On Course is an intervention process that empowers students to be active, responsible learners who make wise choices that benefit their lives academically and professionally.
Additionally, On Course instructional strategies model current understanding of how meaningful learning occurs. As such, On Course strategies are designed to engage learners in the active construction of knowledge and are guided by the following principles:
- Students construct learning primarily as a result of what they think, feel, and do (and less so by what their instructors say and do). Consequently, in formal education, the deepest learning is provided by a well-designed educational experience.
- The most effective learners are empowered learners, who are characterized by self-responsibility, self-motivation, self-management, interdependence, self-awareness, life-long learning, emotional intelligence, and high self-esteem.
- At the intersection of a well-designed educational experience and an empowered learner lies the opportunity for deep and transformational learning and the path to success—academic, personal, and professional.
There is abundant data that demonstrates how On Course active learning strategies have increased student retention and success:
http://www.oncourseworkshop.com/Data.htm
Since the fall of 2015, Arkansas State University Mid-South has been integrating On Course into all facets of campus culture, including:
- STEM Classes
- Courses with high Drop/Fail/Withdrawal (DFW) rates
- College Survival
- First Year Experience
- Summer Bridge
- Professional Development Workshops
ASU Mid-South is committed to this program and its principles; consequently, over 80 faculty and staff members have participated in On Course-based workshops, which has promoted a shared language of responsibility across campus and an environment of success.
