An Example of the Transformation Process

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An Example of the Transformation Process

• Joyce K. Ono
• Dept. of Biological Science
• California State University, Fullerton

How Learners Learn Teachers Teach Symposium CSU
Fullerton - January 26, 2004
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Why Change? Internal drivers

• Problems with the previous curriculum
• Students were still taking core courses as
  seniors
• Students in upper division courses had varied
  backgrounds
• Lack of cohesiveness in coursework taken by most
  students
• Complaints by faculty in upper division courses
  that students did not retain what they were
  supposed to have learned in core courses

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Previous Biology Curriculum
BIOL 241 (4) Botany
BIOL 302 (4) General Microbiology
BIOL 131 (3) Principles of Biology
BIOL 316 (4) Principles of Ecology
BIOL 261 (4) Zoology
BIOL 312 (3) Genetics Molecular Biology
Upper Division Electives 16 units, 4 in field
or lab work
BIOL 320L (2) Cellular Molecular Biology Lab
BIOL 315 (3) Cell Developmental Biology
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Agony Temporary Ecstasy in Effecting Change

• Failure in early attempts to have a committee
  develop a new curriculum
• Turf wars (faculty reluctant to give up courses
  in their areas of expertise)
• Epiphany at 1997 Faculty Retreat
• Facilitated by a professional facilitator
• Trained in Total Quality Management processes
• Was a biologist and had been involved in biology
  education
• Consensus attained on core skills

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New Biology Curriculum--Structural Reform
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Additional Vision Reform in How We Teach

• Aim to create student-centered learning
  environments
• Engage students in active learning,
  constructing knowledge, collaborative activities,
  minimize time spent in lecturing only
• Focus on processes of science in inquiry-based
  laboratory and field activities
• Provide opportunities for students to reflect on
  their learning (metacognition)

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Major Reform in How We Develop Curriculum
Courses

• Curriculum developed via backwards design and
  in collaborative groups
• Identified student learning outcomes
  first--Avoids focusing only on details and
  scientific facts
• Develop learning strategies, laboratory/field
  experiences and activities to achieve learning
  outcomes
• Ideally should develop assessments of desired
  student learning outcomes

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Change Process Used for Curriculum Development

• Teaching Collaboratives established to develop
  core courses
• Involved most of department faculty
• Added to department infrastructure
• Hired two new faculty
• With expertise in curriculum development
• To conduct research on teaching and learning
• Serve as resource for faculty development
• Wrote grants to obtain equipment, continue
  services of the facilitator, support retreats

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Departmental Infrastructure for Curriculum Reform
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LESSONS LEARNED

• Need supportive leadership
• Faculty need to learn to work in effective teams
• Recruit needed expertise
• Facilitator to help develop faculty, move project
• Faculty with interests and expertise in
  curriculum development
• Changes in personnel document necessary
• Need to communicate w/ other stakeholders
• Change takes time 1995 - 2002 Part of the
  agony
• Hundreds of people hours in meetings, writing
  grants and reports, faculty retreats

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Challenge Sustaining Reforms

• Continuing need for leadership
• Need to establish a Learning Organization with
  infrastructure and processes to support
• Ongoing communication among faculty, staff,
  teaching assistants, students
• Assessment of curriculum
• Faculty development

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Acknowledgments

• NSF support
• CCLI grants to support equipment purchases,
  develop lab activities, faculty retreats
• Assessment of Student Achievements award to
  develop assessments of critical thinking and
  problem-solving in biology
• Intramural grants for faculty release time
• Facilitator Evaluators Elaine McClanahan of
  Strategic Learning, J. Wan, E. Jones, J.
  Carter-Wells
• Biological Science Department faculty, students
  and staff
• Our spouses and significant others

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