1. Student Culture
and Designing
the Learning
Environment
Beth White Bigler MA
Karen Brinkley
Session 2

2. Understanding Our
Students
How Student Statistics Explain Learning Successes and
Challenges at the University of Tennessee

3. PRESENTATION
OVERVIEW
Millennials
2012-2013 Freshman Class
Adult Learners
Student Motivation
UT Student Survey
Conclusion

4. Millennials
 Born 1982-2002  Exceptional Technology
Skills
 70-95 Million People
 30% of the Population
 Confident and
Optimistic
 34% Minority
 Self-Expressive
 Open to Change
 Sheltered
 Pressured to Succeed
 Achievement-Focused
 Extrinsically Motivated
Source: “The Millennials: Confident,
Connected and Open to Change.” (2012). Pew
Research Center
Source: Howe and Strauss (2003).
“Millennials Go to College.”

5. 2012-2013 Freshman Class
 4200 Students
 89% In-State
 19% Minority
 Average GPA: 3.89
 27 ACT Score
 Mean Family Income: $125,000
 99% Qualify for HOPE
 Student qualifications are in-line with the
“Top-25” Research Universities

6. Adult and Non-Traditional Learners
 More experience & prior knowledge
 Intrinsically motivated
 Responsibilities or challenges that can
interfere with the learning process
 Adults learn differently
◦ Prefer active learning & practical application
◦ May be less comfortable with technology
Source: Bash, L. (1999). Adult learners in the academy. Indianapolis, IN: Josey-Bass.
Source: Cercone, K. (2008). Characteristics of adult learners with implications for online learning design,
AACE Journal, 16(2), 137-159.

7. Student Motivations
1. Self: 4. Method & Process
◦ Extrinsic vs. Intrinsic
◦ Encouragement and
◦ Individual and Social Praise
Factors
◦ Guided Discussion
◦ Values
5. Environment
2. Instructor: ◦ Structure
◦ Passion for Material
◦ Emotionally-literate
◦ Caring for Students
3. Content:
◦ Shared Responsibility
◦ Co-Creation of Value
Source: Williams, K.C. and Williams, C.C. (2011). Five key ingredients for improving student motivation.
Research in Higher Education Journal, (12): 1-23

8. Student Success Students who leave
Orientation UT: The Top 6 Reasons
 83% thought earning As and  Didn’t fit in
Bs in high school was  Difficulty adjusting to UT
“Somewhat Easy”
 Financial Reasons
 68.5% spent less than one
 Campus is too large and
hour each day on
impersonal
homework
 Too far from home /
homesick
 Too much pressure / stress
UT Student Survey Results

9. Conclusions
 Most students will be performance-oriented
 Many of the bright and more motivated
students want to “own” their education and
be involved in the decision-making
 Students will likely experience a “learning
adjustment” when compared to high school
 Practicing effective teaching can reach all
students
 Responsibility rests with the student

10. Questions?
UT Students Working Together

11. Understanding The
Learning Environment

12. Index of Learning Styles
 Developed in 1991 by Richard Felder and
Barbara Solomon (NCSU)
 44 question instrument designed to assess
preferences on the four dimensions of the
Felder -Silverman model (1988)
 Designed for engineering students

13. Identifying Your Learning Preference
11 9 7 5 3 1 1 3 5 7 9 11
Four dimensions:
 Sensing/Intuitive
 Visual/Verbal
 Active/Reflective
 Sequential/Global

14. Sensing - Intuitive
Sensing Intuitive
 Like learning facts and  Often prefer discovering
solving problems using possibilities and
well-established methods relationships
 Tend to be patient with  Like innovation NOT
details and good at repetition
memorization  Tend to work faster than
 Don’t like courses with sensors
no apparent connection  Don’t like courses that
to the real world require a lot of
 Like doing hands-on memorization
work

15. Visual - Verbal
Visual Learners Verbal Learners
 Prefer explanations with  Prefer
written and spoken
many charts, graphs, explanations
pictures, etc.
 Have difficulty in classes
were information is
presented mostly through
lectures and written
material

16. Global - Sequential
Global Learners Sequential Learners
 Tend to learn in large  Tend to follow logical step
jumps, they may begin by step paths to find
slowly and then make solutions
large leaps  Learn in small
 May be able to solve and incremental steps
synthesize complex  Make steady progress
problems  Easily explain and
 Can see the “big picture” analyze
but may have difficulty
explaining how they did it

17. Active - Reflective
Active Learners Reflective Learners
 Learn by trying things out  Learn by thinking things
 Tend to like group work through
 Lecture style teaching is  Tend to prefer working
difficult for active learners alone
 Lecture style teaching is
also hard for reflective
learners

18. Does it Really Matter?
Students have different
Teachers have different
strengths and
strengths and
preferences in the ways
preferences in the ways
in which they take in or
they present materials
process information

19. In the Conflicted Space
 Students are likely to:
 Be inattentive, passive learners
 Become discouraged about the course
 Do poorly on tests
 Change majors
 Professors are likely to:
 Become inattentive
 Become discouraged
 Become hostile
 Become apathetic and ineffective

20. Ask The Experts:
 Please take a few minutes to think
of a question or two about teaching
or learning you would like the
students to address.
 Write it on one of the index cards
in the center of your table.

21. Where Do We Go From Here?
 Vary the sources of information
 Vary instructional strategies
 Vary evaluation/assessment methods