The Impact of First-Year Seminars on College Students’ Life-long Learning Orientations

Abstract Introduction Latinx students are the largest ethnic/racial minority group in higher education, but are also the group least likely to graduate from a four-year institution. Research suggests that heightened stress perceptions may impede college students’ ability to perform well academically. Poorer sleep may compound the impact of stress on academic functioning. The present study examined the multiplicative effect of college-stress and actigraphy-measured sleep on academic cognitions within-and-across semesters. Methods 209 Latinx college students (Mage=18.95; 64.4% female, 85.1% Mexican descent) were assessed in the spring of the first year of college (T1) and fall of the second year (T2). At T1, participants wore an actigraph watch for 7 nights to measure total sleep time, sleep efficiency, and sleep midpoint. College-stress was assessed at T1 using the College Stress Scale. At T1 and T2, participants completed the Behavioral-Emotional-Cognitive School Engagement Scale, the Academic Self-Efficacy Scale, and a scale assessing academic motivation. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted to assess the model fit of a two-factor model representing academic cognitions (engagement, self-efficacy, motivation) at T1 and T2. Latent variable path analysis models testing for moderation were conducted using Mplus. Results The CFA indicated excellent fit (χ2(5)= 2.91, p=.71, RMSEA=.00, CFI=1.00, TLI=1.01, SRMR=.02). College-stress was concurrently (β=-.19, p=.02), but not longitudinally, associated with academic cognitions. Sleep midpoint predicted academic cognitions at T1 (β=-.24, p<.01) and T2 (β=-.18, p=.03). Sleep efficiency (β=.18, p=.01) and sleep midpoint (β=-.17, p=.02) moderated associations between college-stress and T2 academic cognitions. Higher college-stress was longitudinally linked with lower academic cognitions for students with lower sleep efficiency (b=-.12, p=.01) and later sleep midpoints (b=-.14, p=.01). Conclusion Greater college-stress is concurrently linked with lower academic cognitions, whereas later sleep timing has both immediate and enduring consequences on students’ academic mindsets. The impact of college-stress on academic cognitions may depend on the quality and timing of sleep at the time of these stress perceptions. Programs that address stress reduction and sleep health may be promising interventions for improving academic well-being among first-year Latinx college students. Support (if any) This work was supported by a William T. Grant Foundation Scholars Award (184370) to L.D. Doane.

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Positive perceptions of beer consumption among portuguese university students

Health and Addictions/Salud y Drogas ◽

10.21134/haaj.v20i2.534 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 20 (2) ◽

pp. 97-104

Author(s):

Joana R. Casanova ◽

Margarida Gaspar Matos ◽

María del Carmen Pérez Fuentes ◽

Leandro S. Almeida

Keyword(s):

College Students ◽

Alcohol Consumption ◽

Model Fit ◽

First Year ◽

Negative Effects ◽

First Year College ◽

Beer Consumption ◽

First Year College Students ◽

Individual Variables ◽

The Impact

The abusive consumption of alcohol by college students has negative effects on both individual and public health. Positive expectations about alcohol are related to behaviours and patterns of consumption frequently acquired in adolescence. Objective. This study analyses the impact of individual variables (gender, age at first drink, being away from home, and first option degree course) on beer consumption in first-year college students. The moderating effect of positive perceptions about alcohol consumption will also be considered. Method. The sample comprised 214 first-year college students at a Portuguese public university. Results. Positive perceptions of alcohol consumption had an impact on levels of beer consumption and the rate of beer consumption could be explained by just four student variables: age at first drink, gender, first option degree course, and positive perceptions of alcohol consumption. The indices of model fit were adequate. Conclusions. Interventions targeting reductions of student’s alcohol consumption should consider the effects of positive perceptions of alcohol.

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Impact of first-year seminar on student engagement, awareness, and general attitudes toward higher education

Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education ◽

10.1108/jarhe-01-2017-0006 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

pp. 15-30 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Bothaina A. Al-Sheeb ◽

Mahmoud Samir Abdulwahed ◽

Abdel Magid Hamouda

Keyword(s):

Higher Education ◽

Student Engagement ◽

Positive Impact ◽

First Year ◽

Content Type ◽

College Of Law ◽

First Year Seminars ◽

Campus Resources ◽

The Impact ◽

First Year Seminar

Purpose This study intends to add to the existing body of literature on the impact of a newly implemented first year seminar in the College of Law and Business. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the effects the course have on students in regard to three aspects: student awareness and utilization of resources, interaction patterns, as well as, general interests and attitudes toward higher education. Design/methodology/approach The methodology of the assessment included analysis of a survey that has been conducted by the end of Spring 2014 semester. A quasi-experimental design was implemented to measure the impact of the intervention on students’ awareness and utilization of resources, interactions, general interests, and attitudes toward higher education. Through the SPSS application, the Mann Whitney U Test, and χ2 tests were used to check for significant differences while comparing the means or frequencies for both groups. For the three questions, the authors have used the 90 percent confidence level and the standard significance level p-value of 0.05 or less for statistical analysis. Findings The results indicated that the course had a highly significant positive impact on student attitudes and awareness of campus resources but had less significant impact on student interactions and utilization of resources. The results in this study reveal a positive impact for the first-year seminar course on student satisfaction and attitudes toward higher education as well as their awareness of campus resources. However, in terms of the course impact on student interaction, results conveyed that students who have participated in the first-year seminar course show a slightly better interaction rate with instructors, academic advisors, and close friends than those in the control group. Research limitations/implications The main limitation of this study was that the sample was small. Nonetheless, it has provided valuable insights into the understanding of the social and academic impact of first-year seminars on student engagement; through the use of comparison groups, this study increased the validity of prior research. Practical implications The first-year seminar course evaluated in this study demonstrated the potential to support and enhance student social and academic engagement during the first year of college. Based on the results in this study, the study team recommended some revisions to the current first-year seminar model (UNIV P100 Skills for University Success). The team proposed three models for subsequent first-year seminars at this university. Originality/value This study adds to the existing literature by examining the impact of a newly implemented first-year seminar course at the College of Law and Business at this university on both academic and non-academic aspects from the students’ perspective. These aspects were selected as retention and GPA effects have been widely explored; therefore, the focus is on the less studied emotional and social factors associated with student success and retention. The results from this study can act as a guide for universities intending to introduce a first-year seminar course as it gives clear guidelines on design, content, and course implementation, which can be useful in enhancing general student motivation and attitudes toward academic study and higher education in general.

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A Proposed Plan to Implement Core Competencies and High-Impact Educational Practices in Saudi Universities in Light of The Experiences of Some International Universities

International Journal of Education and Information Technologies ◽

10.46300/9109.2020.14.24 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 ◽

pp. 223-240

Author(s):

Hisham Saad Zaghloul ◽

Jehan Abd-Alwahab Alandejani ◽

Yousef Khader Sanajlawe

Keyword(s):

Teaching And Learning ◽

Undergraduate Research ◽

Core Competencies ◽

High Impact ◽

First Year ◽

Educational Practices ◽

Survey Analysis ◽

Indiana University ◽

First Year Seminars ◽

The Impact

Although first-year seminars and experiences have been widely considered as a high-impact educational practice, which is used to enhance academic performance, retention, and acquisition of critical 21st Century outcomes, first-year seminars and experiences tend to be loosely defined and assessed in prior studies to highlight its importance in improving the education process as a whole; therefore, this study aims to assess the impact of highimpact educational practices (HIEPs) in preparatory years in Saudi Arabia and international universities, then proposing a plan for efficiently implementing HIEPs in higher education institutions. To achieve that, case-based analysis and the survey analysis method were used wherein qualitative examination of practices in University of California and Indiana University and quantitative assessment of (130) faculty members and students’ perception of Northern Border University was conducted. Case analysis revealed that international universities implement practices suited for their institution and not the stated one i.e., Health Professional Advising Center, undergraduate research programs, or Capital academic internship program in University California, while undergraduate research, service-learning practices, or learning community in Indiana University. Survey analysis on the other hand stated that consisting of the above (20_ years respondents, implementation of core competencies and HIEPs helps in exploring relevant issues and controversies, linking of knowledge and skills, and better students and faculty bond which raise teaching and learning experience. Results revealed that core competencies and HIEPs have a significant influence on the teaching and learning outcomes. As result, an efficient implementation the plan is proposed to activate HIEPs and core competencies in the preparatory year at Saudi universities.

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The Impact of Curricular Interventions on Intended Second Year Re-Enrollment

Journal of College Student Retention Research Theory & Practice ◽

10.2190/2dcu-kaby-wvqh-2f8j ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 7 (1) ◽

pp. 61-89 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Jennifer R. Keup

Keyword(s):

Service Learning ◽

Learning Communities ◽

First Year Experience ◽

First Year ◽

Interactive Relationship ◽

Second Year ◽

First Year Seminars ◽

Cooperative Institutional Research Program ◽

The Impact ◽

Curricular Interventions

Utilizing data from the national administration of a Cooperative Institutional Research Program (CIRP) baseline and follow-up survey of the first-year experience during the 2002–2003 academic year, this study explores the relationship between three curricular interventions—first-year seminars, service-learning, and learning communities—and the longitudinal process of first-to-second year retention. The findings from descriptive analyses showed that there are numerous positive relationships between these three interventions and integrative first-year experiences as defined by Tinto's (1987, 1993) longitudinal model of departure. Further, logistic regression suggests that service-learning courses have an indirect impact on the intent to re-enroll for a second year of college, while first-year seminars and learning communities may have an interactive relationship in their impact on the outcome measure.

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The Impact of Clustering First Year Seminars with English Composition Courses on New Students' Retention Rates

Journal of College Student Retention Research Theory & Practice ◽

10.2190/fjhu-rt1x-ga6y-eme5 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 3 (2) ◽

pp. 137-152 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Jennifer L. Crissman

Keyword(s):

Retention Rates ◽

English Composition ◽

Future Research ◽

First Year ◽

Independent College ◽

Composition Course ◽

New Students ◽

First Year Seminars ◽

The Impact ◽

First Year Seminar

Research has shown that two effective programs that positively impact upon new students' retention are first year seminars and clustering two or more academic courses together. This article discusses the results of one institution's approach to increasing student retention. The study analyzed the impact of clustering a first year seminar with an English composition course on new students' retention rates at a small, independent college in the northeast. The study, using multivariate regression models, showed no statistical difference in retention rates between students taking a clustered first year seminar and students taking a nonclustered first year seminar. This article discusses reasons that may account for the inconsistency with the literature, and closes with implications of the study and future research ideas.

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The Impact of Dosage on a Mindfulness Intervention With First-Year College Students

Journal of College Student Retention Research Theory & Practice ◽

10.1177/15210251211041695 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 152102512110416

Author(s):

Elizabeth S. Bambacus ◽

Abigail H. Conley

Keyword(s):

College Students ◽

Repeated Measures ◽

Binary Logistic Regression ◽

First Year Experience ◽

Outcome Variable ◽

First Year ◽

Grade Point ◽

Mindfulness Intervention ◽

Quasi Experimental ◽

The Impact

While mindfulness intervention research is prevalent, it is limited in (1) relation to college students’ grade point average (GPA) and retention and (2) minimum dosage recommended for the intervention. This repeated-measures quasi-experimental nonequivalent control groups study investigated differences in mindfulness, stress, flourishing, GPA, and retention between students ( n = 248) in first-year experience seminars who received a brief mindfulness intervention and the comparison group ( n = 125) who did not receive the intervention. The intervention consisted of three- to five-minute mindfulness exercises at the beginning of class that met once a week. In contrast to results of previous studies, this study—when controlling for class sections and gender—showed no significant differences in any outcome variable between groups. These results provide important evidence that a mindfulness dosing limit might exist. A post hoc binary logistic regression supported previous findings that GPA predicts retention. Implications are discussed in regard to college administrators, faculty, and student affairs professionals.

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A Qualitative Exploration of the First-Year Experience of Latino College Students

NASPA Journal ◽

10.2202/0027-6014.1189 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 40 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

John C. Hernandez

Keyword(s):

College Students ◽

Predominantly White ◽

Latino Students ◽

First Year Experience ◽

First Year ◽

Latino College Students ◽

Qualitative Research Study ◽

White Institutions ◽

Qualitative Exploration ◽

The Impact

Although the impact of the first-year experience has been investigated, there is little information on what this experience is like for Latino students particularly at predominantly White institutions. The primary purpose of this qualitative research study is to understand the first-year experience as recounted by 10 Latino college students. The findings include four major themes. Implications for practice are discussed.

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