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Article 8:
LASSI Success Stories
by Sarina Corsi, EdM., and Lisa Semenoff, MA.,
Stenberg College
Stenberg College is an accredited private post-secondary college located in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada. We offer a wide range of health sciences and human services diploma programs. All of our programs include a study skills and life skills component, typically in the first week with orientation. Since 2006, study skills outcomes have been met using the Web LASSI and, in addition, we have subscribed to the LASSI instructional modules to support our students’ on-going academic success. The Student & Faculty Support Instructor provides tutorials and offers workshops to Stenberg students with LASSI modules.
Stenberg believes that the strength of LASSI for use at the beginning of each program is that it sets up students to utilize their critical thinking skills by applying new strategies to old study habits that are no longer effective.
Based on their LASSI assessment, students are then assigned various LASSI modules to address their academic and personal management skills needing attention and improvement. They complete an assignment, specifying goals and strategies address LASSI areas identified in a lower percentile range. LASSI assessments, as well as a copy of this assignment, is then kept in student files so results can be consulted if academic or personal support is needed later in their program.
- LASSI is used in our Practical Nursing Program with tremendous success. Students have found that LASSI provided them with a foundation where improvements to their study habits could be discussed, developed and implemented. The modules were user friendly and gave helpful techniques on making slight improvements which allowed for a less stressful transition into their nursing program. Specific student comments on LASSI from recent course evaluations include:
"It was very helpful to see some strategies on how to reduce my test anxiety."
"LASSI helped me to focus on improvements I can make to my study habits."
"LASSI is a great benefit to all students."
Individual students are supported through the continuing use of LASSI during their program. As a specific example, the Student & Faculty Support Instructor tutored a student who had severe test anxiety. After completing the activities in the Anxiety module, the student recognized strategies that could be useful. Within a few sessions of implementing strategies from this LASSI module she was able to reduce her test anxiety and make a marked improvement in her exam results, increasing her average test scores by 20%.
Another student benefited from the time management LASSI module. This student was having great difficulty with time management skills and this was impacting his study habits. As he had been put on academic probation, he was mandated to sessions with the Student & Faculty Support Instructor. The LASSI Time Management module helped him to implement a new attitude towards time. He became more productive and successful in his coursework and was removed from academic probation.
The experience with LASSI at Stenberg College has enabled students to evaluate their own strengths and weaknesses in their study habits. The application of LASSI to our orientation programs and to the on-going support systems in place at the College has provided a foundation for the academic and strategic learning success of our students. We believe that a student with strong study and personal management skills will, in turn, better transition into their role as a health or human services professional.
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