Case Study For A First Year Seminar: A Plan Which (Mostly) Worked

This case study, an honors first year seminar from the University of Florida, USA, demonstrates the benefits and challenges of these developments in education. The case expands the definition of formal, informal, and online learning communities in the context of a first year seminar.

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Team Teaching an Interdisciplinary First-Year Seminar on Magic, Religion, and the Origins of Science: A ‘Pieces-to-Picture’ Approach

Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning ◽

10.14434/v17i1.19772 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 17 (1) ◽

pp. 24-36 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Melati Nungsari ◽

Maia Christine Dedrick ◽

Shaily Patel

Keyword(s):

Case Studies ◽

Team Teaching ◽

Interdisciplinary Team ◽

First Year ◽

Interdisciplinary Teaching ◽

First Year Seminar ◽

Analyze Case

Interdisciplinary teaching has been advocated as a means to foster cooperation between traditionally separate fields and broaden students’ perspectives in the classroom. We explored the pedagogical difficulties of interdisciplinary team teaching through a first-year seminar in magic, religion, and the origins of science. Although many accounts in the literature suggest a more cohesive approach to interdisciplinary teaching, we first introduced the separate fields, their methodologies, and limitations before combining the insights from all three fields to analyze case studies relating to the main themes of the course. In this case study, we reflect on how this ‘pieces-to-picture’ method reduced student confusion when confronted with several disciplines in our classroom.

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Understanding the reacculturation experiences of first-generation, undecided students

10.32469/10355/57162 ◽

2016 ◽

Author(s):

◽

Tracey A. Glaessgen

Keyword(s):

First Generation ◽

Attrition Rate ◽

First Year ◽

Institutions Of Higher Education ◽

Undecided Students ◽

Exploratory Case Study ◽

Research Findings ◽

Recommendations For Practice ◽

First Year Seminar

When students enter institutions of higher education, they are typically leaving behind one culture to join another. First-generation students have a higher attrition rate as do undecided students, but little research has been conducted on students who have both characteristics. The researcher applied Bruffee's reacculturation process to understand the challenges and experiences that first-generation, undecided students have as they transition to a new academic environment. This qualitative, exploratory case study included 35 students utilizing interviews, focus groups, observations, and writings to triangulate the data collected. Findings revealed heightened feelings of stress, desire to become comfortable on campus, reliance upon continuing-generation friends, helpfulness of specialized first-year seminar course, and an uncertainty towards advisors' roles. Based upon research findings and framework, recommendations for practice are shared.

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Student Experiences in an Online First-Year Seminar Paired with Remedial Mathematics

Journal of College Orientation, Transition, and Retention ◽

10.24926/jcotr.v27i1.2442 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 27 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Max Walling

Keyword(s):

Developmental Mathematics ◽

Remedial Mathematics ◽

Course Delivery ◽

Student Experiences ◽

First Year ◽

Motivating Factors ◽

Collective Case Study ◽

Study Approach ◽

First Year Seminar

Educational research has explored the influence of first-year seminars, online course delivery, and developmental coursework on first-year student success, yet there is limited research on how these educational components intersect. A collective case study approach was used to explore the experiences of students enrolled in an online first-year seminar that was paired with a developmental mathematics course. Students reported different motivating factors and expectations for enrolling in the course, yet all expressed a desire to improve their academic performance and confidence. These results help to inform how delivery of an online FYS can support the goals of students and institutions.

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Worldbuilding, Gaming, and Multiliteracies in an Online First-Year Seminar

10.4018/978-1-7998-7271-9.ch012 ◽

2022 ◽

pp. 220-247

Author(s):

Brian Angus McKenzie

Keyword(s):

Professional Development ◽

Online Learning ◽

Teaching And Learning ◽

Role Playing ◽

First Year ◽

Practical Advice ◽

Role Playing Games ◽

Irish Context ◽

First Year Seminar

This chapter provides a case study of the use of worldbuilding for role-playing games as the foundation for a first year multiliteracies seminar. The author provides an overview of teaching and learning during the pandemic in the Irish context. The chapter provides practical advice on using a MediaWiki installation as the infrastructure for worldbuilding projects. The author shows how this imparts important digital literacies and allows for a critical apprehension of Wikipedia itself. The author argues that online learning and professional development benefit from a multiliteracies approach and, furthermore, that worldbuilding is a useful strategy for overcoming the limitations of online learning while at the same time achieving rigorous learning outcomes.

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First-Generation Students With Undecided Majors: A Qualitative Study of University Reacculturation

NACADA Journal ◽

10.12930/nacada-16-030 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 38 (1) ◽

pp. 22-35

Author(s):

Tracey A. Glaessgen ◽

Cynthia J. MacGregor ◽

Jeffrey H. D. Cornelius-White ◽

Robert S. Hornberger ◽

Denise M. Baumann

Keyword(s):

First Generation ◽

First Year ◽

First Generation Students ◽

Institutions Of Higher Education ◽

Education Students ◽

Undecided Students ◽

Group Interactions ◽

Written Responses ◽

First Year Seminar

When they enter institutions of higher education, students typically leave behind one culture to join another. Despite the higher rates of attrition for first-generation students over continuing-generation students and undecided students over declared students, little research has been focused on undeclared first-generation students. To understand the challenges and experiences of first-generation undecided students transitioning to a new and unfamiliar academic environment, we applied a reacculturation process to this qualitative exploratory case study of 35 students. Data came from interviews, focus group interactions, observations, and written responses to open-ended questions, which were subsequently triangulated. Findings revealed heightened feelings of stress, desire to become comfortable on campus, reliance upon continuing-generation friends, helpfulness of a specialized first-year seminar course, and uncertainty about advisors' roles.

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