"From Creative Practice to Measurable Impact: Arts-Based Teaching in the First-Year Experience"

Abstract: First-year seminar courses play an important role in shaping students’ transition into academic life, particularly at diverse urban institutions where students enter with varied educational experiences and levels of confidence. This session will explore how arts-based teaching practices translate creative engagement into measurable impact within the first-year experience. Evidence of impact for arts-based teaching includes increased class participation, deeper reflection in student work, and noticeable growth in confidence and peer connection. These outcomes show how intentional creative practices can lead to meaningful and measurable improvements in student learning and engagement.