Faculty Development Module: Align Learning Tasks with Learning Outcomes

H. Jean BryanDePaul University

DePaul University

DePaul – the largest Catholic university in the United States

824 full-time faculty 23,600 students Entrepreneurial

online programs

Instructional Technology Development

A university-wide service unit Consultation, training, designated

production projects Five consultants, each assigned

specific academic units Operations, development units

Online Teaching Institute

Supports online re-certification program in School of Education

Open to other departments, schools Limited participants each session First offered Summer 2003, again

December 2003 Courses delivered via Blackboard

Each Institute Participant…

Signs participation agreement Matched with instructional

technology consultant Designs Blackboard “draft” site Participates as a student Provides consultant TA role in site

The Problem – The Opportunity

Varied design experience “Stuck” in 2-3 learning activities Perception, staff telling faculty

how they ‘should’ teach

Guide participants thrure-thinking a course

Provide re-useable tool

Overview: Module and Worksheet

Introduced in First Week Provide Examples, Definitions Personalized Template w Goals First Assignment: Design Activities Meet with Instructional Consultant Template Referenced in other

modules Institute Models Active Learning

The Worksheet

The Module

Communication: Student-Student, Student-Instructor

Provide support – worksheet, template, guidance

Provide resources

Module – Part I

Module – Part II

Results - Positive

Worksheet as “Most Useful Tool”

“It was the process of deconstructing my class and the process of my teaching that forced me to analyze how I interact with my students. That analysis helped identify areas that needed change.”

Results - Positive

Makes the process concrete, visible Provides common language Encourages early intervention Focuses discussion on outcomes

rather activities Broadens learning activity scope Emphasizes strategies not content

Results - Concerns

Incomplete templates Blackboard’s limited

collaborative features “One-time” learning

Next - Summer 2004

More fully integrate template into other modules

Move ‘Organization’ earlier in the Institute schedule

Follow-up on the instructional design aspects of the Institute

Thank You

This presentation is available on my website:

http://condor.depaul.edu/~jbryan