A Conceptual Framework for Thinking about/Articulating Univ - PowerPoint Presentation

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A Conceptual Framework for Thinking about/Articulating Universally Designed Post-Secondary Curriculum

Maria Bacigalupo

Curry CollegeSlide2

AA (Northern Essex Community College)BA (Special and Secondary Ed, Curry College)MS (Counselor Education, Suffolk University

MA and

EdD (Administration, Harvard University)30 years at Curry College in PAL programGraduate: Teach teachers in Curry’s MEd programUndergraduate: Teach Developing Community Circles for Education DepartmentConsulted with many approved private schools in MA to develop an articulated curriculum which encourages access to the general curriculumCo-founded and ran the Learning Disabilities Network in MA (18 years)Union President 

Maria BacigalupoSlide3

This session is NOT a bunch of great ideas on how to universally design instruction in a classroomIt is about how to articulate those great ideas in a way that will maximize accountability and communication for departments and colleges

It shares a framework for expressing universally designed curriculum that

can be understood and shared: a framework helps – now we can have a place to locate and a common way to share what and how we teach, department wide and/or College wideWhat this session is and is notSlide4

Normally, professors are not taught about curriculum design nor instructional strategiesSome do their very best to gather and implement effective strategies and try to reach more learnersWe know that Colleges are doing a better job describing “outcomes” – good start

We need to move from articulating outcomes to articulating curriculum and then to UDI

Introduction to the ProblemSlide5

Yet,

We know that the “content” – what we teach – is only part of a college education

It’s also about the students’ personal experience and the milieu at college– and we have a growing diverse population of traditional and adult students with:disabilitiesbi-lingual challengesdiverse SES backgroundsminority backgrounds

varying learning styles

Introduction to the Problem, cont.Slide6

Until professors have a common language about curriculumUntil professors have a structure or framework for well articulated curriculumThey will not have streamlined ways to address

student

diversity in colleges today, and The strategies they learn from time-to-time in workshops and the like will be less meaningful less employableless able to be articulated and sharedShort-livedIntroduction to Problem, cont.Slide7

Let’s face itPart-time professors cannot take the time to do this, so full-time faculty in departments will have to design and articulate a curriculum and inclusion strategies Even full-time professors do not have enough time to discuss amongst themselves how their curriculum is aligned within and across departments

This requires release-time

The benefits will be substantialTeaching aligned with standards, mission, outcomesInclusive curriculumBetter teaching, better learningIntro to Problem, Cont.Slide8

Prong 1 – FIRST – we must express a well-written curriculum

Build a transparent curriculum template which includes aspects of well-written curriculum (Handout 1 – the C&I Organizer, Page

1 and 2)Alignment with standards of the discipline (A) Alignment with the mission of the College (B)Alignment with departmental course outcomes (C)Articulation of level at which the course concepts are taught (D)IntroducedReinforcedMastered Articulation of process used to teach the course (E)Articulation of formative assessment that the professor will use to check student learning (F)

Articulation of summative assessments used (G)

A 3-pronged approach, Plus 2Slide9

Differentiated Instruction (DI) - Emerged from gifted education©1999 (

Handout, page 3)

Articulate how the curriculum is universally designed to include the full range of learners in the classroom along the full continuum of learnersBy Readiness AgeCollege-levelExperienceIntelligence levelsBy InterestsBy Learning StylesLectureGroup workNever do ALL all at once

Prong 2 -

Ensure Differentiated Instruction

(Tomlinson model)Slide10

DI: 3 elements of teaching +1Slide11

What we teachContentBooksLecture notesFilms

Overarching goals

Explicit curriculumImplicit curriculum (hidden curriculum)ValuesCollateral skillsContentSlide12

Often left out of higher education classroomsTime to process understandingsEmbedded assessmentTime to determine if they learned what you thought you taught!

Biology professor

Whistling cartoon ProcessSlide13

True Learning?

I TAUGHT STRIPE HOW TO WHISTLE

Two boys and a dog. One boy is pointing to his dog and saying, “I taught Stripe how to whistle.”Slide14

I DON’T HEAR HIM WHISTLING

While staring at dog, second boy says, “I don’t hear him whistling.” Slide15

I SAID I TAUGHT HIM. I DIDN’T SAY HE LEARNED IT

From Checking for Understanding, King Features Syndicate.

First boy, whilst pointing to dog says, “I said I taught him, I didn’t say he learned! The implication is, is this TRUE learning?Slide16

There is nothing more unfair to students to be treated “equally” when they are not designed that way!

For

a fair selection cartoon…ProductSlide17

In this c

artoon, 7 animals are lined up –

a bird; a monkey; a penguin; an elephant; a goldfish (in a bowl, placed atop a tree stump); a seal; and a dog. They stand in front of a desk where a professor is seated.

Behind the animals is a tree. The

professor says,

“For a fair selection everybody has to take the same exam: please climb that tree”. Only the monkey is smiling

.Slide18

Summative assessmentExamsPapersProjectsRubrics – help with communication about teaching and learning (

handout, p 4 )

Students (Ex: what is Master’s level writing) Professors (Ex: what is good group instruction)Product, contSlide19

Both Tomlinson and UConn models emphasize thisInstructional environment

Building Classroom Culture

EX: Tribes: a way of learning and being togetherEx: What’s in your wallet? (Introductions, inclusive)Ex: Partner introductions (Introductions, inclusiveEx: Eliot Aronson – jigsaw (Group instruction method)

Plus 1Slide20

DI: 3 ways to differentiateSlide21

I yam what I yam (Popeye)Start me where I yamGive me access to the curriculum (where possible)

Literary tea party

A choice of content booksA choice of articlesA choice of submitting drafts of papersChallenge me! Bloom Objectives ReadinessSlide22

This is a representation of Benjamin Bloom’s conception of the six levels of thinking. It is in the shape of a two dimensional pyramid.Slide23

5/99Maria T. Bacigalupo, Ed.D.

Objectives/Outcomes

Should be at the Generic Thinking and Mastery levels not at the CoverageActivityInvolvement levels

A stick figure is juggling a pad of paper, a telephone and envelopes, the implication being that teachers juggle many objectives and outcomes of learning.Slide24

5/99Maria T. Bacigalupo, Ed.D.

Coverage Objective

Met when the topic is “covered”Note: Coverage is important and necessary BUT make sure the relationship is with concepts tooQuestions:When coverage is complete, are objectives complete?How do we know that the students

have

learned what we thought we taught?

Use embedded assessment

A stick figure is scratching its head. A question mark hovers above its head. Implied is the notion that teachers need to question their goals for learning. Slide25

5/99Maria T. Bacigalupo, Ed.D.

Activity Objective

When work is given for a concept that was taughtWe need to provide activities for students to master conceptsBut “activities completed” does not equal mission accomplished

Students should have to demonstrate that they can apply the activity to a higher level concept

A stick figure is very actively running with its hands in the air. Implied is the question about whether activity alone is an adequate and laudable goal for learning. Slide26

5/99Maria T. Bacigalupo, Ed.D.

Involvement Objective

When we get students involved in an activity!Is the objective met if the students are absorbed?Fun does not necessarily equal learning!May not be productive learning!

A stick figure is jumping up and clicking its heels. Its hands are up in the air. The question whether this sort of “involvement” in learning is an adequate goal for student learning. Slide27

5/99Maria T. Bacigalupo, Ed.D.

Generic Thinking Objective

Objectives to develop thinking skills apart from the particular content knowledgeHabits of Mind (Perseverance, Striving for Accuracy)Collateral Learning (Researching, Writing)Complex Thinking

Skills

(Thinking interdependently)

Questions

Is this an explicit or implicit part of my curriculum?

Am I grading on these skills?

A stick figure with one hand on its hip and one pointing to the sky has a light bulb above its head.

I

mplied is the notion that teachers need to include habits of mind, collateral learning and complex thinking skills in their curriculum, and consider whether these skills are an implicit or explicit part of their teaching and how much emphasis they should place on them in terms of grading . Slide28

5/99Maria T. Bacigalupo, Ed.D.

Mastery Objectives

For students to know and/or understand and be able to do something specific at some level of performance (introductory, reinforced, mastered level): Benefits:This is a challenging curriculum for all. Coverage, activity and involvement objectives are met simply by being there when something is “covered,” by being involved in the activity. Mastery at a particular level speaks to OUTCOMES!

Two stick figures are hand in hand reaching for the sky. Implied is that objectives which seek mastery are the most fruitful for learning. Slide29

Self-explanatoryLet Mgt majors do one project (where possible)Let Ed majors do anotherLet CJ majors do a third

All relevant to the coursework and their field of study

InterestsSlide30

Professors should choose a framework for differentiating using learning styles:Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences (handout, p5)Bernice McCarthy (Why, what, how, what if)

Gregorc

concrete v abstractrandom v sequentialSome like Meyers-Briggs – has limitationsLearning stylesSlide31

9 ways to differentiate, Plus 1 Slide32

Very importantMight work on process one semester and increase number of embedded assessmentsMight work on offering differentiated products (assignments) another term

Might work on building class culture another

Might work on better array of content choices anotherNever try to use all at once!Slide33

Prong 3 - Check for UDI(UConn Model)…Principles (

handout, p3)

Equitable useFlexibility in useSimple and intuitivePerceptible informationTolerance for error

Low physical effort

Size and space for approach and use

A community of learners

Instructional climateSlide34

9 Principles of Universal DesignBy Scott, McGuire and Shaw © 2001Arose out of disabilities movement“UD” – Architecture

Need no further adaptations

Happy side-effect – beneficial to many non-”disabled”Constraint: not complete framework for understanding UDISlide35

To multitude of ideasTake the Jigsaw strategy – ah! Principle 7, 8 and 9 (U Conn), and Content and Process by readiness and interests

Take the Literary tea party strategy -

Ah! Principle 1Content by readiness and interests, maybe learning stylesThese frameworks (C&I Organizer, Differentiated Instruction, UDI) offer structure Slide36

Improves communication (across disciplines) about teaching and learningInclusive and universal principlesClassroom environment

3 elements of teaching and 3 elements of inclusion for ALL learners

ContentProcessProductReadinessInterestsLearning stylesChallenges students to proficient and above level of performanceThese frameworks offer a shared vocabularySlide37

Instructional environment: faculty-student interactionExamples:Establishing a few democratically established agreements how to be in class

Establishing management by 4 teams

Jigsaw groupsInstruction climate: welcoming and inclusiveExamples:Partner introductionsWhat’s in your walletPlus 1, A Community of LearnersSlide38

Develop a community of inquiry amongst faculty and in/across departmentsWithin departments and university-wideShare the same (similar) teaching and learning vocabulary

Share the templates within the departments

Amongst those who teach the same courseWill inform those who teach other courses in the majors and minorsShare across departmentsArticulates how courses inform one anotherPlus 2, Faculty Communit(ies) of InquirySlide39

We have a community of inquiry started at Curry at this timeProfessors ofNursingPhilosophy

African American Studies

HistoryEnglish LiteratureResultsSlide40

AccountabilityCivil Engineers: Research to avoid accidentsIntersectionsHealth and Safety Committee: mishaps

Focus on agreed-upon essential understandings, not detail after detail

Efficient and Effective CurriculumCommunication within and across departmentsWays to share successful strategies under rubrics or headings: ex: community/climateImplicationsSlide41

Once I thought teaching professors about how to accommodate all (as in each and every) student with a different disability made senseLessons LearnedSlide42

ADD

Reading

MathWritingLanguage disordersNon-verbal LDOrganizational/Executive FunctionBlindDeafPhysical disabilitiesetcCo-existing:DepressionSubstance abuseOCD

Profs cannot take the time to understand accommodations for…Slide43

BUT: the teacher professors connect most primarily to their field of studyOur field of study (disabilities) is not theirsThis broader approach – writing a full curriculum and reaching out to all learners resonates better with professors

Lessons Learned, ContSlide44

Too much to askToo much to expectBUTWhat if we could design curriculum that accommodated a large range of learners?

That could work!

BUTWe need a simple framework for understandingon which to hang ideasThere are two: U Conn and TomlinsonIt is too much to learnSlide45

Start smallInvolve interested facultyShareTie to “outcomes” assessment

Lessons Learned, cont.Slide46

Classroom Culture:

Aronson, E. (2000).

Nobody left to hate: Teaching compassion after columbine. NY: Worth Publishers. Gibbs, J. (1995).

Tribes: A New Way of Learning and Being Together.

Sausalito, CA:

CenterSource

Systems, LLC.

References: Classroom CultureSlide47

Blythe, T. & Associates (1998). Teaching for understanding guide.

San Francisco:

Jossey-Bass.Eisner, E. (1994). The Educational Imagination. NY: MacMillan

.

Ericson, L. (1998).

Concept-based curriculum and instruction: Teaching beyond the facts.

Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

References: CurriculumSlide48

Gregory, G. H. & Chapman, C. (2002). Differentiated Instructional Strategies: One Size Doesn’t Fit All. Place ? :Corwin Press.

Heacox

, D. (2001). Differentiating instruction in the regular classroom: How to reach and teach all learners, grades 3-12. Place ? :Free Spirit Publishing. Tomlinson, C. A. (1999). The Differentiated classroom: Responding to the needs of all learners.

Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

References: DifferentiationSlide49

Scott, S. S., McGuire, J.M. & Shaw, S.F. (2001). Principles of universal design for instruction. Center on Postsecondary Education and Disability, University of Connecticut.

References: UDISlide50

Marzano, R. J.,

et al

(1993). Assessing Student Outcomes. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.Maki, Peggy (2004). Assessing for Learning: Building a Sustainable Commitment Across the

Institution

.

Stylus

Publishing

.

References: Outcomes (rubrics)Slide51

What are 3 pearls of wisdom from this session?What from this session would or could you take to stakeholders on your campus?How does this session inform the 2-5 year outlook on your campus?How does technology play a role here?

Discussion