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Session Description

Free ticketed event
Brief Description of Workshop
This workshop will introduce participants to the approach developed through the NSF IUSE Learning Map Project (Award 2315492), which seeks to improve student learning and knowledge transfer through the intentional and collaborative design of STEM course sequences. The facilitators use a two-pronged approach to help faculty identify key areas for improvement within and across their course sequence: (1) Faculty reflection on curricular bottlenecks and historical barriers to student learning, and (2) the development and use of visual “Learning Maps” to aid in the identification of key learning outcomes, concepts, and skills that must be carefully introduced and cultivated throughout the curriculum. Participants will then choose from one of two breakout sessions focused on (1) Generating Learning Maps for Your Course Sequence, or (2) Using Backward Design to Align Assessment and Instruction Across a Sequence. The approach leverages the cognitive and knowledge dimensions of Bloom’s Taxonomy to help instructors identify key areas for improvement (Learning Maps) and to intentionally align learning outcomes, assessments, and instruction across a sequence (Backward Design). Participants will be provided worksheets to support reflection and consensus-building at each stage of course sequence design, and additional resources to continue the conversation at their home institutions.

Collaboration
This workshop is a collaboration with the Faculty Development Division and is supported through the NSF Improving Undergraduate STEM Education Award: “Learning Map Framework to Align Instruction and Improve Student Learning in STEM Course Sequences” (Award 2315492)

Expected Audience
The intended audience includes faculty teams that teach in the same course sequence or that teach critical gateway courses that establish key competencies in the curriculum. The workshop will be valuable to instructional designers and higher education leaders seeking to promote teaching best practice and student success via curriculum-level intervention.

Workshop Schedule
00:00 Introduction to the NSF IUSE Learning Map Project
00:10 Framing the Problem and Workshop Goals
00:20 Common barriers to student learning and knowledge transfer
Participants share reflections
00:40 Why Learning Maps? What they are and how they can help
00:45 Why Backward Design? How we can use it to align instruction across a course sequence
00:50 Break – Gather course materials & find your breakout group!
01:00 Breakout Group Workshops
Breakout Option 1: Generating learning maps for your course sequence
Breakout Option 2: Using Backward Design to Align Assessment and Instruction Across a Sequence
02:00 Break
02:10 Reconvene for group reflection, Q&A
02:30 End

Funding Source of Workshop Material
The content of this workshop was developed as part of NSF Grant Number 2315492.

Purpose and Background
This workshop will introduce participants to the approach developed through the NSF IUSE Learning Map Project (Award 2315492), which seeks to improve student learning and knowledge transfer through the intentional and collaborative design of STEM course sequences. The approach was developed to address structural barriers to student success including poorly integrated learning outcomes and a lack of coordination among instructors teaching in the same sequence, as well as a common barrier for faculty: Limited time. The workshop will help faculty identify key areas for improvement and provide time for participants to work through backward design activities for a course sequence of their choosing, using the templates and resources developed through the IUSE project.
The facilitators use a two-pronged approach to help faculty identify key areas for improvement: (1) Faculty reflection on curricular ‘bottlenecks’ and historical barriers for students in key prerequisite course sequences, and (2) Visual “Learning Maps” to aid in the identification of key learning outcomes, concepts, and skills that must transfer between courses. Participants are asked to identify learning outcomes that (1) are developed across multiple courses in a sequence and (2) are historically challenging for students to master. We refer to these outcomes as “interdependent” due to the nature of overlap and dependency of topics, concepts, and skills in the sequence. Once identified by the instructor(s), these interdependent outcomes become the focal point for subsequent backward design activities.
The workshop will be useful for faculty teams that teach in the same sequence or teach courses that develop key competencies across a curriculum. It will also be useful for instructional designers and department heads interested in curriculum-level interventions to promote teaching best practices and student success. The proposed facilitation approach was piloted with faculty at the University of Vermont over 2 days in June 2024 and resulted in alignments of learning outcomes, assessments, and instruction across the Physics – Statics – Dynamics course sequence. The facilitators will distill the content to 2.5 hours, applying a ‘choose your own adventure’ framework, in which participants can choose a breakout option that best serves their interests and needs.
Format and Activities
The workshop will span 2.5 hours and provide opportunities for faculty to learn about the facilitation approach, reflect on their own experience, interact with the resources and templates developed by the research team, and take a deeper dive into a breakout session of their choosing (see below). The preferred room format will include tables and chairs and space for posters / sticky notes to be hung at the perimeter for reflection activities. A handheld microphone will be needed so that participants can share their discussions and questions with the broader group. To minimize the use of paper, participants will be asked to bring their laptop or device and be connected to the conference wifi to access the digital templates that will be provided. A survey will be sent to registered participants in advance of the workshop. Depending on the number of faculty that are attending the workshop as a team, the facilitators will set up a shared document folder so that teams can collaboratively edit the backward design templates during the workshop.
Workshop Welcome and Introduction
The workshop will begin with a short overview of the IUSE project and goals for the workshop. Participants will be introduced to the problem: (1) Curricular complexity and poorly coordinated course sequences as barriers to student success and (2) Faculty time to coordinate teaching activities. Participants will then be asked to reflect and share common barriers for students in their sequence (prior knowledge, specific skills, etc) and common barriers to faculty coordination across courses.
The facilitators will give an overview of how learning maps can aid in the identification of interdependent learning outcomes and skills development, citing examples from previous research and the Physics-Statics-Dynamics course at the University of Vermont. Next, the concept of backward design for course sequences will be introduced along with an overview of decision-making and consensus-building tools and templates. At this point, participants will be asked to choose a breakout group: (1) Generating learning maps for your course sequence, (2) Using Backward Design to Align Assessment and Instruction Across a Sequence.
Ahead of the workshop, participants will be asked to bring with them, or have access to, the syllabi for the courses they have in mind, including learning outcomes, reading materials, and assessments.
Breakout Option 1: Generating learning maps for your course sequence
In this breakout, participants will be provided templates and instructions for creating their own learning maps (“LMap”; Build Your Own Learning Map). Due to limited time, participants will be asked to choose one course topic or learning outcome to focus on and to populate the learning map with an inventory of concepts and sub-ordinate skills that students will need to achieve the selected outcome. Examples of completed learning maps for Physics, Statics, and Dynamics courses will be provided. The facilitators expect that this activity will give participants a sense of the mapping process, such that they can return to their institution and complete it for other key outcomes as needed. Ultimately, the LMap should serve as a focal point for faculty seeking to coordinate how specific concepts, procedures, and skills are taught.
Breakout Option 2: Using Backward Design to Align Assessment and Instruction Across a Sequence
In this breakout, participants will be asked to have a specific course sequence in mind and focus on a single learning outcome or skill that must be transferred and developed across the sequence. The facilitators will provide short presentations on best practices for writing learning outcomes, assessment (diagnostic / formative / summative), and instruction, highlighting examples and research on active, inclusive, and conceptual learning. Following each short presentation, the relevant worksheet will be introduced: Identifying Learning Outcomes, Aligning Assessments, and Aligning Instruction. The worksheets will guide participants through a series of questions to document current assessment and instructional approaches in each course, as well as prompts to build consensus on changes that would bring teaching approaches in different courses into better alignment. As noted before, the approach is best suited for faculty teams, teaching within the same sequence, however individual faculty can begin this work during the workshop and, once familiar with the process and resources, continue working with colleagues at their home institution to complete the alignment.
Content
A pre-workshop survey will be provided to participants with questions regarding the course sequence of interest, whether participants are attending with other instructors in the sequence, and prior observations of student barriers to learning. The survey will also include Likert-type questions to assess prior knowledge of the frameworks and strategies employed during the workshop, including learning maps, Gagne’s Nine Events of Instruction, Backward Design, Bloom’s Taxonomy, and active learning. Facilitators will use this information to plan examples and supplemental resources most relevant to those attending.
During the workshop, participants will be provided information for accessing and downloading course planning templates, including a Build Your Own Learning Map Template, Identifying Learning Outcomes Worksheet, Aligning Assessments Worksheet, and Aligning Instruction Worksheet. The project webpage will also include resources and research highlighted during the workshop for faculty to access later.
A post-workshop survey will be provided to assess participants’ learning gains against the pre-workshop survey, as well as questions on whether and how participants plan to employ the approach moving forward, and whether they would like to be contacted about related content and opportunities in the future.
About the Facilitators
Drs Giles, Wijesinghe, Medsker, and Seneviratne are co/PIs on the NSF IUSE Learning Maps Project, for which this workshop is based. The group developed and facilitated a similar workshop in June 2024, which resulted in improvements to the physics-statics-dynamics course sequence at the University of Vermont. Collectively, the team brings over 60 years of experience in curriculum development, assessment, engineering education, and faculty development.

Speakers

1. Dr. Courtney D Giles

   University of Vermont

   Dr. Courtney Giles is the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs in the College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences (CEMS) at the University of Vermont (UVM) and Senior Lecturer in Civil & Environmental Engineering. Dr. Giles leads academic operations in CEMS, including curriculum development, faculty development, and initiatives related to institutional effectiveness and student success. She has engaged over 1500 faculty and graduate students in workshops, retreats, book groups, and other trainings since 2017. Dr. Giles serves as a leader and consultant on Scholarship of Teaching and Learning programming at her university and spearheaded the inaugural campus-wide SoTL Symposium in May 2024. This first symposium attracted over 70 faculty and show-cased novel instructional methods and educational research across the University. Dr. Giles has been recognized for Excellence in Professional Service (2021), received the University’s Higher Education Resource Service (HERS) Award in 2023, and the University’s Civic-learning Faculty Member of the Year award in 2024. Her research centers on the first-year experience, curriculum design, faculty development, and student use of generative artificial intelligence.

2. Dr. Priyantha Wijesinghe

   University of Vermont

   Dr. Priyantha Wijesinghe is the Director of Curricular Enrichment for the College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences (CEMS) at the University of Vermont and Senior Lecturer in Civil and Environmental Engineering. A structural engineer and architect by education, Dr. Wijesinghe brings over 15 years of experience in civil engineering education, teaching mechanics and civil/structural engineering courses from sophomore to graduate levels. She is a recognized expert in engineering education and assessment, specializing in curriculum development, student outcomes assessment, and pedagogical innovation. In her role as the Director of Curricular Enrichment, Dr. Wijesinghe coordinates assessments across CEMS, including engineering, mathematics, statistics, computer science, and physics programs. She also oversees the ABET accreditation processes for five undergraduate engineering programs and leads pedagogical improvements across the college. Since 2019, she has organized and facilitated numerous workshops aimed at enhancing teaching and learning across all programs. In addition to her technical expertise, Dr. Wijesinghe integrates mindfulness and contemplative practices into her teaching to enhance student focus and learning outcomes. She has been recognized with multiple awards for her contributions to both teaching and service, including the President’s Distinguished Senior Lecturer Award in 2023.

3. Larry R Medsker

   University of Vermont

   Larry Medsker is a Research Professor of Physics at The George Washington University (GWU) and at the University of Vermont. He is also a Research Affiliate at George Mason University’s Center for Assured Research and Engineering. He is a member of the GWU Human-Technology Collaboration Lab, and Founding Director of the university’s Master’s Program in Data Science. Larry specializes in areas of artificial intelligence, data science, computer science, neural computing, information systems, physics, and STEM education. He is the author of four books and over 200 publications on neural networks, AI, and physics. He serves as Co-Editor-in-Chief of AI and Ethics, Associate Editor of Neural Computing and Applications, and Policy Officer for ACM’s Special Interest Group on Artificial Intelligence (SIGAI). Larry provides consulting services and seminars for managers and technologists on best practices for incorporating science and engineering advances into business, government, and educational organizations. All recommendations include attention to the ethical human-centered design and implementation of technology.

4. Holly Ann Buckland Parker

   University of Vermont

   Holly Buckland Parker is an Educational Developer and Grad. Teaching Program Coordinator at the Center for Teaching and Learning at the University of Vermont.