Developmental Education: Instructional Practices

1. Developmental Education: Instructional Practices Ruth Dalrymple and Marilyn Mays Texas Collaborative for Teaching Excellence June 12- 13, 2003

2. Develop Learning Communities • Not for everyone, in spite of research • Use informal assessment to decide • Faculty spend great deal of time coordinating efforts • Labor-intensive; assign release-time • Training required; in-service workshops • Students will need to be trained on roles/expections

3. Develop Learning Communities • Services (counseling/advising, tutoring) must be well integrated; yields a greater impact • The National Learning Communities Project (Evergreen State College in Wash.) • http://learningcommons.evergreen.edu

4. Varied Instructional Methods • Distance Learning • Self-paced Instruction • Individualized Instruction • Peer Review of Student Work • Collaborative Learning • Computer-Based Instruction • Mastery Learning • Small group

5. Varied Instructional Methods • Faculty must be trained • Match method with student’s learning style • Preferred modes of learning for dev students is hands-on and visual • Reward faculty who attempt varied instruction

6. Supplemental Instruction • Formal training essential • Targets difficult classes; not difficult students • In addition to SI, there exists VSI (video based supplemental instruction)

7. Testing Opportunities • Test and test often • Post practice test on web • Use learning centers as test sites • Provide “Readiness” tests (Pre-test)

8. Technology in Moderation • Inverse relationship between the amount of computer technology used in a dev course and pass rates in that course. • Use only as supplementary assistance, tutoring, individual drill and practice • Use rarely mandated • Supplement; not substitute

9. Frequent and Timely Feedback • Immediately • Positive feedback effective when specifics are noted. (“You factored well on the homework”)

10. Mastery Learning • Small units of instruction • Frequent testing of units • Traditionally set of criteria for mastery • Usually 85%

11. Link Dev Course to College-Level Course • Dev Faculty and College-level Faculty should meet to discuss and review syllabii • Dev faculty should teach college-level and visa versa

12. Share Instructional Strategies • Devote meeting to share strategies • Invite adjuncts • Use short research articles on teaching as focus for discussion • Attend professional conferences

13. Teach Critical Thinking • Decide what “Critical Thinking” means as a department • Best taught in a systematic manner such as in logical structuring

14. Use Active Learning Techniques • Student engagement in problem solving groups • Student design and delivery of in-class presentations or relevant course topics • Students providing coaching to each other in solving math problems • Students interview local employers to learn about the importance of basic skills in workplace

15. Use Classroom Assessment Techniques • Short, in-class, assessment activities • One-minute paper; Muddiest Point • Designed to improve learning • Faculty should use these in their most comfortable class • Feedback should be provided • Identify which CAT is most appropriate