outcomes-based-learning « WordPress.com Tag Feed

Is the Credit-hour the Best Way to Measure Student Learning?

Lueny Morell — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 17:37:40 +0000

Maybe not…. not for this age, says the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, who created the credit hour in 1906. The Foundation wants to rethink it, with a shift that might help competency-based higher education. With the rise of new learning models, MOOCs, technologies and the need for continuous learning, this project sponsored by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation to study the “Carnegie Unit” is timely and very important… one that may very well suit the interests and learning styles of learners around the globe but one that will certainly disrupt higher education.

I look forward to the project’s report!

http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2012/12/05/carnegie-foundation-considers-redesign-credit-hour#ixzz2ErKmZ16G
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2012/09/05/credit-hour-causes-many-higher-educations-problems-report-finds

http://www.carnegiefoundation.org/newsroom/press-releases/carnegie-foundation-receives-funding-rethink-the-carnegie-unit

Interested in Customized Learning? Take a Look at These Books

Mike Muir — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 22:53:00 +0000

Are all your students learning well, getting good grades, scoring well on tests?

Ours aren’t either.

I think that’s the case with a lot of schools. I think that’s why 9 districts have formed the Maine Cohort for Customized Learning (MCCL) and why Maine’s Education Commissioner Bowen is so actively pursuing customized learning.

So if you want to read more about customized learning, what might you read? Take a look at these three books. All three focus on different approaches to and aspects of customizing learning. They all share the idea that we can customize learning by starting with learning targets and then students collaborating with their teachers to master those targets in interesting and meaningful ways.

The 9 Maine districts who have become members of MCCL are exploring the Reinventing Schools Coalition (RISC) model. Delivering on the Promise by Rich DeLorenzo and team, provides a nice 30,000 foot view of how the approach was developed in one Alaskan school district, and of the components of the approach.

Inevitable, by Bea McGarvey and Chuck Schwann, both makes the case for mass customized learning, but also lays out a vision of what it might look like and how we might do it. My district has had members of the visioning committee (made up of educators and community members) and the entire administrative team read this book, as well as having made copies of the book available to community members. Commission Bowen had all his department heads read this book, and now asks each department how they are moving in that direction.

Another approach to customized learning is student-designed standards-based projects. The Minnesota New Country School is given much credit for developing this model, and their work has been recognized by the US Department of Education, and others. Ron Newell has captured this work and makes clear the student-designed project approach in Passion for Learning.

It’s Your Turn
What are your favorite readings about customized learning?
Have you read any of these books? What were your favorite parts?
What are your thoughts about how the ideas in the books might come to life in your school?

Need High Quality Student Centered Learning? You Need MLEI!

Chris Toy — Wed, 18 May 2011 15:19:22 +0000

Dear middle level colleagues,

Here’s a comment from Commissioner Bowen about his experience at MLEI. “In my time at the Middle School in Camden, I attended two MLEI sessions and found them to be a great opportunity to do what educators seldom have time to do, which is to reflect on our instructional practice and to really do the kind of thinking and planning we all need to do to be effective. It was always a great experience and one I hope to get back to one day!”

MLEI models engaged learning for all!

Registrations are now open for the Middle Level Education Institute. We are very excited about this year’s program as we have added several components to the already excellent offerings. In addition to the well established cutting edge middle level focus there will be top notch expertise relating to RTI (both academic and behaviorial), Standards Based Education (student centered, outcomes based, proficiency based learning), and safe schools (digital citizenship, bullying, and cyberbullying). And of course, these are in addition to any school or classroom based initiatives you would bring to the Institute.

Since the Institute will be held from August 1-4, we will be accepting registrations right up to the end of June. To register, contact Mikaela Ziobro at campusevents@thomas.edu. You can also call her at 859-1211. For online information go to http://mleimaine.net. If you have any questions about the program, putting a school team together, creating a plan, or arranging for graduate credits contact Jill Spencer (jillspencer51@gmail.com) or Chris Toy (christoy.net@gmail.com).

We believe MLEI can be a key to moving your school’s vision forward!

Best-

Jill Spencer
Chris Toy

Co-Directors
Middle Level Education Institute

Centre for the Study of Education and Work - Update 27th March 2010

rikowski — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 06:14:09 +0000

Work, work, work

CENTRE FOR THE STUDY OF EDUCATION AND WORK – UPDATE 27th MARCH 2010

NEWS & VIEWS

2010 FEDERAL BUDGET QUIZ – CANADIAN CENTRE FOR POLICY ALTERNATIVES

How much do you know about the 2010 Federal Budget and the state of Canada’s finances? Take this quiz written by the CCPA’s Senior Economist Armine Yalnizyan and Alternative Federal Budget Coordinator David Macdonald: http://www.policyalternatives.ca/multimedia/test-quiz

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FAST-TRACKING CANADA-COLOMBIA FREE TRADE AGREEMENT A BETRAYAL OF COMMITMENTS – CANADIAN LABOUR CONGRESS

The Canada-Colombia Free Trade Agreement appears to be moving toward reality in this session of Parliament unless Canadians speak out loudly and contact their Member of Parliament.

Read more: http://bit.ly/bdCapF

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SOCIAL PLANNING TORONTO, RESEARCH & POLICY FORUM – AUDIO CLIPS

Social Planning Toronto’s March 2009 Research & Policy Forum focused on issues relating to immigrant homeless and health & labour market outcomes for immigrants. Presenters include Dr. Stephen Hwang from St. Michael’s Hospital/ University of Toronto who presented findings from the report entitled “The Health of Homeless Immigrants” & Dr. John Shields from Ryerson University who presented findings from the latest publications released by the Toronto Immigrant Employment Data Initiative (TIEDI).

Listen to the clips here: http://bit.ly/aQHLLN

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CENTER FOR ECONOMIC AND POLICY RESEARCH (CEPR): UNIONIZATION SUBSTANTIALLY IMPROVES THE PAY AND BENEFITS OF IMMIGRANT WORKERS

A new report by the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR) documents a large wage and benefit advantage for immigrant workers in unions relative to their non-union counterparts.

The report, “Unions and Upward Mobility for Immigrant Workers,” found that unionized immigrant workers earned, on average, 17 percent more than their non-union peers. In addition, immigrant workers in unions were much more likely to have health insurance benefits and a pension plan.

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CALL FOR ABSTRACTS – ENHANCING LEARNING EXPERIENCES IN HIGHER EDUCATION: INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE

December 2-3, 2010
Hong Kong

As an inaugural conference on teaching and learning in higher education hosted by the Centre for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning, HKU, the theme of the conference as suggested by its title is “Enhancing Learning Experiences in Higher Education”. Submission of abstracts is invited which should embrace the conference theme and sub-themes of the following –

1. Transition and the first year experience
2. Literacy across the curriculum
3. Experiential learning and co-curricular
4. Outcomes-based approaches to student learning (OBASL)
5. Assessment and feedback
6. Diversity and multicultural experience
7. Enhancing learning through technology
8. Learning communities
9. Continuing education and professional development
10. Problem based learning (PBL)
11. Postgraduate student experiences
12. Generic skills in higher education

The deadline for abstract submission is on 31 May 2010.

For more information, visit: http://www.cetl.hku.hk/conference2010/

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MOVE TO CORPORATE UTILITY WOULD HURT PUBLIC INTEREST – PARKLAND INSTITUTE

The City of Winnipeg is currently poised to move forward with a plan which would severely hurt the interests of Winnipeggers, and potentially those of people in other communities, for the sake of making their bottom line look a little better.