INT 125: Studying and Supporting University Learning

Dr. Maggie Safronova

Citral UCSB Libraray 1576 (Ocean Side)

Student Hours Wednesday 12:30-1:30 or by appt. 

Welcome! I am very excited to work with you this quarter. In this two-unit course, we will work together to help you create a toolbox to become a successful Undergraduate Peer Mentor (UPM) and/or Undergraduate Learning Assistant (ULA).  In this class, we will focus on the process of learning. Specifically what learning looks like, how we talk about it, and how we can effectively communicate with students from different backgrounds and experiences about learning in different settings.

This class is designed for students who work or will soon begin to work as UPMs and ULAs in different departments. We will not focus on the specific course content but instead focus on how you can develop practices that will help you support your peers in a university setting.  

Your experiences in school and outside of the classroom are essential as you navigate through UCSB as well as when you work with others. As we work to develop the practices you need, you will have the opportunity to draw on your own experiences that shaped you to become a member of the UCSB community.

Class Commitments and Principles

I hope that together, we can commit to these principles:

• Balance our Priorities.  

• We will try to walk the balance between valuing each person’s humanity and holding each other accountable for work in this class.

•  Be Brave and Be Patient.

• Our discussions may be uncomfortable and push all of us to try new things in new ways, so I ask you to be brave and try to do these new things in a new way.

•  Create Space for Intellectual Nourishment

• We are committed to fostering intellectual nourishment, social connection, and personal accommodation.

•  Adapt and be Empathetic

• Much of what we’ll discuss this term concerns adaptation and the importance of empathy in our mentoring practices. We will model these practices for each other, too. We will remain flexible and adjust to the situation, whatever unfolds. We will meet the challenges of the unknown with a blend of hard work, empathy, and passion for our work.

• Check-in Regularly

• Read instructions carefully and check email regularly Monday- Friday. Put effort and dedication into each assignment to the best of your abilities.

Course Goals, Outcomes, and Expectations

We’re going to focus on creating a toolbox to become a successful Undergraduate Peer Mentor (UPM) and/or Undergraduate Learning Assistant (ULA).  We will do so through readings, discussions, and practical applications of complex concepts.

Outcomes

In the end, if you finish the course successfully, you’ll know more about how to:

• Develop effective support techniques
• Develop professional rapport and relationship skills, including successful feedback practices
• Work with others to develop a framework for learning & effective practices for academic success
• Develop culturally aware mentorship practices

Expectations

All of us, together, will help make this course successful. You can expect us to create a classroom environment that is challenging (in the best sense of the word) and where you can feel safe to explore, ask questions of each other and of us, and engage with the material. To prepare for each course, please do the reading and writing assigned and come ready for discussions and activities.

Course dates, times, and formats

This course will meet in person on Wednesday from 1:30-2:50 and include asynchronous activities (through Canvas). Attendance is required; please contact the instructor directly if you will not be able to attend a meeting.

Weekly Pattern

Each week of the course will follow the same pattern:

• Pre-meeting activities - in Canvas

• Reading
• Reading responses in the Discussion forum

• Person meetings in PHELPS 1445

• Group discussions

• Post-meeting

• Write a reflection post about the meeting and key takeaways from this week’s discussion

Course Assignments and Grading

Assignments

1. Complete pre-meeting activities: complete the reading assignment and post a response to the discussion forum. All pre-meeting activities will be available on Canvas.  
2. Attend in-person meetings in PHELPS 1445 and actively participate.
3. Compile reflection entries from each week for the final project. Details about the final project will be posted on Canvas.
4. Complete the final project, the mentoring toolbox manual. The instructions for the final project will become available by week 3 of the quarter.

Grading

This is a P/NP course. To earn a grade of “P,” you must complete writing/reflection assignments. If an emergency arises, though, let us know.

Course Policies

Participation

You’ll notice that this course meets eight times and for a longer period – This course is designed to be highly interactive and give participants time and space to formulate and share their thoughts.  Please make sure to arrive at class on time. Arriving more than 15 minutes late also constitutes an absence.  Please contact us if you have extenuating circumstances that might lead to special considerations regarding these policies.

Course Writing

The writing in this course constitutes an important part of your learning. If an untoward emergency arises that prohibits you from turning in work, please reach out to the instructor. You must complete all written and illustrative work in order to pass the class. Sometimes, you might want to complete this work on paper rather than Canvas; if that’s the case, you can take screenshots (that are legible!) and upload those to Canvas. We will always provide feedback on your writing.

Plagiarism/Intellectual Property 

Plagiarism occurs when a writer deliberately passes off another’s words or ideas without acknowledging their source. For example, turning another’s work into your own is plagiarism. If you plagiarize in this class, you will likely fail the assignment on which you are working, and your case may be passed to the university for additional disciplinary action. Because of the design and nature of this course, it will take as much (or more) work for you to plagiarize in it as it will actually to complete the work of the class. Furthermore, that your work is not your own will be noticed almost immediately; as above, the consequences will be dire. Don’t do it. It’s not worth it.

Plagiarism is different from misuse of sources, occasions when a writer does not properly cite a source, misuses quotations, includes too much of an original source in a paraphrase or summary, or commits similar unintentional violations of academic protocol. If you misuse sources, we will work together on appropriately incorporating and/or citing the sources. Note that some audiences/instructors will consider misuse of sources to be plagiarism; for this reason, it is extremely important for you to identify the conventions associated with source use and citations in any class (or writing situation). Please note that in this class, we’ll mostly be working with non-academic genres and forms. This means that while you may not be using APA, MLA, Chicago, or other citations, you WILL need to consider what citational form is appropriate for the genres that you are writing — not that you don’t need to cite sources at all.

Public Nature of Writing

Since we’re working with ideas intended for audiences beyond ourselves (i.e., the mentees with whom you’ll work),  you should consider the writing that you do in this course “public,” that is, writing that others will read. Sometimes, we like to share examples in class; however, we will do so ONLY to demonstrate fantastic examples or brilliant questions. If there is writing that you would rather be of a less public nature, please let us know in person, by phone, or via e-mail.

Respect

This is a class where we’re going to be working a lot with one another on ideas, language, and thinking. This will happen more happily if we treat one another with respect. This includes making sure that your full attention is devoted to class. Please turn off all cell phones during class. No texting, no talking, no reading… think of it as a period of contemplation with others.

 Gender/Sex Discrimination Policy and Student Support: Under Title IX, university students are protected from harassment and discrimination based on gender and sex. If you, or another student, feels uncomfortable or in need of support at any time related to their gender, sex, and/or sexual orientation, please contact UCSB's Resource Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity http://wgse.sa.ucsb.edu/RCSGD/home

Distressed Student Support: Students may feel overwhelmed or depressed with coursework, stress, relationships, anxiety, cultural differences, and/or other personal challenges. If you find yourself or another student in need of support, please do not hesitate to reach out to Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), 24/7 at (805) 893-4411.  http://caps.sa.ucsb.edu/

Required Readings/Texts

Required readings will be posted on Canvas

INT 125 Fall 2023 Schedule

Week 1: What learning looks like and introductions

Week 2:Learning Identities: Expert and Novice

Week 3: Expert and Novice: Academic Context

Week 4: Provide Feedback and Create Trust

Week 5: Student Identities and Cultural Capital

Week 6: Student Experience and Troubleshooting

Week 7: Navigating UCSB and Troubleshooting

Week 8: No class

Week 9: Preparing for finals season