Instructional Plan and Presentation Cindy Douglas Cur/516: Curriculum Theory and Instructional Design November 7, 2016 Professor Gary Weiss

Today’s college student is not yesterday’s college student! Workshop Title: Creating an Effective Learning Experience for Today’s College Student Today’s college student is not yesterday’s college student! Faculty need training and support to understand today’s student and the activities and strategies that promote adult learning…

Training specifically designed to… …provide an awareness of the characteristics of today’s college student and how their experiences have impacted the way they learn most effectively… …discuss the specific strategies that create meaningful learning experiences for students as courses are designed. … support college faculty who are frustrated that today’s student appears to be unmotivated by academic courses and lacks the internal drive to complete courses successfully.

Faculty Demographics Faculty members include … 58% women and 42% men Range of college level teaching experience is 6 – 41 years, with an average of 24 years. 61% of the faculty are full time, and 39% are part time. 42% of the faculty have doctoral degrees and 58% have a master’s degree.

Faculty Background The current knowledge level of the faculty is high in regards to content expertise. But, significant information gap in understanding the experiences and expectations of today’s college student. This has led to use of teaching strategies that are not meeting their learning or career needs and goals.

Result… There is a high motivation level to learn new strategies and to gain an understanding of today’s college student. The faculty’s sense of not being able to successfully prepare students for their future is a disturbing factor that contributes to their motivation.

Responding to Audience Needs: Based on faculty survey results, specific needs and interests of the target audience include: * information regarding effective motivation * strategies to reach today’s college student * authentic assessments based on strategies and learning goals.

Delivery Modalities and Length of Training: Length of Training: Two (2) six hour modules. Modules spaced one (1) month apart to allow time for participants to implement strategies from day 1. Facilitation modalities include: ** small amount of direct instruction ** large amount of interactive activities, including scenarios, to model the type of teaching and learning strategies that are being presented.

Training Goals Participants will … …have an understanding of the mindset of today’s college student. …learn effective strategies and activities to facilitate learning …learn how to create the most effective, authentic assessments based on student activities and learning goals.

Specific Training Session Strategies and Activities: Direct Instruction Brainstorming   3 Minute Group Problem-Solve Case Studies and Scenarios Pair Share   Triad Teaching Direct Instruction (provide critical information for the session intermittently throughout the day) Brainstorming (group creativity activity to give participants the opportunity to gather a list of ideas spontaneously based on their own experiences) 3 Minute Group Problem-Solve (teams are given quick prompts and required to collaborate and respond within 3 minutes) Case Studies and Scenarios (teams are given actual events and scenarios and must work collaboratively to provide effective responses) Pair Share (partners share how their personal experiences impact their decisions on the group activities)  Triad Teaching: groups of 3 share something they have learned and why it is relevant  

Training Session Instructional Technologies: Agenda will be accessible and referred to throughout the day in a google doc Case Studies and Scenarios will be developed on an interactive google doc where other teams can access and respond electronically Kahoot! will be used as a fun and interactive way to electronically check for understanding twice during the workshop. Kahoot! uses a quiz-show type activity to ask questions using a game-based, engaging format

Goals and Learning Objective Components   Goals and Learning Objective Components Goal #1: Develop an understanding of the mindset of today’s college student Goal #2: Develop an understanding of the most effective strategies and activities to facilitate learning Goal #3: Develop the ability to create the most effective, authentic assessments based on student activities and learning goals Objective #1: Participants create a visual display which includes five distinct learning characteristics of today’s college student with a score of 10/10. Participants add to their visual display: five strategies and/or activities that effectively facilitate learning for today’s college student with a minimum score of 10/10. Participants add to their visual display: five effective, authentic assessments based on identified strategies and activities with a minimum score of 10/10. Objective #1 Learning Strategy: Collaborative Learning & Critical Thinking Objective #1 Learning Strategy Rational: Develops higher level thinking skills Helps students clarify ideas through discussion and debate Helps students clarify ideas through discussion and debate

Goals and Learning Objective Components   Goals and Learning Objective Components Goal #1: Develop an understanding of the mindset of today’s college student Goal #2: Develop an understanding of the most effective strategies and activities to facilitate learning Goal #3: Develop the ability to create the most effective, authentic assessments based on student activities and learning goals Objective #2: Participants analyze and respond to five scenarios identifying the learning characteristics indicated in each one with a score of 10/10 Participants analyze and respond to five scenarios identifying the most effective strategies and activities to meet the learning goals based on the learning characteristics with a score of 10/10 Participants analyze and respond to five scenarios identifying the most appropriate, authentic assessments based on learning goals, student learning characteristics, and identified strategies and activities with a score of 10/10 Objective #2 Learning Strategy: Project Based Learning & Critical Thinking Objective #2 Learning Strategy Rational: Creates an environment of active, involved, exploratory learning Overview of Objectives, Goals, and Strategies and Rationals

Formative Assessments During the Training: Questioning Discussion prompts Appointment Partners Scenarios Questioning:  When incorporated into a workshop, questioning will provide information needed to adjust the workshop immediately.  It is a diagnostic tool for the participants, as well as the facilitator.  The facilitator will ensure that there is a strong cross section of the participants answering to avoid only receiving responses from a few. Prompts: Individual and group discussion prompts will be used to provide opportunities for participants to discuss key ideas and share insights throughout the day. Sharing out main ideas to the whole group provides formative assessment for the facilitator to recognize areas of concern or need for clarification. Appointment Clocks:  Participants identify an appointment partner (or a team of 3) at the beginning of the workshop.  Periodically during the workshop, the facilitator tells participants to meet the with their appointment partner (or group) and provides a prompt for them to discuss,  While they are discussing the prompt, the facilitator circulates around the room to listen in and determine if there are any areas of confusion or misinformation that needs to be clarified. Scenarios:  Participants receive scenarios that require them to demonstrate knowledge of the information as they respond to the situations provided.  While working on the scenarios, the facilitator rotates between groups to determine if the conversations and responses demonstrate an understanding of the information.

Criteria for Determining if Goals are Met: Formative assessments throughout the training assess if the goals are being met and to provide opportunities to adjust the training, if indicated. A summative scenario provided at the end of each training day provides information to determine if goals were met. Participants complete an evaluation at the end of each day to provide feedback on their assessment of the outcomes for the day. A rubric is used to guide the scoring of the scenario responses.

Criteria for Determining if Goals are Met Post-Training Follow-Up A follow-up survey will be provided to participants 6 months after the training to determine if the knowledge and skills from the training are still being implemented in their instructional designs.

Help Your Faculty Learn the Skills and Knowledge to Support the Learning of Today’s Student!

References Rethinking the Way College Students Are Taught. (n.d.) Retrieved from http://americanradioworks.publicradio.org/features/tom orrows-college/lectures/rethinking-teaching.html Thriving in Academe, Reflections on Helping Students Learn. (n.d.) Retrieved from http://www.nea.org/assets/docs/HE/Thriving.Nov12.pdf