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Cycle 1 Action Plan Overview
Focus Statement
I have observed that the process for students to enroll in classes can be confusing and difficult for them. They either struggle through the process possibly choosing classes that do not fit in their program or enroll in classes that are not in the correct sequence of their suggested course plan or they don’t enroll in classes until very late. My proposed solution is to create a simplified system using Google Forms, Google Docs, and video tutorials that guide students and Program Directors step-by-step through the process of pre-registration which is selecting and enrolling in classes for the coming year.
Research Questions
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How can the course selection and enrollment process be streamlined using digital technology?
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How can digital technology platforms be leveraged to help Program Directors develop relationships with their students?
Target Audience
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Faculty Program Directors - I will attempt to have 10 Program Directors participate in this study. They range in age from 33 to 65 and have worked at the College for less than a year to over 30 years. They are all Program Directors so they help design the curriculum for the degree major in their particular program. They teach courses in their chosen field as well as give academic advice to their program students. The reason why I would choose Program Directors is because they will go through the process of pre-registration on an annual basis.
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Current students - I will attempt to have between 12 and 15 participants who are current students at the College. They will be between the ages of 18 and 35, the majority will be single, and they will be entering their second, third, or fourth year at the College. The reason why I would choose current students to participate is because they go through the process of pre-registration every year that they are a student
Implementation Process
For Cycle 1 I will survey the Program Directors on what their experience is with pre-registration with the students in their program and how satisfied they are with the process and experience of selecting and enrolling in courses. I want to find out if they feel comfortable advising their students through the process of pre-registration and if there is anything I can provide them to help them feel more comfortable with the process. I am not sure how involved Program Directors have been in this process and the survey results will identify this for me. My survey will ask questions about how comfortable they are with the process, how involved they have been, what type of technology they use to communicate with their program students, and what needs they have to become better at academic advising. Once I find out they feel about the process and what their needs are, I will develop a plan with resources for Program Directors to use as they advise their respective students.
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In addition, I will survey a select group of current students to see how satisfied they are with the process and experience of selecting and enrolling in courses. I want to find out how they find the experience of academic advising and the process of selecting and enrolling in courses. The survey will be very similar to the survey for Program Directors but from the student viewpoint.
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My goal in streamlining the process of pre-registration is to have students enrolled in classes before they leave college for the summer with a process that is stress-free for the student and the Program Director. Another goal is to provide support and coaching to Program Directors, as needed, to free up their time. This will allow them to have more time to mentor their students without the trouble of figuring out a course schedule for each student. According to the literature, students who build relationships not only with other students but with faculty and their advisor, are more likely to return and complete their degrees (Aljohani, 2016; Manyanga, et al., 2017; Russell & Jarvis, 2019; Walters & Seyedian, 2016).
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I will have the permission forms to Program Directors handed out to participants by January 21, 2022, and I will request to have them back by January 25th. I will have the permission forms for current students sent out by March 4th and will request to have them back by March 11th. I will send out my survey questions to the participants by March 4th and collect them a week later by March 11th. I may not have Cycle 1 completed until April 14th since it needs to be part of the process of setting up pre-registration. Depending on how the tasks before pre-registration go, I may need to extend Cycle 1 until April 30th. My goal is to have pre-registration done and available to students by April 14th or sooner.
Assessment & Evaluation
After the Program Directors review the information I provide them with, I will conduct an end-of-cycle survey. I will know my strategy is successful if the Program Directors find it easy to advise students with proper course selection and enrollment. Additionally, I will know if my strategy is successful if the students who plan to return are enrolled in courses for the 2022-23 academic year before leaving for the summer is higher this year compared to previous years.
References
Aljohani, O. (2016). A comprehensive review of the major studies and theoretical models of student retention in higher education.
Higher Education Studies, 6(2), 1-18. http://dx.doi.org/10.5539/hes.v6n2p1
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Manyanga, F., Sithole, A., & Hanson, S. M. (2017). Comparison of student retention models in undergraduate education from the past
eight decades. Journal of Applied Learning in Higher Education, 7, 30–42.
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Russell, L. & Jarvis, C. (2019). Student withdrawal, retention and their sense of belonging; Their experience in their words. Research
in Educational Administration & Leadership, 4(3), 494-525. https://doi.org/10.30828/real/2019.3.3
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Walters, R. L. M., & Seyedian, M. (2016). Improving academic advising using quality function deployment: A case study. College
Student Journal, 50(2), 253–267.