INTEGRATIVE LEARNING : What Might We Mean by This? How Might We Get There?

Presentation by:L. Dee Fink

International Consultant in Higher Education

“Innovative Pedagogy & Course Redesign IX”

Fairfield UniversityJune 3-5, 2009

The Joy and Responsibility of Teaching Well

AAC&U: Liberal Education

ESSENTIAL LEARNING OUTCOMES:

I. Knowledge of Human Cultures and the Natural and Physical

World

II. Intellectual and Practical Skills

III. Individual and Social Responsibilities

IV. Integrative Learning

• Synthesis and advanced accomplishment across general and specialized studies

• Capacity to adapt knowledge, skills, and responsibilities to new settings & questions

Fink’s Taxonomy of Significant Learning

Taxonomy of Significant Learning

CaringDeveloping new…

Feelings Interests Values

Learning HOW to Learn Becoming a better student Inquiring about a subject Self-directing learners

Human DimensionsLearning about:

Oneself Others

INTEGRATIONConnecting:

Ideas Learning Experiences Realms of life

Foundational KnowledgeUnderstanding and remembering:

Information Ideas

Application Skills Thinking: Critical,

Creative, & Practical Managing projects

Promoting Better Teaching & Learning

5

“INTEGRATIVE LEARNING”:

What Might We Mean By

This?Building connections, relationships…

A.Among IDEAS

B.Among EXPERIENCES AT COLLEGE

C.Within ME AND MY LIFE

EXPERIENCES

Promoting Better Teaching & Learning

6

“INTEGRATIVE LEARNING”:

What Might We Mean By

This?A.Among IDEAS

B. Among EXPERIENCES AT COLLEGE

C. Within ME AND MY LIFE EXPERIENCES

?

Building Connections Among:IDEAS ABOUT THE WORLD “OUT

THERE”

I. Among IDEAS

• Inter-Disciplinary Learning

• Multiple Perspectives on Specific Issues

II. Among EXPERIENCES AT COLLEGE

III. Within ME AND MY LIFE EXPERIENCES

Integrative Learning:

BUILDING

CONNECTIONS…

Integrative Learning

Discipline X

Discipline Y

Discipline Z

Inter-Disciplinary Learning:

I. Among IDEAS






BUILDING

CONNECTIONS…


Issue or

Question

Perspective “X”

Perspective “Y”

Perspective “Z”

Multiple Perspectives on an Issue or Question:

I. Among IDEAS


• Among Courses

• Between Courses and Co-Curricular Experiences



BUILDING

CONNECTIONS…


Courses within their Major

A

Other Courses at the University

B

Co-Curricular Activities

C

I. Among IDEAS



• Old and New Learning

• My Current Learning and My Personal, Social, Civic, and Professional Lives


BUILDING

CONNECTIONS…


Student: In

College

T I M E:Now:

?

Building Connections Within:THE WORLD “OF WHICH I AM A

PART”

?


Individual

Social

Civic

Professional

Current Learnin

g

Past:

Present:

Future:

Student’s Lives:

??

?

?


Individual

Social

Civic

Professional

Current Learnin

g

Past:

Present:

Future:

Student’s Lives:

??

?

?


Courses within their Major

Other Courses at the University

Co-Curricular Activities

Other Life Experiences

A

B

C

D

I. Among IDEAS




• Among Courses

• Between Courses and Co-Curricular Experiences


• Old and New Learning; Old and New Selves

• My Current Learning and My Individual, Social, Civic, and Professional Lives


BUILDING

CONNECTIONS…


INTEGRATIVE LEARNING:

I.What Might It Mean?

II.How Might We Get There?


22


III. Integrative Learning:How Might We Get there?

Universal Principle:

• ALL students must have multiple

opportunities to…

• make connections (i.e., to

integrate),

• reflect,

• dialogue, and

• get feedback.



AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

AAAAAAAORGANIZATIO

N

STUDENT Learning

Experiences

FACULTY




AAAAAAAORGANIZATIO

N

STUDENT Learning Experienc

es

FACULTY


I. Student Learning Experiences• Wider range of content and

experiences in individual courses

• Build connections and relationships throughout all courses & experiences

• Dialogue with others about connections

• Frequent opportunities to reflect

• Key Tool: Learning Portfolios

St1 St2

Teacher/Coach

“TAKING CHARGE OF ONE’S OWN LEARNING”

St1 St2

Meta-Learner:?

Teacher/Coach

•

St1 St2

Own Learning/Development

Meta-Learner:?

Own Knowing/Beliefs

Own Thinking

Own Performance

Own Caring/Values

Teacher/Coach

•

One Who Takes Charge of their…


One Who Takes Charge of their…

Own Learning/Development

Meta-Learner:?

Own Knowing/Beliefs

Own Thinking

Own Performance

Own Caring/Values

St1 St2

Teacher/Coach

• •


Students’ Epistemological Beliefs

Beliefs about: KNOWLEDGE

1.Content of Knowledge

K = Discrete bits of Information K=Integrated concepts

2. Certainty of Knowledge

K=certain & unambiguous K=tentative & subject to

change

•Source of Knowledge

K = comes from an external authority K = constructed by oneself

Beliefs about: LEARNING

•Ability to Improve as a Learner

L = Ability to learn is innate & fixed L = Can be improved

5. Speed and Ease of Learning

L = Quickly, or don’t get it at all L = You have to keep

working at it


NOTE: The statement about the epistemological beliefs of students in the preceding slide came from the following source:

Source: C. Boden, An Exploratory Study Of The Relationship Between Epistemological Beliefs And Self-Directed Learning Readiness. Doctoral dissertation, Kansas State University, 2005.

Based on: Schommer, M. (1990). The effects of beliefs about the nature of knowledge on comprehension. Journal of Educational Psychology, 82, 498-504.


I. Student Learning Experiences• Wider range of content and

experiences in individual courses

• Build connections and relationships throughout the course

• Dialogue with others about connections

• Frequent opportunities to reflect

• Key Tool: Learning Portfolios


34

Re-Shaping STUDENT Culture:I. Establish Expectations

• Campus publicity

• New and different kind of orientation to college

II. Provide Support

III. Assess and Reward

Course-Based and Year-to-year Learning Portfolios


35

Learning Portfolios: KEY QUESTIONS

1. WHAT did you learn?

2. HOW did you learn?

• What helped and didn’t help you learn?

• What does this tell you about: YOURSELF AS A LEARNER? About the NATURE OF LEARNING?

3. SIGNIFICANCE FOR YOU, of what you learned?

4. Plan for FUTURE LEARNING:

• WHAT ELSE do you want or plan to learn?

• HOW will you learn that?


36

Students Build a Learning Portfolio

Curriculum (formal coursework)

Co-Curriculum (student affairs)

LEARNING PORTFOLIOS:

Helping Students Take Charge of Their Own Learning

Student’s Time in College




AAAAAAAORGANIZATIO

N

STUDENT Learning

Experiences

FACULTY


II. ORGANIZATION Needs to…

• Set “Integrative Learning” as an Institution-Wide Learning Goal (IW-LG)

• Map that kind of learning into the curriculum

• Provide for both: Faculty Development Student Development

XXX INTEGRATION YYY ZZZ

• 1st year?

• 2nd year?

• 3rd year?

• 4th year?

• Service Learning

• Study Abroad

• Undergraduate Research

• Living/Learning Communities

• Etc.

Institution-Wide Learning

Goals:

Courses:

Special Learning

Opportunities:

MAPPING IW-LG’s INTO THE CURRICULUM


II. ORGANIZATION Needs to…

• Set “Integrative Learning” as an Institution-Wide Learning Goal (IW-LG)

• Map that kind of learning into the curriculum

• Provide for both: Faculty Development Student Development




AAAAAAAORGANIZATIO

N

STUDENT Learning

Experiences

FACULTY


III. FACULTY Need to Learn…

• About Integrative Learning

• How to design specific kinds of learning into their COURSES

Learn pedagogical tools for promoting specific kinds of learning

• How to construct CURRICULA focused on specific kinds of learning




AAAAAAAORGANIZATIO

N

STUDENT Learning

Experiences

FACULTY


SUMMARY


INTEGRATIVE LEARNING:

I.What Might We Mean By This?

• Learning in which students build connections…

Among IDEAS

Among LEARNING EXPERIENCES IN COLLEGE

Within THEMSELVES AND DIFFERENT PARTS OF THEIR LIVES

II.How Might We Get There?

• STUDENTS: Become Aware of Themselves as Learners and take responsibility for their own learning

• ORGANIZATION: Set “Integration” as an IW-LG and map it into the curriculum

• FACULTY: Learn about Integrative Learning, Designing Courses, and Designing Curricula


THE END!THE END!

Higher Education: Let’s make it all that it can be and needs to be!

Documents

INTEGRATIVE LEARNING : What Might We Mean by This? How Might We Get There?