Episode 33: Supporting First-Year Students

A conversation with the authors: Maria Widmer & Molly Harris

In this Article Remix, IDC team members Maria Widmer and Molly Harris chat about their recent L&S Design for Learning article “Supporting First-Year Students.” They share tips from research literature and examples from L&S instructors on how to support first-year students’ academic and social transition to college. Find inspiration and consider how you might incorporate these strategies into your own classroom.

See the transcript for this episode.

The L&S Exchange Podcast is brought to you by L&S Teaching & Learning Administration and produced by the Instructional Design Collaborative. This podcast is recorded on ancestral Ho-Chunk land, a place their nation has called Teejop (day-JOPE) since time immemorial.

Join the Conversation

How did this episode make you think? Leave a comment using the Spotify app on your mobile device, reply with a comment at the bottom of this post, send us an email, or use the Conversation Starters below with your group.

Conversation Starters

1. Which example(s) resonated with you most in this episode?
2. What do you find most exciting about teaching first-year students?
3. What small step could you take in the beginning, middle, or end of the semester to support first-year students in your course?
4. What elements of your course might be hidden for students? How could you reveal them?

Further Reading & Resources

Throughout this episode, we brought in insights from previous L&S Exchange guests. Find links to the full conversations below!

• Greg Downey in E22: Building a Reservoir of Trust: Early Semester Tips
• Lyn Macgregor in E25: Navigating the Hidden Curriculum

Production Credits