The Office of First-Year Experience in conjunction with Learning Ventures has transformed the Beginning the Academic Journey orientation course for this semester.
“The course objectives are still the same,” said Jennifer Rockwood, director of the First-Year Experience Office. “We’ve just updated the course by making it more interactive. We have added online learning modules.”
The required learning modules include diversity, alcohol education, plagiarism and time management. There are many other modules that students may choose from as well that then allow them to select from a number of projects, assignments and activities.
“We are trying to make it easier for students to interact with each other and their faculty members. It also allows us to use class time for more meaningful discussions based on the learning modules,” Rockwood said.
The decision to change the course was based on the results of the MAP-Works (Making Achievement Possible) survey from last year, when Rockwood learned that students enjoy more interactive courses.
“In the past, the orientation courses were strictly based in classrooms; now we have added the online part of the class,” Rockwood said. “This allows students to interact with one another via message boards and blogs.”
The survey once again was sent out in the beginning of the semester this year, which many students in the orientation course are required to complete, and had an 82 percent response rate.
A follow-up survey will be sent out Sunday, Oct. 24, and will be set up much the same way as the previous; this is to determine how well the students are doing in their course and whether they need extra help.
“The survey is very personalized, and the results are beneficial to both the student and the Office of First-Year Experience.”
For more information contact Rockwood at 419.530.2330 or jennifer.rockwood@utoledo.edu.
