Learning Center Utilization Report

Transcription

1 SAN JOAQUIN DELTA COLLEGE Learning Center Utilization Report Office of Planning, Research, and Institutional Effectiveness

2 Contents Background... 1 Goleman Tutoring Center... 1 Math Science Learning Center... 1 Reading Writing Learning Center... 1 The Zone... 1 English as a Second Language (ESL) Lab and Learning Center... 2 Learning Service Preparations... 2 Methodology... 2 Results... 2 Service Utilization Patterns... 2 Tutoring Student Characteristics... 3 Tutoring Effects on Course Success... Error! Bookmark not defined. Conclusions... 3 Appendix... 4 Figure 1a. Total Number of Visits (Check-Ins) by Center and Term in Figure 1b. Number of Visits (Check-Ins) by Day in the Goleman Library ( )... 4 Figure 1c. Number of Visits (Check-Ins) by Day in the MSLC ( )... 5 Figure 1d. Number of Visits (Check-Ins) by Day in the RWLC ( )... 5 Figure 1e. Total Number of Students Checked In By Time of Day ( )... 6 Figure 2. Average Number of Hours Students Spent in Tutoring by Center and Term in Table 1. Top 10 Courses Students Visit Learning Centers for Tutoring Services ( )... 7 Table Student Demographic Comparisons: Tutoring vs. Non-Tutoring Students... 8 Table 3. Success Rate Comparisons between Students Tutored and Not Tutored ( )... 9 Table 4a. Success Rate Comparisons between Students in the Top 10 Classes for Goleman Library ( ) Table 4b. Success Rate Comparisons between Students in the Top 10 Classes for MSLC ( ) Table 4c. Success Rate Comparisons between Students in the Top 10 Classes for RWLC ( ) Table 5. Success Rate Comparisons between Students by Ethnic Group ( )... 9

3 Background San Joaquin Delta College operates five distinct learning centers in order to provide academic support services to students enrolled in College courses. Each of the learning centers offers various forms of learning assistance, computer work stations, and access to learning materials such as textbooks, science models, and computer-based learning modules. The following learning centers were in operation since the academic year: Goleman Tutoring Center Math Science Learning Center Reading Writing Learning Center The Zone (student athlete learning center) ESL Lab and Learning Center The goals of the College s learning centers are to support student success and attainment of long- and short-term educational goals by providing learning assistance and resources to: Build effective study habits Practice efficient learning techniques Become successful, independent learners To achieve these goals, each center offers tutoring and computer access to students enrolled in currentterm courses at the College; however, each center also offers services specific to the disciplines and students it serves. Descriptions of the services available at each center are provided below. Goleman Tutoring Center The Goleman Tutoring and Learning Center offers tutoring to students in specific, non-science content areas, ranging from psychology to Spanish. Students can schedule individual or group tutoring appointments, borrow textbooks for their courses, or reserve group study rooms in the first floor of the library. Math Science Learning Center The Math Science Learning Center provides tutoring in math and science courses, ranging from arithmetic to calculus and from biology to physics. In addition, the Math Science Learning Center offers course materials check-out, giving students the opportunity to borrow science models and texts. Reading Writing Learning Center The Reading Writing Learning Center provides tutoring in reading and writing for all skill levels. Students who request tutoring in reading or writing need not be enrolled in a reading or writing course to receive tutoring at the center. The Zone The Zone began in summer 2010 with the goal of improving student athlete success, persistence and ontime graduation rates. The Zone caters specifically to student athletes by providing tutoring and space for individual and group study space, as well as access to coaches during their office hours. All athletes at the College are required to log at least three hours of study or tutoring time at The Zone per week. 1

4 English as a Second Language (ESL) Lab and Learning Center The ESL lab and learning center provides voluntary and course-required tutoring services to students enrolled in ESL courses at the College. The College s ESL courses require students to log a specific number of tutoring and study hours at the lab per week. These students have access to a tutor and computer-based language learning resources at the lab five days per week. English language learners may also visit the lab on an as-needed basis to receive assistance in learning English or obtain referrals to College services. Learning Service Preparations In addition to the services provided to students, the College s learning centers prepare students to become tutors and SI leaders via a College Reading and Learning Association (CRLA) certified training program. Tutors and SI leaders are required to complete a two-unit seminar course designed to teach tutors how to embed effective learning strategies and skills in each tutoring session and facilitate student learning and problem-solving. The goals of this report are to: describe learning center service utilization patterns; compare students who utilize learning assistance to the overall student population; and, determine whether students who participate in tutoring are more likely to succeed (earn a passing grade) in their courses than students who did not participate for the three major learning centers (Math Science, Reading Writing, and Goleman Library [Content Tutoring]). Methodology In order to describe students who participate in tutoring, as well as their performance in their classes, enrollment, grade, academic and demographic background data were obtained from the College s System 2000 database. Learning center participation data were obtained via the SARS TRAK database, the College s student services scheduling and reporting system. For the purposes of describing students who utilized the learning centers, any student who visited one or more of the centers on one or more occasions was considered a learning center user. However, for the purpose of examining tutoring outcomes, only students who received one or more hours of tutoring were included in the tutoring group. Results Between summer 2012 and spring ,024 students received tutoring services in learning centers. The total number of tutoring hours these students received at the Goleman Library, MSLC, or RWLC center was 42,749. Service Utilization Patterns Of the three learning centers, the MSLC had the highest number of check-ins per term, with the RWLC with the least number of check-ins per term (See Figure 1a). Looking at trends over time there appear to be a consistent number of visits daily for each center with spikes in check-ins in the middle of the term and towards the end of the term (See Figures 1b, 1c, 1d). These spikes appear to correspond with test periods (mid-terms and finals). The peak hours for the learning centers appear to be between the 2

5 hours of 10:00 AM and 1:00 PM (See Figure 1e). On average, students spent more time in tutoring in the MSLC than in the RWLC and Goleman Library (See Figure 2). The average number of hours spent in tutoring for students in the MLSC was approximately 10 hours per term. Students tutored in the RWLC spent an average of three hours in tutoring per term and students tutored in the Goleman Library spent an average of five hours in tutoring per term. The top three courses students in the MSLC received tutoring services for were in Math (MATH 082, MATH 080, MATH 012). The top three courses students in the RWLC received tutoring services were in English (ENG 001A, ENG 079, ENG 070). The top three courses students in the Goleman Library received content tutoring services were in BUS 001A, JAPAN 001, and BUS 001B (See Table 1). Tutoring Student Characteristics Demographically, larger proportion of tutoring students are slightly older, female, Asian or African American as compared to their peers who did not use tutoring services (See Table 2). Academically, a larger percentage of Reading Level 1 students use tutoring services but a larger percentage of higher level Math students are also using tutoring services. Tutoring Effects on Course Success Overall, students who seeked tutoring services had significantly higher course success rates than students who did not seek tutoring services (See Table 3). A comparison of success rates by ethnic group revealed that across the board, tutored students had higher success rates than non-tutored students (See Table 4). Review of the course success rates by students for the top ten courses in each learning center revealed that for almost every course, students who were tutored had higher success rates. In the Goleman Library, success rates were higher for tutored students than students who did not seek tutoring in all courses except SPAN 001 (See Table 5a). In the MSLC, success rates were higher in all courses for tutored students except Math 76, Math 78, and Math 39 (See Table 5b). In the RWLC, success rates were higher for tutored students than students who did not seek tutoring services in all courses except ENG 079 (See Table 5c). Conclusions Similar to the previous academic year, of the three learning centers, the MSLC serves the most students. A tracking of the times students check in for tutoring reveal that all three centers are busiest between the hours of 9:00 AM and 12:00 PM. Comparing the demographic characteristics of students who utilize tutoring and students who do not reveal that older female of ethnic minority backgrounds are more likely to visit the tutoring centers. Overall, students who received tutoring successfully pass their courses at a higher rate than students who did not receive tutoring. The higher rates of success for tutored students are found across the board for all students regardless of ethnic group, suggesting that tutoring may be beneficial for students of ethnic backgrounds that have historically succeeded at lower rates. 3

6 Total Visits Appendix Figure 1a. Total Number of Visits (Check-Ins) by Center and Term in GOLEMAN MSLC RWLC Summer Fall Spring 1493 Figure 1b. Number of Visits (Check-Ins) by Day in the Goleman Library ( )

7 Figure 1c. Number of Visits (Check-Ins) by Day in the MSLC ( ) Figure 1d. Number of Visits (Check-Ins) by Day in the RWLC ( )

8 7:30 AM 8:00 AM 8:30 AM 9:00 AM 9:30 AM 10:00 AM 10:30 AM 11:00 AM 11:30 AM 12:00 PM 12:30 PM 1:00 PM 1:30 PM 2:00 PM 2:30 PM 3:00 PM 3:30 PM 4:00 PM 4:30 PM 5:00 PM 5:30 PM 6:00 PM Figure 1e. Total Number of Students Checked In By Time of Day ( ) GOLEMAN MSLC RWLC 0 TIME OF DAY GOLEMAN MSLC RWLC 7:30 AM 7 1 8:00 AM :30 AM :00 AM :30 AM :00 AM :30 AM :00 AM :30 AM :00 PM :30 PM :00 PM :30 PM :00 PM :30 PM :00 PM :30 PM :00 PM :30 PM :00 PM :30 PM 1 6:00 PM 1 1 6

9 Average Tutoring Hours Per Student Figure 2. Average Number of Hours Students Spent in Tutoring by Center and Term in GOLEMAN MSLC RWLC Summer Fall Spring Table 1. Top 10 Courses Students Visit Learning Centers for Tutoring Services ( ) Goleman Library MSLC RWLC 1 BUS 001A MATH 082 ENG 001A 2 JAPAN 001 MATH 080 ENG BUS 001B MATH 012 ENG CSP 031A CHEM 003A ENG 001D 5 SPAN 001 MATH 076 READING 091F 6 PHILO 030 MATH 001 ENG 001B 7 HIST 017A MATH 078 READING 094A 8 JAPAN 002 BIOL 032 COM ST 001A 9 CSP 017 MATH 038A EDUC FREN 003 MATH 039 ENG 083 7

10 Table Student Demographic Comparisons: Tutoring vs. Non-Tutoring Students Non-Tutoring Students Tutoring Students Difference in Percentage Demographic Variables Ethnicity 2 or more races 4.4% 3.7% -0.7% American Indian/Native Alaskan 0.5% 0.7% 0.2% Asian 14.8% 16.2% 1.4% Black/African American 9.8% 13.1% 3.3% Filipino 4.6% 4.5% -0.1% Hispanic 38.8% 40.0% 1.2% Pacific Islander 0.6% 0.8% 0.2% Unknown 1.5% 2.9% 1.4% White 24.9% 18.1% -6.8% Gender Female 56.9% 62.4% 5.5% Male 42.1% 36.0% -6.1% Other 1.0% 1.6% 0.6% Age Group 19 and younger 30.2% 21.8% -8.4% % 37.8% -0.8% % 12.9% 0.4% % 7.7% 1.1% % 4.8% 0.9% % 8.6% 3.2% % 6.4% 3.5% Academic Variables Initial COMPASS2 Reading Level Level % 26.2% 4.5% Level % 33.8% -3.9% Level % 12.6% -0.9% No COMPASS2 Reading Level 27.1% 27.5% 0.4% Initial COMPASS2 Math Level Level 1 5.8% 4.6% -1.2% Level % 11.2% -2.5% Level % 8.2% -1.9% Level 4 5.2% 5.8% 0.6% Level 5 2.1% 2.1% 0.0% Level 6 1.5% 2.1% 0.6% No COMPASS2 Math Level 61.7% 66.1% 4.4% Total 15,526 2,375 8

11 Table 3. Success Rate Comparisons between Students Tutored and Not Tutored ( ) 100.0% 90.0% 80.0% 70.0% 60.0% 50.0% 40.0% 30.0% 20.0% 10.0% 0.0% 63.1% No Tutoring 70.2% Tutoring Table 4. Success Rate Comparisons between Students by Ethnic Group ( ) Non-Tutoring Students Tutoring Students Total Enrollments Success Rate Total Enrolled Success Rate Difference in Success Rate 2 or more races % % 8.2% American Indian/Native Alaskan % % 0.3% Asian % % 5.7% Black/African American % % 6.2% Filipino % % 2.9% Hispanic % % 10.8% Pacific Islander % % 3.5% Unknown % % 6.1% White % % 6.0% All Enrollments % % 7.1% Note. Duplicate students. Success rates are based on enrollments not distinct students. 9

12 Table 5a. Success Rate Comparisons between Students in the Top 10 Classes for Goleman Library ( ) Non-Tutoring Students Tutoring Students Difference Total Success Total Success Enrolled Rate Enrolled Rate Success Rate BUS 001A % % 22.6% JAPAN % % 29.9% BUS 001B % % 18.7% CSP 031A % % 8.7% SPAN % % -0.9% PHILO % % 23.2% HIST 017A 1, % % 17.3% JAPAN % % 16.7% CSP % % 15.8% FREN % * * * Note. Enrollments and success rates for course sections where at least one student received tutoring services. * Fewer than 10 students not reported. Table 5b. Success Rate Comparisons between Students in the Top 10 Classes for MSLC ( ) Non-Tutoring Students Tutoring Students Difference Total Success Success Success Enrolled Rate Rate Rate Success Rate MATH 082 2, % % 11.7% MATH 080 2, % % 1.9% MATH 012 1, % % 15.6% CHEM 003A % % 5.6% MATH % % -5.1% MATH % % 5.8% MATH 078 1, % % -12.7% BIOL % % 16.0% MATH 038A % % 15.7% MATH % % -3.3% Note. Enrollments and success rates for course sections where at least one student received tutoring services. 10

13 Table 5c. Success Rate Comparisons between Students in the Top 10 Classes for RWLC ( ) Non-Tutoring Students Tutoring Students Difference Total Success Success Success Enrolled Rate Rate Rate Success Rate ENG 001A 1, % % 19.4% ENG 079 1, % % -20.0% ENG % % 6.6% ENG 001D % % 20.5% READING 091F % % 21.4% ENG 001B % % 27.7% READING 094A % * * * COM ST 001A % % 8.1% EDUC % % 31.9% ENG % % 14.6% Note. Enrollments and success rates for course sections where at least one student received tutoring services. * Fewer than 10 students not reported. 11