Integrative Learning in Practice: Ninth Annual Innovative Pedagogy & Course Redesign Conference June 2009 Larry Miners, Kathy Nantz, Roben Torosyan Center for Academic Excellence Fairfield University (CT)

Goals tonight: Meet new colleagues Meet new colleagues Think outside the box about integrative learning (not economics needs accounting, but learn economics by sailing, for example) Think outside the box about integrative learning (not economics needs accounting, but learn economics by sailing, for example) Start brainstorming ways to design an entire integrative course, or to make a course or project of your own more integrative Start brainstorming ways to design an entire integrative course, or to make a course or project of your own more integrative 6/17

Names On your name-tent, write: On your name-tent, write: –Name –One thing unique to them

Integrative Learning in Practice: Let’s Connect

Lost at Sea 1,000 miles south-southwest of nearest land 1,000 miles south-southwest of nearest land Contents of everyone’s pockets: 15 items Contents of everyone’s pockets: 15 items Which items do you rank most important to your survival? Which items do you rank most important to your survival? Rank them 1 being most important, 15 being least Rank them 1 being most important, 15 being least 6/17

Lost at Sea ____Sextant ____Shaving mirror ____ 5 gallon can of water ____Mosquito netting ____ 1 case of U.S. Army C rations ____Maps of the Pacific Ocean ____Seat cushion (Coast Guard approved flotation device) ____2 gallon can of oil-gas mixture ____Small transistor radio ____Shark repellent ____ 20 square feet of opaque plastic ____1 quart of 100-proof Puerto Rican rum ____15 feet of nylon rope ____2 boxes of chocolate bars ____Fishing kit 6/17

Lost at Sea: Your priorities ____Sextant ____Shaving mirror ____ 5 gallon can of water ____Mosquito netting ____ 1 case of U.S. Army C rations ____Maps of the Pacific Ocean ____Seat cushion (Coast Guard approved flotation device) ____2 gallon can of oil-gas mixture ____Small transistor radio ____Shark repellent ____ 20 square feet of opaque plastic ____1 quart of 100-proof Puerto Rican rum ____15 feet of nylon rope ____2 boxes of chocolate bars ____Fishing kit 6/17

Lost at Sea: Your priorities *****____ 5 gallon can of water ****____ 1 case of U.S. Army C rations ****____ 20 square feet of opaque plastic ***____ Shaving mirror **____15 feet of nylon rope *____Mosquito netting *____Seat cushion (Coast Guard approved flotation device) *____2 gallon can of oil-gas mixture *____Small transistor radio *____1 quart of 100-proof Puerto Rican rum *____2 boxes of chocolate bars *____Fishing kit ____Maps of the Pacific Ocean ____Shark repellent ____Sextant 6/17

Lost at Sea: US Coast Guard’s priorities Type here 6/17

Integrative Learning: Meanings connecting skills and knowledge from multiple sources and experiences connecting skills and knowledge from multiple sources and experiences applying theory to practice in various settings applying theory to practice in various settings utilizing diverse and even contradictory points of view utilizing diverse and even contradictory points of view understanding issues and positions contextually understanding issues and positions contextually (Huber & Hutchings, Integrative Learning, 2004) 6/17

One kind of integration: Interdisciplinary Understanding A definition: “the capacity to integrate knowledge and modes of thinking in two or more disciplines or established areas of expertise to produce a cognitive advancement—such as explaining a phenomenon, solving a problem, or creating a product—in ways that would have been impossible or unlikely through single disciplinary means” (Boix Mansilla & Dawes Duraising, Journal of Higher Education, 2007, p. 219) 6/17

Integrative Learning Outcomes Begin approaching a new topic or problem by drawing on prior learning Begin approaching a new topic or problem by drawing on prior learning Take different perspectives on an issue Take different perspectives on an issue Combine academic and community-based work Combine academic and community-based work Take advantage of new opportunities Take advantage of new opportunities Practice critical reflection and document it Practice critical reflection and document it Cf. Huber & Hutchings, Integrative Learning: Mapping the Terrain, 2004

Teaming up 1-2-3, 4-5-6, 7-8-9, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

While adrift: Course design Each one of you MUST be involved in the development of the syllabus and have something to contribute to the teaching of the course. 1. Name of course you will teach? 2. Three goals: What do you want your students to know, to do, and/or to care about? 3. Three activities, exercises, in or out of class experiences, etc. to help students achieve these goals.

Integrative Courses Survival (No Pre-wrecks!) Survival (No Pre-wrecks!) Marketing, Sustainability & A Green Economy: meaning, audits, living Marketing, Sustainability & A Green Economy: meaning, audits, living Lost: Analyzing behaviors of disorientation: an ethno-discursive- mathematical-anthropological analysis; relationships under stress; interdependence with others Lost: Analyzing behaviors of disorientation: an ethno-discursive- mathematical-anthropological analysis; relationships under stress; interdependence with others

Integrative Courses Sustaining your not-for-profit organization: manage finances, comply w/ regs., become sustainable without grants. Sustaining your not-for-profit organization: manage finances, comply w/ regs., become sustainable without grants. Academic lego. How would you Use objects to solve problems in real world. Academic lego. How would you Use objects to solve problems in real world.

Integrative Courses Type here Type here

Connecting: Take-aways What skills did you use? What skills did you use? What unexpected connections did you make? What unexpected connections did you make? What will you use when you go home, to inform your teaching or other professional practice? What will you use when you go home, to inform your teaching or other professional practice?

Connecting: Take-aways Start by agreeing on goals rather than readings, focuses on learning Start by agreeing on goals rather than readings, focuses on learning Meld. Meld. Teamwork is fun. Teamwork is fun. Icebreakers as teaching tools. Icebreakers as teaching tools.

Connecting: Take-aways Type here Type here

Connecting: Take-aways Type here Type here

Lost at Sea: priorities according to the U.S. Coast Guard 1. Shaving mirror: to signal (#1 priority for rescue) 2. 2 gallon can of oil-gas mixture: signal by burning 3. 5 gallon can of water: replenish fluids 4. 1 case of U.S. Army C rations: food square feet of opaque plastic: collect rain water & as shelter 6. 2 boxes of chocolate bars: reserve food supply 7. Fishing kit: to get food, although ready food is more important feet of nylon rope: lash people or equipment together 9. Seat cushion (Coast Guard approved flotation device): life preserver 10. Shark repellent: enough said quart of 100-proof Puerto Rican rum: 80% alc. = antiseptic 12. Small transistor radio: out of range of radio station 13. Maps of the Pacific Ocean: worthless without navigation equipment 14. Mosquito netting: no mosquitos in mid-Pacific; to fish, use the kit 15. Sextant: useless without relevant tables and a chronometer 6/17

Dream Learning Goals Imagine you could design your dream course or learning experience for students. If a student reached your dream learning goals, what would change? Imagine you could design your dream course or learning experience for students. If a student reached your dream learning goals, what would change? Write: Five years later, they would: Write: Five years later, they would: –Know… –Do… –Value…

A common visual “text” View clip: View clip: wn/view/ wn/view/ Imagine using this clip to reach one or more of your dream goals. (Factors include the psychology, power politics, media influence on behavior, imagery, history, communication patterns, you name it) Imagine using this clip to reach one or more of your dream goals. (Factors include the psychology, power politics, media influence on behavior, imagery, history, communication patterns, you name it) Circle share: one goal and the clip’s relevance Circle share: one goal and the clip’s relevance

A common visual “text” Brainstorm individually: How could other disciplinary theories, findings, examples, methods, validation criteria, genres, or forms of communication help ground student understanding? How could other disciplinary theories, findings, examples, methods, validation criteria, genres, or forms of communication help ground student understanding? How could other disciplinary insights be integrated to advance understanding—that is, using integrative devices such as conceptual frameworks, graphic representations, models, metaphors, complex explanations, or solutions that results in more complex, effective, empirically grounded, or comprehensive accounts or products? How could other disciplinary insights be integrated to advance understanding—that is, using integrative devices such as conceptual frameworks, graphic representations, models, metaphors, complex explanations, or solutions that results in more complex, effective, empirically grounded, or comprehensive accounts or products? (Boix Mansilla & Dawes Duraising, Journal of Higher Education, 2007, p. 222)

Connecting Across Disciplines Connect with one concept mentioned during circle share: Connect with one concept mentioned during circle share: –I think ---- concept in my discipline may relate to ---- concept in ---- discipline, maybe in way –Here’s a real world problem, and it requires understanding ---- concepts from ---- disciplines

Examples Across Disciplines Self-awareness: Come up w/ probing questions (we and students do!) to push students to the next level of understanding themselves. Self-awareness: Come up w/ probing questions (we and students do!) to push students to the next level of understanding themselves. Lifelong learning: Ability to generalize, see concept in their own lives, and apply them. Lifelong learning: Ability to generalize, see concept in their own lives, and apply them. Social justice / service: See consequences of their actions. Not just aware, but get practice taking that to make a difference in community. Social justice / service: See consequences of their actions. Not just aware, but get practice taking that to make a difference in community. Quantitative literacy, how to interpret statistics, is essential to so many problems. Not just skills but what the purpose of the skills is. Quantitative literacy, how to interpret statistics, is essential to so many problems. Not just skills but what the purpose of the skills is. Recognize what you don’t know as much as what you do know. Recognize what you don’t know as much as what you do know.

Integrative Cartoons: Capturing Visual Analogs Take 60 seconds to doodle, creating an image—use icons, lines, shapres, drawings, cartoons, symbols, stick figures or logos—to represent one concept that required more than one discipline Take 60 seconds to doodle, creating an image—use icons, lines, shapres, drawings, cartoons, symbols, stick figures or logos—to represent one concept that required more than one discipline Label the cartoon or doodle Label the cartoon or doodle

Connecting Across Disciplines What’s shared? (concepts, ideas, concerns, pedagogies/teaching methods) What’s shared? (concepts, ideas, concerns, pedagogies/teaching methods) What’s different? What’s different? Given your conversations, might you teach any differently in the future? If so, how? Given your conversations, might you teach any differently in the future? If so, how?