Authentic Learning A Passion for Relevance

1. Authentic Learning A Passion for Relevance Stephen Mendonca Lone Star College University Park Houston, Texas

2. 1. Setting the Stage It is time to change the paradigm.

3. Teaching/Learning Landscape • Marked by radical shifts • Explosion of available knowledge • Impact of media channeling • Brain research • Widening cultural and digital divides • Generational learning/teaching styles • Millennial • Gen X • Boomers

4. Are they learning?

5. 21st Century Challenge • Global competition for investment, jobs, skilled workers • How can we make the college learning experience richer and more rewarding for both student and instructor? • How can we prepare our students to be 21st century citizens, leaders, innovators, and entrepreneurs?

6. 2. Teaching Challenge Transform students into … ?

7. Our Complex Mission • “To enable learning that prepares students for success in the real world.” • Type of Learner • Self-directed • Intentional • Engaged • Outcome • Takes ownership • Significant • Authentic Downing (2005)

8. 21st Century Learning • Blend of literacies • Technology-based • Career orientation • Social responsibility • Creative problem-solving • Experiential • = LEARNING AGILITY

9. 21st Century Literacies • Global awareness • Range of Literacies • Liberal arts • Business entrepreneurship • Social Sciences • Civics/Ethics/Philosophy • Technology • Sustainability

10. Critical Competencies (21st C.) • Creativity & Innovation • Communication & Collaboration • Research & Information Fluency • Critical Thinking & Problem Solving • Digital Citizenship • Technology Literacy • Growth & Leadership

11. 3. Authentic Learning Redefines the Encounter

12. A Way to Engage Students • Cognitive exploration • Challenging old models & ideas • Daring to ask questions • Building new constructs • Assembling elements in new ways • Reinventing themselves, their world

13. Matrix of Methods • Cognitive and pedagogical • Bloom’s taxonomy • Active Learning • Accelerated Learning • Significant Learning • Contextualized Learning • Evolution of constructivist methods

14. Student-Led Effort • Motivated to help instructor & use their skills • Not a simulation – a real need • Divide themselves into work groups • Discuss, argue, persuade, negotiate, compete • Technology and social media are big enablers • Students come to see how the pieces fit together • Take pride in a shared product with real value

15. Significant Learning • Foundational Knowledge • Application • Integration • Human Dimension • Caring • Learning How to Learn Personal Impact on Student Relational & Interactive Fink (2003)

16. Scenario • Instructor walks into a class • “I need to organize a Student Forum.” • “I also need to post it on the website and promote it via social media.”

17. Authentic Teaching • Engaging students in meaningful activities that are developmentally appropriate. • Learning through real-world activities that: • Help create a meaningful learning experience • Motivates and challenges the student into higher-order thinking and response

18. Experiential + Creative • Allows students to explore, discuss, and relate concepts relevant to the real-world and meaningful to them (Donovan, Bransford, Pellegrino 1999) • Gather information from various sources • Develop critical information-age skills and higher-order thinking skills (Newman 1994) • Access and present information creatively

19. Holistic Learning • Enables holistic learning by: • Phased learning • Creative connections • Realistic tasks • Scaffolding • Inquiry and discourse • Accessing breadth of resources • Integrating imagination & technology (Donovan et al., 1999; Roth 1992)

20. 4. Effective Examples Make the world your book.

21. Master Theme: Sustainability • Serves as an integrating point of inquiry • Touches multiple issues: • environment, consumerism, economics, • business management, marketing • education, healthcare, ethics • Prepares citizens of integrity to be stewards of a globally interdependent community.

22. The Lorax

23. Other Master Themes • Find themes that can work across disciplines in any given semester. • Moral Compass • Civility • Critical Thinking • A Balanced Life • Social Justice

24. Across the Disciplines • APA, MLA Style/Formats (Plagiarism) • Research mindset and methods • Government: Model United Nations • Learning Signature options • Geography and Economics • Psychology and Communications • Philosophy and Literature • Business and Technical Writing

25. Multi-Step Proposal • Create an innovative proposal • Event, institution, program, issue • Long-cycle project (4 weeks) • Phased development, time management • Matrix of problem-solving skills • From inquiry and research • To concept design and presentation • Practical initiative with real world value

26. Phased Project • Phase 1: Inquiry [identify a need and research alternative approaches] • Phase 2: Design [validate outline of concept & plan; include visuals] • Phase 3: Draft Proposal [5-page document with executive summary] • Phase 4: Publish [Finalize and present] • At each phase, students must verbally present their findings to a “reaction group” in class.

27. Assessment 1. Researched Idea Points -- 1 page “Needs Statement” 20 2. Draft design & plan 30 -- Concept/Implementation/Visuals 3. Formatted proposal 30 -- Simulated internal review 4. Executive summary and slides 20 TOTAL POINTS 100

28. Project Examples • Community park and fitness center • After-school daycare for inner city boys • Non-profit book fair • Counseling program for newlyweds • Energy-saving initiative for Lone Star College campus • Leadership Club for international students

29. Impact & Benefits • Students: • Immersiveexperience • Self-directedchoices • Integration of skills • Real-world development process • Instructor: • Logical sequence of teaching modules • Allow students to direct the process

30. 5. Recommendations Start small. Think big. Get the buy-in on the ground floor.

31. 1. Promote benefits • Advocacy and professional training • Full-time and adjunct faculty • Forge links with workforce resources • Encourages broader career vision • Address persistence issues • Evidence of higher levels of: • Motivation • Initiative • Self-Direction

32. 2. Contextualize • Use learning community strategies • Include real-world applications for course concepts and activities that demonstrate the relevance of the material • Provide appropriately cited links to current newspaper or journal articles discussing the week's material • Use reflective journaling • Demonstrate relevance to careers.

33. 3. Foster a Culture • Evangelize • Build a community of practice • Designate advocates or faculty mentors • Establish a Resource Center • Tap into Social Media outlets • Foster a culture of authentic learning • Enlist the highest level of commitment • Grow the BRAND for college recruiting

34. Closing Words • Authentic learning is transformative. • Authentic teachers help raise the caliber of the institution.

35. Bibliography • Mims, Clif. (2003). Authentic learning: A practical introduction & guide for implementation. Vol. 6 (1) Retrieved at http://www.ncsu.edu/meridian/win2003/authentic_learning/3.html • Fink, L. Dee. (2003). Creating Significant Learning Experiences: An Integrated Approach to Designing College Courses. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. • Andrews, Hans. “Creating Significant Learning Experiences: An Integrated Approach to Designing College Courses.” The Community College Enterprise. FindArticles.com. 05 Jul, 2011. • Brookfield, S. D. (1987). Developing critical thinkers: Challenging adults to explore alternative ways of thinking and acting. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. • ELI. "Approaches that Work: How Authentic Learning is Transforming Higher Education.” Retrieved at http://connect.educause.edu/library/abstract/ApproachesThatWork/Ho/44821