This document discusses strategies for improving student engagement at community colleges. It notes that student engagement is critical for student success, retention and completion. Research shows that colleges that implement high-impact engagement strategies see overall improvements in these areas. The document then outlines various barriers to student engagement like financial stress and lack of interaction. It proposes strategies to minimize these barriers, such as using active learning methods over passive ones. Specific techniques discussed include creating an online learning community, using social media for learning activities, and emphasizing online teamwork and group work. Indicators of engagement include academic challenge, deep learning approaches, and connected learning.

1. STUDENT ENGAGEMENT
PRACTICES. TECHNIQUES. TOOLS

2. The primary focus of the event came from this challenge
statement: Students do not feel connected to the college,
classes, curriculum or each other and this lack of community
causes a decline in enrollment, retention, motivation and
engagement.
THE CHALLENGE
KCTCS New Horizons Conference

4. WHY STUDENT ENGAGEMENT
 Student engagement is a critical factor in student learning success, retention, and
completion. Community College case studies that establish and practice high
impact engagement strategies report overall improvement in student retention,
success, and graduation rates.
 “The Survey of Entering Student Engagement (SENSE), a product and service of the
Center for Community College Student Engagement, (CCSSE) helps community
colleges discover why some entering students persist and succeed and others do
not. The study found that student engagement increases when they participate in
more than one high-impact practice. The more structured group-learning
experiences students were involved in, the higher their benchmark scores on both
the SENSE and CCSSE surveys.
PRACTICES

5.  BARRIERS TO STUDENT ENGAGEMENT
Any factors that may contribute to lack of student engagement
oFinancial Stress
oLack of Campus/Course interaction in Social Media
oSocial – Lack of interaction, social context
oNo or lack of reliable internet service
 Determine the specific population of students serving to include?
Goal Setting/Expectation assignments
Description of student work/career experience
Description of Life experience/ bio, family, interest
Description of Professional and academic goals
 What are some effective strategies to minimizing barriers?
PRACTICES

6. STRATEGIES TO MINIMIZE BARRIERS
o Active Learning Methods versus Passive Methods
Passive Methods: Lecture, reading, audio, video, observing
Active Methods: Discussion, student to faculty/student interaction,
presentations, group projects, problem solving activities, service-learning
group projects
Research has indicated that video-based feedback is more conversational and engaging
with the students. Students see it as more collaborative and supportive, convenient.
PRACTICES

7. EFFECTIVE TEACHING & LEARNING PEDAGOGY
 Create online social presence through synchronous conference and video
feedback, profiles
 Extended learning beyond the classroom through social learning activities
• Social Media Learning Activities (SMLAs)
• Social Networking Sites
• Social Studying Sites
 Provide online learning materials and online academic support resources
• Open Education Resources (OER)
TECHNIQUES & TOOLS

8. TECHNIQUES
COMMUNITY CREATION
Online Learning Community
Online Student Success Guide
http://octc.kctcs.libguides.com/octconlinesuccess -
Global Navigation and My Blackboard System

9. TECHNIQUES & TOOLS
SOCIAL MEDIA LEARNING ACTIVITIES
Social Networking Sites
(Pinterest, Google)
Multimedia (Digital Storytelling)
(GoAnimate, News Channel , VoiceThread)
Online Discussion Forums
(Microblogging, Blogging, Text Message Services)

10. ONLINE TEAMWORK
 Ten Proven Strategies for Building High-Performance Teams
 Get to know each other first
 Make sure that you understand your role(s) and the team’s goal(s)
 Respect the ideas and feelings of other team members
 Manage conflict effectively
 Continue to build relations with other team members
 Think and act like a team
 Decenter and recenter – sharing individual points of view and a common goal
 Avoid groupthink
 Be flexible
 Periodically assess the team’s performance
TECHNIQUES

11. ONLINE GROUP WORK
 Successful Strategies for Traditional and Distance Learning Group/Team Work
Keep in mind to value and share your beliefs, knowledge, and skills
Share and clarify your group’s mission and goals
Openly discuss the challenges of virtual teaming and communication
Be aware of the value of communication with other locations and invite feedback
Identify and discuss cultural, organizational, and or geographic differences
Take advantage of any opportunities to meet face to face. This will personalize and
reinforce relationships
Seek and share knowledge. Do not hoard it. Hoarding delays results and works against
synergy
 Three Reasons Group Work is Essential to E-Learning Environment
Students work on collaborative skills
Innovation and Growth –Creating and developing ideas
Social and Active Learning – Deeper learning occurs when you are engage with
peers/classmates
TECHNIQUES

12. INDICATORS OF STUDENT ENGAGEMENT
o Academic challenge – deeper level thinking and reasoning/higher-order learning
• Fostering relationships between faculty/staff and students
• Campus environment (study abroad opportunities, service-learning and research with
faculty, internships)
o Deep Learning Approaches
o Connected learning, higher-order thinking, integrative and reflective learning
• Integrative learning: integrating ideas from various sources, diverse perspective, discussing
ideas outside of class
• Reflective learning: examining one’s own thinking and the perspectives of others, applying
content to course materials and beyond the classroom
TECHNIQUES

13. SOCIAL MEDIA
Social Media’s Hard Core Facts
94.8% Percentage of institutions with a presence on Facebook
76% Percentage of college freshmen who cited connecting to family as a
reason for using social media
39% Percentage of all college freshmen who cited completing homework or
projects as a reason for using social media

14. References
Bucher, R. (2010). Diversity Consciousness: Opening Our Minds to People, Cultures, and
Opportunities. Columbus, OH: Prentice Hall
Almanac of Higher Education 2013: Highlights. (2014, December 12). The Chronicle of Higher
Education. Retrieved from http://chronicle.com/article/Almanac-2013Technology/140801/
Center for Community College Student Engagement. (2013). A Matter of Degrees: Engaging
Practices, Engaging Students (High-Impact Practices for Community College Student Engagement).
Austin, TX: The University of Texas at Austin, Community College Leadership Program.

15. Penny Riley, Owensboro Community & Technical College
Title III Community Builder Specialist
http://pdinnovations.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Conference-
Program_FINAL.pdf