Mentoring Best Practices and Resources for College Access and Success
Active Learning
Active learning is defined as “any activity that involves students in doing things and thinking about the things that they are doing.” Although mentors have no influence in the active learning techniques that are provided to students in the classroom, they can make connections between traditional academics and learning that takes place outside of the classroom.
How does a mentor utilize active learning with his or her mentee?
- Aid the youth in seeing the connection between the “real world” and school by arranging job shadows, helping them find experiential work, or exploring various career options (Bridgeland, DiIulio, & Morison, 2006).
- Service-learning is an instrumental technique of active learning. It can increase development of critical thinking skills, problem-solving skills, reflection skills, and communication skills. Instructors are important to create connections between experiential learning and the knowledge that students gain through lectures and textbooks (Cress, 2006).
- Help students reflect on their active learning experiences. How have they grown through experience? What mistakes have they made? What successes have they had? How are their experiences related to what they are learning in school? (Cress, 2006).
Why is active learning an effective strategy for college access and/or success?
In K-12:
- 47% of high school drop-outs cited boring classes as a major reason for dropping out of school. If students were given opportunities to learn in a relevant, engaging, and participatory way, it may increase interest in academics (Bridgeland, DiIulio, & Morison, 2006).
- 69% of high school drop-outs cited not being inspired to work hard as a reason for dropping out. 70% believed that they could have graduated if they had tried (Bridgeland, DiIulio, & Morison, 2006).
In K-12 and Higher Education:
- Several psychological theories of learning state that the best comprehension of an experience comes through reflection on that experience. Dewey (1916) states that “to truly comprehend an experience, it is imperative to consider how you are affected by it. Barnett (1997) states that students who engage in reflection are “critically connected beings” (Larson, 2006; Cress, 2006).
- Increasing college access and persistence may be dependent on the ability to transform students into critical thinkers and problem solvers, characteristics that are fostered by active learning experiences (Cress, 2006).
- Service learning gives students feelings of competency, belongingness, usefulness, potency, and optimism (James & Jurich, 1999).
- Students are more likely to engage in academics if they understand the connection between education and careers (James & Jurich, 1999).
More Active Learning Resources:
- O*Net Resource Center contains information on hundreds of occupations compiled through surveying a range of workers from each vocation. Students can search for careers in eight different ways. Under the “Related Sites” button, there are more career finding resources.
http://www.onetcenter.org/find/ - Students can search for occupations by keyword or by category. Each career profile contains salary information nationally and by state. Knowledge, abilities, skills, and education required to perform the occupation are listed as well.
http://www.careerinfonet.org - Students can search careers in the military by category.
http://www.careersinthemilitary.com - The Occupational Outlook Handbook is sponsored by the Bureau of Labor and allows students to search occupations by name. In addition to providing basic information about training required, nature of the work, and earnings, OOH lists related careers and sources of more information.
http://www.bls.gov/search/ooh.htm - The Importance of Reflection in Service-Learning. This is a PDF created by Washington Campus Compact that explains why reflection is important in service-learning, experiential learning, and in the classroom. Additionally, it provides concrete and effective ways in which an adult leader can facilitate reflection in youth.
http://www.wacampuscompact.org/retentionproject/onlineresources/orientation/importance_of_reflection.pdf - Reflection resources page by Washington Campus Compact. It includes a comprehensive guide for mentors about how to guide reflection, information about service-learning and reflection, and theories of reflection.
http://www.wacampuscompact.org/retentionproject/onlineresources/2010onlineresources/Reflection/reflection.shtml - Programs that host alternative Spring breaks for students.
http://www.compact.org/category/resources/service-volunteering/alternative-spring-break/ - Organizations with tips for volunteering as well as volunteer programs.
http://www.compact.org/category/resources/service-volunteering/