Life @ Otis : Faculty Life : Faculty Development

Randall Lavender


2009-10 Faculty Development Grant

I received a Faculty Development grant in Fall 2009 to assist with data processing and statistical analysis related to a research project I've undertaken into aspects of student socio-cognitive makeup, its potential impact on teaching methodology, and ways to improve teaching of college art and design based on qualitative and quantitative findings.

The grant funds will help me conduct IRB-approved survey research using student subjects following the publication of my earlier study, titled Teaching the Whole Student:  Perceived Academic Control in College Art Instruction.  This article, chronicling the first study of perceived academic control and its impact on first-year art student success, is in press at Studies in Art Education (Spring 2010).

The current research follows-up on some of what the Studies article contributed to the art education field, especially at the collegiate level.  Four questions and attendant research activities organize this study:

1.

Do subsequent foundation classes' retention rates remain close to the study years' rates (2007-08)?
 

a. Compare each year's attrition at mid-year and year-end to the pre-intervention 5 year trend and the PAC study year. (The table below shows the improvement in first-year attrition at Otis resulting from the published study.)
2.

Do subsequent foundation classes show more or less baseline externality over time (i.e. the findings of Twenge, J., et. al., 2004)?
 

a. Collect baseline PAC scores over four years (including study year 07-08).
 

b. Correlate scores over time for possible trending of PAC.
3.

Is there any difference between PAC of new first-time or transfer students (research shows that prior college experience can enhance PAC; Knox, Lindsay, & Kolb, 1993)?
 

a. Compare baseline PAC of new first-time and transfer students over four years.
4.

Did the first intervention sample (2007-08) sustain any advantage over four years in school compared to previous foundation classes at Otis, and/or at comparable schools, i.e. academic performance, retention, graduation rates?
 

a. Collect mid-year and year-end attrition, cumulative GPAs over four years, and graduation data for those students in the study year 07-08 sample.
 

b. Collect mid-year and year-end attrition data and graduation rates over the same four years, and compare to Otis.

The Faculty Development grant will help me conduct this educational research at Otis, and will contribute to my professional advancement, the reputation of the College, and the furthering of this work and its positive impact on student success.

-- Randall Lavender, Professor and Associate Chair, Foundation

Table 3
First-Year (Foundation) Student Attrition Over Time
Academic Year Mid-Yr Change   Yr-End Change
2002-2003 9.4%     23.3%  
2003-2004 10.6%  + 12.8%   23.2%  - 0.4%
2004-2005 10.8%  + 1.9%   23.2%  - 0.0%
2005-2006 12.4%  + 14.8%   20.8%  - 10.3%
2006-2007 10.6%  - 14.5%   21.4%  + 2.9%
5-Year Average (Trend) 10.8%     22.4%  
2007-2008 (Current Study) 5.2%  51.9%   16.1%  - 28.1%