Educational Programming And Student Learning In College And University Residence Halls

Add value to the student experience with purposeful residential programs Grounded in current research and practical experience, Student Learning in College Residence Halls: What Works, What Doesn't, and Why shows how to structure the peer environment in residence halls to advance student learning. Focusing on the application of student learning principles, the book examines how neurobiological and psychosocial development influences how students learn in residence halls. The book is filled with examples, useful strategies, practical advice, and best practices for building community and shaping residential environments that produce measureable learning outcomes. Readers will find models for a curriculum-based approach to programming and for developing student staff competencies, as well as an analysis of what types of residential experiences influence student learning. An examination of how to assess student learning in residence halls and of the challenges residence halls face provide readers with insight into how to strategically plan for the future of residence halls as learning centers. The lack of recent literature on student learning in college residence halls belies the changes that have taken place. More traditional-age students are enrolled in college than ever before, and universities are building more residence halls to meet the increased demand for student housing. This book addresses these developments, reviews contemporary research, and provides up-to-date advice for creating residence hall environments that achieve educationally purposeful outcomes. Discover which educational benefits are associated with living in residence halls Learn how residential environments influence student behavior Create residence hall environments that produce measureable learning outcomes Monitor effectiveness with a process of systematic assessment Residence halls are an integral part of the college experience; with the right programs in place they can become dynamic centers of student learning. Student Learning in College Residence Halls is a comprehensive resource for residence hall professionals and others interested in improving students' learning experience.

Over the past four decades, programming has continued to be a viable strategy for transmitting knowledge, affecting skills development, changing attitudes, and helping students reach their potential both on and off campus. This volume will assist student affairs professionals as they plan, implement, and evaluate their educational interventions on college and university campuses. From planning a lunchtime seminar to conducting a semester-long support group, this sourcebook will provide readers with guidance on implementing programming that is powerful, relevant, and focused on learning. The contributors detail each step of program assessment, planning, implementation, and outcome evaluation. They explain the importance of collaborating with faculty and others, illustrating several types of programming partnerships with four brief case studies and examine the significant partnership aspects that led to programming success. The contributors also explore two of today's most relevant programming topics--multicultural competence and sexual violence--and provide an overview of a number of promising programs covering such areas as service learning, leadership, community-building, alcohol awareness, and diversity. This is the 90th issue of the quarterly journal New Directions for Student Services.

"A very timely collection of fascinating and informative readings on a subject of central importance to higher education policy and practice... a sterling list of contributors... 'must' reading for professionals who work in residential institutions." —Alexander W. Astin, professor of higher education and director of the Higher Education Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles This book offers an insightful and practical discussion of how the outcomes of college education can be strengthened through thoughtful, educationally rich programs that make residence halls a more integral part of the overall educational experience.

Although student affairs practitioners play a key role in student learning, few are familiar with learning theories, the design of experiential education, or pedagogical theory. This edited collection describes programs in which student affairs professionals work independently or in collaboration with academic faculty and community partners to create more intentional and consistent approaches that enhance student learning. Examples, models, and case studies throughout the chapters make the theories and ideas specific and practical. Exploring educational opportunities in and outside the classroom, such as peer education, leadership development, life and career planning, civic engagement, service-learning, and study abroad, this book provides both theories and pedagogical frameworks for organizing and integrating the entire institution to promote and support learning. Drawing on multiple perspectives, Learning Everywhere on Campus shares the interventions and strategies necessary to help students learn new information, acquire skills, and understand the value of this knowledge in constructing their sense of purpose and self in the world.

The curricular approach aligns the mission, goals, outcomes, and practices of a student affairs division, unit, or other unit that works to educate students beyond the classroom with those of the institution, and organizes intentional and developmentally sequenced strategies to facilitate student learning. In this book, the authors explain how to implement a curricular approach for educating students beyond the classroom. The book is based on more than a decade of implementing curricular approaches on multiple campuses, contributing to the scholarship on the curricular approach, and helping many campuses design, implement, and assess their student learning efforts. The curricular approach is rooted in scholarship and the connections between what we know about learning, assessment, pedagogy, and student success. For many who have been socialized in a more traditional programming approach, it may feel revolutionary. Yet, it is also obvious because it is straightforward and simple.

Written specifically for academic librarians and library administrators, this book identifies the myriad benefits of peer-assisted learning, exploring how the implementation of peer-assisted learning benefits information literacy instruction, cocurricular outreach, and reference services. In this era of accountability—and stretched budgets—in higher education, librarians need to make instructional programming both highly effective and sustainable. Peer-assisted learning is a methodology that has long been accepted in teaching but is relatively new as applied to academic library instruction, outreach, and reference. This book brings together the most innovative applications of peer-assisted learning in these contexts, explaining specific ways to apply peer-assisted learning in a variety of academic library settings for maximum benefit. This guidebook begins with an extensive literature review of the theoretical underpinnings of peer-assisted learning and the various benefits these programs can provide academic librarians and peer mentors. The bulk of the book's content is organized into three sections that address the subjects of information literacy instruction, cocurricular outreach, and reference services separately. Each section showcases real-world examples of peer-assisted learning at a variety of academic institutions. Through these case studies, readers can fully understand the development, implementation, and assessment of a peer-assisted learning program, and librarians and administrators will see the practical benefits of enriching the experiences of student employees. Practitioners will receive inspiration and guidance through chapters that discuss training activities, identify lessons learned, and explain the implications for further research.