COM Enriched – Supporting our students in their communications courses | Academic Newsletter | Seneca Polytechnic

by Martine Allard, Kiley Bolton, Maxine Britto, Jean Choi, Danielle Mercier, Claire Moane, John Stilla

in the March 2019 issue

In Fall 2019, Seneca will be implementing a new concurrent course model to support students in their development of communication skills. The COM Enriched Working Group, consisting of English and Liberal Studies (ELS) faculty from Seneca’s three ELS schools, has been meeting bi-weekly since October 2018 to research and develop this new concurrent model. The team has made significant progress, finalizing the evidence-based practices that will shape the foundation for this concurrent model. A detailed summary of the literature search that informed the new COM Enriched model (COM111) is published in the December 2018 issue of the Academic Newsletter (see the A New Approach to Remedial Communications at Seneca article).

Beginning in September, two courses will be offered: COM101 and COM111 (COM Enriched). The two courses, COM101 and COM111, will have the same course learning outcomes, assessment breakdown, and reading requirements. COM111 will be equivalent to COM101, and will provide additional supports for students who require additional time, support, and reinforcement to be successful. COM111 will be offered as five hours in-class plus one hour online, and will comprise enriched activities focusing on supplemental practice that will address gaps in students’ reading and writing skills. COM111 will replace the current non-credit remedial and developmental courses, which resulted in students not only paying additional fees, but taking significantly longer to complete their program of study.

Students’ admissions data will be used to identify placement into COM101 or COM111. Placement criteria was informed by historical institutional data and research, and as this change is implemented, placement will be tracked and criteria will be adjusted, as necessary, to ensure that students are appropriately supported.

The working group is currently developing additional resources to reinforce student success in COM111, as well as faculty supports including sample addenda, activities, and assessments. In order to further support faculty teaching COM111, professional development activities are being planned. For example, Seneca hosted a College Association for Language and Literacy (CALL) mini-conference in the new CITE building on February 28, 2019; communications faculty from across the province met to discuss communication-specific approaches to teaching. On April 24, there will be a roundtable session geared for faculty who will teach COM111. Faculty are encouraged to attend, share, and provide input; registration is available through MyPD.

View the March 2019 issue of the Academic Newsletter.