Supporting First-Generation University Students Series: Topic Snapshot | Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4
Supporting First-Generation University Students Series
Part 3:
Strategies for Encouraging Academic Engagement
Overview
Pascarella et al. (2004) emphasize the importance of academic and classroom engagement for first-generation students. They contend that first-generation students may benefit from their academic experiences comparatively more than their continuing-generation peers because these experiences build cultural capital they might otherwise not have access to (Pascarella et al., 2004).
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Promote engagement while encouraging feedback
Additionally, access to consistent, timely feedback can help first-generation students as they acclimate to the differing demands associated with academic work in college.
Ways you can promote engagement in your classroom, while also encouraging students to access and utilize feedback:
| Strategies | Teaching Suggestions |
| Encourage students to set goals | Encourage students to set their own learning goals and develop a personal plan for achieving them. Have them reflect on those goals throughout the term, so that they can see their own progress. |
| Implement reflection activities | Incorporate student reflection, self-assessment, and peer-review activities. These type of activities allow students to engage actively not only with their own learning process, but their peers’ as well. |
| Incorporate more active and collaborative learning | Implement active learning activities, and provide students with numerous opportunities for collaboration. See our resources on active and collaborative learning (linked below in Additional Resources). |
| Help students relate course objectives to their lives | Motivate students by helping them see how course materials and course experiences may relate to their lives and goals, as well as those of their families and communities |
| Create opportunities for outside engagement | Direct students to activities that blend personal and community engagement, such as service learning, undergraduate research, and internships |
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Encourage students to seek help and feedback
Current research on supporting the retention of first-generation students emphasizes the importance of providing students with resources for accessing academic support, both inside and outside of your classroom (Brazil-Cruz & Martinez, 2016; Coffman, 2011; Lohfink & Paulsen, 2005; Swecker, Fifoit, & Searby, 2013; Wibrowski, Matthews, & Kitsantas, 2016).
Strategies for this include:
| Strategies | Teaching Suggestions |
| Make feedback an important part of class | Make help- and feedback-seeking an integral part of your class activities. Help students see that it is normal to be vulnerable, seek support, and receive feedback. See our series on “Effective Feedback” for more suggestions on this. |
| Point students to other resources on campus | Be aware that many students may lack knowledge about, and access to, academic resources such as the Library. Plan for an activity that introduces students to the Library, its services, and the type of help that they can receive from a librarian. |
| Help students navigate the higher education system and identify resources where they can receive the help. Include information on various university support services in your syllabus (e.g., SASC Writing Assistance, Student | |
| Disability Center, Leadership Programs, Veterans Resource Center, and Counseling Services). |
Adapted from: Lohman, 2015
- Additional Resources
- Citation
- Center for Educational Effectiveness [CEE]. (2018). Supporting First-Generation University Students Series. Just-in-Time Teaching Resources. Retrieved from https://cee.ucdavis.edu/JITT
- References
- Brazil-Cruz, L., & Martinez, S. S. (2016). The Importance of Networking and Supportive Staff for Latina/o First-Generation Students and their Families as they Transition to Higher Education. Association of Mexican American Educators Journal, 10(1), 129–158.
Coffman, S. (2011). A social constructionist view of issues confronting first-generation college students. New Directions for Teaching and Learning, 2011(127), 81–90.
Collier, P. J., & Morgan, D. L. (2008). “Is that paper really due today?”: differences in first-generation and traditional college students’ understandings of faculty expectations. Higher Education, 55(4), 425–446.
Engle, J., & Tinto, V. (2008). Moving beyond access: College success for low-income, first-generation students. Pell Institute for the Study of Opportunity in Higher Education. Retrieved from http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED504448.pdf
Lohfink, M. M., & Paulsen, M. B. (2005). Comparing the determinants of persistence for first-generation and continuing-generation students. Journal of College Student Development, 46(4), 409–428.
Pascarella, E. T., Pierson, C. T., Wolniak, G. C., & Terenzini, P. T. (2004). First-generation college students: Additional evidence on college experiences and outcomes. The Journal of Higher Education, 75(3), 249–284.
Stephens, N. M., Townsend, S. S., Hamedani, M. G., Destin, M., & Manzo, V. (2015). A difference-education intervention equips first-generation college students to thrive in the face of stressful college situations. Psychological Science, 26(10), 1556–1566.
Stevens, D. D., & Levi, A. (2005). Leveling the field: Using Rubrics to achieve greater equity in teaching and grading. Essays on Teaching Excellence: Toward the Best in the Academy, 17(1). Retrieved from http://podnetwork.org/content/uploads/V17-N1-Stevens_Levi.pdf
Swecker, H. K., Fifolt, M., & Searby, L. (2013). Academic advising and first-generation college students: A quantitative study on student retention. NACADA Journal, 33(1), 46–53.
Wibrowski, C. R., Matthews, W. K., & Kitsantas, A. (2016). The role of a skills learning support program on first-generation college students’ self-regulation, motivation, and academic achievement: A longitudinal study. Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory & Practice.
Winkelmes, M. A., Bernacki, M., Butler, J., Zochowski, M., Golanics, J., & Weavil, K. H. (2016). A teaching intervention that increases underserved college students' success. Peer Review, 18(1/2), 31–36.