(Re)Designing Your Earth-Related Course for Improved Student

Learning

NAGT Traveling Workshops ProgramUniversity of Washington - Tacoma

23 October 2015

Workshop Leaders

• Anne Egger (Central Washington University)

• Sara Harris (University of British Columbia)

• Kaatje Kraft (Whatcom Community College)

• Rick Oches (Bentley University)

• Karl Wirth (Macalester College)

The National Association of Geoscience Teachers

Works to foster improvement in the teaching of the Earth sciences at all levels of formal and informal instruction, to emphasize the cultural significance of the Earth sciences and to disseminate knowledge in this field to the general public.

Workshop Goals• use "backward design" to design a course

• identify big ideas ("enduring understandings") and essential questions

• articulate goals for student learning

• articulate learning outcomes and design an assessment

• design a learning activity based on research-based evidence on learning, engagement, motivation, and metacognition

• align learning goals, assessments and instruction

Introductions

Interview your neighbor so you can introduce him/her to the group

• Name

• Institution and Program/Discipline

• Course to focus on in this workshop

• Greatest concern about teaching this course

~2 minute interview each

~1 minute intro

Reflect and Share

Think of a particularly significant learning

experience (e.g., class, project, music lesson).

• Why was it significant to you?

• What instructional approach was used?

~5 minutes individual reflection and share with neighbor5 minutes group discussion

What do you want students to remember about your course?

Make it happen with Backward Design!

Five Years Out…

List Course Topics

Design Instruction

Design Exams/Papers

Approaches to Course Design

“Traditional”

Enduring Understandings and Learning Goals

Acceptable Evidence

Instructional Activities

“Backward”

Wiggins and McTighe (1998)

“Backward Design”

• Learning-Centered

Designing process begins with the outcome -- what students will learn in your class -- rather than course topics to be covered.

• Outcomes-Based

Design is organized around student learning goals and the methods used to assess whether students are meeting those goals.

Wiggins and McTighe (2005)

• Does this course have a prerequisite?• Is this course a prerequisite for other courses?• Course logistics (e.g., class size, room design,

class schedule, time of day)?• Student considerations (e.g., majors vs non-

majors, first-years vs seniors, background)?• Role of, or access to, technology or other

resources?• Are there other disciplinary (e.g., professional

accreditation) considerations?• Are there other departmental or institutional (e.g.,

mission) considerations?

Other Course Design Considerations

“Backward Design”

Identify DesiredResults

DetermineAcceptableEvidence

Plan LearningExperiences

and Instruction

Institutional Goals

Course Design Template

Establishing Curricular Priorities

Worth beingfamiliar with

Important toknow and do

Big Ideas & Enduring

Understanding

Wiggins and McTighe (1998)

Enduring Understandings Filter

• Enduring, big ideas, having lasting value beyond classroom

• Big ideas and core processes at the heart of the discipline

• Abstract, counterintuitive, and often misunderstood ideas

• Big ideas embedded in facts, skills, and activities

Possible Enduring Understandings

Unit Topics, Standards, Goals & Objectives

Wiggins andMcTighe (1998)

Big Ideas & Enduring Understanding• Identify a few potential “big ideas” or “enduring

understandings” for your course

~10 minutes individual

5 mins group discussion

Worth beingfamiliar with

Important toknow and do

Big Ideas & Enduring

Understanding

Essential Questions to Guide Learning• Make the content “answers” to questions• Have no simple “right” answer• Are designed to provoke and sustain student

inquiry, while focusing learning & final performance

• Often address the conceptual or philosophical foundations of a discipline

• Raise other important questions• Naturally and appropriately recur• Stimulate vital, ongoing rethinking of big ideas,

assumptions, and prior lessons

Six Facets of UnderstandingExplanation• What is the key concept in___?Interpretation• What does___ reveal about___?Application• How and when can we use___?Perspective• What are the strengths and weaknesses of___?Empathy• How might we reach an understanding about___?Self-Knowledge• How are my views about___ shaped by___?

Essential Questions• Identify a few potential “big ideas” or “enduring

understandings” for your course

• Write a few essential questions to guide learning in your course

~10 minutes individual

5 mins group discussion

Goals for Student Learning

What are my goals for student learning?• Content• Discipline specific and general skills• Ethics, values, dispositions, life-styles

What theme(s) pervade(s) my teaching?

How do I decide what to teach and what to leave out?

See Teaching Goals Inventory for ideas

Defining Goals• Identify a few potential “big ideas” or “enduring

understandings” for your course

• Write a few essential questions to guide learning in your course

• Write several “important to know and do” learning goals for your course.

~15 minutes individual

Worth beingfamiliar with

Important toknow and do

Big Ideas & Enduring

Understanding

How will they get there…

…if they don’t know where they are going ?

Why Not Give Them A Map?

Example Essential Questions in Syllabus

Example Enduring Concepts in Syllabus

Example Learning Goals in Syllabus

Developing An Action Plan

A bit of time for starting your action plan:

• What changes do you plan to make to the goals for student learning in your course?

• Identify target dates for several critical benchmarks in the process.

~10 minutes individual