillment Needs
• This is level of self-evaluation related to service. We begin to explore and model, designing,
evaluating and analyzing information outside of our own basic needs, serving others. To
become creative thinkers, we have to begin discovering the problem, not just coming up with
a solution. In this tier, students become self-assessors and self- reflectors. They are able to see
and understand how their actions, thoughts and feelings affect all lives.
• Questions to Ask Myself
• What is my purpose in life?
• What are the challenges in reaching my purpose and the lives of others?
• How can I serve the world?
• Why is there conflict and war? What can I do? What can we do?

Motivating adult learners
(Resource: Nine strategies to spark adult students’ intrinsic motivation)
The following nine strategies can move the student from a reluctant learner to an
engaged learner that is intrinsically motivated:
• Encourage students to draw on past experiences and facilitate a dialogue of discussion with
regular active participation.
• Encourage students to share their own learning expectations and goals related to the course
content
• Provide announcements and emails with information about the resources available for
struggling students (i.e., mentorships, coaching, or counseling services).
• Provide real life applications through simulations, case studies, and role playing activities.
• Provide visual aids or even field trips that enhance the students learning and application of
learning outcomes.

Motivating adult learners
(Resource: Nine strategies to spark adult students’ intrinsic motivation)
• Invite guest speakers that are experts in the field. Experts can pique students’
interests and highlight relevance of the learning concepts being taught.
• Talk with students about how the class assignments are relevant to future careers.
• Teach students to reflect and take control over their own learning by using weekly
reflections (anonymously, if you like) to solicit feedback about their own
performance and where they need to improve.
• Empower students by teaching them where to find materials and how to use
resources in an online college platform that will help them in areas where
improvement is needed.

Self esteem and self image
(Resource: THE PILLARS OF THE SELF-CONCEPT-
SELF-ESTEEM AND SELF-EFFICACY)
HOW CAN SELF-ESTEEM BE IMPROVED?
1) Eliminate negative self-talk.
First and foremost, people with low self-esteem need to eliminate harmful
self-talk. The negative labels and frequent self-criticism can only cause
further damage. Eliminating negative self-talk doesn't mean you can't
recognize and address problems, but it means to be careful about how you
talk to yourself and to not be self-destructive.
2) Recognize strengths.
Those with low self-esteem tend to focus on their weaknesses rather than
focusing on their strengths sometimes claiming that there isn't anything
positive they can say about themselves. That is unlikely to be true. It is
important to pay attention to strengths and to appreciate the strengths no
matter how small they may seem. Once you recognize the strengths you need
to reinforce the strengths through frequent focus on them.

3) Recognize self-worth.
It is important to recognize that you are a unique human being and have worth.
Recognize that you deserve to take care of yourself and set limits. You deserve respect
and to be treated well. Again, you need to frequently reinforce this idea by continuing
to focus on your self-worth.
4) Accept mistakes.
Recognize that mistakes and flaws are part of the human condition. They don't make
you less than others. Instead, you are like everyone else. You have flaws and you
make mistakes. The more actively you are involved in life, the more mistakes you will
make. But being actively involved allows you more opportunity for success as well.
Accept yourself—flaws and all.
5) Accept rejection.
The more you can believe that everyone doesn't have to like you, the less you need to
feel bad or be ashamed of your imperfections. No one can be liked by everyone! It is
an impossible task. However, the person with low self-esteem often feels a failure if
someone is disapproving or rejecting. Instead, congratulate yourself if someone
doesn't like you because you are being a genuine person.

HOW CAN SELF-EFFICACY BE IMPROVED?
1) Develop skill set.
The most important way to improve self-efficacy is to develop the skill set you need
to be effective. If you are having trouble being successful in your work, identify your
areas of deficit and determine what you need to do to improve. Ask others to honestly
evaluate your skills and to give specific advice regarding improvement. Once you
know what you need to do, then you need to do it again and again until you feel
competent. That's how competence develops. People aren't born with competence,
they have to learn and practice in order to become competent.
2) Modeling.
One way to learn the necessary skills is to observe others. You can observe successful
completion of tasks to learn how to achieve success. When you observe others being
rewarded for their performance or successful completion of a task, you are more likely
to be able to model yourself after their behavior.

3) Focus on specifics.
To improve self-efficacy, it is best to focus on specifics. If someone gives you
general feedback especially if it is negative you are less able to make changes
than if someone can provide specific feedback. For instance, if you want a
child to learn how to do dishes you don't say “These dishes aren't clean,”
instead you say “Let me show you how to load the dishwasher to get the best
results.”
4) Reinforcement.
The more behavior is reinforced, the more likely it will continue. If you want
to improve your self-efficacy focus on what you do well and reinforce it by
giving yourself specific praise.

Setting Smart Goals
Step Mnemonic Description
1 Specific-A specific goal has a much better chance of being
accomplished. (Use an action verb, e.g. to develop…, to
design…, to implement…, to produce…) To set specific goals
answer the six “W”Questions: Who, what, when, where,
which and why
2 Measurable-
Establish concrete criteria for measuring progress toward
attainment of each goal set. Measuring progress keeps you on
track. Measurable results are tangible
3 Attainable- Identify goals that are important to your you or
your team. When goals are relevant, people develop the
attitude, abilities and skills to make them happen. Goals are
attainable if the person or team plans wisely..
4 Realistic or Results Oriented- The goal should be stretching,
but realistic and relevant to you and your company. You want
to measure outcomes or results (not activities) such as
products deliverables, and accomplishments.
5 Time-Bound- Goals must have a deadline. Identify a target
date.

Learning Success or Failures
• Increased research on how we learn suggests that there is a relationship
between learning and self image and self esteem
• Text discusses natural learning or brain based learning research which indicates
that learning is based on a number of principles
• Think about what we learned earlier regarding how adults like to learn
• Learning follows developmental patterns- understanding our learning
preferences (method of learning) assists students in developing their skills
• Understanding how your preferred learning style also requires the student to
integrate other ways of learning into their skill set.
• Mistakes are learning tools
URLs For learning style :
• www.educationplanner.org/students/self.../learning-styles-quiz.shtmlCached
• www.odessa.edu/.../learningstyleinventory_survey.pdfCached
• www.learning-styles-online.com/inventory/Cached

Financial Literacy for everyone
(Resource: Financial Literacy for Everyone)
Budgeting
Phase 1: Assess your personal and financial situation (needs, values, life
situation).
Phase 2: Set personal and financial goals.
Phase 3: Create a budget for fixed and variable expenses based on projected
income.
Phase 4: Monitor current spending (saving, investing) patterns.
Phase 5: Compare your budget to what you have actually spent.
Phase 6: Review financial progress and revise budgeted amounts.

Credit
Advantages:
■ Able to buy needed items now
■ Don’t have to carry cash
■ Creates a record of purchases
■ More convenient than writing checks
■ Consolidates bills into one payment
Disadvantages:
■ Interest (higher cost of items)
■ May require additional fees
■ Financial difficulties may arise if one loses track of how much has been
spent each month
■ Increased impulse buying may occur

Saving and Investing
• Savings Accounts
• Checking Accounts
• Certificates of Deposit
• Mutual Funds
• Stocks
• Real Estate
• Retirement Plans

Foundational Competencies
• URL For Competency Model –Foundation-
Tier 1
http://www.careeronestop.org/CompetencyModel/pyramid_def
inition.aspx?from=printerfr

What is Competency Based Education?
• CBE begins with the end in mind. What are the
performances for the position?
• Essential knowledge and skills are identified
• Focus on outcomes not processes
• Learning activities guided by performance
expectations and the defined competency
• Emphasis on Doing rather than know how to do

The Importance of CBE
• Alleviate the disconnect between education,
the workplace and the real world.
• Assure that graduates have basic skills
• Integrate performance skills such as critical
thinking, problem solving, self management
,working cooperatively with groups.
• Provide the competencies in the chosen field
needed to be functional, effective and
successful

Competency-Based Education: Effective
Communication Skills
(Resource: Effective Communication Skills- Student Success Workshop)
Goals of Communication
1. To inform – you are providing information for
use in decision-making
2. To persuade – to reinforce or change a
receiver’s belief about a topic
3. To build relationships – some messages that
you send may have the goal of building good
will between you and the receiver.

Barriers to Communication
Disinterest in the conversation
Lack of background information
Jumping to conclusions without waiting for the whole
message
Fear
Distrust
Language differences
Badly expressed messages
Not listening
Arguing or debating

Active Listening
Be attentive
Be impartial
Reflect back
Summarize
Avoiding distractions
Paraphrase
Clarifying

Giving Feedback
Be specific
Useful – “I think it is good because …”
Not useful – “That is good.”
Focus on Behavior not the Person
Useful – “I think this report needs to focus more on …”
Not useful – “You really have done a poor job.”
Focus on Things the Person can Manage
Useful – “Perhaps if you …”
Not useful – “You should have stopped the person doing …”
Timeliness of the Feedback
Timeliness is important when the person is receptive or is seeking feedback.

Giving Feedback
Share Information / Experience
About what, not only why something could have been done differently.
Do Not Overload
Too much information, especially negative material, will overwhelm the
person and make them feel bad about themselves
(One thing that could have been done differently is …)
Check that the Person Does Understand
Ask…”What did you understand from what was said?”
Remember, Feedback is Given to Help, not Hurt
Balance positive to negative feedback by at least 2:1
(2 positive comments for 1 negative comment)

Learning Strategy: Note-taking
• Cornell-Developed by Walter Pauk at Cornell
University. This system can be applied to almost all
lecture situations. It is simple, efficient and the
process saves time and energy when organizing for
studying. It is a 4 step process.(prepare, take note,
review and summarize).
• Mapping-Visual Learners
• Graphic Organizers- Tools to help organize and think
about learning
• URL for all three: freeology.com/graphicorgs/

Learning Strategy- Study Skills
(Resource: Top 10 Study Skills for College Students)
Top 10 Study Skills for College Students
1. Set goals.
It’s difficult to arrive at a final destination when you’re unsure of what it is and how to get there.
Develop a roadmap for reaching your educational goals.
2. Use an appointment book.
It’s easy to forget assignment due dates, test days, and other important information when it’s not
written down, especially when you’re focused on your studies.
3. Know your learning style.
Develop strategies for overcoming learning differences when instructors employ contradictory
teaching methods.
4. Be an active reader.
You’ll better retain information from the textbook if you practice active reading.
5. Participate in study groups.
Organize study groups with other classmates. It’s easier to remember concepts taught to others,
and group members often share insights you never consider.

Learning Strategy- Study Skills
(Resource: Top 10 Study Skills for College Students)
6. Take notes.
Take organized notes. If it’s useful, develop outlines, highlight key information, or utilize other
methods to organize lecture notes.
7. Organize your study materials.
Organize notes, assigned readings, and other study materials, so it can be easily retrieved while
studying.
8. Draft papers.
Always write a rough draft when preparing an essay. Take time to review it for incompleteness
and errors and ask the instructor or a classmate to read it and offer advice.
9. Slow down on tests.
It’s common to misunderstand questions or skip key information when nervous. Take time to
thoroughly read test questions.
10. Don’t replace protein with caffeine.
Before a test, avoid consuming caffeine. Instead, eat foods high in complex carbohydrates and
protein.

Learning Strategy- Active Reading
(Resource: Choosing Reading Strategies)
Active Reading Strategies
We know that we don't read everything in the same way with the same attention to detail. Some
reading activities require deep attention, and others don't, but students don't always know this.
They go about reading in the exact same manner, no matter the goal.
The following are some strategies that you can model and suggest when assigning
reading that will help students to be more efficient and effective in their reading:
1) Skimming - getting the gist of something, getting a broad overview. This involves looking at
chapter and section headings, reading the first sentences in paragraphs, summary sections, or the
first and last paragraphs of the chapter. Readers should be ignoring details and reading just for
the main ideas.
2) Scanning - looking through a text for specific information. Think of the way you look up a
phone number in the phone book. You look in a very focused way for specific pieces of
information, ignoring everything else so you can quickly find the information you are seeking.

Learning Strategy- Active Reading
(Resource: Choosing Reading Strategies)
3) Surveying - this strategy is great at the beginning of a semester, or when students
are gathering materials for research papers. Students look broadly at the text, its table
of contents, the index and bibliography, any abstract information available,
introductions, forewords, or reviewer's comments in order to get a general idea of the
scope and purpose of the text.
4) Detailed Reading - actively reading in great detail to learn new material. This is
covered in more detail in the next section, Reading to Learn.
You may suggest any or a combination of several of these as you assign reading to
students. Think about the goal of the reading assignment and coach students by
modeling the way you would tackle the assignment you have given them.

Learning Strategy-Test Taking
• The Key to being successful is Preparation.
– Set a timetable for studying. Review your material in chunks. The term “Divide
and Conquer” is very appropriate. We remember more when we chunk our
learning into logical segments.
– Review reading assignments and text notes.
– Reorganize and review notes.
– Prepare organizational aids such as review maps, flash cards, checklists.
– Be sure you know what will be covered on the test. Ask questions about the
instructor’s expectations and the type of questions on the test (essay, objective).
– Make sure you understand the material. If not seek help from your instructor.
• Review with a group. This helps you cover material or ideas you might miss on
your own.
• Be ready mentally

Memory Techniques
(Resource: www.iss.stthomas.edu/study guides/memory/htm)
• Form images
• Make associations with what you already
know
• Mnemonics are verbal reminders to help us
remember information. The most common are
acronyms like BRASS (Breathe, Relax. Aim,
Sight, Squeeze) or Acrostics (Every Good Boy
Deserves Fun)

Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
• Industry seeks students who can problem solve
and make decisions. Students must be able to
identify problems, look for alternative
solutions and implement a plan.
• Graduates must be able to critically evaluate
what they know and apply it on the job. Do
they have strong reasoning skills and mental
agility ( able to shift gears and directions and
make connections)?

Ethics: Professional and
Academic Integrity
Students should be expected to uphold the elements of
professional and academic integrity outlined by the
institution.
These may include, but are not limited to, the following:
• Demonstrate honesty;
• Be accountable for ones own work and responsibilities;
• Respect for fellow classmates and instructors;
• Foster a climate of collaboration in the classroom and
within the institution.

Ethics: Professional and
Academic Integrity
In order to demonstrate academic integrity,
students should:
– Avoid plagiarism (intentional and unintentional);
– Appropriately paraphrase;
– Cite resources;
– Avoid resubmission of previously submitted assignments;
– Never submit someone else’s work as his or her own.
Instructors may assist students in demonstrating appropriate
professional and academic integrity by providing clear
expectations and training to avoid plagiarism.

For more information on
College and Career Success solutions
from Cengage Learning, please visit
http://bit.ly/cengagestudentsuccess

References
Addressing Our Needs- Maslow Comes to Life for Educators and Students
http://www.edutopia.org/blog/addressing-our-needs-maslow-hierarchy-lori-desautels
Anderson,T.editor. The Theory and Practice of Online Learning, 2nd ed, (2008). Edmington:
Au Press.
Choosing Reading Strategies
http://www.personal.psu.edu/scs15/Reading/strategies.html
Effective Communication Skills- Student Success Workshop
https://www.svcc.edu/students/success/workshops-
pdf/Effective%20Communication%20Skills.pdf
Financial Literacy for Everyone
https://www.practicalmoneyskills.com/foreducators/lesson_plans/college.php
Memory Techniques
www.iss.stthomas.edu/study guides/memory/htm

References
Nine strategies to spark adult students’ intrinsic motivation
http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/teaching-and-learning/nine-strategies-to-spark-adult-students-
intrinsic-motivation/
Pedagogy vs. Andragogy
HTTP:WWW.EDUCATORSTECHNOLOGY.com/2013/05/AWESOME-CHART-ON
PEDAGOGY-VS-ANDRAGOGY.HTML
Personality Test-for-Teaming.
http://www.quia.com/files/quia/users/kkacher/WrldHlthResrch_handouts/
Personality-Test-for-Teaming
Smart Goals
http;/www.google.com/search?q=smart+goal+templates
THE PILLARS OF THE SELF-CONCEPT- SELF-ESTEEM AND SELF-EFFICACY
http://www.excelatlife.com/articles/selfesteem.htm
Top 10 Study Skills for College Students
http://www.collegeatlas.org/college-study-guides.html

Adult Student Success: How Does Awareness Correlate to Program Completion?

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