This week’s episode focuses on a metacognitive intervention for first-year students on academic probation and features an open access article from Teaching & Learning Inquiry.
See our extended episode notes at https://www.centerforengagedlearning.org/metacognitive-intervention-and-student-success/.
This week’s episode focuses on a metacognitive intervention for first-year students on academic probation and features an open access article from Teaching & Learning Inquiry:
Swanson, Holly J., and Bryan Dewsbury. 2024. "The Impact of a Metacognitive Intervention on Student Experiences and Success in an Academic Probation Program for First-Year Students." Teaching & Learning Inquiry 12. https://doi.org/10.20343/teachlearninqu.12.26
This episode was hosted, edited, and produced by Jessie L. Moore, Director of the Center for Engaged Learning and Professor of Professional Writing & Rhetoric. 60-Second SoTL is produced by the Center for Engaged Learning at Elon University. The photo in the featured image for this episode is by Compare Fibre on Unsplash.
60-Second SoTL
Episode 56 – Metacognitive Intervention and Student Success
(Piano Music)
0:03
Jessie L. Moore:
How could a metacognitive intervention inform student success for first-year university students on academic probation? That’s the focus of this week’s 60-second SoTL from Elon University’s Center for Engaged Learning. I’m Jessie Moore.
(Piano Music)
0:19
In “The Impact of a Metacognitive Intervention on Student Experiences and Success in an Academic Probation Program for First-Year Students,” Holly J. Swanson and Bryan Dewsbury describe students’ experiences with a series of reflective surveys and supportive relationships. Their article appears in the open access journal, Teaching and Learning Inquiry.
0:41
Following up on their earlier study of a campus-wide intervention to help students develop their metacognition – which Swanson and Dewsbury wrote about with Adelola Ojutiku, and also published in Teaching and Learning Inquiry – this project focuses on first-year students who were placed on academic probation after earning less than a 1.0 grade point average during their first semester at university. Students had an opportunity to continue enrollment during an additional semester if they committed to participating in a probation program.
The program required students to attend an orientation day, meet with their academic advisors at least twice during the semester, attend weekly meetings with program mentors, and complete three additional academic support meetings.
1:26
The program orientation included a one-hour workshop on metacognition and study strategies. Students then received weekly surveys for the next 6 weeks, prompting their reflection on study strategies they used and outcomes for their learning. Students’ program mentors supported their completion of the reflective surveys.
41 students consented to participate in the research about the intervention and completed surveys. Of those 41, 25 students were successful in the program; 16 were unsuccessful and ultimately dismissed from the university.
2:00
The researchers used descriptive coding to identify themes in students’ survey responses regarding their study strategies and their outcomes. See the article for full details on these findings. Swanson and Dewsbury highlight a pattern of student outcomes that has implications for other academic success initiatives for at risk students. Students who were successful completed the first reflection survey and met regularly with their program mentor or completed additional reflection surveys. The authors provide a rich discussion of these potential indicators for success, and I want to amplify the important role of program mentors who engaged students in conversations about their metacognitive skill development. It would be interesting to learn more about how these conversations might have contributed to a relationship-rich educational environment and students’ sense of belonging.
2:49
As many universities near the end of a term, Swanson and Dewsbury’s article is a timely read for anyone involved in academic probation programs, academic success initiatives, and retention efforts. To learn more about this study, visit our show notes for a link to the open access article and related resources.
3:06
(Piano Music)
Jessie Moore:
Join us next week for another snapshot of recent scholarship of teaching and learning on 60-second SoTL from Elon University’s Center for Engaged Learning. Learn more about the Center at www.CenterForEngagedLearning.org.
(Piano Music)