Learning That Matters

A Field Guide to Course Design for Transformative Education

Caralyn Zehnder, Cynthia Alby, Karynne Kleine, Julia Metzker

• Publisher: Myers Education Press
• Year: 2021
• ISBN:
  9781975504533
• Topic: Bildung
• Subtopic: Lehrmethoden

A 2022 SPE Outstanding Book Honorable Mention Our society urgently needs education that motivates, challenges, engages, and affirms all students. No matter their previous successes or failures, every student has enormous learning potential and important contributions to make now and in the future. Such meaningful learning experiences don't just happen, they need to be intentionally designed. This book supports those who will undertake this vitally important work. Learning that Matters: A Field Guide to Course Design for Transformative Education is a pragmatic resource for designing courses that engage college students as active citizens. This "work" book provides research-informed approaches for creating learning experiences and developing innovative, intellectually-engaging courses. Whether a novice or a veteran, by engaging with the text, collaborating with colleagues, and reflecting on the important work of a teacher, any motivated educator can become a transformative educator. Every college course has the potential to transform students' lives. Through implementation of critical concepts such as connected and authentic assessments; dilemmas, issues, and questions; portable thinking skills and engaging strategies; and a purposeful focus on inclusivity and equity, readers begin the process of change needed for preparing students who will be able to address the monumental challenges facing our society. Click HERE to watch the book launch. Click HERE to hear the authors discuss their book. Perfect for courses such as: Education Curriculum and Instruction | Design for Transformative Learning | An Introduction to Evidence-based Undergraduate Teaching | New Faculty Orientations |Freshman Seminar Faculty Trainings | Center for Teaching & Learning | Workshops in Course Design

CHAPTER ONE

Teaching Matters

This We Know

WHY DO YOU NEED this book right now? The past decades have seen the publication of multiple articles and books detailing challenges faced by higher education with calls for reform to close equity gaps. Simultaneously, advancements in the science of learning from researchers in neuroscience, psychology, and education have resulted in new, evidence-based teaching practices that have not seen widespread adoption. The research base grows. Students change. We change. The world changes. We felt it was time for a practical guide to course design that also addresses where we are as a nation.

We won’t have long strings of citations through most of this book, but in this chapter, we want to make clear the extent of the agreement on some crucial points.

Students entering college now, and the ones likely to enter in the future, are going to be different from the students you taught last year. Higher education in the United States is already experiencing large-scale demographic and socioeconomic shifts in student populations (Cahalan & Perna, 2015; Espinosa et al., 2019; Prescott, 2019). These changes are compounded by the unsustainability of an increasingly expensive educational model that widens the inequities between “successful” and “unsuccessful” learners (Addo et al., 2016; Choy, 2001; Ladson-Billings, 2006; McNair et al., 2016; The National Task Force on Civic Learning & Engagement, 2012; Witham et al., 2015).

There is tension over the value institutions place on teaching versus research. You may feel pulled, or stretched to the breaking point, by these tensions yourself. Many institutions, even smaller “teaching-focused” ones, are directing more resources toward research outputs (Blakey et al., 2017; Fairweather, 2005). Yet the success of universities is increasingly dependent on hiring faculty with the ability to support student success by having robust pedagogical knowledge in addition to specialized content knowledge (Berman, 2014; J. Brown & Kurzweil, 2018; Jankowski, 2017). However, most faculty still complete their graduate and postdoctoral work with very little pedagogical training (Beach et al., 2016; De Vlieger et al., 2017; Rossing & Lavitt, 2016).

Survey after survey of employers highlights demands for graduates who can communicate, problem-solve, and have the capacity to address complex problems independently and in teams (Bridgstock, 2009; Flores et al., 2012; Gallup-Purdue Index, 2014, 2015; Hart Research Associates, 2015a, 2015b, 2018; Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005; Trilling & Fadel, 2009). What many instructors want for students and what employers want have become strikingly similar. In fact, there are good arguments to be made that honoring the “economic imperative” helps address inequities in educational outcomes (Ludvik, 2020).

A persistent opportunity gap exists between Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) and their White counterparts. This gap has remained despite decades of work, efforts to foster student success, and billions of dollars in funding (Becker et al., 2017; Carnevale & Strohl, 2013; Espinosa et al., 2019; Trapani & Hale, 2019). We now see the lack of legitimate progress coming to a head in the Black Lives Matters protests occurring literally as we write. We need to reflect on our positions of power in the classroom and evaluate our courses for, among other limitations, racism, biases, and barriers while focusing on incorporating more diverse content and culturally sustaining teaching. We must replace the deficit-based narrative that the low success rates of Black and Brown students are based on an inability to learn and succeed when the truth is that these low success rates are due to racism and bias. We need to identify and dismantle the institutional and systemic racism that holds back BIPOC students.

Research in education, cognitive science, psychology, and neuroscience has taught us so much about how people learn, moving us beyond the limited understanding of education as a transactional process. We now understand more fully the power of active learning, the types of studying strategies that actually work for retaining concepts and principles that are transferable across contexts, the importance of student self-motivation and their development of academic identities, and how factors such as a sense of belonging all contribute to enduring learning outcomes for individuals and learning communities. Yet sadly, we also know that these practices are not being deployed widely or equitably (Aronson & Laughter, 2016; Blaich & Wise, 2011; P. Brown et al., 2014; Carnevale & Strohl, 2013; Finley & McNair, 2013; Harackiewicz & Priniski, 2018; Hattie, 2012; Kilgo et al., 2015; Kuh, 2008; Lang, 2016; McConnell & Rhodes, 2017; National Research Council, 2000, 2001; Roksa & Arum, 2011; Winkelmes et al., 2016)

Moreover, institutions of higher education are ill prepared structurally to accommodate rapid change, even as the demands and expectations placed on higher education are changing at an ever-faster rate (Delbanco, 2012; McNair et al., 2016; Mehaffy, 2012). The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on higher education is a clear example of this. From online learning to ethical teaching practices regarding student surveillance to the many ways in which teaching online has heightened inequities among students and faculty, the virus is impacting higher education in ways that we haven’t yet fully realized or measured. The effect is surely going to be long-lasting and deep (C. Brown, 2020; Flaherty, 2020; Inside Higher Ed and Hanover Research, 2020; Kandri, 2020; Patel, 2020; Zhai & Du, 2020).

Based on these facts and observations, we believe that higher education needs to change, and we assume that you share this belief. If we continue to educate through a curricular and pedagogical model developed more than 100 years ago—the model that brought us to this moment of unacceptably low success for so many students—we will fail to realize the change these trends and reports call for. We believe there is no more critical place for these changes to be enacted than through the courses we create and teach.

Why We Teach

Most of us come to teaching with aspirational goals. We truly want the learners we work with to develop the skills necessary for critical evaluation of complex issues; to think creatively; to be able to collect, analyze, and interpret data; to work collaboratively as members of diverse teams; and to communicate clearly and effectively. Not surprisingly, these aspirational teaching goals are well aligned with nationwide initiatives, employer feedback about student career readiness (Gallup-Purdue Index, 2014, 2015; Hart Research Associates, 2015a, 2018), and the mission statements of so many of our own colleges and universities. Higher educators echo the common sentiment—we really want students to become lifelong learners—even as we recognize that we may not be able to see if this actually happens. Collectively, we long for the students we teach to become the civic leaders, inventors, creators, and caretakers that our world needs, even if this may be an all-too-infrequent outcome of the work done at colleges and universities.

But, when it comes down to the occasionally mundane and exhausting work of teaching our classes, we sometimes lose sight of these goals. Maybe we sell ourselves short and think that we couldn’t possibly have an impact on students’ futures when we only see them a few times a week for a semester. Perhaps we sell students short and think they couldn’t handle big projects or the uncertainty associated with unpeeling the layers necessary for understanding complicated issues. Or possibly we just don’t know how to be a transformative teacher, even if we entered the profession precisely to play such a role. After all, few of us have benefited from an education in how to teach. Whatever the reason, the student learning that occurs in our courses is too often not well aligned with our own aspirational goals.

In this field guide, we propose a cohesive process to bridge this gap: building courses around transferable learning outcomes that require students to engage with big questions facing our society. You will learn to connect your disciplinary content knowledge and skills to students’ application of content and principles. With practice, you’ll be able to intentionally incorporate meaningful learning outcomes in your courses through the design of learning experiences that support students in achieving these outcomes. You’ll teach students how to collaborate, listen, and learn from each other by creating opportunities that intentionally challenge and engage students in tackling complex, real-world problems. It is these engaging challenges that lead to transformative learning. We define transformative learning similarly to Mezirow (1991); it is a quality of learning in which a student encounters an idea, a theory, or evidence that changes their perspective. Transformative learning makes a significant, long-term impact on the life of the student that can’t be “shaken off” because it is part of the learner.

We propose that all students deserve transformative learning experiences and that they all should have the opportunity to succeed in their courses. By this we don’t mean that students should skate through their education, coming out the same as they went in. In fact, the testament of transformation is that it changes the self and identity. We recognize that this has often not been the case for many because of the effect of systemic racism, sexism, and elitism in institutions of higher education and in college courses. Therefore, we intentionally create courses that are antiracist; utilize elements of affirming, decentering pedagogies; and are culturally inclusive.

This We Believe

Here we place our stake in the ground, a “stake” forged through our nearly 100 years of combined experiences in teaching and learning. These belief statements encapsulate our philosophy about course design, faculty professional development, and the future we envision for higher education.

We believe that

•courses that are intentionally designed result in more robust, transferable learning.

•all students are able to make important contributions in our classrooms.

•societal needs must inform decisions regarding the educational activities students engage with to develop students’ internal motivation and provide purpose.

•faculty are ideally positioned to inspire students to change their communities and the world.

•faculty bring a wellspring of expertise and humanity to their teaching, which can provide a vitalizing source needed in this crucial work.

•empowering faculty with the knowledge, skills, and agency to mentor others leads to innovative courses that change students’ lives.

Who We Are

It’s no surprise that we have found in each other critical coauthors, esteemed colleagues, and valued friends. Working closely in many settings begets fond feelings, but in our case, we believe our type of teaching, which encourages vulnerability, emphasizes relationship building, and is premised on collaboration, has created the sturdy bonds that we enjoy. We see ourselves as partners, each with unique offerings yet stronger together than any one of us is alone. We don’t guarantee that as you work through this book in pursuit of transformative education you will end up building unwavering friendships and brilliant collaborations. Yet we are convinced that transformative educators are marvelous folks that you’ll be eager to know. Pause with us here as we introduce each other, and share a bit about ourselves, including our individual “whys” that brought us together to write this book.

Cynthia (she/her/hers) is a voracious reader across a multitude of subject areas with a talent for “cross-discipline idea synthesizing.” Fortunately for the field of education, Cynthia applies her creative prowess to improving the art and science of teaching, which she does through a consistent inquiry as to how to reenchant learning for both students and faculty. As you might suspect, Cynthia’s academic degrees span a wide spectrum from classical languages, philosophy, archaeology, and language education. She is also the lead lecturer for Georgia’s “Governor’s Teaching Fellows,” a program she has worked with since 2001. As such, Cynthia has positively influenced college teaching nationally. Like others on the team, Cynthia is well connected to and rejuvenated by nature—she and her husband raise a critically endangered breed of sheep on their farm, Shangri-Baa.

Karynne (she/her/hers) is the veteran of the group, having over 35 years’ experience in education. She has taught at every grade level from primary school to doctoral studies, where she has noted remarkable similarities in the integrative thinking processes exhibited by learners despite age differences. The field of education has provided her endless intellectual stimulation, which she cherishes. Karynne is the chatty one, and she enjoys nothing more than the opportunity to have conversations with others as a way of discovering and generating knowledge. She finds her best ideas come when she is in contact with others. Her educational philosophy continues to be hammered out, yet she focuses on finding out “what is” and then imagines and works to realize “what could be.” As a strong advocate for democratic education, Karynne concentrates on addressing her own and others’ biases that have fostered inequitable educational outcomes that serve to reinforce the status quo and limit life choices.

The member of this team who traverses the most miles is Julia (she/her/hers), whose journey from teaching chemistry at a public liberal arts college to a career as an educational developer started in Georgia. After a few years in Florida, she landed in Washington State, where she serves as the director of the Washington Center for I...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Halftitle
• Title
• Copyright
• Content
• Acknowledgments
• Foreword
• 1. Teaching Matters
• 2. From the Foundation Up
• 3. Design Matters
• 4. Portable Outcomes
• 5. The Dilemma, Issue, or Question Approach
• 6. Connected Assessment
• 7. The Power of Projects
• 8. Strategies That Matter
• 9. Supporting Students
• 10. Your Turn: Self- and Collective Efficacy
• About the Authors
• Index