Curriculum Development

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Needs Assessments & Benchmarking

How Well Do You Know Your Students? 

The integration of learning technologies into the spheres of Higher Education makes it necessary to reflect on the different roles of students and instructors. We discussed in previous VoLTS issues how the faculty member’s role may change as a result of the creation of a more blended environment that takes advantage of traditional and online elements of teaching and learning. We always assume that we know our students, but do we really? In today’s learning environment the students wear different hats. They can be producers and consumers of knowledge and ideas, apprentices, mentors, team members or leaders. Based on Prensky (2001) “our students have changed dramatically. Today’s students are no longer the people our educational system was designed to teach” and he refers to them as “Digital Natives”, while referring to instructors as “Digital Immigrants”. Dobbins (2005) describes our students in even greater detail and states that they expect instant and unlimited access to information and state-of-the-art technology. Now, so far there have not been any surprises – this is kind of what we expected, possibly feared and sometimes maybe hoped.

Oblinger (2003) took a closer look at the student population on our campuses and concludes that they are not the homogenous group we may have thought. They are quite heterogeneous and according to the National Center for Education Statistics “three quarters of all undergraduates are non-traditional”, this means they are sometimes not enrolling directly after high school into college, but in subsequent years they might attend part-time or at least have a job on the side, sometimes work even full-time and in addition they have to take care of financially dependents in an increasing number.

Overarching these findings are the different generations on our campuses today. There are “Baby Boomers” (1946-1964), "Generation X" (1965-1980), and "Millennials" (born after 1980). All three groups have different backgrounds, different expectations towards technology and as a consequence towards Higher Education.

In addition, in conversations with faculty members, LTS has found that students today may be explorative in discovering new technologies and utilizing them for their purposes, but they may lack a deeper understanding of the reliability of “information sources and their respect to intellectual property.” Therefore “the Net Generation may be simultaneously ahead of and behind earlier generations.” (Oblinger, 2005, p.12)

As a result of these findings it is worth evaluating the role of our student population today, their differences and experiences. Although the students are expecting learning technology resources and their usage in the classroom, they also need clear and excellent content delivered to them. A wise use of learning technology is necessary, whenever it is applicable and effective.

Oblinger, D. (2003). "Boomers, Gen-Xers, Millennials: Understanding the New Student." Educause Review.

Oblinger, D. & Hawkins, B. (2005). "The Myth about Students: We Understand our Students." Educause Review.

Dobbins, K.W. (2005). "Getting Ready for the Net Generation Learner." Educause Review.

Prensky, M. (2001). "Digital Natives. Digital Immigrants." On the Horizon, NCB University Press. Vol. 9. No.5.

Online Learning and Shifting Roles

Educational technology enables opens up a world of learning possibilities that are not limited to the physical classroom. Students can now interact with their course and their peers at any time. Learning is no longer fixed to a particular time and location, but is a part of the fabric of their everyday lives.

This technology also changes the relationship between students, instructors and the course content. Learning becomes a process of constructing rather than acquiring knowledge. Here are some ways of thinking about this shift:

Source: Berge, Z.L. & Collins, M. Computer Mediated Communication and The Online Classroom, vol. 2: Higher Education. Cresskill: Hampton Press, Inc.

Course Goals and Learning Objectives

Now that you have a good understanding of the process including creating online syllabi and linking these resources from LConnect, let’s also consider revising one of the most important components of your course syllabi, the “Course Goals and Learning Objectives section.”

Course goals are statements in your syllabus that identify general outcomes for your course. These course goals are tied directly into the goals for your specific program and ultimately into the mission for WIT. Learning objectives support course goals by breaking these outcomes down into specific, measurable tasks from which students demonstrate progress and are assessed.

For example, a course goal for an architecture class may be "Students will transition 2D free-hand drawings into digital computer-based software". A learning objective to support this course goal could be "Using the Vectorworks’ palettes introduced in Chapters 1-3 in our text and covered in class, the student will electronically draft their first free-hand drawing, to scale, with 95 percent accuracy." Notice the difference between the general outcome implied in the course goal versus the specific, measurable outcome described in the learning objective.

Knowledge is Power

“Search is so highly personal that searching is empowering for humans like nothing else,” said Google CEO Eric Schmidt. “It is the antithesis of being told or taught. It is about self-empowerment; it is empowering individuals to do what they think best with the information they want. It is very different from anything else that preceded it. Radio was one-to-many. TV was one-to-many. The telephone was one-to-one. Search is the ultimate expression of the power of the individual, using a computer, looking at the world, and finding exactly what they want–and everyone is different when it comes to that.”
-from The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century
by Thomas L. Friedman

Not long ago, informational resources were limited to whatever could be accessed at a nearby library. This was limited to what was available on the premises, if it wasn’t checked out or stolen. Today everyone anywhere in the world with an Internet connection has the same universal access. The Web has leveled the playing field; it is the great equalizer.

The Web has not only changed the way we find information, it has changed the way we think about it and use it. Our choices are endless. We are now all researchers, editing oceans of instantaneous data. One great example is Wikipedia at http://www.wikipedia.org, a free online encyclopedia that everyone can add to or edit, once changes are approved. Our students also have become extremely efficient at finding information, media, services and products faster than ever. They are accustomed to connecting to things that interest them immediately.

This dynamic can be a powerful tool when used in the classroom. In The World Is Flat, Friedman discusses the lag between innovation and when that innovation becomes truly useful. Merely using technology is not enough; we must adapt the way we do things to this technology. Enthusiastic teachers are always looking for more powerful ways to communicate with their students. As more technological advancements find their way into the world of learning, educators sometimes struggle with how to employ these technologies effectively.

LTS can help you to build online student communities, to embrace and emphasize student teamwork and groups, and to leverage the power of the Internet in your classroom. We have worked individually with many faculty members to develop strategies to empower students to research, learn and present information. One example of this is the ongoing e-Portfolio project: working with faculty to help Wentworth students construct websites that document academic and personal progress and achievements. The also are valuable for students seeking jobs or co-op positions, as well as providing desirable skill sets for the marketplace.

We work with faculty to utilize Internet in other ways: using Blackboard and other web media as tools to structure a more student-centered classroom environment, and adapting curriculum to address the many changes educators face today.

Content Consumers or Real Students? – Increasing Student Knowledge

Learning is not a linear and passive process, but an active and interactive experience. At one point in time, we’ve all been on the receiving end of instruction. How much did you remember and learn in these environments? Here are two suggestions that may improve classroom and online learning environments and help students to actually remember class discussions and lectures:

Interactivity and Action

"Life shapes us and the life that shapes us is not a matter of words but action"
- Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi, Swiss educational reformer (1746-1827)

In 1989, Cognitive Science conducted a study and published the following retention rates: Reading 10%, Seeing 20%, Hearing 30%, Seeing and Hearing 50%, Collaboration 70%, Doing 80%. To increase the retention rates from your students try to move from an instructor-led learning environment towards a more student-centered and problem-oriented one.

To support problem-orientation create:

All four situations can take place in the classroom as well as online. For example: Using assignments or quizzes can achieve situations one and two online. Introducing an Online Message Board and integrating Chat from LConnect- My Courses can afford students the opportunity to explore situations three and four.

Repetition, Repetition, and Repetition
Learners construct new knowledge based on previous experiences and know-how. “Cues” can help to form that tie, e.g. if you already know how to operate a VCR, you will be able to use this knowledge and relate it to a DVD-player. One principle that can reinforce course material is the “Spiral-Principle”. Content from week one should be repeated, for example, in week three, week eight, etc. The intervals can get larger and larger as you go through the semester. As content is repeated during later weeks, decrease the contents intensity to allow time for new content to be given. It is not necessary to repeat the entire week one content later on, but repetition of main principles or topics will help to retrieve secondary material.

Michael Kupferman – Knowledge Management in Education

Fred Driscoll – Mentoring High School Students as Part of the Course Curriculum