1. New Curriculum / Program of Study
My Big Idea
New Curriculum / Program of Study
“(I)nstitutions should foster deep, integrated learning, synthesis, and analysis across the borders of disciplines, including by cultivating the difficult and increasingly necessary skill of collaborating with those whose expertise and cultural background is different from one’s own… working on unscripted problems and in conditions of uncertainty”
(Davidson, 2017, p. 232)
Without:
Courses
Grades
Major?
My Big Idea Presentation. IDS CUNY-GC. Alvaro Cabrera-Maray, Teachers College - Oct. 25th, 2017

2. Problem-based / Project-based
Typical week: M T W T F M
Conferences
Seminars
Conferences
Seminars
New problem session:
Students team + tutor
One student leads (rotative role)
Clarify / define problem
Brainstorm solutions
Define needs
Define and distribute tasks
Checking-in session:
Students team + tutor
Students report their individual progress and fix any emergent issues
Same student leads
Reporting session:
Students team + tutor
Students present their solution to the problem
Tutor gives feedback
_________________
New problem session:
Another student leads
Indiv. explor. time
Individual exploration time
My Big Idea Presentation. IDS CUNY-GC. Alvaro Cabrera-Maray, Teachers College - Oct. 25th, 2017

3. Problem’s complexity increases over time
Plan of studies: C O N T E V R A G
Final Project
Semester long
Service Learning
Community
partners
Longer Problems C O M P L E X I T Y
Longer Problems
Longer Problems
Weekly Problems
Weekly Problems
Weekly Problems
Weekly Problems
Semesters
My Big Idea Presentation. IDS CUNY-GC. Alvaro Cabrera-Maray, Teachers College - Oct. 25th, 2017

4. How do problems look like?
Drug abuse-related problem:
Treatment medicine
Preventive medicine
Psychology
Social work
Law
Involve more than 2 disciplines/fields/disciplinary lenses
1 or 2 disciplines at the “core” of the solution(s)
All involve:
Ethics
Communication
Statistical analysis
…….
Engineering problem (new factory plant):
Engineering
Environment
Community impact
Regulations
Final project:
Community partners
Intervention (Service Learning)
Quantitative & Qualitative methodologies
My Big Idea Presentation. IDS CUNY-GC. Alvaro Cabrera-Maray, Teachers College - Oct. 25th, 2017

5. Assessment 2 summative assessments Individual reflective Portfolio
PROBLEMS:
Formative assessment by:
Tutor
Peers
Self-assessment
(NO GRADES)
Individual reflective Portfolio
Student documents:
Problems & solutions
Team’s decisions
Individual contributions
Perceived learning
Personal reflections
Connections to other subject matters
Integration of feedback
Etc…..
Every semester an independent committee (not the tutors) decide PASS / FAIL based on quality of portfolio
Progress Tests
Assess understanding & application of knowledge in the disciplines / fields the student is concentrating
Twice a semester
Cover ALL the important knowledge in the discipline
Student is expected to increase % of approval each time
My Big Idea Presentation. IDS CUNY-GC. Alvaro Cabrera-Maray, Teachers College - Oct. 25th, 2017

6. “T” Model Expertise in 1 or 2 disciplines/fields:
Familiarization with several disciplines (through rotation of tasks during problems)
Expertise in 1 or 2 disciplines/fields:
Every other problem the student focuses in this(these) discipline(s)
She/he takes progress tests in this(these) discipline(s)
My Big Idea Presentation. IDS CUNY-GC. Alvaro Cabrera-Maray, Teachers College - Oct. 25th, 2017

7. Extracurricular Democratic school
Student’s decision-making power (over problems, projects, community partners)
Powerful student government & organizations
My Big Idea Presentation. IDS CUNY-GC. Alvaro Cabrera-Maray, Teachers College - Oct. 25th, 2017

8. Resources needed Tutors Library / online resources Teamwork spaces
Problem bank
Community partners
Question bank (progress tests)
Seminars / Conferences / Webinars
My Big Idea Presentation. IDS CUNY-GC. Alvaro Cabrera-Maray, Teachers College - Oct. 25th, 2017