Enhancing Social Belonging and Connectedness in College Career Seminar
This seminar, conducted by Amy Cailene at Colorado State University, focused on helping students understand their abilities and career interests. By emphasizing social belonging and connectedness, the class saw a 33% improvement over 8 weeks. Strategies included consistent messages of inclusion, diverse perspectives in teaching materials, and group discussions to foster community and support among students.
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NSCI 193: College of Natural Sciences Career Seminar Instructor: Amy Cailene, Career Education Manager, Colorado State University Purpose of class: to help students gain a better understanding of their individual abilities, strengths, and career interests, including information and reflections on self- identities and how those identities may influence career choices and strategies for job search success.
Class Overview Took place during first 8 weeks of Fall 2020 Undergraduates in the College of Natural Sciences, First years > Seniors All CNS majors invited Maximum number of 25 One Teaching Assistant One credit 100% online/ Offered both synchronously and asynchronously/ Designed so that students who could only participate asynchronously could still be successful Many students voluntarily shared visible and non-visible diverse identities as class progressed
Target Focus: Social Belonging & Social Connectedness Social Belonging: The feeling that students belong in college Interpersonal and situational cues signal to students whether they belong (or not) in a particular context. While most students experience some form of belonging uncertainty in college, students from groups that are underrepresented in higher education or negatively stereotyped tend to experience higher rates of belonging uncertainty than others. Social Connectedness: Refers to the creation of bonding relationships Feelings of connectedness are a contributing factor to students' social belonging and are essential elements of student satisfaction, academic success, and retention.
Survey Results Improvement of 33% over 8 weeks
Survey Results Improvement of 25% over 8 weeks
Why Social Belonging and Social Connectedness Improved Based on anonymous feedback from the students on surveys AND comments made from students in emails and discussions: Syllabus messaging: "Do you belong here? Yes! Can you do it? Yes! You bring knowledge and wisdom to this class, and we are all here to learn and grow TOGETHER as colleagues." Consistent messages of belonging and value of D&I integrated throughout every class and communcation Opening message to students during synchronous session and consistent Canvas messaging Flipgrid video introductions Instructor and peer feedback on every video BIPOC authors and video presenters, panel of all BIPOC employers for final class, centered many online discussion questions on diversity and careers, reflection papers on the value of diversity in industry Community Groups Students met weekly in same groups of ~ 5 (grouped by major) to discuss class content and help each other, ie- connected on personal experiences and new insights regarding D&I and careers, gave feedback on resumes and cover letters before submitting for grade, mock interviews to prep for interview assignment, etc.
Anonymous Feedback from Surveys The people in my community group are the people I've gotten to know the best in any of my classes..... The community group I was with was very kind and I looked forward to meeting with them. I feel as though, if I need to, I would be able to go to my community group members if I needed help on an assignment. Early on I made connections with people in my group and would feel comfortable reaching out to them. She calls us scholars in emails which makes me feel confident that she'll treat us fairly and like adults. It also seems clear when she talks to us during lecture or individually. Her feedback relays that message as everything said comes from a desire for us to succeed. Even though there are students from a variety of years and majors, I believe the teacher does a great job of connecting us regardless of our differences.
Learnings and Takeaways It is possible to improve feelings of belonging and connectedness for many students in an online environment. Important to consistently state these goals in all communications (syllabus, Canvas messages, lectures) then demonstrate it with diverse readings, authors, guest speakers, and verbal and written feedback to students. Creating an opportunity for students to connect with each other in small groups regularly to engage with content is critical to improving feelings of belonging and connection. Although Social Connectedness increased by 25%, only 42% of students felt connected to others by the end of class. More work to be done! Spring class I will focus heavily on students' self-efficacy (having confidence in and estimation of one's abilities) because that decreased by 12%.
