Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Special Education, Counseling and Student Affairs / Kenneth F. Hughey / In academic courses, assessment is used to evaluate the effect of teaching on student learning. Academic advising has been viewed as a form of teaching (Crookston, 1972); therefore, it is necessary to assess the effect of academic advising on student learning. The best practices of assessment of academic achievement involve three key steps: the identification of student learning outcomes (i.e., what is assessed), the development and use of good measures of student learning (i.e., how assessment is conducted), and the use of sound professional judgment to understand the information gathered and to make changes to improve student learning (i.e., how assessment results are used). However, the assessment of academic advising is often minimal, narrow, and inconsistent. Further, when assessment of academic advising is conducted, it is most commonly a survey of student satisfaction of their advising experience (Carlstrom, 2012; Habley, 2004; Macaruso, 2007; Robbins, 2009). The purpose of this study was to learn about the assessment practices in the profession by surveying those who conducted or were responsible for assessment of academic advising. The study found that 80% of participants had identified academic advising student learning outcomes in their situation. The most frequently reported outcome was that students would know degree requirements. A little over half of the participants who identified student learning outcomes assessed the achievement of those outcomes and student surveys were the most frequently reported measure used. Seven percent of participants reported to use three or more measures to assess student learning outcomes. Multiple measures are needed in assessing outcomes to gather comprehensive evidence of outcomes achievement. Sixty percent of participants reported they used assessment information to make decisions regarding improvement of services and student learning. The most frequently reported use of information was making revisions to the advising process/delivery outcomes. The results of the survey indicated that participants viewed advisors’ belief in assessment as important to facilitating assessment of academic advising. They also viewed administrators’ use of information in making decisions and changes to improve advising practices and increase student learning as important.

First-year student retention has become a national priority for institutions of higher learning. Since 2004, retention of first-year college students has been on a steady decline. Due to recent the adoption of the Louisiana Granting Resources and Autonomy for Diplomas (GRAD) Act, college administrators in Louisiana are determined to increase first-year student retention, a key performance measure. Of the many factors known to support retention, student-faculty mentoring relationships are known to have a positive impact on college students’ experiences, including increased first-year student retention. However, there is less known about the role of academic advising combined with success coaching in retaining first-year college students. The purpose of this study is to understand first-year college students’ experiences with academic advising and success coaching. By conducting a case study, the researcher further understands the retention of first-year college students to the second year at a comprehensive research public university in Louisiana. The data collected from this study identifies current practices in first-year student retention to inform the current and future programs and services provided on campuses for first-year students.

This study examined the satisfaction with and use of technology infrastructure by students and faculty across a sample of five universities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Overall, the findings indicated that both faculty and students were relatively satisfied with the information technology (IT) infrastructure at their respective campuses, although they tend to report satisfaction levels more than faculty or students in the United States. The study also revealed several areas of improvement, including the need for more reliable Wi-Fi networks on campuses and for the use of Learning Management Systems (LMS) and other digital technologies by the instructors. The analysis uncovered disparities in the overall experience of faculty and students with IT between universities located in the capital city and universities outside the capital city.

Many students find their first year of college to be the most difficult moment of their educational careers. Along with college acceptance comes new expectations, a rigorous curriculum, and the usual growing pains of young adulthood. Because of these challenges, many college students find it difficult, if not impossible to make it past their first year. Limited research has been conducted to address the overall efficiency of first year programs that colleges and universities have put in place to support these students. Considering the trials faced by first year students, it is important that we identify the organizational structures that will increase student success outcomes and lead to the completion of degree programs. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between college sophomore students’ academic motivation, academic self-efficacy, their perceptions of the support they received during their first-year advisory program, and their satisfaction with the advisement they received. The target population is students who completed their first year of college and returned to the college as sophomores. This quantitative study used the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire, the Academic Motivation Scale, and the Inventory of Academic Advising Functions-Student Version to measure academic self-efficacy, academic motivation, and student satisfaction; 526 freshmen students were contacted and invited to participate in the study. Responses from 57 participating students were used to answer five research questions. The study revealed that students who had high to moderate levels of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation displayed higher levels of satisfaction as it related to the academic counseling they received during their FYE. The study also revealed that only a small group of students felt that their first-year experience program led to them having a stronger sense of self-efficacy. As a result of the study, the researcher was able to find support in previous research that FYE programs have led to creating positive perceptions of about their overall college experience and their ability to do well.

A presente pesquisa tem por objetivo verificar o impacto do uso da estratégia de orientação didático-pedagógica denominada consultoria individual (al. Sprachlernberatung) como meio de promover a amenização da ansiedade de produção oral na língua estrangeira. O estudo compreende uma revisão da literatura sobre a relação entre a ansiedade de produção oral na língua estrangeira e o desempenho dos alunos no aprendizado da língua-alvo, tendo como ponto de partida a distinção entre ansiedade como um traço de personalidade e a ansiedade de produção oral na língua estrangeira como uma ansiedade específica. A partir de um levantamento via questionários escritos e orais dos fatores geradores da ansiedade de produção oral na língua estrangeira e da autoavaliação dos participantes, a pesquisa busca refletir sobre o efeito de variáveis afetivas como motivação, autoconfiança e ansiedade no aprendizado de uma língua estrangeira no ambiente acadêmico. O estudo de caso concentra-se no depoimento de dez alunos de um curso de Licenciatura em Letras com habilitação em Língua e Literatura Alemã. Através desse estudo, identificamos que a ansiedade de produção oral no alemão como língua estrangeira decorre da crença dos próprios alunos de que esta seria uma língua \"difícil\", bem como da pouca habilidade linguística que eles acreditam ter, o que acarretaria apreensão na comunicação em qualquer situação de produção oral espontânea. Outro fator em destaque é o valor atribuído pelos alunos ao erro no processo de aprendizagem decorrente de experiências frustrantes, anteriores, com o aprendizado da língua. A visão que se tem do erro leva os alunos ao sentimento de inferioridade diante dos colegas de sala e dos falantes nativos da língua alemã. Contudo, compreendemos ao final da análise que esses fatores decorrem em grande parte da deficiência dos hábitos de estudo desses alunos e de sua pouca preparação de estratégias de aprendizagem. Nesse contexto, a consultoria individual é apresentada com o objetivo de provocar a autorreflexão desses participantes perante seu processo de aprendizagem da língua alemã, instigando-os a agir ativamente sobre esse e outros empecilhos na aprendizagem da língua-alvo. / The aim of this thesis is to investigate the impact of the methodological instrument called academic advising (gm. Sprachlernberatung) as a resource to reduce oral production anxiety in a Foreign Language. The thesis then embraces a literature review about the relation of the oral production anxiety in a Foreign Language to the performance of students in the learning process of a target language, starting with the distinction between anxiety as a personality trait and the oral production anxiety in a Foreign Language as a specific type of anxiety. By focusing on both oral and written surveys on the trigging factors of the oral production anxiety in a Foreign Language and the self-assessment of students, this thesis reflects on the effect of affective variables such as motivation, self-confidence and anxiety in the learning process of a Foreign Language in the academic environment. Thus, the case study refers to the testimony of ten students from a Graduation Course on German Language and Literature. From the use of this method, it was possible to identify that the oral production anxiety in German as a Foreign Language comes from the belief that the language is difficult, as well as from the little linguistic proficiency that they believe to possess, which causes apprehension in communication in any spontaneous oral production situation. Another burning issue is the importance given to making mistakes in the learning process, which can derive from previous frustrating experiences with the language. As a result, the views that the students have on making mistakes make them feel inferior when facing classmates or German native speakers. Nevertheless, in the end of this analysis, it was possible to spot that these variables mostly come from the lack of study habits and the scarce learning strategies. In this context, the academic advising is presented in order to provoke self-reflection of these students in the learning process of the German language, instigating them to act more actively on this or any other barrier that can hinder their learning of a target language.

The purpose of this study was to determine sophomore students' perceptions of academic advising at ETSU as reported in fall 2002 and trends in sophomore students' perceptions of academic advising at ETSU from 1994 to 2002. Four research questions and seven hypotheses were examined. The ACT Survey of Academic Advising was the instrument used in this study. This survey was administered to ETSU sophomores enrolled in 2000-level English literature classes during the fall semesters of 1994, 1998, and 2002. Data obtained from the survey regarding topics of discussion with advisors, satisfaction with assistance received, and impressions of advisors were analyzed to determine student perceptions and satisfaction. Variables of age, sex, college residence, type of advisor, and transfer status were examined in the 2002 data to determine any significant differences in these student subgroups. Comparative analysis was used to determine differences between ETSU sophomores surveyed in 2002 and sophomores included in a national normative study. Means scores obtained in 1994, 1998, and 2002 were tested to determine trends in students' perceptions since 1994. This study utilized a descriptive research design. All hypotheses were tested using an alpha level of .05. The results of this research indicated that continued improvements in academic advising services were needed at ETSU. The data in this study showed that ETSU students were satisfied with assistance received from their advisors in some areas. Students' impressions of their advisors were less than favorable. There were few statistical differences between ETSU student subgroups. There were few statistical differences between ETSU and students in the normative study in satisfaction with advisors' assistance. ETSU students had significantly less favorable impressions of their advisors than those in the normative study. Regarding trends in ETSU students' perceptions of academic advising at ETSU, students were significantly more satisfied and had significantly higher impressions of advisors in 1998 and 2002 than in 1994. There were no significant differences in responses of sophomores surveyed in 1998 and those surveyed in 2002 on any items.

This workshop will prepare academic advisors to operate effectively while protecting themselves from becoming embroiled in controversy.

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