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Educators of Learning-Centered
Excellence (ELCE) and Learning College Initiative

ELCE Graduation: Dec. 2006
 EXPO: April 2006
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Overview

Wallace State Community College (WSCC) underwent re-accreditation in 2004 and as part of this process developed a three-year Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP). The goals of the QEP are to improve student learning outcomes, implement a learning-centered curriculum, and create a learning-centered environment. Wallace State is committed to learning-centered instruction and to the principles of the Learning College. This transformation will be achieved through strategic comprehensive professional development that facilitates dialogue; develops technological competence; focuses on learning styles, learning outcomes, and alternative assessments; and develops a community of learners among faculty and staff.

This initiative focuses on student engagement. It is a goal of the college for students to be active participants in the learning process. They must be engaged in learning partnerships that provide a variety of options for learning that reflect their individual needs and learning goals. Students need to understand how they learn best and faculty must assume the role of facilitators by offering a variety of options to meet student needs to ensure a greater level of learning.

The learning paradigm focuses on measurable learning outcomes, active learning strategies to engage students, and alternative assessments. Skills for the today's workforce require more than just a memorization of facts. "The current and future health of America's 21st Century Economy depends directly on how broadly and deeply Americans reach a new level of literacy-'21st Century Literacy'-that includes strong academic skills, thinking, reasoning, teamwork skills, and proficiency in using technology" (North Central Regional Education Laboratory, 2003, p. 6).

What is different in the two environments?

The main differences in traditional versus learning-centered environment involve role changes for the instructor and the students. In the traditional environment, the instructor is viewed as the content expert and source for all of the answers. The instructor serves as the primary source of information who continually directs it to students. By always asking the questions and controlling the focus of student learning, the instructor maintains total control of the classroom.

In the learning-centered environment, the instructor participates at times as one who may not know it all, but desires to learn along with students. The instructor becomes a supporter, collaborator, and coach for students as they learn to gather and evaluate information. Students become able to develop and pose their own questions and explore their own alternative ways of finding answers.

Students in the traditional environment wait passively for the teacher to give directions and information. They are always in the role of the learner and view the teacher as the one who has all of the answers. All students go through preset step-by-step exercises so that all achieve similar conclusions.

Students are actively encouraged to use their personal knowledge and skills to create unique solutions to problems. Participating at times as the expert/knowledge provider, students desire to explore, discover, and create unique solutions to learning problems. They view the facilitator as someone who will encourage exploration and attempts to find unique solutions to problems (Newby, Stepich, Lehman, & Russell, 2000).

The Purpose of ELCE

The purpose of the ELCE team is to transform their courses to a learning-centered format. All aspects of learning are being revamped to focus on student learning and effective assessment of learning outcomes. According to Flynn (2003), a learner-centered environment is a must for students. This type of environment encourages the freedom to experiment with new teaching techniques and methods. In the Learning Paradigm, the mission of the college is to produce learning and for students to become responsible for their own learning (Barr and Tagg, 1995).

We are in the process of moving away from the traditional classroom setting with the instructor being the content expert to being a facilitator of student learning. One area of concentration is student learning styles. Instructors are asked to attend work sessions on learning styles including brain dominance and multiple intelligences. Every student should be able to learn in the manner most appropriate for his or her success (Flynn, 2003). Regardless of the student's learning style, instructors should utilize instructional strategies and learning options to reach a variety of learning styles. It is a goal of the college for faculty to utilize active learning techniques to engage students. When students recognized their own learning style and put it to use, their academic achievement increased and improved. This was accomplished by teaching students "to study with strategies that complement their learning-style preferences" (Stevenson and Dunn, 2001, p. 3).

How do I begin the transformation process?

As a team member of ELCE, you will be redesigning or transforming a class of your choosing. Topics we will be covering include instructional design, learning outcomes, learning styles, adult learning theories, alternative assessments, critical thinking skills, and creating a learning-centered syllabus.

First, you need to think about the course you want to transform. Is there a particular course in which your students have trouble understanding the material? Are the student evaluations of a particular course not as good as you would prefer? Do you have high attrition rates in a course? I encourage you to think about this statement - "My dream is that students, one to two years after the course is over, will be able to" . . .

ELCE Learning Outcomes

  • Discuss the differences between a traditional instructor and a learning-centered facilitator.
  • Recognize and respect the complexity of individual and cultural differences.
  • Compose measurable learning outcomes using Bloom's Taxonomy and Fink's categories for significant learning.
  • Generate alternative assessments for learning options.
  • Compose a learning-centered syllabus to guide students through the learning process.
  • Develop instructional activities to actively engage students by blending lower-order thinking with higher-order cognitive skills and to address various learning styles.
  • Incorporate learning-centered principles into a quality course.

Plan of Action

Overview of Fall Semester Activities

  • Attend the Overview of ELCE, Instructional Design Process, and Writing Measurable Learning Outcomes
  • Review the "Instructional Design Manual"
    Instructional Design is the process of creating learning experiences and learning environments that promote instructional activities. As a facilitator in the learning process, you want to present instruction in a way that will facilitate learning. Within this process, you have two primary roles:

    1. Decide what is important for students to learn.

    2. Effectively arrange the learning environment (media) to maximize the probability of individual student learning (permanent changes in behavior).
  • Review the guide on "Writing Measurable Learning Outcomes" Course learning outcomes are global statements of the knowledge, skills, and attitudes students are expected to master upon successful completion of the course. These outcomes are statements that describe the desired qualities of students at the completion of a learning experience (the course). Learning outcomes provide guidance in determining whether students achieved the intended learning. For this reason, it is important that they be written in a way that they may be easily measured.

    1. Utilize Bloom's Taxonomy for verbs to use in writing your outcomes.

    2. Review Fink's Significant Learning.

    3. Write 3-5 measurable learning course outcomes. These outcomes will be tied to an assessment to measure whether or not students achieved the outcome.

    4. On the chart "Worksheet for Creating Integrated Components," complete the first column - measuring learning outcomes.
  • Maintain journal of how you are transforming your course.
  • Attend workshops on teaching to the various learning styles.

    1. Visual, Auditory, and Kinesthetic Learners

    2. Multiple Intelligences

    3. Right Brain/Left Brain "Microbursting"

  • Attend Instructional Strategies Workshop

    1. Overview of Instructional Strategies

    2. Sharing of ideas by: ELCE Team Members.

    3. Review "Instructional Strategies" Guide.

    4. On the chart "Worksheet for Creating Integrated Components," complete the third column - learning activities.
  • Attend Alternative Assessment Workshop.

    1. Overview of Alternative Assessments

    2. Sharing of ideas by: ELCE Team Members

    3. Develop an alternative assessment

    4. On the chart "Worksheet for Creating Integrated Components," complete the second and fourth columns - procedures for assessing student learning and expected level of performance.
  • Attend Creating a Learning Centered Syllabus.

    1. Overview of a Learning Centered Syllabus

    2. Develop/create a learning centered syllabus
  • Let's Party! Attend the ELCE Christmas Party in December 2006 - bring GIFTS (Great Ideas for Teaching Students).

    Overview of Spring Semester Activities

  • Implement transformed course.
  • Maintain journal of strategies you implemented - what worked well and what did not. What did your students love about the transformed course? More learning options, input into grading, etc.
  • Classroom observation by Lynn Harris (at your convenience). This is not a critique of how you teach. The purpose of the classroom observation is to ONLY offer suggestions.
  • At the end of the transformed course, complete the last two columns of the "Worksheet for Creating Integrated Components" to see if your outcomes were met. If they were not met, what needs to be changed to meet the outcomes?
  • Participate in the Educators of Excellence Exposition - April, 2007.
  • Participate in the Educators of Excellence Commencement Ceremony - August, 2007.

    References

    Barr, R. & Tagg, J. (1995). A new paradigm for undergraduate education. Retrieved April 10, 2006 from: http://critical.tamucc.edu/~blalock/readings/tch2learn.htm.

    Flynn, W. (2003). The learning decade. Retrieved April 10, 2006 from League for Innovation in the Community College, Web site: http://www.league.org/publication/abstracts/learning/lelabs0301.htm

    Newby, T., Stepich, D., Lehman, J., & Russell, J. (2000). Instructional technology for teaching and learning: Designing instruction, integrating computers, and using media (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

    North Central Regional Education Laboratory (2003). enGauge 21st century skills for 21st century learners. Retrieved April 12, 2006 from
    http://www.ncrel.org/engauge/skills/engauge21st.pdf

    Stevenson, J., and Dunn, R. (2001). Knowledge management and learning styles: Prescriptions for future teachers. College Student Journal, 35(4). Retrieved from January 5, 2006, EBSCOhost database.