Contextualized Learning Module Design Workshop

COETC GrantMay 17, 2012

Facilitators: Ruth Brancard and Elaine Baker

Workshop Goals Understand COETC grant project call for

contextualized modulesArticulate a broad instructional goal for your

team’s contextualized instructional moduleIdentify technical content and basic skills

competencies for your moduleUsing a design process template, describe at least

one instructional activity for your module and link the activity to technical content and basic skills competencies.

Agree on a process and timeline for your module design

Task Description: What and WhyWhyStudents want good jobs, but often lack the

requisite basic skills to enroll in program courses

Students often have a superficial understanding of the actual skills and culture of different vocations.

What Energy faculty and developmental faculty

work together to create one-credit introductory modules that build skills and introduce students to the individual college’s energy program

Warm-UpTalk to a partnerTell about an important skill or concept you

learned.Describe the context in which you learned it. Why was the learning important to you?

Contextualization DefinitionsAn instructional approach connecting

foundational skills with college-level content (Perrin, 2011)

A conception of teaching and learning that helps teachers relate subject matter content to real world situations (United States Department of Education Office of Vocational and Adult Education, 2011)

Infused Academic Contextualization (Baker, et al.)Primary learning goal: Basic academic reading,

writing, and/or math skillsTaught and practiced within a meaningful

engaging content topic

Example:Integrated ESL Skills Courses

COETC Application: Provide instruction in reading, writing, and/or math skills needed for learning or using technical field content

Infused Occupational (Baker, et al.)Primary focus: Occupational ContentTaught with additional instruction and practice of

reading, writing, and/or math skills required to learn the content

Example:I-BEST in Washington statePharmacology Math course in a nursing program

COETC application:Math course as part of energy program at FRCC

Arguments for ContextualizationOvercomes skill transfer problem

Helps student see usefulness and relevance to their lives(Perrin, 2011)

Learning The learner connects new information,

concepts, and experiences to past learning.The learner actively constructs new

meanings.Learning and identity are linked. As learning

changes what the learner can do, it changes his/her sense of self.

Learning is social as well as cognitive. It happens in interaction with others and with the ideas of others.

Principles of Instructional DesignPlan with the end in mind. What will students

learn? What will they be able to do?Focus on student activity, not just information

transmission.Connect to student experience.Build in interactivity—student-student and

student-instructor interaction.Include formative and summative assessment.Revise based on student feedback and

assessments of learning.

Module GoalsGenerate student interest in the technical

area.Build student confidence in ability to learn

the content and do the job.Help students to imagine themselves

learning the content and doing the job

Accomplish Goals by

ENGAGING THE LEARNER: Provide learning activities that engage students’ active participation

INTRODUCING THE FIELD: Familiarize students with some basic aspects of the technical area—issues, job tasks, skills, processes, language, technical or scientific concepts.

BUILDING BASIC SKILLS: Provide review and practice of basic skills needed to access technical content or perform job tasks.

Brainstorming ActivitiesReadings Online or face-to-face discussionsProblems Video ClipsField experiencesWritten reflections or summaries of learning

Cross-Syllabus WorkIdentify goal(s) for the module. (10 min.)Individually (10-15 min.)

Spend time reading syllabi—technical area, developmental reading, writing, and math syllabi

Create preliminary lists of possible competencies

Together (25-30 min.)Discuss suggested competenciesAgree on a common list of both technical and

basic skills competencies

Module Goals and Competencies PostersWhat do you notice?

What ideas do you get from the work of other teams that may be applicable to your work?

Guiding PrinciplesLearning

The learner connects new information, concepts, and experiences to past learning. The learner actively constructs new meanings. Learning and identity are linked. As learning changes what the learner can do, it

changes his/her sense of self. Learning is social as well as cognitive. It happens in interaction with others and

with the ideas of others.

Instructional Design

Plan with the end in mind. What will students learn? What will they be able to do? Focus on student activity, not just information transmission. Connect to student experience. Build in interactivity—student-student and student-instructor interaction. Include formative and summative assessment. Revise based on student feedback and assessments of learning.

Design Process, Part 1Set module

goals.

Brainstorm learning activities.

Select techni

cal content and basic skills

competencie

s.

Designing for contextualized modules

• Module Goals• Technical Content Competencies

Identify learning activities based on technical content.

Your charge for this afternoonUse the design template and design visuals to

think through one or more activities for your module.

2:15- 2:30 Break

2:30 Report back to the group about your workWhat did you come up with?What are next steps?What did you notice about the process?

Contact InformationRuth Brancard303-589-8724

Ruth.Brancard@ucdenver.edu

Elaine Baker

Elaine.Baker@cccs.edu

Casey SacksCasey.Sacks@cccs.edu