Helping Struggling Students to Succeed in College

1. Helping Struggling Students to Succeed in College Brian D. Johnson, Ph.D. Paul Dreyer, MA Division of Professional Psychology The University of Northern Colorado

2. Overview of Presentation • Discussion of psychological problems frequently encountered by college students. • Discussion of strategies to help students succeed in college.

3. Overview of Psychological Problems Encountered by College Students 1 The impact of psychological problems in college students. 2 Discussion of common psychological disorders in college students. 3 Discussion of Assault and Suicide.

4. Mental Illness and College Students 1. Many types of psychopathology have a mean age of onset during the late teen and early 20’s. 2. Aggressive treatment of early episodes of a disorder has been shown to decrease the severity/frequency/duration of subsequent episodes.

5. Mental Illness and College Students (Continued) 3. There is a high degree of overlap between the various mental disorders. Thus it is quite likely that a student could have multiple psychological disorders at the same time. 4. One-in-Five college aged individuals have some type of psychological disorder.

6. Mental Illness and College Students (Continued) 5. It has been estimated that 20-25 percent of students who leave a college before graduating do so due to psychological problems. 6. It has been estimated that psychological disorders cost the US economy $40 Billion dollars/year in terms of lost productivity and lives.

7. How Disabilities Affect Student’s Ability to Learn - All psychiatric disorders affect one’s attention & concentration. - Most disorders associated with behaviors that can seem to be illogical or irresponsible. - Adolescents/young adults often have an intense fear of being different, thus they are less likely to seek treatment or remain in treatment.

8. Common Psychological Disorders in College Students Internalizing Externalizing

9. Internalizing Disorders Externalizing Disorders Oppositional- Defiant Substance Related

10. Types of Mood Disorders Major Depressive Disorder Dysthymic Disorder Bipolar Disorder

11. Types of Anxiety Disorders • Generalized Anxiety DO • 2. Social Phobia • Obsessive-Compulsive DO • 4. Panic Disorder • 5. Posttraumatic Stress DO

12. Eating Disorders Anorexia Nervosa Bulimia

13. Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder “Holy Trinity of ADHD” Inattention Impulsivity Hyperactivity

14. Oppositional Defiant Disorder Loses temper Annoying Blaming Angry Argues Noncompliant Vindictive Touchy

15. Substance Related Disorders Substance Abuse & Dependence

16. Special Topics Assault Suicide

17. Assault Approximately 1:4 women & 1:17 men report being raped/physically assaulted by an intimate partner during their lifetimes. Over 300,000 sexual assaults occur in the united states each year. The US has the highest rate of forcible rape of any industrialized country (US Department of Justice, 2000; Allison & Wrightman, 1993)

18. Assault & College Students Rates of sexual assault is approximately 3 times higher among female college students. 20 percent of college women and 4% of college men report being forced into having intercourse. Gidycz, Hanson, & Layman (1995); Brener, McMahon, Warren, & Douglas (1999)

19. Suicide Second leading cause of death for college student (second only to accidents). Women are 3 times more likely to attempt suicide, but men are 3 times more likely to complete suicide. Single males are at greatest risk.

20. US Suicide Rate by Age, Gender & Race

21. Suicide Rate in Colorado

22. Common Myths about Suicide December has the highest suicide rate due to the holidays. You should not ask someone if they are thinking about suicide because it might put the idea into their head. When someone’s depression improves, their risk of suicide is reduced. Suicidal behavior is inherited.

23. Suicide: What You Can Do 1. Ask “Are you thinking about hurting or killing yourself?” 2. Take ever suicide threat seriously. 3. Help person generate alternative options to suicide. 4. Attempt to identify support system. 5. Facilitate their getting help from a professional. 6. Make a suicide contract with them.

24. Strategies for Helping Students to Succeed • What else can I do? • How can improve what I’m already doing?

25. Overview of Strategies for Helping Students to Succeed 1. Video Vignette 2. Presentation and Discussion 3. Additional Video Vignettes/Discussion & Experiential Practice

27. Faculty – Student Communication & Interaction Classroom Strategies Trust-building Strategies Communication Strategies

28. Classroom Strategies • Be Dynamic: • Vary pitch, loudness, and tempo of your voice. • Teach to multiple learning styles. • Be Clear and Understandable: • Specify important information clearly. • Use specific labeled praise. • Address students by name. • Have students address you by your first name.- Gorham (1988), Foushee & Sleigh (2004)

29. Classroom Strategies cont. • Encourage Discussion • Ask questions that solicit viewpoints or opinions. • Get into discussions based on student comments. • Have discussions about things unrelated to class w/ students or class as a whole • Get into conversations w/ individual students before or after class • Become technology savvy • Interactive syllabi, use email, “Smart” classrooms, etc. Gorham (1988), Foushee & Sleigh (2004)

30. Classroom Strategies cont. • Give Feedback • Provide feedback on individual work through comments on papers, oral discussion, etc. • Praise students’ work, actions, or comments • Show Students You Care • Ask how students feel about assignments, due dates, or discussion topics • Refer to class as “our” class or what “we” are doing • Invite students to telephone, email, or meet outside of class if they have questions Gorham (1988), Foushee & Sleigh (2004)

31. Classroom Strategies cont. • Consider focusing on skill development rather than grades: • May increase motivation and performance of struggling students if your presented the importance of “process” as well as “outcome” • Make materials and policies relevant: • Clearly outline and explain course materials and policies • Make use of critical questioning,research on student-generated questions, decision-making exercises, etc. Gorham (1988), Foushee & Sleigh (2004), McKeachie (1999)

32. Classroom Strategies:In-Class Interactions Use of humor – can be both verbal & nonverbal (i.e. smile!). Self-Disclosure – mostly concerning education, experience as professor, beliefs & opinions, family & friends, leisure activities. Teacher Narratives – myths, legends, personal anecdotes, story-like descriptions of others’ experiences. Downs, Javidi, & Nussbaum (1988 ); Downs, Manoochehr & Nussbaum (1988)

33. Classroom Strategies cont. Six paradoxes of classroom design, your classroom should: • Be Bounded and Open • Be Hospitable and Charged • Invite the voice of the Individual and the Group • Honor “little” stories of the students and “big” stories of the discipline • Support Solitude and Provide Community Resources • Welcome Silence and Speech Palmer (1998)

34. Behaviors Associated w/ Decreased In-Class Interaction - Calls on students to answer questions even if they indicate that they don’t want to talk. - Frequently asks questions that have specific correct answers. - Inappropriately or without balance, criticizes or points out faults in students’ work, actions, or comments. Gorham (1988), Menec & Perry (1995)

35. Decreased In-Class Interaction (Continued) • Makes inappropriate or offensive comments. • Sits behind desk while teaching. - Sits on a desk or in a chair while teaching. - Talks in a dull/monotone voice. - Tense body posture. - Looks at board or notes while lecturing. Richmond, Gorham & McCroskey (2002), Menec & Perry (1995)

36. Trust-Building Strategies “Trust between teachers and students is the affective glue that binds educational relationships together…enhancing motivation and stimulating learning.” (Buskist & Saville, 2001) “A good relationship between teacher and learner is crucial for effective learning, at any level of education.” (Ballantyne, Bain, & Packer, 1999)

37. Trust-Building Strategies • Maximize Your Out-of-Class Interactions: • Students who engage in OCI with faculty display increased academic & cognitive development • Greater student-faculty OCI linked to higher teaching evaluations • Shaped by and related to faculty in-class behaviors and attitudes – cues to accessibility • May be formal or informal • Try to arrive to class a few minutes early and stay a few minutes late to be available for your students Jaasma & Koper (1999), Buskist & Saville (2001)

38. Trust-Building Strategies cont. Trust-Building Strategies cont. • Be Approachable: • Post and keep consistent office hours • Provide email and phone contact choices and respond to questions and concerns promptly • Use humor and be less formal outside of class. • Increases chance of building positive rapport • Be conscious about matching your intentions and students’ perceptions. Perrine & King (2004), Buskist & Saville (2001)

39. Trust-Building Strategies cont. • Expertness: • Perceived expertness through both in-class and out-of-class interactions • Assertiveness to initiate actions with students who need support • Ability to Change : • Listen to your students and reevaluate your strategies if necessary • Responsiveness: • Role model consistent, prompt, and sensitive responsiveness • Interpersonal communication skills… Aylor & Oppliger (2003), Buskist & Saville (2001)

40. Communication Strategies Nonverbal Communication Reflective Listening/Empathy Verbal Immediacy Open Questions

41. Nonverbal Communication Nonverbal Communication “SOLER” • Smiling • Squaring up/Face-to-face body position • Opening body position and decreasing physical barriers • Leaning forward • Making eye contact • Appearing relaxed Gorham & Zakahi (1990); Richmond, Gorham & McCroskey, (2002)

42. Reflective Listening/Empathy • Reflective Listening – Focusing on the emotional content of interpersonal communication and then reflecting those emotions back to the student. • Most interpersonal communication has both manifest content & underlying emotional feelings and meaning. Reflective listening focuses on the feelings and meaning. • Once we become aware of the emotions likely being expressed, we reflect or describe them back to the student.

43. Reflective Listening/Empathy cont. • Empathy - the ability to understand someone else’s feelings subjectively. • Active listening. • Unconditional regard for your students • Speaking and listening with an awareness of self and an unbiased, open attitude. • McKeachie (1999), Foushee & Sleigh (2003)

44. Verbal Immediacy Types of Immediacy Skills: Minimal Encouragers Paraphrasing Summarizing Normalizing

45. Verbal Immediacy:Minimal Encouragers Minimal Encouragers – are small indicators to another person that you are listening and want the conversation to continue. Nonverbal Encouragers - Head nods, eye contact, hand gestures, etc. Verbal Encouragers - brief utterances through which you can encourage someone to continue a discussion. “Oh”, “So”, “And then?”, “Umm-hmmm” and “Tell me more”.

46. Verbal Immediacy:Paraphrasing - Paraphrasing – Listening to what a student says and then accurately repeating the essence of that communication (thoughts and feelings) in a more concise way. Be careful not to parrot things back using the student’s same words. - Key Word Paraphrase – is when you repeat back a couple key words that the student has said.

47. Verbal Immediacy:Summarization Summarization: Listening to a student’s communication and repeating back the thoughts/feelings (and reasons/meaning for them) to the student in a more condensed and organized manner.

48. Verbal Immediacy:Normalizing Normalizing: Communicating to the student that his or her feelings may be appropriate or common. • Normalizing attempts to alleviate a student’s sense that “I’m crazy!” However, it should not discount or minimalize what the student is feeling. • You can often normalize a situation through use of self-disclosure

49. Open Questions Open Questions:Questions asked in such a way that students will give you more than short or yes/no answers. What Questions: Often leads to discussions regarding facts & specifics about a situation ( “What happened next?”) How Questions: Often leads to discussions about the process or sequence of events (“How did that happen?”) Why Questions: Typically asked to search for the reasons underlying their behaviors, thoughts or emotions (“Why do you suppose it is necessary for you to always present last?”)