Understanding Traditional and Progressive Approaches to Learner-Centered Instruction – Karen Bull, Assistant Director of Distance Learning, Onondaga Community College SLN SOLsummit 2012 March 7-9, 21012 SUNY Global Center

1. Understanding
Traditional
and
Progressive
Approaches
to
Learner-­‐Centered
Instruction
Karen
Z.
Bull,
M.Ed.
Assistant
Director
of
Distance
Learning
Onondaga
Community
College

2. Agenda
* Current
Course
Design
* Understanding
By
Design
* Results
* Evidence
* Experiences
and
Instruction
* 6
Facets
of
Understanding
* Conclusion
2

3. Be
Clear
Identify
Desired
Results
3

4. Should
we
put
down
what
we
think
is
right,
or
what
we
think
you
think
is
right?
Be
Specific
Determine
Acceptable
Evidence
4

5. Course
Design
* Focus
on
a
Topic
(Racial
Prejudice)
* Use
a
Particular
Resource
(To
Kill
A
Mockingbird)
* Choose
Specific
Instructional
Method
(Seminar
to
discuss
the
book
and
cooperative
groups
to
analyze
stereotypical
images
in
films
and
on
television)
* To
cause
learning
to
meet
a
giving
standard
(The
student
will
understand
the
nature
of
prejudice
and
the
difference
between
generalizations
and
stereotypes)
5

6. Road
Trip
6

7. Understanding
By
Design
“To
begin
with
the
end
in
mind
means
to
start
with
a
clear
understanding
of
your
destination.
It
means
to
know
where
you’re
going
so
that
you
better
understand
where
you
are
now
so
that
the
steps
you
take
are
always
in
the
right
direction.”
-­‐Stephen
R.
Covey
7

8. “Educational
objectives
become
the
criteria
by
which
materials
are
selected,
content
is
outlined,
instructional
procedures
are
developed,
and
tests
and
examinations
are
prepared…The
purpose
of
a
statement
of
objectives
is
to
indicate
the
kinds
of
changes
in
the
student
to
be
brought
about
so
that
instructional
activities
can
be
planned
and
developed
in
a
way
likely
to
attain
these
objectives”
(Tyler,
1949,
pp
1,
45).
8

9. Many
Hats
9

10. Rethinking
Course
Design
* 3
Main
Stages
1. Identify
desired
results
2. Determine
acceptable
evidence
3. Plan
learning
experiences
and
instruction
10

11. Curricular
Priorities
11

12. Rethinking
Course
Design
* 3
Main
Stages
1. Identify
desired
results
2. Determine
acceptable
evidence
3. Plan
learning
experiences
and
instruction
12

13. Assessment
Methods
13

14. Fair
Assessment

15. Assessment
Alignment

16. Proof
16

17. Specific
and
Clear
17

18. Rethinking
Course
Design
* 3
Main
Stages
1. Identify
desired
results
2. Determine
acceptable
evidence
3. Plan
learning
experiences
and
instruction
18

19. 6
Facets
of
Understanding
* Explain
* Interpret
* Apply
* Perspective
* Empathize
* Self-­‐Knowledge
19

20. Facet
1:
Explanation
“We
see
something
moving,
hear
a
sound
expectedly,
smell
an
unusual
order,
and
we
ask;
What
is
it?...When
we
have
found
out
what
it
signifies,
a
squirrel
running,
two
persons
conversing,
an
explosion
of
gunpowder,
we
say
that
we
understand.”
(Dewey,
1933,
pp.
137,
146)

21. ...Facet
1…
* Course
Design:
* Assessment
* Problem-­‐based
learning
* Performance
tasks
* Effective
hands-­‐on
* Projects
* Prompts
and
tests
that
ask
* Effective
minds-­‐on
students
to
explain
* Science
programs
* Link
specific
facts
with
larger
ideas
* Show
their
work,
* Support
their
conclusions.
21

22. Facet
2:
Interpretation
Juzo
Itami’s
films
revealed
truths
to
the
Japanese
they
never
knew
existed
–
even
though
they
were
right
there
in
their
daily
life.
“He
could
express
the
inside
story
about
things
people
think
they
understand
but
really
don’t,”
said
film
critic
Jun
Ishiko.
(Washington
Post,
1997,
p.
A1)
22

23. ...Facet
2…
* Learner-­‐Centered
Activities
* Invite
students
to:
* fashion
an
oral
history
out
of
disparate
interviews
* mathematical
conclusion
out
of
discrete
data
* a
story
interpretation
based
on
careful
reading
23

24. Facet
3:
Application
[By
understanding]
I
mean
simply
a
sufficient
grasp
of
concepts,
principles,
or
skills
so
that
one
can
bring
them
to
bear
on
new
problems
and
situations,
deciding
in
which
ways
one’s
present
competencies
can
suffice
and
in
which
ways
one
may
require
new
skills
or
knowledge.
(Gardner,
1991,
p.
18)
24

25. ...Facet
3…
* Learner-­‐Centered
Activities
* Performance-­‐based
learning:
* Authentic
tasks
* Conventional
tests
25

26. Facet
4:
Perspective
An
important
symptom
of
an
emerging
understanding
is
the
capacity
to
represent
a
problem
in
a
number
of
different
ways
and
to
approach
its
solution
from
varied
vantage
points;
a
single,
ridge
representation
is
unlikely
to
suffice.
(Gardner,
1991,
p.
13)
26

27. Facet
5:
Empathy
To
understand
is
to
forgive.
-­‐French
proverb
27

28. Facet
6:
Self-­‐Awareness
It
is
the
duty
of
the
human
understanding
to
understand
that
there
are
things
which
it
cannot
understand,
and
what
those
things
are.
(Kierkegaard,
1959)
28

29. Thinking
like
an
Assessor
Thinking
like
an
Activity
Designer
What
would
be
sufficient
and
revealing
What
would
be
interesting
and
engaging
evidence
of
understanding?
activities
on
this
topic?
What
performance
tasks
must
anchor
the
What
resources
and
materials
are
available
unit
and
focus
the
instructional
work?
on
this
topic?
How
will
I
be
able
to
distinguish
between
What
will
students
be
doing
in
and
out
of
those
who
really
understand
and
those
class?
What
assignments
will
be
given?
who
don’t
(though
they
seem
to)?
Against
what
criteria
will
I
distinguish
How
will
I
give
students
a
grade
(and
work?
justify
it)?
What
misunderstandings
are
likely?
How
Did
the
activities
work?
Why
or
why
not?
will
I
check
for
those?

30. Criteria
for
Each
Facet
Facet
1
Facet
2
Facet
3
Facet
4
Facet
5
Facet
6
Explanation
Interpretation
Application
Perspective
Empathy
Self-­‐
Knowledge
Accurate
Meaningful
Effective
Credible
Sensitive
Self-­‐aware
Coherent
Insightful
Efficient
Revealing
Open
Reflective
Justified
Significant
Fluent
Insightful
Receptive
Wise
Systematic
Illustrative
Adaptive
Plausible
Perceptive
Self-­‐adjusting
Predictive
Illuminating
Graceful
Unusual
Tactful
Meta-­‐
Cognitive
30

31. Rethinking
Course
Design
* 3
Main
Stages
1. Identify
desired
results
2. Determine
acceptable
evidence
3. Plan
learning
experiences
and
instruction
31

32. Conclusion
Americans
hold
the
notion
that
good
teaching
comes
through
artful
and
spontaneous
interactions
with
students
during
lessons…such
views
minimize
the
importance
of
planning
increasingly
effective
lessons
and
lend
credence
to
the
folk
belief
that
good
teachers
are
born,
not
made…Our
biggest
long-­‐term
problem
is
not
how
we
teach
now
but
that
we
have
no
way
of
getting
better.
(Stingler
&
Hiebert,
1997,
p.
20)
32

33. Contact
Karen
Z.
Bull,
M.Ed.
Assistant
Director
of
Distance
Learning
Onondaga
Community
College
bullk@sunyocc.edu
33