Place-Based Learning Communities on a Rural Campus: Turning Challenges into Assets

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Learning Communities Research and Practice
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Place-Based Learning Communities on a Rural
Campus: Turning Challenges into Assets
amy sprowles
Humboldt State University-9E?<>;C81?4A9.;80@10A
Katlin Goldenberg
Humboldt State University7-@4A9.;80@10A
P. Dawn Goley
Humboldt State University<-@>5/5-3;81E4A9.;80@10A
Steve Ladwig
Humboldt State University?@1B1:8-0C534A9.;80@10A
Frank J. Shaughnessy
Humboldt State UniversityM?4A9.;80@10A
See next page for additional authors
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Place-Based Learning Communities on a Rural Campus: Turning
Challenges into Assets
Abstract
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Cover Page Footnote
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Authors
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Perspective and Issue
Humboldt State University (HSU) is the most isolated of the 23 campuses of
the California State University (CSU) system and one of the most northerly
Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs) on the West Coast. The campus is located in
a region of California with a large indigenous population, and it services nine
federally recognized American Indian tribes. It is academically unique, offering
an atypical blend of disciplines with a strong emphasis and enrollment in science,
technology, engineering and math (STEM) majors. The surrounding area is more
rural than nearly all other four-year institutions in California, and its spectacular
natural setting in coastal redwood forest is a signature of the university.
Our academic programs, stunning landscapes, and beaches are a powerful
draw for students, but, for too many, our biggest strength becomes our biggest
weakness when the reality of our remoteness is realized. The largest groups of
students come from metropolitan centers in Southern California (30%, 700-800
miles away; >10 hr drive by car) and the San Francisco Bay Area (13%, 300-400
miles away; >5 hr drive by car), areas very different from Humboldt County.
1
The campus is located in the City of Arcata (population of 18,000), where
activities common in cities and familiar cuisines are sparse or nonexistent. The
local population is predominantly non-Hispanic White (~75%) (U.S. Census,
2010), but Humboldt State’s incoming student classes more closely resemble the
statewide profile than local demographics. When homesickness sets in, travel
options are limited, unreliable, and unaffordable, making weekend visits home
impractical for most. First-year students often choose Humboldt because they are
looking for a new experience but are usually unaware of the magnitude of change
ahead and how pronounced the distance to home will seem as they try to adjust to
college. Historically, this has contributed to significant opportunity gaps in first
year science and math courses, low retention into the second year, and a reduction
in graduation rates.
Place-based Learning Communities as a Solution to The Problem
We have developed Place-Based Learning Communities (PBLCs) to better
welcome and support first-year STEM students. A large body of evidence
identifies the importance of psychosocial and study skill factors as predictors of
student success (Pascarella & Terenzini, 1991; Covington, 2000; Eccles &
Wigfield, 2002; Robbins, Lauver, Davis, & Carlstrom, 2004; Weiss, Visher,
Weissman, & Wathington, 2015; Permzadian & Crede, 2016). Self-efficacy has
emerged in multiple studies as a strong predictor of student motivation,
1
All campus data comes from the HSU Office of Institutional Effectiveness.
1
sprowles et al.: Place-Based Learning Communities: Turning Challenges into Assets

development of study habits (MacPhee, Farro, & Canetto, 2013), and learning
(Richardson, Abraham, & Bond, 2012). Additional studies demonstrate that
students’ academic and social validation, a sense of belonging/community, and
meaningful cross-cultural engagement are essential for improving academic
outcomes of first year students, particularly for those from minoritized
backgrounds (Tinto, 1993, 2012; Rendon, 2004; Museus, 2014). Learning
communities that provide educationally purposeful activities within and outside of
the classroom are linked to a variety of outcomes beneficial for college students,
including enhanced student engagement, learning, academic performance, and
personal development (Tinto & Goodsell, 1993; Shapiro & Levine, 1999; Zhao &
Kuh, 2004; Brownell & Swaner, 2010; Otto, Evins, Boyer-Pennington, &
Brinthaupt, 2015). Therefore, our PBLCs were designed to integrate related
social, environmental, civic, and cultural themes of our region into foundational
STEM coursework to root students simultaneously in their discipline and into the
local communities and landscapes.
The HSU PBLC structure includes multiple high-impact practices, including
a summer immersion experience and block-scheduled classes; one of these is a
first-year experience course designed to foster interpersonal and academic
development (Kuh, 2008; Rendon, 2004). All participants are assigned a peer
mentor and are given the option of living together in PBLC themed on-campus
housing. Students are grouped by major so that those with similar academic
interests participate in a series of shared hands-on, cross-cultural experiences
within and outside of the classroom that cultivate relationships with peers, faculty,
scientists, and the local community. The activities and assignments are designed
to promote student gains in many of the essential learning outcomes identified by
the American Association of Colleges & Universities (AAC&U) LEAP initiative,
including inquiry and analysis; critical thinking; written and oral communication;
quantitative literacy; information literacy; teamwork; civic knowledge and
engagement; intercultural knowledge; integrative learning; and foundational skills
for life-long learning (AAC&U, 2007). Our intention is that by providing a cross-
cultural, validating environment, students will feel—and be—better supported in
their academic pursuits, cultivate values of personal, professional and social
responsibility, and increase the likelihood that they will complete their HSU
degree.
Each of our PBLCs examine interdisciplinary themes of the local area
through the lens of the academic majors they serve. The first HSU PBLC,
Klamath Connection, was an optional program launched in 2015 for 65 first-year
STEM students majoring in Biological Sciences, Environmental Science,
Fisheries Biology, Wildlife Biology, or Zoology. There are now four PBLCs
serving HSU STEM first-year students: Klamath Connection (serving first-year
students with majors of Environmental Science and Management, Environmental
2
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Resources Engineering, Fisheries Biology, Forestry, Rangeland Resource
Sciences, and Wildlife Biology), Stars to Rocks (Chemistry, Physics, and
Geology), Rising Tides (Oceanography and Marine Biology), and Among Giants
(Biology, Botany, and Zoology). When the department of Math and Computer
Science launches its PBLC in Fall 2020, all first-year students entering the
College of Natural Resources and Sciences will participate in a learning
community unless they choose not to.
Our place-based design combines multiple components (i.e., Summer
Immersion, blocked courses, dorm life, support services, non-curricular activities,
and in some cases a Linked Project) that emphasize the connection to place and
the interconnectedness of disciplines—from physical sciences, life sciences, and
natural resource management to politics, sociology, Native American studies, and
the arts. The themes and activities specific to each PBLC are the product of the
work done by each PBLC team, whose members include HSU faculty and staff in
partnership with government officials and members of the local Native American
tribes (i.e., Yurok, Karuk, Wiyot, Hoopa, Trinidad Rancheria, and Blue Lake
Rancheria). After crafting each PBLC, many of these team members continue as
instructors and/or activity leaders during the entire first academic year. For
example, all first-time freshmen majoring in Oceanography or Biology with
Marine emphasis participate in the Rising Tides (RT) PBLC, which has two
themes: the science of outer coast and estuarine ecosystems and the current and
past relationships of indigenous peoples to these two seascapes. The student
experience in this PBLC starts during Summer Immersion. During these three to
four days, members of the Wiyot Tribe and Trinidad Rancheria welcome students
and, by using active learning approaches, start the process of educating students
about local indigenous cultures. Students’ understandings’ of the two RT themes
are further expanded during Summer Immersion by a library exercise for which
students have to do research and give a short presentation on each theme. A
Linked Project, which tests hypotheses about water quality conditions and
phytoplankton community structure in each ecosystem, is also initiated by the
students during Summer Immersion. Importantly, both themes are revisited during
the courses and activities across the entire first year, which are directed by marine
science faculty and faculty who are Native American. For example, the Linked
Project is further developed during the Fall semester introductory Oceanography
course, and then again during the Spring semester Critical Thinking course. The
topics of Native American history, social justice, and Traditional Ecology
Knowledge (TEK) are studied during the spring semester Native American
studies course; for the Critical Thinking course, the RT students have to write an
argumentative essay on the roles of Western Science and TEK in enabling marine
conservation. Each of the PBLCs uses a similar approach to ensure that their
themes are expanded upon in the particular set of courses taken by their students,
3
sprowles et al.: Place-Based Learning Communities: Turning Challenges into Assets

which include the lab science courses required for their major, a math course, an
English or communications course, a Native American Studies course, and the
first-year seminar Science 100.
Science 100: Becoming a STEM Professional in the 21st Century
Fostering community, belonging, and a sense of self-efficacy requires
deliberate attention to both a growth mindset in curricula as well as activities that
are academically and socially validating (Rendon, 2004; Permzadian & Crede,
2016; Wibrowski, Matthews, & Kitsantas, 2016). The first year course, Science
100: Becoming a STEM Professional in the 21st Century (SCI 100), is the central
component of each PBLC. The primary objectives of the course are to support
student understanding of self, success, and science. As each SCI 100 section is
linked to a specific PBLC student cohort, the course also serves to coordinate
assignments and activities related to the interdisciplinary theme across the block-
scheduled fall semester courses. Following recommendations from a review of
first-year seminars (Padgett & Keup, 2011) and best practices for serving first-
year minoritized college students (Rendon, 2004; Museus, 2014), SCI 100
connects students to diverse student services like the Learning Center, Tutoring
Center, the Office of Financial Aid, the Health and Wellness Center, the Cultural
Centers for Academic Excellence, and the Indian Natural Resources, Science and
Engineering Program (INRSEP). Learning objectives associated with scientific
vocabulary and scientific methodologies are included so that the students develop
skills required to succeed in their classes, begin to foster a scientific identity, and
prepare for their entry into the STEM workforce. Teaching faculty emphasize
how the interdisciplinary, cross-cultural themes introduced during the summer
immersion are connected with subsequent first year courses. Because HSU
recognizes SCI 100 as a 3-unit Lifelong Learning General Education requirement
(Lower Division Area E) of the CSU system, this course advances students
toward their degree.
To develop SCI 100, PBLC faculty and staff first identified learning
objectives (Table 1) to meet the learning goals of both the PBLC and those of the
California Lifelong Learning General Education requirements. They then
collaborated with campus divisions
2
and community partners
3
to identify curricula
2
The campus collaborators included the Centers for Academic Excellence (African American,
Latinx, Multicultural, Native American), Scholars without Borders, Indian Natural Resources,
Sciences and Engineering Program, Learning Center, Career Center, Registrar, Library, Wellness
Center, Financial Aid, Student Disability Resource Center, and Student Health/Wellness Services.
3
The majority of our community partners are scientists, cultural experts, and other employees of
the Karuk, Yurok, Wiyot, Trinidad Rancheria, Blue Lake Rancheria, and Hoopa Native American
tribal governments. Other partners include STEM professionals from the State and Local Parks,
medical and engineering communities, and research scientists from other universities.
4
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and resources to meet these objectives, especially in supporting student personal
and professional development, areas in which most STEM teaching faculty are
not experts. A foundational syllabus was designed and shared across all SCI 100
sections so that student introductions to campus resources occurred at the most
relevant time in the semester and would minimize the overscheduling of campus
staff. For example, class visits by financial aid specialists and academic advisors
coincided with the FAFSA and course registration deadlines; presentations by
Wellness Support Service staff occurred during times of the semester observed to
be the most stressful for students; support for classes (exam preparation and
evaluation) was given before the first exam in students’ block-scheduled science
course. Coordination across SCI 100 sections allowed us to embed key signature
assignments for assessment and evaluation across class sections.
4
Examples of the
latter include weekly journal entries, summer immersion reflections, and a
research poster assignment that illustrates how students’ major discipline is
related to scientific issues with social consequences (e.g. climate change).
Table 1: Learning Objectives for Science 100
1. Students will be introduced to their home department, the College of
Natural Resources and Sciences, the University and the surrounding
area. They will build relationships with faculty and students from their
home department and will create a broad community of peers,
mentors and resources to support them during their time at HSU.
2. Students will connect and engage with academic and self-
development campus resources. Through guest speakers,
workshops and on campus resource visits, they will be empowered
to seek resources independently.
3. Students will advance their academic and emotional resilience.
4. Students will be introduced to what it means to be a scientist.
Through reading popular and technical writing in their field they will
develop their critical thinking skills
5. Students will be able to formulate their goals as a future professional
in their chosen major. Students will evaluate their strengths and
weaknesses as student-learners.
6. Students will gain appreciation for and understanding of an
expanded world perspective by engaging with other students, staff,
and faculty within and outside their field.
7. Students will develop confidence and communication skills to culture
a professional mindset and skill set. Through this, students will
evaluate the meaning of scholastic and humanistic success and form
a better understanding of their target career path.
8. Students will be introduced to appropriate use of scientific
vocabulary (e.g., observation, organization, experimentation,
inference, prediction, evidence, opinion, hypothesis, theory, and
law).
9. Students will learn to use print and electronic resources, including
the World Wide Web, in preparing for an investigative activity.
10. Students will communicate the steps and results of a scientific
investigation in both verbal and written formats.
4
Signature assignments are being assessed using modified versions of the LEAP Value rubrics.
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Reflections
We are in the fourth year of the Humboldt State PBLCs. Assessments to date
suggest the initiative has been successful in cultivating community, reducing
opportunity gaps, increasing university retention, and supporting student growth
in core competencies (Johnson, Sprowles, Overeem, & Rich, 2017).
5
Students who participate in our PBLCs self-report a greater sense of
belonging, are more likely to be retained after their first year, and have greater
academic success in foundational STEM courses when compared to paired non-
PBLC first-year students in the same major. Preliminary analyses of student
essays indicate that students better understand the relationships among STEM
courses and are able to connect content to intercultural themes (e.g., aspects of
their culture and the cultures of local indigenous people). Furthermore, students
express seeing value in understanding topics from multiple perspectives, as well
as the importance of multidisciplinary approaches to science. In addition to
benefitting students, the process of developing the PBLCs has strengthened
relationships and created partnerships for others at HSU. Rarely have faculty from
different departments and resource staff worked this closely to develop an
integrated curriculum with the common goal of supporting students. The scale of
these collaborative partnerships with Native American faculty, staff, and the
people of our regions are unprecedented and have laid the foundations for
improving support of Native American students, specifically.
Science 100 has not only played a central role in the PBLCs at HSU, it has
been part of a campus-wide initiative to increase student success and enhance
efforts that support a diverse student body; provide and deliver student support in
a culturally sensitive and effective way; reduce redundancy; optimize timing of
delivering content; and increase engagement with student support services. The
efficacy of the SCI 100 component of the PBLCs to address student learning
objectives is being evaluated via the review of the signature student assignments,
anonymous student course evaluations, and informal observations of students and
faculty. Although it is too early to draw conclusions through formal assessments,
some important strengths and challenges have emerged. Many students found a
supportive community in SCI 100 and made meaningful connections with
resources on campus. They felt connected to the faculty instructors and welcomed
the opportunities to meet invited guests that the class provided. Almost
universally, students valued activities designed to connect them with their major
department and chosen discipline. In fact, many voiced a desire for more
scientific content in the curriculum. One of the most meaningful experiences in
SCI 100 was the culminating poster session. Students rose to the challenge to
5
The results of assessments, including those of signature assignments using modified versions of
the LEAP Value rubrics, will be discussed in two additional articles, currently in preparation.
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study and research a scientific issue, to work together as a group, to learn valuable
research and communication skills, and to present their scientific poster during a
PBLC-wide poster session. Most posters included explicit connections to social
issues, which helped illustrate the relevance of science to society. This
observation suggests we may be better able to reach a broad range of students by
underscoring the interconnectedness of science and social and environmental
challenges, thereby contesting the narrative that STEM fields are inconsistent
with the values of social justice or communal goals (Riegle-Crumb, King, &
Irizarry, 2019).
While such evidence demonstrates our PBLCs are improving the sense of
academic belonging and positive academic outcomes for many students, other
observations reveal that there are still improvements to be made in making the
HSU first-year college experience more inclusive and equitable. One of the main
challenges for PBLC faculty is to effectively support and engage students who
vary widely with respect to college readiness. Although opportunity gaps in first-
year gateway courses are closing, we have worked to refine our programing to
improve the performance of students from economically and socially
disadvantaged backgrounds. In the SCI 100 course, the range of student
engagement and performance noted by faculty suggest that the diversity of
student needs makes it more challenging than expected to develop curricula that
are effective for all students, a common challenge for first-year seminars
(Barefoot &, Fidler 1996; Ryan & Glenn, 2004). Given the widespread
enthusiasm for the scientific content in the class, we plan to revise the curricula
using discipline-specific academic goals as the lens through which the discovery
of self and success is viewed.
Finally, participant testimonies remind us that HSU students continue to
face institutional barriers to their success—at the university, in the classroom,
among their peers, and within the greater HSU community. We are working
closely with our colleagues in Student Affairs to explore these issues and have
launched collaborative efforts with HSU’s Office of Diversity Equity and
Inclusion, HSU’s Center for Teaching and Learning, and ESCALA Educational
Services to improve the campus climate and enhance our culturally responsive
teaching.
6
By continually re-examining evidence of effectiveness and
implementing new strategies designed to create a more inclusive community, we
are optimistic that the HSU PBLCs will improve our ability to effectively
welcome, support, and ground all of our first-year STEM students so that they are
able to gain the social confidence and academic skills necessary to achieve their
personal and career goals.
6
These activities are made possible by an Inclusive Excellence grant from the Howard Hughes
Medical Institute and a Title IV HSI STEM grant from the U.S. Department of Education.
7
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Acknowledgements
Our place-based design would not have been possible without the
contributions of our tribal collaborators and many dedicated HSU faculty and
staff. These include Lisa Hillman, Leaf Hillman, Chook-Chook Hillman, Ted
Hernandez, Shirley Laos, Rachel Sundberg, Kimberly Stetler, Ravin Craig,
Kristina Hunt, Tracy Smith, Sarah Bacio, Lonyx Landry, Fernando Paz, Nievita
Bueno Watts, Adrienne Colegrove-Raymond, Su Karl, Sarah Fay-Philips, Linda
Parker, Mary Johnson Smith, Peggy Metzger, Anna Thaler Petersen, Rick
Zechman, Rich Boone, Sheina Vogt, Jessica Garcia, Raven Palomera, Nicole
Ryks, and Lauren Enriquez.
Financial support for course development and implementation was funded
by CSU STEM Collaboratives Grant #X0085114-HMAUX made possible from
the Trustees of the CSU through Leona M. And Harry B. Helmsley Charitable
Trust award #2014PG-EDU36, CSU STEM VISTA, and United States
Department of Education HSI STEM Grant # P031C160193.
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