Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Sponsoring Organization
A community college based in the Twin Cities metropolitan area
The college mission is to make individual dreams achievable by providing access to learning
opportunities that prepare students to live and work in a democratic society within a global
community. The college fulfills this mission through:
General education
Liberal education
Technical education
Baccalaureate transfer education
Workforce development
Developmental education
English language learning
Continuing education
Project Description
The goal of the Professional Nursing (NPRO) Program at the community and technical college is
to graduate skilled professionals who can then begin working in a field which has been
historically understaffed. This is a highly competitive program: Between 300 to 375 students
apply each year for 120-150 openings. Students who test 78 or higher in reading on the
colleges ACCUPLACER placement test are considered to be college ready and equipped to
handle both the nursing prerequisites and the nursing courses themselves.
A discussion with Jane Persoon, Interim Director of Nursing (January 22, 2015) calls this
assumption into question. According to Ms. Persoon, the program has a high failure rate in the
first two semesters, between 15-20%. Further, according to Ms. Persoon, nursing students are
unable to apply what they are learning and lack the ability to analyze, synthesize and evaluate
information.
The college currently teaches a general critical reading course that is designed to be applicable
across a range of disciplines and programs. Its learning outcomes include (Common Course
Outline, 2010):
Monitor and adapt reading to improve comprehension.
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Summarize and evaluate the ideas presented in print and visual texts.
Analyze and synthesize information from multiple texts in multiple mediums.
Currently, only students who test into developmental reading and intend to pursue a nursing
degree are required by the nursing program to take this course. However, it is unclear whether
these developmental students, approximately 10% of whom are admitted to the nursing
program (Personal communication, January 26, 2015), do better, worse or about the same
during their first two semesters in the program compared to their non-developmental
counterparts.
Data to answer this question is not available at this time. But given the high failure rates, which
cannot be accounted for by the admission of developmental students alone to the nursing
program, it does suggest the following questions for both reading and nursing faculty at the
college:
Would all (or some) nursing students benefit from taking a critical reading and thinking
course during their first two semesters in the program?
If only some students would benefit, what criteria would be used to require them to take a
critical reading and thinking course?
Aim
The aim of this project is to increase the number of students who successfully complete the
nursing program.
Target Audience
Nursing students who are at risk of failing one or more courses during their first semester.
Delivery Options
The critical reading course taught at the college is currently provided in hybrid, face-to-face and
asynchronous formats. These options are provided because students vary in their learning styles
and preferences, as well as their access to reliable internet access. If critical reading became a
requirement for all or some nursing students, some sections should be redesigned to meet the
instructional needs of this population.
75% of the students attending the college fall into one or more of the following
underrepresented categories: students of color, low income and/ or first generation
college students. Nursing students are similar in their characteristics:
o 53% are students of color
o 52% are low income
o 26% are first generation college students
19% are between the ages of 21-24 years old; 79% are 25 years or older
72% are women
70% of nursing students are part-time
Nursing students are admitted twice a year to one of three cohorts: day, eveningweekend, or day-evening.
Although 53% of students attending the college place into developmental reading,
99% of students in the nursing program placed as "college ready."
Entry Characteristics
Contextual Analysis
Orienting Context
Students going into nursing have already demonstrated a commitment to their education
given the investment of time and money in their studies. Their goals include:
Successfully passing the TEAS V and being admitted to the NPRO Program.
Increasing their chances of successfully completing a challenging program in the
required four to six semesters once admitted.
Decreasing or avoiding additional costs, both of time and money, when they have to
repeat a course.
Further, struggling students tend to be more open to instruction when they perceive it will
help them be more successful and when they can see its direct applicability to the content
they need to master. Finally, the NPRO Program holds all of its students to a very high
standard. Admission to the program requires a letter grade of B or higher in all courses
taken to meet the minimum science requirement. Once admitted, students must get a letter
grade of C or higher in each course they take during the semester or they cannot enroll in
the following semesters courses.
Instructional Context
Reading courses are offered during the day and evening to accommodate students
busy schedules.
The nursing program has three cohorts: day, evening-weekend, and day-evening.
Classrooms are generally well lit, temperature controlled and equipped with the
latest instructional technology, including projectors, computers, document cameras,
and DVD players
Classrooms vary in their seating arrangements. Some of them are more conducive
to group work than others.
The college is located in downtown Minneapolis and is easily accessible by bus and
train. It has ample parking, both in a ramp and on the street.
Transfer Context
Students should be able to directly apply what they are learning in the critical
reading and thinking course to their nursing courses. To successfully do the work in
their nursing courses, students need to be able to apply the higher order thinking
skills of analysis, synthesis, and evaluation.
For new skills and knowledge to be transferred from one learning context to
another, students need to be provided with content and situations drawn from what
they will be doing in their nursing classes (Morrison, Ross, Kalman and Kemp, p.
191). Ideally, the content in one or two sections of the critical reading and thinking
course would be geared specifically to nursing students. In turn, nursing instructors
could point out when higher order thinking skills are demanded of students and
when they are being applied.
2. The concept of self-regulation, which is the ability to know when, what and how to
study, and self-efficacy, the belief in ones own ability to solve problems in order to
achieve ones goals, are extremely important for success in college and beyond.
3. Transformative learning theory operates on the assumption that students can
transform their meaning structures (perspectives and schemas) when confronted
with a problem or situation that needs to be solved (Mezirow, 1994). This
transformation provides the basis for developing solid critical thinking skills.
4. Situated learning theory posits that new knowledge is acquired within the context of
a community of practice that encourages and rewards collaboration and the
construction of knowledge among peers (Cobb and Bowers, 1999). Nursing as a
field has its own culture and practices, which nursing students are trying to master
in a highly structured and collaborative environment.
The students referred to take the critical reading and thinking course potentially have
motivational problems in all four areas. In the area of attention, inquiry arousal is crucial.
Students must be given opportunities to seek new knowledge by engaging in interesting
problems-solving activities around the readings. In the area of relevance, all three
subcategories are important. Students need to understand how what they are learning in
the critical reading and thinking course will help them be more successful in their nursing
courses and thus help them achieve their ultimate goal of entering the nursing profession.
They need to be provided with an array of individual and collaborative learning
opportunities so they can fulfill both achievement and affiliation motives. As well,
familiarity needs to be built into the instruction, so students connect what they have
already learned and are learning in their nursing courses to the critical reading and
thinking course content.
In the area of confidence, providing students with opportunities for success and a sense of
personal control is essential. The students taking the critical reading and thinking course
are by definition struggling students who have already seen failure in one or more of their
nursing program courses. The critical reading and thinking course has to increase their
confidence in their ability to build and apply their cognitive skills so that they are able to
master the content in their other courses. As well, students need to recognize that it is
their own effort and ability to solve problems that contributes to their success, not chance
or even innate intelligence.
Finally, building satisfaction through natural and positive consequences reinforces
motivation and learning. Students need both meaningful opportunities to use what they
are learning, both in the critical reading and thinking course and their nursing courses, and
to see extrinsic rewards in the form of improved grades.
All students can be successful if they are provided with the proper supports and direction.
Although an awareness of cultural backgrounds and differences is important, it is critical to
treat each student as a unique individual.
Closing the Gap: Requiring students identified as struggling during their first semester in
the program to take the critical reading and thinking course that builds students higher
order thinking skills. Struggling is defined as students who have failed NPRO 1000.
Please note: Given the competitive nature of the program, priority is given to applicants
who have already completed ENGL 1110, BIOL 2224 (Anatomy) and BIOL 2225
(Physiology) with a grade of B (3.00) or higher prior to admission to the program. Students
are permitted to retake these courses one time to achieve a higher grade before they apply
to the NPRO program.
GOAL ANALYSIS
Step 1 - Write down the goals.
Original goals:
Increase the number of nursing students who successfully complete their first two
semesters of the nursing program.
To close the performance gap, have struggling students take the critical reading and
thinking course, which focuses on applying higher order thinking skills analysis,
synthesis, and evaluation.
Step 2 - Write down everything a person would have to say or do for you to agree that
the person has achieved the goal.
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4. Student critically evaluates the assumptions, points of view, ideas, theories and
principles presented in a variety of texts, verbally or in writing. (Cognitivebehavioral & Affective)
Student recognizes underlying assumptions, common fallacies, alternate points
of view and related theories, ideas and principles presented in a variety of texts
with 80% accuracy. (Knowledge)
Student summarizes the assumptions, common fallacies, points of view, related
theories, ideas and principles presented in a variety of texts verbally or in
writing with 80% accuracy. (Comprehension)
Student analyzes the assumptions, common fallacies, points of view, related
theories, ideas and principles presented in a variety of texts verbally or in
writing with 80% accuracy. (Analysis)
Student critically reflects on their own assumptions and point of view, verbally
or in writing, based on their analysis of what they are reading, 100% of the time.
(Synthesis & Evaluation)
5. Student can apply higher order thinking skills to solve a nursing problem.
(Cognitive-behavioral & Psychomotor)
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Level on Blooms
Taxonomy*
Fact, concept,
principle, rule,
procedure,
interpersonal,
or attitude?
Concepts
Procedures
Learner Activity
(What would
learners do to
master this
objective?)
Use a comparison
chart while
viewing a lecture
to note down the
steps and criteria
for each type of
note-taking
strategy.
Delivery Method
(Group
presentation/lecture,
self-paced, or small
group)
Lecture (online)
Individual activity
Student
describes both
concept
mapping and
the Cornell
Note-taking
method after
viewing a
lecture with
100%
accuracy.
Comprehension
Application
Student can
apply the
criteria for a
good set of
notes to an
example of
each notetaking
strategy using
a rubric with
80% accuracy.
Application
Principles
Uses a rubric to
evaluate examples
of each type of
note-taking
strategy.
Small group
discussions
Pair activity
Student
reviews what
they read and
marked in the
text using a
checklist with
100%
accuracy.
Analysis
Principles
Compares what
and how they
marked the text in
a small group
using the checklist
as a guide.
Small group
discussions
Small group activity
Student
organizes
what they read
Synthesis
Principles
Procedure
Creates a set of
notes based on
what they marked.
Individual activity
Student creates
their own notes
from the lecture.
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and marked
into a set of
notes using
their preferred
note-taking
strategy with
100%
accuracy.
Student scores
their own
notes and
those of
another
student using
criteria
defined in a
rubric with
80% accuracy.
Evaluation
Principles
Assesses their
notes and a
classmates notes
using explicit
criteria.
Writes a brief
summary of the
results of their
evaluation.
Pair activity
Individual activity
REFERENCES
Adult Learners. Innovative Teaching Institute. Teaching and Learning Services. Rochester
Institute of Technology. Retrieved on January 18, 2015 from
http://www.rit.edu/academicaffairs/tls/course-design/instructional-design/adultlearners
Cobb, P. and Bowers, J. (1999) Cognitive and situated learning perspectives in theory and
practice. Educational Researcher, 28 (2), 4-15. Retrieved from
http://edr.sagepub.com.ezproxy.lib.uwstout.edu/content/28/2/4.full.pdf+html
Office of Strategy, Planning and Accountability (2014). MCTC data shop: Data as of fall
2014. Retrieved March 6, 2015 from
https://my.minneapolis.edu/~/media/Intranet-Site/Files/Departments/Office-ofStrategy-Planning-Accountability/Data%20Shop/Data%20Shop%2020150127.pdf
Guild, P.B. (2001) Diversity, Learning Style and Culture. School of Education at Johns
Hopkins University. Retrieved on January 18, 2015 from
http://education.jhu.edu/PD/newhorizons/strategies/topics/Learning%20Styles/diver
sity.html
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Hynick, K. (2010) Program Review FY 2009: Reading and Study Skills Department. [Memo]
Retrieved from MCTCs Employee Share Drive.
Keller, J. (2010) Motivational design for learning and performance: The ARCS model
approach. (New York: Springer Science & Business Media)
Mezirow, J. and Associates (1990) Fostering critical reflection in adulthood: A guide to
transformative and emancipatory learning. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishing.
Mezirow, J. (1994) Understanding transformation theory. Adult Education Quarterly, 44 (4),
224-44.
Minneapolis Community and Technical College Office of Strategic Planning and
Accountability (2015). Program review FY 14: Program retention and graduation rates,
CTE only (Data file). Retrieved from https://my.minneapolis.edu/Departments/StaffDepartments/Office-of-Strategy-Planning-and-Accountability/Reports/Program-Review
Morrison, G., Ross, S., Kalman, H., and Kemp, J. (2013) Designing effective instruction (7th
ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
The critical reading and thinking course: Critical Reading of Academic Texts. Common Course
Outline. Updated Fall, 2010. Retrieved from MCTCs Employee Share Drive.
Profile for Minneapolis Community & Technical College. Retrieved January 23, 2015 from
http://www.mnscu.edu/collegesearch/index.php/institutions/profile/0305
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