NEW FACULTY ORIENTATION FOR CAREER SCHOOL INSTRUCTORS

Transcription

1 NEW FACULTY ORIENTATION FOR CAREER SCHOOL INSTRUCTORS CONTENTS Course Description... 3 Introduction... 3 Course Structure... 3 Contact Hours... 3 Course Length... 3 Delivery Method... 3 Instructors... 3 Contact Information... 4 Office Hours... 4 Reading and Resources... 4 Grading... 5 Course Outcomes... 5 Course Outline... 5 Unit Summaries... 6 Unit One Outline: Introduction... 7 Unit Two Outline: Best Practices Making Your Classroom Learner Centered... 8 Unit Three Outline: Best Practices Rubrics and Grading Unit Four Outline: Curriculum Mapping and Student Retention Page

2 Unit Five Outline: Discussion Facilitation Unit Assessment Summary Rubrics Discussion Forums Assignments Quiz Journal Entries Appendix Unit Three Assignment Page

3 COURSE DESCRIPTION The New Faculty Orientation for Career School Instructors is a mini course designed to insure minimum competencies in the mechanics and philosophy of learner centered instruction. Faculty will be asked to demonstrate that they understand not only the vocabulary of student engagement but can also apply its best practices, including group activities, discussion facilitation, reflective writing, and authentic assessment. Participants will complete an on line journal and a portfolio of assignments which will demonstrate classroom readiness, evaluated by Consortium staff. Daily progress reports are provided to both faculty participants and to their designated supervisor at their host institutions. INTRODUCTION As part of a career school faculty, you play a key role in ensuring that students achieve program or institutional competencies and that your school maintains high levels of student retention. Learner centered instruction is one of the best ways to realize these goals. However, career school faculty come with a variety of backgrounds. Some of you are content experts who know your subject backwards and forwards but have never taught; others have taught but not in the career school setting. This course is designed to introduce you to the best practices of teaching so that you can fulfill your role in providing students with the skills and knowledge they need to realize their career goals, and to give you the tools that will maximize your part in achieving the retention goals of your school. COURSE STRUCTURE CONTACT HOURS Please plan to spend from ten to twelve hours to complete this mini course. One Continuing Education Unit is awarded upon successful completion. COURSE LENGTH The Faculty Orientation Course begins on Monday, and will close the following Monday at midnight Pacific Time. DELIVERY METHOD Online INSTRUCTORS 3 Page

4 Annie Fisher, Janice Hoover, John Shaheen Faculty Bios: Please visit us/our staff/ CONTACT INFORMATION Annie Fisher FirstClass Annie f Internet annie@dlconline.net Janice Hoover FirstClass Janice Hoover Internet janice.hoover@aips.com John Shaheen FirstClass John Shaheen Internet john@dlconline.net OFFICE HOURS Please e mail or call and leave a voice message anytime. We generally respond to course postings 2x daily during weekdays. E mails and phone calls are returned as soon as possible, until approximately 9:00 pm EST, weekdays. Weekends, please allow 24 hours. READING AND RESOURCES Bloom s Taxonomy Different Learning Styles: Teaching Tips, Does This Course Make My Content Look Big: The Skinny on Chunking Content, by Robin Smith. See handout in Resources Folder. Learning Objects Assessment Rubrics, ideas/assessing student learning/using rubrics.html 4 Page

5 What is Authentic Assessment? Formative vs. Summative Assessment, Can Colleges Manufacture Motivation? colleges manufacture/131564/ Getting Started: Curriculum Mapping Narrated PowerPoint GRADING Grades for the New Faculty Orientation course are based on the following assessments: Discussion Forums Completion of assignments Quizzes Journal Entries Your journals will be accessible to your instructor and your fellow classmates. Grades are posted daily in the gradebook, and we will send you and your supervisor a confirmation when you complete the course, along with your CEU certificate. A minimum grade of a 70 is required to pass the course and earn a CEU. COURSE OUTCOMES Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to: Identify how our students learn Apply teaching methods that work best in our classrooms Create an effective learning object Implement rubrics for consistency in grading Incorporate authentic assessments into career school syllabi Describe how your teaching methods impact student retention Describe how to map program competencies to course outcomes to unit objectives Facilitate and assess a learner centered discussion COURSE OUTLINE 5 Page

6 UNIT SUMMARIES This course consists of five units. Unit One is a one hour webinar introducing the class to the principles of learner centered instruction and to the best practices for teaching in a learner centered environment. Additionally, you will have the opportunity to discuss your background and what you would like to take away from the course. Unit Two focuses on how career students learn and the best practices for teaching in a learner centered environment. We will review the principles of Bloom s Taxonomy, discuss how to chunk content, and practice developing an interactive learning object. Unit Three reviews the importance of rubrics and how they are used in grading. We will also examine authentic assessment and how it can enhance student achievement. Participants will practice grading a homework assignment using a rubric. Unit Four focuses on mapping program/institutional competencies to course outcomes to unit objectives. Additionally, we will discuss the impact faculty have on student retention. Unit Five is a one hour webinar on how to facilitate class discussions. Keeping students engaged whether by communicating with each other in class, working on collaborative projects, or evaluating their own work is a key component of learner centered instruction and plays a major role in student success as well as student retention. 6 Page

7 UNIT ONE OUTLINE: INTRODUCTION 1. Topical Outline a. Relevant Terms b. Learner Centered Instruction c. Community of Inquiry d. Faculty Impact on Retention i. Use Authentic Assessments ii. Step Away from the Podium 2. Unit Objectives a. Define the key terms associated with learner centered instruction b. Explain the community of inquiry model c. Identify the levels of learning in Bloom s Taxonomy and explain their application to learnercentered instruction d. Describe the role of career school faculty in student retention 3. Course Outcomes a. Apply teaching methods that work best in career school classrooms 4. Key Concepts Learner centered instruction, unlike most traditional classroom instruction, puts the focus on the needs, interests, and abilities of the students rather than on the presentation of content by an instructor. The educational experience for students is supported by a community of inquiry which consists of social presence, teaching presence, and cognitive presence. Effective instructors are not only content experts but skilled discussion facilitators that rely on a variety of methods to teach and assess their students. The result is engaged students and a high rate of retention for the school. 5. Reading/Resources a. Webinar: New Faculty Orientation for Career Schools i. Senate Committee Report on For Profit Colleges Condemns Costs and Practices, report condemns forprofit colleges.html?_r=0 ii. APSCU Responds to Release of Report by Senator Harkin, and media/press releases/apscu sends letter toeducation department on gainful employment ruling.cfm 6. Discussion Question 7. Assignments 8. Journal Entry (Due Monday, midnight) a. Give your thoughts on the comments about career schools by Senator Harkin and APSCU s response to those comments. 9. Quiz (Due Monday, midnight) a. Complete Quiz 1 7 Page

8 UNIT TWO OUTLINE: BEST PRACTICES MAKING YOUR CLASSROOM LEARNER CENTERED 1. Topical Outline a. Bloom s Taxonomy b. How Students Learn c. Chunking d. Learning Objects 2. Unit Objectives a. Identify the levels of learning in Bloom s Taxonomy and explain their application to learnercentered instruction b. Identify the types of learning styles c. Describe the process of chunking d. Identify the elements of a learning object 3. Course Outcomes a. Identify how our students learn b. Apply teaching methods that work best in our classrooms c. Create an effective learning object 4. Key Concepts Learner centered instruction takes the emphasis off of the instructor and puts it squarely on the students. Thus, instructors take into account the various learning styles of their students. They stop being the sage on the stage. Instead, they become the guide on the side who facilitate student learning by working alongside students as they tackle new concepts and skills. Faculty are instructors, not just presenters. Chunking is the process of dividing course content into manageable segments to make better use of classroom time and to keep students engaged with the content. An instructor can teach for ten minutes, assess students comprehension or skills for ten minutes, then start on a new topic with the assurance that students have gotten the learning goals of the lesson. Incorporating the learning levels from Bloom s Taxonomy aids the instructor in designing assessments. The building blocks for chunking course content are learning objects. Each lesson is made up of a series of learning objects which include a learning objective, a learning activity, and an authentic assessment. 5. Reading/Resources a. Bloom s Taxonomy b. Different Learning Styles: Teaching Tips, c. Does This Course Make My Content Look Big: The Skinny on Chunking Content, by Robin Smith. See handout in Resources Folder. 8 Page

9 6. Discussion Question (opens Tuesday and closes Wednesday at midnight) a. Unit 2, Part 1: i. Given that you will be teaching students with different learning styles, what accommodations will you make in your classes? How can chunking content assist in that process? b. Unit 2, Additional Consideration i. Your instructor will post in the Discussion conference. 7. Assignment (Due Wednesday, midnight) a. You are teaching a course on organic gardening. One of the units deals with natural fertilizers. Develop a15 minute learning object that includes: i. A Unit Objective: A statement that describes what a student will know or be able to do at the end of the unit. For example: List five types of natural fertilizers. (You may use this example as your objective or develop one of your own.) ii. Content: Reading assignment, video, PowerPoint, audio, lecture, etc., that supports the Unit Objective iii. An Interactive Activity: Any activity that ensures students are interacting with the content, the instructor, or each other. Examples are discussion questions, journal entries, essays, practice demonstrations, and games. iv. An Authentic Assessment: An element that determines if the unit objective has been met. (Homework assignments, projects, graded skill demonstrations, group projects, are all examples of authentic assessments.) If the Interactive Activity can be graded, it can act as an authentic assessment. For instance, if students are being graded on a discussion, that s an authentic assessment as well as an interactive activity. Ungraded skills practices could lead to graded practice, which is an authentic assessment. b. When you have completed the assignment, please save your work. Then upload your document to the dropbox in the classroom. This assignment is worth 10 points. 8. Journal Entry 9. Quiz 9 Page

10 UNIT THREE OUTLINE: BEST PRACTICES RUBRICS AND GRADING 1. Topical Outline a. Rubrics b. Authentic Assessment 2. Unit Objectives a. Explain the usefulness of rubrics in grading b. Identify types of authentic assessment 3. Course Outcomes a. Implement rubrics for consistency in grading b. Incorporate authentic assessments into career school syllabi 4. Key Concepts Rubrics are guidelines for student performance, and they play a critical role in assessment. Rubrics allow students to know exactly how they will be assessed on participation, assignments, projects, and quizzes. Authentic assessments are those that ask students to demonstrate meaningful application of essential knowledge and skills. Unlike traditional assessment, authentic assessment is continuous, varied, and part of the important coaching role played by faculty. Assessment tools may include using low stakes quizzes rather than one long mid term and another long final exam, and assessing students participation in discussions as a major part of the course grade. Courses should include both formative and summative assessments. Formative assessments are utilized to immediately determine whether students have learned what the instructor intended, and provide opportunities for remediation, additional instruction, and constructive feedback. Summative assessments, on the other hand, are used to determine whether students have met unit objectives or course outcomes. 5. Reading/Resources a. Assessment Rubrics, ideas/assessing studentlearning/using rubrics.html b. What is Authentic Assessment? c. Formative vs. Summative Assessment summative.html 6. Discussion Question 7. Assignments (Due Thursday, midnight) a. Grading a Student Assignment Using a Rubric i. This assignment includes a hypothetical student assignment as posted in a Communications course, and a sample student response to that assignment. See the Appendix to this study guide for instructions on completing the assignment. ii. When you have completed the assignment, please save your work. Then upload your document to the dropbox in the classroom. This assignment is worth 10 points. 10 Page

11 8. Journal Entry (Due Thursday, midnight) a. How will you incorporate authentic assessments into your course syllabus? 9. Quiz 11 Page

12 UNIT FOUR OUTLINE: CURRICULUM MAPPING AND STUDENT RETENTION 1. Topical Outline a. Faculty Impact on Retention b. Institutional and Program Competencies c. Course Outcomes d. Unit Objectives 2. Unit Objectives a. Identify the ways faculty have an impact on student retention b. Identify your school s institutional and program competencies 3. Course Outcomes a. Describe how your teaching methods impact student retention b. Describe how to map program competencies to course outcomes to unit objectives 4. Key Concepts As an instructor you have a tremendous impact not only on whether students stay engaged in your classroom, but also whether they remain in school. Using learner centered teaching methods is critical. A competency is a statement of how students will demonstrate knowledge or skill acquisition, generally at the end of a program of study. For instance, a program core competency might be, Students will be able to perform the skills required of Certified Nursing Assistants. Program core competencies should be taught in every course. Individual course outcomes should be mapped to program competencies. Outcomes are what students will know or be able to do, generally at the end of each course in the program. Objectives are what students will know or be able to do, generally at the end of a unit of study. 5. Reading/Resources a. Can Colleges Manufacture Motivation? collegesmanufacture/131564/ b. Getting Started: Curriculum Mapping Narrated PowerPoint c. Community of Inquiry Model, 6. Discussion Question (opens Thursday and closes Sunday, midnight) a. Unit 4, Part 1 i. Refer to this quote from the article: Can Colleges Manufacture Motivation? In many cases, all it takes is a faculty member to have a few well timed interactions with a student, perhaps during office hours or in class. Such moments, he said, trigger something in students, whether it is a desire to learn or try harder, or it convinces them that they belong on campus: It is clear from their interviews that something changes quickly, meaningfully, and for the better. ii. Think of a high school or college instructor who had a significant impact on your educational or career journey. Share your story. b. Unit 4, Additional Consideration 12 Page

13 i. Your instructor will post in the Discussion conference. 7. Assignments (Due Sunday, midnight) a. Describe one of the program competencies at your school. Select one course in your program. Map the program competency to a specific course outcome and a unit objective. Compare and contrast the differences between the competency, outcome, and objective. b. When you have completed the assignment, please save your work. Then upload your document to the dropbox in the classroom. This assignment is worth 10 points. 8. Journal Entry 9. Quiz 13 Page

14 UNIT FIVE OUTLINE: DISCUSSION FACILITATION 1. Topical Outline a. Asking the Right Question b. What We are Trying to Achieve in Discussion Forums c. Expectations for Students and Faculty d. Grading Discussions 2. Unit Objectives a. Describe the attributes of an effective discussion question b. Explain the goals for classroom discussions c. Describe what is expected from students in a discussion d. Describe what is expected from faculty in a discussion e. Explain how to grade discussions 3. Course Outcomes a. Describe how your teaching methods impact student retention b. Facilitate and assess a learner centered discussion 4. Key Concepts Discussion forums are an essential component of learner centered instruction. Properly facilitated, they keep students engaged with the course content, with each other, and with the instructor. They are also a form of authentic assessment; thus, students must know exactly what is expected of them in a discussion. Similarly, students should know what to expect from their instructor. Establishing a rubric for grading discussions gives both students and instructors a guide for participation and assessment. 5. Reading/Resources a. The following handouts are in the Resources folder: i. Does Your Dog Bite? Creating Good Questions for Online Discussions ii. Discussion Forum Guidelines and Grading Rubric iii. Sample Discussion Forum Thread 6. Discussion Question 7. Assignments (Due Monday, midnight) a. Survey i. Please complete the end of course survey found in your classroom. 8. Journal Entry (Due Monday, midnight) a. Career school students may not take naturally to developing critical thinking and analytical skills through discussion the focus has traditionally been on content mastery. How are you going to motivate your students to participate in discussions so that they can develop the analytical skills necessary for their careers? 9. Quiz 14 Page

15 UNIT ASSESSMENT SUMMARY The Assessment Summary below sets out the activities in each unit and the point values for each. Unit 1 Monday Course Outcome Teaching methods Readings & Resources Introductory Webinar Monday at 11:30 am ET (10:30 am CT, 9:30 MT, 8:30 PT) Discussion Forum None Assignments Quiz Due Monday midnight PT Journal Entry Due Monday midnight PT Point Value 10 5, P/F Unit 2 Tuesday and Wednesday Creating learning objects Handouts DQ Unit 2 Available for posting on Monday Discussion Question DQ Unit 2, Part 1 Closes on Tuesday at midnight PT DQ Unit 2, Part 2 Closes on Wednesday midnight PT 10 Create a Learning Object Due Wednesday midnight PT 10 Unit 3 Thursday Homework submission and grading None Review and Grade Sample Student Homework Assignment Due Thursday midnight PT 10 Journal Entry Due Thursday midnight PT 5, P/F Unit 4 Friday Sunday Curriculum Mapping and Student Retention Narrated PowerPoint DQ Unit 4 Available for posting on Thursday Discussion Question DQ Unit 4, Part 1 Closes on Thursday, midnight PT DQ Unit 4,Part 2 Closes on Sunday midnight PT 10 Curriculum Mapping Assignment Due Sunday midnight PT 10 Unit 5 Monday (closing) Discussion facilitation Facilitating Class Discussions Webinar Monday at 11:30 am ET (10:30 am CT, 9:30 MT, 8:30 PT) None Final Journal Entry Due Monday midnight PT End of Course Survey Due Monday at midnight PT 5, P/F 75 points 15 Page

16 RUBRICS Here are the rubrics for each type of assignment. DISCUSSION FORUMS Each discussion forum is worth a maximum of 10 points. Most discussions have two parts. Grades are determined based on participation for the entire thread. Points are based on the categories listed below. Category Poor Good Excellent Timeliness and Quantity Max points = 3 Quality Max points = 4 Structure Max points = 3 Does not participate; one or two responses; first response occurs late in the discussion Responses have no relevance to the topic or to the assigned reading; little or no evidence of understanding Responses consistently contain poor grammar; are not organized well; may be too long or too short Two or three responses per discussion distributed throughout the discussion; first response early in the discussion Clear that the reading assignment was understood Responses contain minor grammar errors; are mostly organized and clear Participates 3 4 times; responses are timely and exhibit active participation throughout the discussion Clear that the reading assignment was understood; ideas from reading incorporated into responses; offers comments that build on the comments of classmates Responses contain no grammar errors; statements are well organized and clear ASSIGNMENTS Each assignment in this course is graded on a 10 point scale. You will receive feedback from your instructor on all assignments. Assignment Grading Criteria Number of Points Assignment demonstrates a mastery of the assignment s topic and an ability to apply 3 that knowledge Uses terms and theory from the reading to support points and examples. 3 Assignment is logically organized and follows the instructions set out for completing 2 the assignment Assignment is written in a clear and concise manner using accurate spelling, grammar, 2 and punctuation Total Page

17 QUIZ There is one quiz in this course. The quiz is worth 10 points. JOURNAL ENTRIES Journal entries are 5 point each, graded on a pass/fail basis. To earn a passing grade, your journal entries must: be posted in a timely manner demonstrate self reflection demonstrate writing competency (correct grammar and spelling) include two or three paragraphs show how you would apply the concept to your teaching methods 17 Page

18 APPENDIX UNIT THREE ASSIGNMENT 1. Instructions a. Grade the following student assignment using the rubric below. b. Include feedback to the student and a recommended grade. Be sure to explain how you arrived at the grade. c. Please submit in the classroom dropbox, in Word or pdf format. d. Ignore page references in this sample assignment. They are irrelevant to the exercise. 2. Rubric Assignment Grading Criteria Assignment demonstrates a mastery of the assignment s topic and an ability 30% to apply that knowledge Uses terms and theory from the reading to support points and examples. 30% Assignment is logically organized and follows the instructions set out for 20% completing the assignment Assignment is written in a clear and concise manner using accurate spelling, 20% grammar, and punctuation Total 100% Percentage of Grade 3. Instructions provided to the sample student for the Student Assignment a. You recently learned about communicating effectively with others. As you learned, one of the most important steps in learning to communicate well involves determining how you communicate and what you can do to enhance your skills and abilities. For today s assignment, please turn to page 242 in your textbook. Open a blank Word document and complete Journal Entry 22: Discover Communication Styles. Make sure that you address each of the journal prompts, including: i. I discovered that I prefer conversations that allow me to ii. I discovered that I usually feel uncomfortable in conversations when other people iii. When people do the things listed in Item 2, I tend to make certain assumptions, such as iv. As an alternative to making the assumptions listed in Item 3, I intend to b. When you have completed this assignment, please save your work. Then upload your document to the classroom dropbox. This assignment is worth 10 points. 4. Assignment as submitted by sample student a. Week 3, Assignment 3: Discover Communication Styles I discovered that I prefer conversations that allow me to talk comfortably and that I feel like I can contribute something to. I discovered that I usually feel uncomfortable in conversations when other people are angry or having an argument. I also don t like conversations about very personal topics like their 18 Page

19 love lives, or conversations where people are gossiping or talking about someone who isn t there. When people are angry or having an argument, I assume that they don t want me to be in the conversation and that they are being rude. When people are gossiping about someone I assume they aren t very nice people and that they are probably gossiping about me, too. I m going to try to avoid angry conversations. Instead of even trying to join in I m just going to walk away when I hear people getting angry. If I m in a conversation that turns into an argument, I m going to make an excuse and leave. I m going to try to do the same thing when I hear people talking about really personal topics or if someone I m talking to starts gossiping. That way, I don t have to feel uncomfortable or make assumptions about people. 19 Page