COUNSELOR EDUCATION PEDAGOGY TRAINING Session One: Significant Learning and Counselor Education

BY THE END OF THIS WORKSHOP… You will be able to identify the key elements of the Significant Learning Framework You will be able to describe the parallels between Significant Learning and Counselor Education You will be able to apply Significant Learning principles to conceptualizing teaching core courses in Counselor Education

PART ONE: WHAT IS SIGNIFICANT LEARNING?

CACREP Standards 2016: COUNSELING CURRICULUM Syllabi are available for review by all enrolled or prospective students, are distributed at the beginning of each curricular experience, and include (1) content areas, (2) knowledge and skill outcomes, (3) methods of instruction, (4) required text(s) and/or reading(s), (5) student performance evaluation criteria and procedures, and (6) a disability accommodation policy and procedure statement. Current counseling-related research is infused in the curriculum. The eight common core areas represent the foundational knowledge required of all entry-level counselor education graduates. Therefore, counselor education programs must document where each of the lettered standards listed below is covered in the curriculum.

CACREP Standards 2016: ASSESSMENT OF STUDENTS The counselor education program faculty systematically assesses each student’s progress throughout the program by examining student learning in relation to a combination of knowledge and skills. The assessment process includes the following: (1) identification of key performance indicators of student learning in each of the eight core areas and in each student’s respective specialty area(s) (for doctoral programs, each of the five doctoral core areas), (2) measurement of student learning conducted via multiple measures and over multiple points in time, and (3) review or analysis of data. The counselor education program faculty systematically assesses each student’s professional dispositions throughout the program. The assessment process includes the following: (1) identification of key professional dispositions, (2) measurement of student professional dispositions over multiple points in time, and (3) review or analysis of data. The counselor education program faculty has a systematic process in place for the use of individual student assessment data in relation to retention, remediation, and dismissal.

BUT WHAT ABOUT INSTRUCTION? How do we teach all of the following at once: content, processes, skills, dispositions, ethical behaviors, professional identity, valuing clients and appreciation for the work of counseling?

ENTER SIGNIFICANT LEARNING!!! (Fink, 2003)

CACREP helps us out here… And a little bit here… The Significant Learning Model helps us here, and also helps us to connect all of these pieces together This is what we start with…

Discussion Questions: Use the CACREP 2016 standards ( standards/) and your knowledge of Counselor Education to discuss the following: standards/ Where do the CACREP standards most strongly align with the Significant Learning model? Where do professional dispositions (such as WM’s non-academic professional performance standards) most strongly align with the Significant Learning model? Where does professional practice and skill acquisition most strongly align with the Significant Learning Model? What potential do you see in the Significant Learning model for Counselor Education?

PART TWO: HOW CAN WE APPLY SIGNIFICANT LEARNING TO COUNSELOR EDUCATION?

AN EXAMPLE: GROUP COUNSELING COURSE Here’s what we are given by CACREP: GROUP COUNSELING AND GROUP WORK theoretical foundations of group counseling and group work theoretical foundations of group counseling and group work dynamics associated with group process and development dynamics associated with group process and development therapeutic factors and how they contribute to group effectiveness therapeutic factors and how they contribute to group effectiveness characteristics and functions of effective group leaders characteristics and functions of effective group leaders approaches to group formation, including recruiting, screening, and selecting members approaches to group formation, including recruiting, screening, and selecting members types of groups and other considerations that affect conducting groups in varied settings types of groups and other considerations that affect conducting groups in varied settings ethical and culturally relevant strategies for designing and facilitating groups ethical and culturally relevant strategies for designing and facilitating groups direct experiences in which students participate as group members in a small group activity, approved by the program, for a minimum of 10 clock hours over the course of one academic term direct experiences in which students participate as group members in a small group activity, approved by the program, for a minimum of 10 clock hours over the course of one academic term

CACREP helps us out here… Once we have our learning goals and activities, we can identify tools for assessing progress and informing future instructional and programmatic decisions. We can use the Significant Learning Model plus the Learning Goals (CACREP Standards) to design activities that address both domains simultaneously We should consider this context as we plan…

Here’s what we are given by CACREP: GROUP COUNSELING AND GROUP WORK theoretical foundations of group counseling and group work theoretical foundations of group counseling and group work dynamics associated with group process and development dynamics associated with group process and development therapeutic factors and how they contribute to group effectiveness therapeutic factors and how they contribute to group effectiveness characteristics and functions of effective group leaders characteristics and functions of effective group leaders approaches to group formation, including recruiting, screening, and selecting members approaches to group formation, including recruiting, screening, and selecting members types of groups and other considerations that affect conducting groups in varied settings types of groups and other considerations that affect conducting groups in varied settings ethical and culturally relevant strategies for designing and facilitating groups ethical and culturally relevant strategies for designing and facilitating groups direct experiences in which students participate as group members in a small group activity, approved by the program, for a minimum of 10 clock hours over the course of one academic term direct experiences in which students participate as group members in a small group activity, approved by the program, for a minimum of 10 clock hours over the course of one academic term

The student will…Significant LearningLearning ActivityAssessment Describe theoretical foundations of group counseling and group work Foundational KnowledgeLecture, Discussion Group curriculum Multiple-choice exam Rubric (curriculum) Explain dynamics associated with group process and development Foundational KnowledgeLecture, Discussion Case study Multiple-choice exam Rubric (case study) Identify therapeutic factors and how they contribute to group effectiveness Foundational Knowledge Application Lecture, Discussion Role Play Multiple-choice exam Observation of role play Identify characteristics and functions of effective group leaders Foundational Knowledge Application Lecture, Discussion Case Study Role Play Multiple-choice exam Rubric (case study) Observation of role play Demonstrate approaches to group formation, including recruiting, screening, and selecting members ApplicationGroup curriculum Role Play Rubric (curriculum) Observation of role play Identify types of groups and other considerations that affect conducting groups in varied settings ApplicationLecture, Discussion Case Study Multiple-choice exam Rubric (case study) Identify and demonstrate ethical and culturally relevant strategies for designing and facilitating groups Foundational Knowledge Application Lecture, Discussion Case Study Group curriculum Multiple-choice exam Rubric (case study) Rubric (curriculum) Participate in direct experiences in which students participate as group members in a small group activity Application Integration Human Dimension Caring Learning how to Learn Experiential Group Process Weekly written reflections Feedback from group leader

PART THREE: YOUR TURN

CREATE AN INTEGRATED COURSE DESIGN PLAN Use the CACREP 2016 standards ( standards/) to identify learning goals for a course of your choosing Use the CACREP 2016 standards ( standards/) to identify learning goals for a course of your choosinghttp:// standards/ standards/ Create an Integrated Course Design Plan for the course you are designing Create an Integrated Course Design Plan for the course you are designing Summarize your integration of Significant Learning and Counselor Education with a paragraph outlining your course plan and briefly describing activities and assessments and how they connect to Significant Learning and learning goals Summarize your integration of Significant Learning and Counselor Education with a paragraph outlining your course plan and briefly describing activities and assessments and how they connect to Significant Learning and learning goals Share this plan with a partner Share this plan with a partner

QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS Please be sure to complete the Professional Development evaluation form located at: Please be sure to complete the Professional Development evaluation form located at: