- No more admissions letters. On my campus we have decided to save time and money by discontinuing the practice of sending letters to students informing them that they have been admitted to our university. Rather, they are instructed to visit their application page and to check their "application status." A status of "admitted" is meant to replace the letter most of us remember receiving.
- Online "One-Stop" student services. In the past our institution staged a "one-stop" shop during the first two weeks of each semester. This was a place where many of the useful campus resources (tuition payments, parking services, registration, etc.) were centrally located and available to students from 8 - 5. This allowed students to visit a single "shop" to run their pre-semester errands. We have now discontinued this practice and have moved everything online.
- Electronic Advisement Tools. Within the last year we have launched a "MYMAP" registration and course planning system that allows students to create four year educational plans in an electronic medium. The system helps students "organize" the list of courses they plan to take, "plan" which specific semesters they plan to enroll in those courses, and then "register" for courses during the appropriate semester.
Friday, July 31, 2009
What a Pakistani village chief has to Teach Higher Education
Friday, July 17, 2009
Customized Learning & Civic Purposes of Education
Friday, July 10, 2009
What would a Talent Code school look like?
a. A desire to belong: KIPP schools (see Chapter 7 of Talent Code) have a very
concrete and explicit culture; they clearly communicate to students that being a "KIPPster" means doing certain things. It becomes a learning club of sorts, a club that students long to feel a part of. This desire for belonging can be tremendously motivating (I think we see this same principle at work in a destructive way among gangs and terrorist groups).
b. A vision of what one can become: When a young student can see what they are working towards (for KIPP students this is enrollment in college) they also see how their efforts are connected to a future goal. A Talent Code school will use images and language that help to create this picture for its learners. Keeping alumni connected to the school and inviting them to return to interact with students seems critical here. When a student sees someone that was once "like them" and became something great, they start to see and believe in what they can become (see Coyle's discussion of the Curacaoan little league teams for an example of this principle at work; Chapter 6).
c. Connection to personal interests and goals: A Talent Code school will provide students with choice in what and how they learn. This will be messy, but it is allowed because it leads to better learning.