August 22, 2024Improving Instructor Training to Reduce DFW Grades in First-Year Seminarsby Ryan W. Erck, Kara Alves, and Benjamin FlournoyThe first-year experience (FYE) encompasses various programmatic initiatives designed to introduce students to campus culture, assist with the transition from high school, and improve retention. At many colleges and universities, this is partially operationalized through the high-impact practice of first-year…
April 11, 2024Online Students and the First-Year Experienceby Stephanie Matte60-Second SoTL – Episode 55 This week’s episode focuses on the first-year experiences of college students studying online and features an article from Adult Learning: Korstange, Ryan, Jeff Hall, Jamie Holcomb, and Jasmeial Jackson. 2020. “The Online First-Year Experience: Defining and…
April 4, 2024International Students and the First-Year Experienceby Stephanie Matte60-Second SoTL – Episode 54 This week’s episode focuses on the impact of first-year experiences on international students’ retention and graduation rates: Rust, Dylan, and Raghvendra Singh. 2022. “First-Year Experience Course Impact on Undergraduate International Student Retention and Graduation.” Journal of…
March 28, 2024Historically Marginalized Students and the First-Year Experienceby Emma Calhoun60-Second SoTL – Episode 53 This week’s episode explores a recent article about sense of community in first-year seminars: Metzger, Kelsey J., Jake Wright, Robert M. Erdmann, Bronson Lemer, and Rachel L. Olson. 2022. “Mileage May Vary: How Sense of Community…
March 21, 2024Mentoring Across the First-Year Experienceby Emma Calhoun60-Second SoTL – Episode 52 This week’s episode explores a recent article about the value of peer-mentorship programs for first-year university students: Tsang, Art. 2023. “The Value of a Semi-Formal Peer Mentorship Program for First-Year Students’ Studies, Socialization and Adaptation.” Active Learning…
March 14, 2024Defining Success in a First-Year Seminarby Logan Morral60-Second SoTL – Episode 51 This week’s episode focuses on a study of first-year seminars’ impact on common measures of student success in higher education: Shi, Qingmin, John R Crooker, Christina R Drum, and Brent M Drake. 2021. “Investigation of the…
March 7, 2024Significant Benefits of the First-Year Experienceby Emma Calhoun60-Second SoTL – Episode 50 This week’s episode focuses on an open-access article about beneficial outcomes of first-year seminars: Das, Rajeeb, Erika Schmitt, and Michael T. Stephenson. 2024. “A Quasiexperimental Analysis of First-Year Seminar Outcomes at a Large University.” Journal of…
February 29, 2024Incorporating Multiple Dimensions in the First-Year Experienceby Logan Morral60-Second SoTL – Episode 49 This episode features on open-access article on service-learning and leadership development in first-year seminars: Krsmanovic, Masha. 2022. “Fostering Service-Learning and Leadership Development through First-Year Seminar Courses.” Journal of Service-Learning in Higher Education 15: 54–70. View a…
February 22, 2024What is a First-Year Experience?by Stephanie Matte60-Second SoTL – Episode 48 This episode highlights two articles that explore first-year experiences and what makes them high-impact: Barefoot, Betsy O. 2000. “The First-Year Experience: Are We Making It Any Better?” About Campus 4 (6): 12–18. https://doi.org/10.1177/108648220000400604. Kuh, George, Ken…
