MicroCredentials: Promoting IMSA\u27s Signature Strategy

Signature Strategy: A Model for Interactive Online Educator Development Micro credentialing is a process through which professionals can gain credit or recognition for learning new skills, requiring less time and less monetary commitment than certification or degree programs. Typically, micro credential programs offer education in specified skills. For example, a teacher can gain a micro credential in Inquiry-based questioning techniques. Micro credentials may be obtained for learning broad concepts, such as STEM education. While there is no set template or regulation on micro credential programs (anyone can offer and distribute these credentials), most require the student to demonstrate skill acquisition through assessments; such as, projects, papers or essays, submitted videos demonstrating learned skills, artifacts from teaching. Credentialing usually involves the distribution of a badge or certificate indicating a successful completion of program or course requirements. These credentials, while not accredited degrees, offer useful evidence of acquired skills to current or future employers. In education, professional development credit often accompany the badge or certificate. In this session, we detail the development of the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy’s (IMSA) Signature Strategy Professional Development menu, including an option that leads to Micro Credentialing. The goal of creating this series of offerings is to train educators in the instructional strategy we employ at the academy; to combine our core competencies (inquiry-based, problem centered, competency driven, and integrative teaching and learning) throughout all of our instruction. This professional development series is designed to ensure that those teachers partaking in the courses offered are well-versed in these competencies and are prepared to utilize these techniques in their classrooms. Through example activities, hands-on learning opportunities and interactive online choices, teachers develop skills to provide competency-driven, inquiry-based, problem-centered and integrative instruction. Teachers learn to identify these characteristics, how to develop, administer and assess activities that exemplify these core competencies. As educators complete coursework in each individual competency, they earn micro credentials. When an educator completes coursework in all four competencies, they may be considered “IMSA- Educators”

Strategies for sustainable professional development programs to promote effective pedagogical use of instructional technology in teaching

The purpose of this study was to determine a set of common strategies employed by sustainable instructional technology professional development programs that are found to successfully promote educators\u27 high-level use of technology in their teaching practice. Two questions guided this study: (a) Research Question 1: What do successful instructional technology professional development programs recognize as indicators of high-level use of technology? and (b) Research Question 2: Which instructional technology professional development strategies successfully promote high-level use of instructional technology in participants\u27 teaching practice?;An online questionnaire consisting of close-ended questions and open-ended questions was used as the means of data collection. The online questionnaire was completed by 70 instructional professional development programs\u27 directors or their designees. The professional development programs participating in this study were awardees of PT3 1999 and 2000 implementation grants.;The data from the close-ended questions of the questionnaire were analyzed using central tendency measures and were used to answer to Research Question 1. For each survey\u27s close-ended questions there was a corresponding open-ended question. The open-ended questions were analyzed using qualitative content analysis and the data coming from this section of the questionnaire were used to answer to Research Question 2.;The results from the analysis of the close-ended section of the questionnaire indicated that the majority of instructional technology professional development programs participating in this study were successful in preparing their participants to address 22 out of the 27 indicators of high-level use of technology presented in this study. The analysis of the open-ended responses indicated that out of the 26 strategies mentioned by participants the most successfully used strategies across indicators were: Strategy 9: Appropriate Lesson/Learning Activity Development; Strategy 6: Presentation/Demo/Hands on; Strategy 1: Identifying/Defining Appropriate Use of IT; Strategy 3: Evaluation/Critique/Assessment; Strategy 14: Problem-Based Learning/Project-Based Learning; and Strategy 26: Lesson Implementation. Each of the strategies had multiple approaches depending on factors as context and goals of the professional development programs participating in this study. Further study was recommended

Factors That Influence Special Education Teachers\u27 Career Decisions in a Rural School District in Southern Indiana

Attrition of special education teachers is a national problem resulting in lost monetary resources, school climate discontinuity, and lower student achievement. Within a small, rural district in southern Indiana, special education teacher attrition has risen since 2008 and continues to rise. District administrators want to retain teachers to ensure a continuity of instructional services for students with special needs. To explore this problem, an intrinsic qualitative case study was employed, guided by a research question that investigated the factors that special education teachers and administrators perceived as influencing special educators\u27 career decisions. Herzberg\u27s motivation-hygiene theory and Billingsley\u27s schematic representation of special education attrition and retention comprised the conceptual framework. Data collection included one-on-one semistructured interviews with 7 teachers and 5 administrators and teacher retention documents. Data analysis involved in vivo coding and an inductive process to collapse data into the 3 following themes: (a) daily challenges, (b) retention factors, (c) transfer or leaving factors. A project arose from the study. Using salient interview data, a professional development plan was designed to address teachers\u27 needs of relevant professional development (PD) and collaboration. The PD plan will establish a professional learning community and utilizes free evidence-based online training modules to support reading comprehension of students with special needs. Positive social change may result from improvements in PD support provided by the district to retain its special education teachers, resulting in greater continuity of instruction for students with special needs who depend on high quality, experienced educators

Problem-based learning in action: The development of The Virtual Health and Wellness Centre

Nursing education in Australia has undergone significant change over the past 30 years. Most notably, the transfer from a traditional apprenticeship model to that of a professional degree based course in the tertiary sector. Contemporary healthcare institutions demand graduates who are ‘work ready’ and able to ‘hit the ward running’. The demographics of the Australian population indicate that groups of culturally diverse individuals are seeking healthcare along with an ageing population of Australians who have unique needs. The growing demand for more highly trained, work ready nurses has landed squarely on the shoulders of universities providing comprehensive nursing education. The problem now for nurse educators is to facilitate teaching and learning strategies that will engage the student nurse in processes that promote critical thinking and problem solving in the work place. While various models and curricula are in use across Australia in pre-registration nursing education, there is growing evidence to suggest that Problem-Based Learning (PBL) is perhaps the most suited to producing professionals who are able to problem solve and address the multiple demands of an ever changing environment. The introduction of a PBL curriculum will meet this demand. Here at Edith Cowan University, the School of Nursing Midwifery and Postgraduate Medicine has undertaken a pilot project introducing a web based resource to align with the introduction of a hybrid PBL curricula. Undergraduate nursing students undertaking the Bachelor of Science (Nursing) were given the opportunity to meet a paediatric patient in the Virtual Health and Wellness Centre. This virtual site enables nursing students to explore case study in various nursing areas such as paediatrics, critical care, medical/surgical and aged care. Students progress through a scenario which incorporates theory relating to anatomy and physiology, pathophysiology, pharmacology, psychosocial issues, research, professional issues and relevant nursing skills. Each scenario is formulated around a set of learning outcomes, which are evaluated by the student at the completion of the case study. During practical laboratory sessions students are able to contextualise their learning and seek informal peer feedback. The development of these case scenarios are context rich and built around the central aim of engaging students in self-directed learning. This discovery learning leads to higher comprehension and transferability of knowledge. Students will be able to practice the skills and theory in practical laboratory sessions which adds a functional dimension to the online material making the meanings derived from the combination of theory and practice more profound and ‘real world’. Gibbon (2005) states that “in PBL we take a collection of information, pertinent to the problem. We learn a little about each and synthesise it to solve the problem, like a jigsaw” (p. 6

Mentoring Matters: Addressing Gender Inequity in Japanese Higher Education Through an Online Mentorship Program

The lack of equity and inclusion of women in formal leadership roles in Japan has been heavily criticized for years, including in higher education. This Organizational Improvement Plan presents an actionable plan utilizing an online mentorship program to address the Problem of Practice; the lack of women in positions of formal leadership and the few leadership development opportunities women have within the Learning Center of X University. Analysis identifies the institutional and cultural barriers that women faculty are confronted with, and which prevent their upward career mobility within X University. This change plan views the institution’s learning center through a liberal feminist theory lens and grounds the change solution and implementation through both ethical and transformative leadership approaches, supported by the Fifth Element framework. The Change Path model is utilized to support change with both Appreciative Inquiry and survey feedback applied in the design and implementation of the improvement plan. By mitigating the aforementioned hurdles which have promoted social reproduction, academic status based on sex can finally be addressed and resolved. Iterative cycles of the Plan, Do, Study, Act model is utilized to close the gap between the current state and desired change. The change solution, a professional online mentorship program, facilitates community building and professional development that increases institutional knowledge sharing while elevating and addressing the needs of women faculty. The online mentorship program gives voice to change recipients while mobilizing and creating awareness among change leaders, facilitators and recipients. This results in a more equitable work environment in the Learning Center of X University that improves formal leadership opportunities for not only women educators but all marginalized faculty

IMSA360: Winter 2010

Thanks to our visionary partners and supporters, IMSA is pushing the boundaries of education in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Their resources have had a powerful impact on campus and also have expanded our capacity to design and deliver innovative STEM programs to educators and students in Illinois and beyond. In this issue, you will learn how IMSA and the IMSA Fund for Advancement of Education, our 501(c)(3) not-for-profit entity, work with educational, business and entrepreneurial partners to re-imagine innovative models for STEM education. For example, corporate support for IMSA’s Energy Center is enabling a project that involves IMSA with The High School Affiliated to Renmin University of China and the Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Virginia. Students from these educational institutions are working together to convert Miscanthus to butanol and develop simulations of efficient high altitude wind turbines. Through support from the State of Illinois, the Abbott Fund and the Tellabs Foundation, CoolHub.IMSA provides an online collaborative innovation network that connects learners and experts of all ages to work on a variety of projects worldwide including game design for information fluency, robot development for team competition, wetland improvement and biodiesel production. Support from Intel has facilitated grants to jumpstart teaching and learning initiatives like the Geometric Sculpture and Outreach Project, in which IMSA students design abstract geometric sculptures using mathematics and technology. Generous grants from the Motorola Foundation have enhanced IMSA’s capacity to provide professional development in Problem-Based Learning to Illinois educators. Excerpt: From the Presiden

Simulating an engineering workplace: a new approach to prototype-based team project

This paper documents the remote management of a first-year foundations of engineering course with special focus on students’ learning by completing a prototypebased project in an online course. The COVID-19 pandemic brought on unprecedented challenges to the teaching and learning communities around the world. Educators made purposeful changes in their teaching approaches, shifting rapidly from in-person to online mode of instruction. This study documents a project-based course that adopted an asynchronous mode of instruction as a part of the general engineering curriculum at a large Southeast university in the United States during the pandemic. This asynchronous course – through implementing necessary changes and adaptations – simulated the experience of a cross-border engineering workplace. The course content focuses on engineering design and problem-solving, physical prototyping, simulated data collection and analysis, contemporary software tools, and professional practices and expectations (e.g., communication, teamwork, and ethics). Learning activities are designed to introduce students to the types of work that engineers do daily and to challenge students’ knowledge and abilities as they explore the different elements of engineering by completing an aesthetic wind turbine project. Our paper reports on the development of the course site as informed by recent national developments in scholarship and practice for online teaching and learning. The principles of course design alignment as well as instructor presence and learner interaction as suggested by these national standards are discussed. Further, the study records strategies adapted to enable students to complete a successful prototypebased project working in geographically distributed and virtual, international teams

Towards a situated media practice: Reflections on the implementation of project-led problem-based learning

In the field of media practice education, project-based learning is utilized as a major pedagogic paradigm with the aim of mirroring professional practice within the curriculum. However, if the use of project-based learning is to be considered as more than just a way of administrating student activity, then educators need a critical understanding of how problem encounters order practice within the life cycle of a project. The drawing together of practice-based, project-based and problem-based approaches allows us to see the overlapping nature of these approaches and also differentiate them as unique pedagogies in their own right. It is argued here that this tension between similarity and difference requires a new way of thinking about mirroring professional practice within higher education, one which offers a theory of project-based learning as a productive pedagogy which places problem encounters at its heart

Digital Learning: Reforming Teacher Education to Promote Access, Equity and Quality in Sub-Saharan Africa

The purpose of this report is to provide an overview of the present and future impact of digital learning on teacher education in Sub-Saharan Africa. Digital learning in this report is defined as any instructional practice that uses new communication technologies effectively to improve access to and strengthen learning. The focus of the report is student-teachers and teachers. The 2015–2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) explicitly seek to substantially increase the supply of well-qualified teachers in the region, drawing on international forms of development and co-operation where necessary (Goal 4)

A New Era of Education Reform: Preparing All Students for Success in College, Career and Life

As society changes, the knowledge and skills required for citizens to navigate the complexities of life and work must also change. As a result, some argue that schools must provide students with a broader set of skills that will enable them to thrive in our increasingly diverse, rapidly evolving and globally-connected world. The intent is not to replace the traditional academic disciplines but to infuse them with knowledge and skills that will better prepare students for success in the 21st century -- often referred to as "21st century skills." While others maintain that as long as a portion of the student population is not mastering basic reading, writing and mathematics skills, schools must continue to focus exclusively on the traditional core academic disciplines. In order to inform the debate about the rationale for and relevance of 21st century skills in Massachusetts' public schools, the Rennie Center for Education Research & Policy conducted a survey of superintendents, charter school leaders and principals statewide to gauge the extent to which school and district leaders support the integration of 21st century skills into public education. The goal of the survey was to provide a better understanding of Massachusetts' public school and district leaders' priorities for improving student learning, including their views on 21st century skills. The survey was followed by interviews with a small sample of administrators and educators in districts and schools where the integration of 21st century skills is a priority, in order to better understand district, school and teacher approaches for infusing 21st century skills into teaching and learning.The report describes the background and context for the study, the study methodology, and key findings from the statewide survey and interviews in a sample of schools and districts. The final section of the report puts forth considerations for policymakers and K-12 school and district leaders. Case studies of two public school districts, Reading Public Schools and Brockton Public Schools are included in Appendix B. The case studies offer two different approaches to integrating 21st century skills district-wide. The case study of Reading Public Schools illustrates a district-led approach. The case study of Brockton Public Schools is an example of how one school has spurred a district to focus on 21st century skills.The study gives voice to key education stakeholders who have not been part of the public debate about 21st century skills and provides clarity about what teaching and learning in classrooms that incorporate 21st century skills looks like. While opponents of 21st century skills argue that districts where most students have not yet mastered reading, writing and mathematics skills, should focus exclusively on core academic content, the study revealed that most school and district leaders believe all public schools in Massachusetts should be required to integrate 21st century skills into learning, including schools where students are lacking adequate basic skills. Interviews with superintendents who prioritize integration of 21st century skills revealed that input from a range of stakeholders led their district to expand their mission and vision for student learning to include 21st century skills and rather than adopt a pre-packaged set of skills, the focus in these districts is on particular skills and competencies that ?t the needs of their student body. While most schools and districts have not developed measurable goals for student mastery of 21st century skills, interviews with a small sample of administrators and educators revealed that 21st century skills are assessed at the classroom level, and most administrators view school- and district-wide assessment as a future step in the process of fully integrating 21st century skills. The endings also suggest that administrators believe that, to date, state policymakers have not adequately supported the teaching and learning of 21st century skills.This report was released at a public event on October 7th, 2010. View video clips from this event on our YouTube channel and read an EdWeek article featuring this report