Teaching and Learning at Augustana:

Effective Course Design for Liberal Learning

Steve Klien, Director, Center for Faculty Enrichment

Mark Salisbury, Director, Institutional Research and Assessment

The students are coming…

Some initial questions:How many of you have had training in: teaching undergraduate students? theories of teaching and learning?

When were your best moments as a student?What did your best teachers do?

This morning we will…1. shift our teaching frame to student learning2. introduce “Integrated Course Design”3. develop learning objectives for a class4. connect class activities and student

assessments to learning objectives5. consider lesson and course planning

… and answer your questions and concerns!

Shifting the frame to student learning outcomes

College teaching paradigm moving from input (content) to outcomes (learning results)• “liberal learning” (AAC&U)• “deep learning” (Millis)• “high-impact practices” (Kuh)• “significant learning experiences” (Fink)

Fink’s Taxonomy of Significant Learning

ICD: Integrated Course Design (Fink)

SITUATIONAL FACTORS

LEARNING GOALS

TEACHING AND

LEARNINGACTIVITIES

FEEDBACK AND

ASSESSMENT

ICD: Integrated Course Design (Fink)

Situational factors:• specific context of the learning situation• general context of the learning situation• nature of the subject• characteristics of the learners• characteristics of the teacher

…then, “backward design” of the course

Learning Goals and Objectives

1. Augustana Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs)

2. IDEA Center SRI Learning Objectives3. [Fink’s Taxonomy of Significant Learning]

Augustana Student Learning OutcomesINTELLECTUAL

SOPHISTICATION• Understand• Analyze• Interpret

INTERPERSONAL MATURITY

• Lead• Relate• Communicate

INTRAPERSONAL CONVICTION• Create• Respond• Wonder

IDEA Center Learning ObjectivesIntellectual development #7: Appreciation of intellectual activity #2: Develop personal values #11: Analyze and evaluateLifelong learning #9: Find, use inquiry resources #12: Acquire interest in learning more by inquiry #5: Acquire team skills

Basic cognitive background #1: Factual knowledge #2: Principles / theoriesApplication of learning #3: Apply course material #4: Develop professional skillsExpressiveness #6: Develop creative capacities #8: Develop oral / writing skills

Learning Goals: Exercise!• examine your course syllabus, reflect on your

course – what should students learn?• articulate three (3) key learning outcome

goals in brief sentences with active verbs (“Students will _______...”)

• identify which Augie SLOs and IDEA Center objectives connect best to these goals

Learning Goals: Exercise!

• What did you come up with for goals?• What was…

– most difficult?– most surprising?

• Questions, observations, concerns?

10 minute Intermission

Achieving the goals: the “3 column table”

Learning Goals Assessment Activities

Learning Activities

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

What do I want my students to be able to do?

What will I use to see if they can do it?

What will I do to prepare students to do it?

Sample, using Fink’s taxonomyLearning Goals Assessment

ActivitiesLearning Activities

1. Basic Knowledge

2. Application

3. Integration

4. Human Dimension

5. Caring

6. Lifelong Learning

Assessment for Significant Learning (Fink)

“Audit-ive Assessment”

“Backward-looking” assessment

Basis for a grade

• useful for summative assessment of content understanding

• …but limited for higher orders of learning

Assessment for Significant Learning (Fink)

“Educative Assessment”

Better learning

“Forward-looking” assessment

Self-assessment

Clear criteria“FIDeLity” feedback

Frequent

Immediate

Discriminating

Loving

Sample, using Fink’s taxonomyLearning Goals Assessment

ActivitiesLearning Activities

1. Basic Knowledge Exams, quizzes

2. Application Case study project

3. Integration Analytical essay

4. Human Dimension Peer evaluation

5. Caring Reflective blogging

6. Lifelong Learning Learning portfolio

“Active Learning” Activities

“active learning” (Bonwell and Eison, qtd. in Fink,

emphasis added):• “[involving] students in doing things and

thinking about the things they are doing” • (versus passive reception of information)

“Active Learning” Activities(“RICH”)

EXPERIENCE• doing• observing

INFO & IDEAS• locating in sources• accessing in, out

of class

REFLECTIVE DIALOGUE

• solo, written• conversation

Sample, using Fink’s taxonomyLearning Goals Assessment

ActivitiesLearning Activities

1. Basic Knowledge Exams, quizzes Reading, lecture

2. Application Case study project In-class exercises

3. Integration Analytical essay Group discussion

4. Human Dimension Peer evaluation Team collaboration

5. Caring Reflective blogging Service learning

6. Lifelong Learning Learning portfolio Inquiry project

“3 column table”: Exercise!• select one (1) key learning outcome goal

that you developed earlier• identify a form of graded assessment you

can use to determine if the goal is met• sketch out the learning activity(-ies) you

would provide to enable students to complete the assessment

“3 column table”: Exercise!

• What was your key goal? What did you come up with for an assessment? activities?

• What was…– most difficult?– most surprising?

• Questions, observations, concerns?

Developing the course scheduleMore “3 column backward design”: learning goals to assessment to activities• culminating project(s): 1 or 2 during the

course; students must pull learning together• then, how must you prepare students to

succeed in the project(s)?– think in terms of 3-5 units / modules,

rather than chapters, content topics

Developing the sequence of topics

Unit 1

Unit 2

Unit 3

Unit 4Unit introductions

Activities, Assignments

Developing the sequence of learning activities

the “castle-top” instructional strategy (Fink)

Developing the sequence of learning activities

Developing the sequence of weeks

ICD for Liberal Learning Benefits of this approach: outcome-focused (rather than content-focused) learning-focused (rather than instruction-

focused) active and functional (rather than passive and

purely informational) … and so it’s student-focused (rather than

teacher-focused)

Questions? Discussion?

Works CitedAmerican Association of Colleges & Universities. “What is a 21st Century Liberal Education?” American Association of Colleges & Universities. 2014. Web. 30 July 2014 <http://www.aacu.org/leap/what_is_liberal_education.cfm>

Fink, L. Dee. “A Self-Directed Guide to Designing Courses for Significant Learning.” Dee Fink & Associates. Aug. 2005. Web. 30 July 2014 <http://www.deefinkandassociates.com/GuidetoCourseDesignAug05.pdf >

Kuh, George D. “High-Impact Educational Practices.” American Association of Colleges & Universities. 2014. Web. 30 July 2014 <http://www.aacu.org/leap/hip.cfm>

Millis, Barbara J. “IDEA Paper #47: Promoting Deep Learning.” IDEA Education – IDEA Papers. 2010. Web. 30 July 2014 <http://ideaedu.org/sites/default/files/ IDEA_Paper_47.pdf>