Integrating Assessment and Faculty Development to Lead Curricular Change Muhlenberg College Presenters • Sharon Albert, Senior Lecturer, Religion Studies, Co-coordinator of Integrative Learning • Kathleen Harring, Provost, Professor, Psychology • Kimberly Heiman, Senior Lecturer, Biology, Co-Coordinator of Integrative Learning • Linda McGuire, Professor, Mathematics, Director, Faculty Center for Teaching Picture from : https://www.collegechoice.net/rankings/best-christian-colleges-and-universities/
General Education Revision: Backstory - 2013 adoption of revised curriculum - First significant revision since 1989 - Integrative learning as core element in response to assessment data - Less success at this than our peer institutions Photo From: Muhlenberg Website
Curricular Revision: The Dawn of a Living Curriculum Adopt new Pilot new Fully Assess Cluster General curricular implement effectiveness Education element: Clusters Curriculum Clusters Faculty Faculty Assessment development development findings reported workshop workshop to Faculty Funding to support new course development
Clusters Signature element of the 2013 curricular revision • Two linked courses • Taken during Sophomore year Fall 2017 (BIO 129) • Common student cohort • Some shared learning goals & assignments • Challenges • Limited student choice Fall 2017 • Logistically difficult to implement (PSY 180)
Faculty Development for Clusters • May workshops • Informal “Check - in” conversations during AY • Funding to support new course development • Assessment findings reported to Faculty Photo From: Muhlenberg Website
Cluster Assessment Findings - Correlation of “Clusters” and integrative learning not explicit in the curriculum no common language, definition, or learning goals - - Evidence of improvement in students’ integrative learning - less visible due to lack of “integrative learning” language Faculty & student reported significant scheduling issues - - Early implementation course needs met, but deep concern about long-term sustainability
Transforming Clusters into the Integrative Learning (IL) Requirement 2016/2017 APC leads Integrative Learning revision APC & CC Faculty APC Faculty vote retreat Faculty adopt AAC&U retreat to change IL adopt IL criteria for IL Institute to Cluster coordinator definition experiences develop requirement position and learning action plan established goals FCT workshops Focus groups Presentation and discussion at every faculty meeting Informal discussions and outreach by IL co-coordinators
Defining Integrative Learning Approved by Faculty, January 2017 • Makes connections that combine disparate perspectives. • Applies multiple ways of knowing to concepts and experiences. • Empowers students to solve problems and address questions in more comprehensive ways. Picture from: https://www.slideshare.net/Amberagd/integrative-learning
At Muhlenberg Integrative Learning is not mastered but constantly develops and is honed. The Integrative Learning curricular requirement provides opportunities for intentionally and collaboratively cultivating this way of thinking. Photos From Muhlenberg Website
Faculty Development & Engagement • Focus groups • Presentation and discussion at every faculty meeting • Informal discussions and outreach by IL co-coordinators • Faculty Center for Teaching workshops Photos From Muhlenberg Website
Implementing Integrative Learning Our Action Plan for this year includes: • Increased visibility & communication of IL • Ensuring student understanding of and investment in IL • Engaging with all key stakeholders • Faculty development • Promoting and supporting integrative research and teaching Photo From: Muhlenberg Website
Why It Worked 1) Support, advocacy, leadership coming from the highest level 2) Informal assessment and individual faculty perceptions taken seriously 3) Developed the developers 4) Collecting feedback and educating community about requirement → happening simultaneously We now have a Living Curriculum responsive to assessment and linked to faculty development.
For Discussion • What is one important curricular challenge on your campus that has been identified through assessment ? • What faculty development opportunities can you create to address this curricular challenge? • How can you ensure that all Faculty know their voices have been heard?
Reflecting Back Briefly: • What is the one best idea you’ve heard in this session? • What is the most important thing you’ve learned from the discussion?
Integrating Assessment and Faculty Development to Lead Curricular Change Our Definition of Integrative Learning Integrative learning enables students to make connections that combine disparate disciplinary, methodological, ideological, or epistemological perspectives. Integrative learning entails applying multiple ways of knowing to concepts and experiences. Effective integrated learning empowers students to recognize and solve problems, address existing questions, and ask new ones in more comprehensive ways. Integrative Learning is not mastered but constantly develops and is honed in many ways. At Muhlenberg, the Integrative Learning curricular requirement provides opportunities for intentionally cultivating this way of thinking in collaborative environments and communities. Academic Learning Goals for Integrative Learning Muhlenberg graduates will be able to: 1. Understand relationships among various ways of knowing, and recognize the strengths and limitations of different approaches for comprehending phenomena. 2. Use diverse perspectives and their vocabularies to intentionally recognize and solve problems, address existing questions, and ask new questions. 3. Adapt and apply various perspectives developed in other contexts to new situations, while realizing the strengths and limitations of these different approaches. 4. Communicate the value of an integrative perspective. Experiences that qualify for the IL designation will be rostered as courses and will be graded. Students will normally fulfill their IL requirement after their first semester and by the end of their Junior year. Criteria for IL designation IL designations will be granted based on alignment of the experience’s content with Muhlenberg’s Academic Program Goals and Learning Outcomes for Integrative Learning and must meet the following criteria: The experience will: 1. Teach how to incorporate and integrate at least two different perspectives (e.g., disciplinary, methodological, ideological, or epistemological) as a core focus of the experience. The incorporation and integration of these perspectives should be sustained throughout the experience. [Learning goals 1, 2] 2. Include graded projects/assignments sustained throughout the experience that adapt and apply the integration between at least two different perspectives (e.g., disciplinary, methodological, ideological, or epistemological methods). This might be one ongoing or a series of smaller assignments. [Learning goal 3] 3. Involve critical reflection of students’ learning and understanding of integrative learning skills. [Learning goal 4] 4. Be sustained over the equivalent of at least one semester. AAC&U 2018: General Education and Assessment: Foundations for Democracy February 15, 2018, 3:45-4:45pm
Muhlenberg College Integrating Assessment and Faculty Development to Lead Curricular Change Questions for Discussion What is one important curricular challenge on your campus that has been identified through assessment ? What faculty development opportunities can you create to address this curricular challenge? How can you ensure that all Faculty know their voices have been heard? Presenters: Sharon Albert, Senior Lecturer, Religion Studies, Co-Coordinator of Integrative Learning Kathleen Harring, Provost, Professor, Psychology Kimberly Heiman, Senior Lecturer, Biology, Co-Coordinator of Integrative Learning Linda McGuire, Professor, Mathematics, Director, Faculty Center for Teaching AAC&U 2018: General Education and Assessment: Foundations for Democracy February 15, 2018, 3:45-4:45pm
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