Dr. Edna R. ChavarryOctober 11, 2013

USING INQUIRY TO DEVELOP STUDENT CENTERED PEDAGOGY - SYLLABUS REVIEW

What is inquiry?

Data Gaps Inquiryinto

Causes

InformedInterventions Evaluation

ofInterventions

CUE’s Inquiry Model

USC Rossier School of Education

Motivation

Engagement

Interaction with Faculty

Study Skills

Commitment

Discipline

Time

Direction

Deficit-Minded KnowledgeLack of…

4

What are our inquiry perspectives? Equity Mindedness

Cultural Inclusivity

Race Conscious

Validation

Institutional Responsibility

Institutional Effort

Counter-Normative Narratives

Minding Equity Gaps

Cultural Effort

Equity-Minded Knowledge

6

Contract (Altman, 1999; Matejka & Kurke, 1994)

Logistical – outlining the course of study (Stewart, 2004)

Introduction to the professor (Garavalia et.al, 1999)

What function does a Syllabus Serve

1) Become aware of what your syllabus communicates – explicitly and implicitly – to your students.

2) Conceptualize the role of faculty members as agents of change capable of making a difference in students’ educational aspirations and achievement.

3) Learn about strategies to make your syllabus a roadmap to guide students learning and familiarize them with the “invisible” practices of academic success that you learned as a college student.

Focus on improving Hispanic student outcomes

Goals for the day1) Become aware of what your syllabus communicates – explicitly and implicitly – to your students.

2) Conceptualize the role of faculty members as agents of change capable of making a difference in students’ educational aspirations and achievement.

3) Learn about strategies to make your syllabus a roadmap to guide students learning and familiarize them with the “invisible” practices of academic success that you learned as a college student.

Focus on improving Hispanic student outcomes

1) Become aware of what your syllabus communicates – explicitly and implicitly – to your students.

2) Conceptualize the role of faculty members as agents of change capable of making a difference in students’ educational aspirations and achievement.

3) Learn about strategies to make your syllabus a roadmap to guide students learning and familiarize them with the “invisible” practices of academic success that you learned as a college student.

1) Become aware of what your syllabus communicates – explicitly and implicitly – to your students.

2) Conceptualize the role of faculty members as agents of change capable of making a difference in students’ educational aspirations and achievement.

3) Learn about strategies to make your syllabus a roadmap to guide students learning and familiarize them with the “invisible” practices of academic success that you learned as a college student.

SYLLABI REVIEW

Change through Inquiry

Inquiry:

A meaning-making process that moves a learner from one experience into the next with a deeper understanding of its relationship with and connections to other experiences and ideas.

CUE’s Document analysis protocol prompts faculty to reflect on what they communicate to students (via documents like syllabi). Cultural-inclusive prompts in the protocol include:

Does this document communicate …

• respect for students?

• Expectation that learning takes place in authentic application to and engagement with real-world problems

• Expectation that student success will be a collaborative effort among the students and faculty?

Document the inquiry process & findings.

No calendar of

activities

Authoritarian

SYLLABI REVIEW

TYPICALLY CONTAINED DID NOT CONTAIN

•Course description

•Faculty contact information/office hours

•Course content

•Attendance policy

•Academic dishonesty policy

•Withdrawal policy

•Grade breakdown

•Condescending/punitive tone

•Expected learning outcomes

•Student expectations

•Encouraging tone

•Calendar of activities

•Information regarding resources for

academic & other support

•No evidence for instructional

variety/culturally inclusive activities

Syllabi Review

Pg. 4

USC Rossier School of Education Copyright 2011. All rights reserved.

Why is it Equity-Minded?

Reading materials for the course are culturally relevant—”And the Earth Did Not Devour Him” by Tomás Rivera

LMC Puente English 90

USC Rossier School of Education Copyright 2011. All rights reserved.

Equity-Minded SyllabusLMC Puente English 90 Why is it Equity-Minded?

Provides a step-by-step explanation of how to use Blackboard

USC Rossier School of Education Copyright 2011. All rights reserved.

Equity-Minded SyllabusLMC Puente English 90 Why is it Equity-Minded?

Provides a welcoming and and supportive tone—”Communication with your instructors and your counselor will help you feel supported by the program. You can count on us to help you work it out. No problem is too big or too small.

USC Rossier School of Education Copyright 2011. All rights reserved.

Equity-Minded SyllabusLMC Puente English 90 Why is it Equity-Minded?

Provides resources for academic assistance

English Syllabi prior to Doc. Review (2005)

English Syllabi changed to communicate respect for students (2006)

Pg. 6

English Syllabi communicating that student success will be supported by a collaboration between students and faculty:

Assignment from a Modified Syllabus of an Introductory Algebra Course at a Community College

Pg. 7

What is inquiry?

Data Gaps Inquiryinto

Causes

InformedInterventions Evaluation

ofInterventions

CUE’s Inquiry Model Pg. 8

Syllabus Review – Action Planning

Pg. 9

How might an inquiry process in general, and the inquiry tools more specifically, advance work on your institution’s focal area?

Questions and discussion

University of Southern CaliforniaRossier School of EducationWaite Phillips Hall, Suite 702Los Angeles, CA 90089

Phone: (213)740-5202Fax: (213)740-3889E–mail: rsoecue@usc.edu