Linked Courses: General Education with Developmental Education Redesign Alliance Conference Orlando, FL March 28-30, 2010 Dr. Leslie Kimberling Jones University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College

Course selection Relationship between disciplines Relationship between disciplines –Government and Reading –History and Reading –Reading and Writing (both DE courses) Student learning outcomes should complement each other Student learning outcomes should complement each other –Reading and reading intensive courses: Reading SLOs are broad in nature and reading intensive courses have discipline specific SLOs –Reading and writing SLOs complement each other Similar or complementary teaching philosophy and instructional styles Similar or complementary teaching philosophy and instructional styles –Determine whether instructional styles are similar, offering consistency or whether there is a need for complementary instructional styles such as lecture and active learning

Collaboration Cycle During: Collaboration During Implementation After: Collaborative Reflection Before: Collaboration in Planning

Integrated Curriculum Align student learning outcomes Align student learning outcomes Very carefully and completely discuss course and instructor expectations Very carefully and completely discuss course and instructor expectations –Cognitive and affective Develop complementary and/or supplementary instructional activities Develop complementary and/or supplementary instructional activities Select or design appropriate assessments Select or design appropriate assessments –Standardized, authentic, performance-based, etc. Collaborative analysis and evaluation Collaborative analysis and evaluation –Use the students’ assessment results to guide instruction and/or decisions concerning possible revisions to curriculum, instructional activities, and/or assessment methods Formative and Summative assessment and evaluation Formative and Summative assessment and evaluation –Determine whether implementation of revision is appropriate immediately or at a future time

How have courses changed? Collaboration Collaboration –It is not always easy to work with other faculty, especially from different disciplines Ongoing Ongoing Integrated curriculum Integrated curriculum –Unfamiliar content –Shared timeline –Shared policies Semester to semester Semester to semester Aligned instructional activities Aligned instructional activities –May require willingness to change instructional methods Within semester Within semester Refined assessments Refined assessments –May require willingness to adopt different types of assessment Semester to semester Semester to semester

Problems Collaboration Collaboration –Need to meet on a regular basis and communicate on student progress. Just because a student does well in one course does not mean that he/she will perform as well in the other. Need to identify problems almost on an individual student basis Guarding of curriculum Guarding of curriculum –Some faculty are very guarded with their curriculum and materials making effective and efficient planning and implementation difficult Overcoming stereotypes associated with developmental education or other disciplines. Overcoming stereotypes associated with developmental education or other disciplines.