The EMT program was experiencing an issue with students not coming to class prepared and they were not completing their reading assignments prior to coming to class. Instructors noticed that students were not as engaged and lacked the ability to create an open dialogue during classroom discussions. The solution the instructor group came up with was to change the instructional strategy and require a “passport system.” Essentially, the passport is the ticket in the door. The student must have a passing score on a quiz covering the reading assignment prior to coming to class. Students were not permitted in the classroom until the assignment was completed, so they were sent to the computer commons to complete the assignment. This is the second cohort using this strategy and compliance had improved. The students are coming to class having read the assigned chapters and the instructors are reporting a sense that the students are better prepared for class. We noted a 30% increase on first time pass rate on the National Certification examination for the cohorts that we used the passport strategy with.
Comments
This is very helpful information, Chris! I teach hybrid classes, and I often use a "ticket in the door" for their admission into class. While that usually works, I do not have a backup plan for those that don't have their ticket. Now I have one! Good first CATS for the SWSC!
Chris, this is fantastic. I have done a "pink slip" with my students, if they don't come prepared. I really like seeing that there was a 30% increase on first time passing rate. That is great results.
This is a good example of setting students up for success. Thanks for sharing your best practices!
This is such an innovative way to get students to learn before they come to class and to prepare them for a more educational experience in the classroom. Thank you for sharing!
Hi, Chris - Way to get Skills Center students to "grow 'n' show what they know"! And having the unprepared students go just down the hall to your computer center is so convenient for all of you.
I teach BIO100 as a flipped class. Often I have to work with whatever comes through the door. With a little more advanced preparation such as building out an online reading quiz on canvas, I can use that as a passport. If a student doesn't complete the quiz, I can send them on their way back to the library to get 'er done! The passport is a great accountability strategy!
It is great when the strategy is simple and produces such great performance. I think if the passport strategy is adopted by a large number of faculty, students will begin to adopt pre-class prepration as a learned behavior.
Hi Rene:
Thanks for the feedback. I agree that having a large scale strategy (this one or something else) would be great for the institution. - CB