Best Practices: In and Out of Learning Communities Grossmont Community College January 19, 2010

1. Best Practices: In and Out of Learning CommunitiesGrossmont Community CollegeJanuary 19, 2010 Rachel Singer Janine Graziano-King Kingsborough Community College

2. LEAP Report: Essential Learning Outcomes Knowledge of Human Cultures and the Physical and Natural World • Through study in the sciences and mathematics, social sciences, humanities, histories, languages, and the arts. Focused by engagement with big questions, both contemporary and enduring

3. LEAP Report: Essential Learning Outcomes • Intellectual and Practical Skills, including • Inquiry and analysis • Written and oral communication • Quantitative literacy • Information literacy • Teamwork and problem solving Practiced extensively, across the curriculum, in the context of progressively more challenging problems, projects, and standards for performance

4. LEAP Report: Essential Learning Outcomes Personal and Social Responsibility, including • Civic knowledge and engagement—local and global • Intercultural knowledge and competence • Ethical reasoning and action • Foundations and skills for lifelong learning Anchored through active involvement with diverse communities and real-world challenges

5. LEAP Report: Essential Learning Outcomes Integrative and Applied Learning, including • Synthesis and advanced accomplishment across general and specialized studies Demonstrated through the application of knowledge, skills, and responsibilities to new settings and complex problems

6. Address student learning outcomes from all learning community courses Ask students to apply disciplinary knowledge to public issues, thereby addressing such issues from interdisciplinary or multidisciplinary perspectives Encourage integrative thinking that Helps students “connect the dots” among courses Goes beyond interdisciplinary or thinking Ask students to build on work they have done the throughout the semester, thereby Making assignment design dependent upon course and assignment scaffolding Supporting the development of integrative thinking as a habit of mind Integrative Assignments

7. Address student learning outcomes from all learning community courses Integrative Assignments • On your own, identify a few student learning outcomes for your course. • By the end of this course, students will be able to ________. • Then, working with a partner, see if you can construct a shared student learning outcome.

8. Ask students to apply disciplinary knowledge to public issues, thereby addressing such issues from interdisciplinary or multidisciplinary perspectives Integrative Assignments • Identify a public issue that might engage your students and that might relate to the courses that you are teaching. Think about resources such as books, magazine articles, essays, novels, websites, films, music, exhibits, or anything else that might serve as sourced of information and catalysts for discussion of the public issue you have chosen.

9. Encourage integrative thinking that Helps students “connect the dots” among courses Goes beyond interdisciplinary thinking Integrative Assignments • Draft an assignment prompt designed to invite integrative thinking. Consider… • The public issue that you chose. What question, related to this issue, do you want students to explore further or what problem, in the context of this issue, do you want them to solve? • The learning outcome(s) you want students to demonstrate. How will their work for this assignment allow them to demonstrate that these learning outcomes have been met? • What you expect students to bring to the assignment from your course(s) or discipline(s). • What personal knowledge, skills, and experiences students can draw from in completing this assignment.

10. Ask students to build on work they have done the throughout the semester, thereby Making assignment design dependent upon course and assignment scaffolding Supporting the development of integrative thinking as a habit of mind Learning Communities at KCC: Integrative Assignments • In light of the assignment you’ve designed, what knowledge and skills would students need to successfully complete this assignment? • What activities and smaller assignments can your students do in your class as a way to scaffold their work on the integrative assignment?

11. On your newsprint, please note: The courses/disciplines being integrated The learning outcomes you want students to demonstrate The assignment you’ve designed, including a mention of the public issue and supporting materials you’ve chosen The personal experiences and course materials and concepts you expect students to draw from The scaffolding activities and assignments planned to support students’ work on this assignment Model Explain Invite Learning Communities at KCC: Integrative Assignments

12. As you listen, What do you notice? What do you have questions about? What do you appreciate? Do you think students will need additional scaffolding and, if so, what form might that take? Learning Communities at KCC: Integrative Assignments

13. Learning Communities at KCC: Integrative AssignmentsDesign Spiral Post-Semester Assessment & Assignment Revision Pre-Semester Assignment Design Pre-Semester Assignment Re-Design Ongoing Assignment Scaffolding

14. Q & A Thank you! Janine Graziano-King Rachel Singer janinegk@gmail.com resinger@kingsboroug.edu