Implementing the Ignatian Pedagogy Paradigm Curricular Considerations As educators at a Jesuit university, we have a unique and commanding mission to do more than educate our students. The Jesuit education, based on humanistic foundations, considers more than simple classroom exposure to materials. But what are these principles and how do they apply to an online or blended course? Are we tasked with teaching our students to be good Catholics, or does the obligation of a Jesuit education go far beyond this goal? This short presentation lays out some of the basic foundations of Ignatian Pedagogy (IP) to consider as we determine how our courses will be delivered.

education of the entire student (mind, body, spirit) As a Jesuit University “Men [and women] for Others” by Pedro Arrupe, SJ. Former Superior General of the Society of Jesus (1965-1983) “The real measure of our Jesuit universities lies in who our students become.” Peter-Hans Kolvenbach, S.J., former Superior General of the Society of Jesus (1983-2008) education of the entire student (mind, body, spirit) Cura Personalis: seeking “more” or “better” in the sense of qualitative life values and service to others Magis: Jesuit education has a long history of concern for the whole student: cura personalis. As Fr. Kolvenbach so eloquently stated, our goal should be to educate people we are proud to send forth into the world: people who seek to better the world, seeking magis in all they do. In 1973, Fr. Pedro Arrupe shook up the Jesuit world of educators in his challenge to move the ideal of social justice beyond the abstract theory to a call for action. The address charged Jesuit educators and students to work for change in their lives—to work actively for the rights of others. One key element is helping students come to an understanding of who they are in relation to the discipline they study, but also how they fit into the world picture of using their education for the benefit of others. The emphasis of Ignatian Pedagogy is to develop mind, body and spirit—not just a Catholic view of the world but a spiritual connection based on personal belief.

Principles of Jesuit Education Develops responsible citizens who are sensitive to the needs of our lives. Maintains an optimistic view of human nature and its possibilities. Fosters an integration of knowledge within and across disciplines. Encourages critical, analytical and creative approaches to solving problems. Incorporates global and international dimensions for growth and learning. Inspires graduates to change society and the world for the better. Source: “Jesuit Education and Ignatian Pedagogy” www.jesuitresources.org As a result of Arrupe’s call to action, much of the attention in Jesuit education today includes the call to action—to work to make society and the world better for all. The principles listed here are a few of those listed by the Conway Institute for Jesuit Education at Xavier University; they are representative of the goals Jesuit universities share in educating today’s students. But how do we implement these goals in our curricula? The Ignatian Pedagogy Paradigm (IPP) helps to outline putting the Jesuit goals into teaching practice.

Ignatian Pedagogical Paradigm The Ignatian Pedagogical Paradigm (IPP) helps educators at a Jesuit institution intentionally plan for educating the whole student—and the student we actually have in our courses (not the student of ten years ago, or the student from a different socio-economic or cultural background). Notice the placement of reflection in the paradigm on the left. And imagine the arrows being multi-directional, as each step of the IPP is interrelated with the others. The diagram on the right is another way to characterize the importance of this interrelationship of IPP steps. Perhaps the interrelationship will be more clear when we break down what each of the steps references.

Ignatian Pedagogy Paradigm Context: understanding who our students are in relation to the disciplinary content, but also to the worlds they come from. How do you implement this in your course(s) now? Experience: using educational strategies that draw on student experiences, making them relevant and applicable to a wider, deeper context. How do you do this in your course(s) now? Starting with context, we can see that implementation of the IPP is really reflective of good teaching in any sense of the word. To be effective in how we teach, we need to know who are students are, where they come from and what their educational background is. But we cannot teach individually to each student. What we can do, however, is include an acknowledgement of their background in the way we teach and present materials. Based on the context of where our students come from also determines what types of teaching strategies we use. Drawing from educational and personal experiences makes the learning more relevant and more applicable to other concepts.

IPP (continued) Reflection: providing opportunities for students to consider experiences and how what they have learned broadens their understanding of themselves and the world around them. What are some ways that you currently integrate reflection? How can you make it more aligned with IPP? Action: move students beyond knowing to doing; to a broader understanding of how they have changed as a result of their educational experience. What does this look like in your course(s)? Reflection is probably the most powerful tool in the IPP arsenal. This step differs from what some consider reflective practice: reflection in the Ignatian paradigm requires students to make personal meaning of what they are learning and consider how they will apply what they have learned to personal action. Personal action does not have to be on a grand scale; if a student reflects on her learning and determines that she needs to be more involved in her community, for example, that is an action resulting from education of the whole student.

IPP (continued) Evaluation: how well-rounded have the students become as a result of the course? What growth in attitudes, priorities and actions are evident? Students become self-motivated by their own integrity to make responsible choices. How is this different than the way we usually evaluate our courses? The final step in the paradigm involves evaluating the effectiveness of the previous steps. Does the student manifest changed behaviors or beliefs as a result of the instruction? What has the student learned about herself and her relationship to the world?

Ignatian Pedagogical Paradigm Thinking back to the explanations of the steps of the IPP, consider how the interrelationship of reflection to the learning process is well represented in the diagram on the right. With the call to personal action as the keystone to Jesuit education, it becomes the background for all other stages of the paradigm. But no matter how you illustrate the steps, it is important to see that each component is linked to the others—the feature of Jesuit education that sets it apart from more traditional methods of instruction.

Reflecting on our Teaching and the IPP Which element(s) of the Ignatian Pedagogy Paradigm would you like to integrate better into your teaching? Share ideas for how you hope to do this in a course this semester. Context Experience Reflection Action Evaluation Ask participants to share their examples with one or two colleagues. We can then ask for participants to share interesting examples they heard from their colleagues from the different elements of the paradigm – context, experience, reflection, action and evaluation.

IPP > “Good Teaching” Intentionality: Discernment Modeling Jesuit values: men and women for others Developing critical thinking and critical reflection abilities Concern for growth of the whole student: mind, body and spirit Reflective practice that encourages students to take stock of how their education impacts their understanding of their individual place in the world What sets a Jesuit education apart from institutions using other teaching methods is the intentionality of instruction designed to help students become good citizens of the world. A Jesuit education should challenge students to think critically about issues but also to reflect critically on themselves and their place in the world.

IPP in Action Know your students and plan your activities, select your technologies, determine your outcomes based on those students. Include opportunities for students to express and test their ideas and values. Teach students how to disagree in an academic and respectful manner. Encourage responsibility and independence. Provide opportunities for guided reflection. But how do we implement such an ambitious teaching strategy? By teaching and encouraging the value of difference, by selecting technologies that are appropriate for the students in our programs by asking ourselves: will the technologies (1) fulfill the educational outcomes I have set for the course and (2) are the technologies something that will teach students a professional skill or professional application? Further, students need to be taught how to disagree in a manner that is not abrasive or threatening. This is especially a challenge for the online instructor as students are accustomed to social interactions that may be less than genial. Helping students understand their responsibility to others, to their own learning, to appropriate uses of learning technologies, to the greater good may seem ambitious, but it is a standard in Jesuit thinking.

Assignment Suggestion Reflective electronic journal: have students write weekly regarding their reactions to some aspect of course content. Reflections need to be guided at first until students understand the purpose and form. Include in reflection: what personal action will be taken as a result of the lesson. Case studies: based on who your students are, create case studies that explore topics of relevance and how they relate to course outcomes. Student interactions and dialogues Here are just a few suggestions for things that can be relatively easy to implement by adjusting current assignments. Instead of a general blog, try a reflective blog or journal. The assignment should guide students to begin thinking how what their learning impacts their understanding of who they are and how their actions represent who they are. Case studies are another great assignment as they can be adapted to specific situational issues that guide students’ thinking about a concept. Additionally, case studies are ideally suited to the online environment. And discussion boards and group work get students working together, challenging their own thinking when considering the group prospective. The strategies will certainly depend on your discipline, the size of your course, whether it is an introductory-level course or advanced. The important thing to consider is being intentional in what we do as we strive to help students become aware of their actions and relationship to the world.

Further Exploration Check the FCIP Website at http://www.luc.edu/fcip Ignatian Pedagogy Certificate Program Ignatian Pedagogy Research Grant Fall Program Offerings Pedagogy Presentations Resources on Ignatian Pedagogy

Carol Scheidenhelm, Ph.D. People Resources Carol Scheidenhelm, Ph.D. Director, FCIP cschei1@luc.edu Ann Marie Ryan, Ph.D. Faculty Fellow, FCIP aryan3@luc.edu Fr. José Mesa