Multidisciplinary Success Center
Active Reading Strategies Workshop
Report
2015-2016 Academic Year
Prepared by Elisa Lewis
June 9, 2015
Multidisciplinary Success Center
Active Reading Strategies Workshop 2015-2016
Page 1
Overview: The Multidisciplinary Success Center at Chaffey College, Rancho Cucamonga is designed to
address various student needs including, but not limited to, tutoring, access to technology and
educational resources, workshops, and learning groups. The workshops and learning groups offered are
designed to cultivate learning strategies, improve study and communication skills, nurture scholastic
confidence, positive Mindset, foster Hope and goal setting, time management, test preparation, and
increase overall student achievement.
The Multidisciplinary Success Center offered several workshops and learning groups, however, this
report focuses on the following workshop:
•
Active Reading Strategies
Methodology: Working with the Instructional Assistants at the Multidisciplinary Success Centers, the
Office of Institutional Research developed a paper survey instrument in order to gauge student
familiarity and knowledge on Active Reading Strategies both before and after participating in workshops
at the center. The instrument also surveyed how much students felt the workshop will contribute to
success in their courses. The data presented in this report reflects Active Reading Strategies workshops
offered in the Fall 2015 and Spring 2016 semesters.
Participants rated their knowledge on a specific topic ranging from 1-No Knowledge to 5-Very
Knowledgeable both before and after participating in the workshop. These ratings were compared to
measure improvement or increase in knowledge level after participating in the workshop. Participants
were also asked to rate the likelihood that the workshop would contribute to success in class, rating the
contribution on a scale from 1-Unlikely to 5-Very Likely.
Taking it a step further, students were given an opportunity to comment about new information
acquired at the workshop and how they will incorporate their new knowledge and/or skills into future
academic assignments. These comments can be viewed in Appendix 1, at the conclusion of the report.
Multidisciplinary Success Center
Active Reading Strategies Workshop 2015-2016
Page 2
Workshop Attendance 2015-2016
Table 1: Workshop Attendance by Topic
Workshop Title
N
%
Active Reading Strategies
35
100%
TOTAL
35
100%
Pre-Post Workshop Results
A comparison of pre and post workshop ratings was conducted using a paired-samples t-test analysis.
Thirty-three of the 35 survey respondents answered both the pre and post survey items, as well as the
success item. The results, as displayed in Table 2, show a significant increase in the level of familiarity
and knowledge about Active Reading Strategies after attending the workshop at the Multidisciplinary
Success Center. An effect size of d = 1.09 shows a strongly meaningful increase in knowledge on this
topic after taking the workshop. Moreover, nearly all respondents (94%) reported that the workshop
will contribute to success in their courses.
Table 2: Pre-to-Post Changes on Knowledge Item and Corresponding Effect Sizes
Mean Response
Statements
Active Reading Strategies
N
Pre
Post
*Effect
Size
Success
x̅
33
x̅ = 2.97
x̅ = 4.45
d = 1.09
x̅ = 4.58
* indicates significance at the p <.01 level and meaningful effect size.
.
Multidisciplinary Success Center
Active Reading Strategies Workshop 2015-2016
Page 3
Workshop Participant Responses
Appendix 1: What new information have you learned from this workshop, and how will
you use that information in future assignments?
Active Reading Strategies Workshop
1.
A NEW STRATEGY ON HOW TO READ A TEXTBOOK.
2.
AT LOUD THINKING APPLYING QUESTIONS TO MY READING AND MUCH MORE. THANK
YOU.
3.
BEING ABLE TO MORE PROCESS INFORMATION BETTER WAY READING. ALSO FIRST TIME
I'VE EVER HEAD AT BLOOM'S TAXONOMY.
4.
BLOOM'S TAXONOMY OF LEARNING.
5.
HIGH LIGHT WHEN READING.
6.
HOW TO ENHANCE MY READING, STUDYING &amp; COMPREHENSION SKILLS TO
TURTHER MYSELF SO THAT I MAY DO WELL IN MY CHEMISTRY CLASS.
7.
HOW TO HAVE BETTER READING, AND HOW TO APPLY INFORMATION.
8.
HOW TO READ OUT LOUD AND ANALYZE IT BEFORE STARTING TO READ THE CONTEXT.
9.
I DISCOVERED ADDITIONAL STRATEGIES THAT CAN HELP ME IN MY CLASS. DIFFERENT
METHOD TO RETAIN INFORMATION.
10. I HAVE LEARNED HOW TO SEPERATE USEFUL INFORMATION FROM USELESS
INFORMATION.
11. I LEARNED A BETTER WAY TO READ IN PREPERATION FOR CLASSES.
12. I LEARNED ABOUT READING OUT LOUD AND THE BENEFITS. NOTABILITY APP.
13. I LEARNED HOW TO THINK OUT LOUD BY READING AT LOUD. WE CAME UP WITH WAYS
TO ANALYZE A TEXT BY ASKING SPECIFIC QUESTIONS.
14. I LEARNED THAT THE THINK A LOUD IS A GREAT PROCESS TO RETAIN INFORMATION.
15. IT HELPS A LOT LIKE THE STRATEGIES HOW TO READ.
16. LEARNED A LOT ABOUT STRATEGIES ABOUT LEARNING WILL PUT IT IN PRACTICE AT
HOME.
17. LOOK AT THE HEADING &amp; LOOK FOR IT IN THE BODY.
18. NEW METHODS OF READING!
19. NEW STRATEGIES DIFFERENT TECHNIQUES GET PARTNERS.
20. NEW STRATEGIES FOR READING. METACOGNITIVE FUNNEL TEACHING ME THINGS THAT I
AM UNAWARE THAT I DO.
21. NEW TERMS FOR CONCEPTS I UNDERSTOOD BUT HAD NO NAMES FOR YET, AND NOW IT
WILL HELP ME BREAK DOWN MY THINKING PROCESS MORE CLEARLY.
22. NEW WAYS TO STRATEGIES MY READING, READING BACKWARDS.
23. PLAN AHEAD OF WHAT I'LL READ AND ANALYZE WHAT YOU NEED I APPLY IT TO YOUR
LIFE TO BETTER UNDERSTAND. BE STRATEGIE WHILE READING.
Multidisciplinary Success Center
Active Reading Strategies Workshop 2015-2016
Page 4
24. READ
25. READING GROUP IS USEFUL BECAUSE IT IS INTERACTIVE AND YOU'LL REMEMBER MORE.
26. SPOTTING TERMS THAT I ALREADY KNOW TESTING MYSELF WHOLE READING
/FLASHCARDS.
27. TAXONOMY WAS VERY HELPFUL, LETS ME ORGANIZE STRATEGIES WHEN READING.
28. THE BLOOM TAXOMY STRATEGIE FOR INSTANCES APPLYING, ANALYZING, SYNTHESIS
AND EVALUATING WHAT YOU READ CAN HELP BETTER UNDERSTANDING.
29. THE BREAKDOWN OF HOW TO READ AND THE THIN-ALOUD WILL BE VERY HELPFUL.
30. THE TAXONOMY OF THINKING.
31. THINK OUT A LOUD SEEMS LIKE AN INTERESTING METHOD THAT MAKES READING MORE
ENTERTAINING AND MUCH MORE USEFUL AND UNDERSTANDABLE.
32. TIME MANAGEMENT/HOW TO BETTER UNDERSTAND ACADEMIC READING.
33. WONDERFUL, I LEARNED A NEW WAY OF READING, WHICH IS READING OUT LOUD TO
MYSEL AND PROCESS IT THROUGH MY MIND BY MEMORIZING THE MAJOR PARTS.
Multidisciplinary Success Center
Active Reading Strategies Workshop 2015-2016
Page 5