Course Design Template for Module Two of our Certificate in STEM in the Public Interest

Eliza J. Reilly, Exec. Director, National Center for Science and Civic Engagement (NCSCE), Davida S. Smyth, Assoc. Prof. The New School, Deputy Director NCSCE, Jay Labov, (ret) National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine

This product element will focus on Module 2, the Creation of a course or Module that exemplifies the SENCER "systems" approach of teaching foundational (STEM disciplinary) knowledge "through" unsolved and pressing civic problems that require exploration of all the "domains" (humanistic, meta). The full 4 module certificate curriculum is on the "final product" page for Team 13, but Module 2, which focuses on creating a SENCER course, module, or learning experience, is the lynchpin of the certificate.Back to Certificate Description »

Abstract

One of the hallmarks of SENCER style pedagogy is the development of learning experiences using a backward design framework that centers the learning around a wicked, unsolved public problem, either local, national, or global, of direct interest and relevance to the learner. While SENCER workshops focus on the scientific aspect and STEM learning potential of problems, they are specifically trans-disciplinary and have welcomed designers from a variety of disciplines (from Art and English to Chemistry and Mathematics) and from academic programs across the university such as the libraries and offices of experiential learning and civic engagement. Lastly, we identify ways to engage with the public and the community through outreach activities. By centering learning around a common problem and engaging with transdisciplinary designers and the larger community, a rich, engaging, and impactful learning experience emerges.

Module 2

This module will feature:

• An overview of the SENCER approach (Science Education for New Civic Engagements and Responsibilities)What is SENCER.pptx (PowerPoint 2007 (.pptx) 3.5MB Oct24 20)
• A primer on Inclusive Teaching.
• The Course or Unit Design Process (Based on two-day workshops already piloted and a design strategy summarized in this youtube video and this Designing a SENCER learning module.pptx (PowerPoint 2007 (.pptx) 370kB Oct24 20)PPT
  • We anticipate that participants will be coming from a variety of backgrounds and involved in diverse learning environments. This process works with courses or modules in all scenarios from K12 up to higher ed and in informal settings and has been adopted by SENCER for our course development.
• Backward design starting with the civic/public problem and identifying the Civic Engagement, Foundational, Humanistic, and Meta-Knowledge Outcomes.
  • This is the essence of SENCER and the SENCER philosophy. Participants will have completed the first module and this will build upon that module and demonstrate the impact of a well-designed learning experience that is tied to the SENCER philosophy.
• Overview of strategies for assessing complex outcomes (affective, dispositional, as well as knowledge and skills)
  • We will introduce a variety of ways to measure and document student progress towards the learning outcomes. Beyond exams and quizzes, we will focus on ways students can creatively show and demonstrate their learning in unique and trans-disciplinary ways.
• Deep dive into SENCER Models as exemplars in a range of disciplines, and curricular contexts, including majors, K-12, Informal learning---Course Models that are organized as course ePortfolios. Each model details how STEM learning outcomes are achieved through multi-disciplinary exploration of the problem and includes assignments, and assessment strategies for both content knowledge, dispositions, and skills.
  • We will have the participants engage with the model series and evaluate and critique the models. They will be able to pull useful examples of strategies and techniques that may work in their contexts.

Learning Outcomes for Module 2 -Course or Unit Design Process (Based on workshops already piloted and existing PD strategy ) In Module 2 participants will work, either individually or in teams, to produce a course or module for a formal classroom, or a learning experience for informal STEM learners. 
Having completed Module 2 participants will be able to:

• Learner-centered design: Ensure that the tenets of inclusion, diversity, and equity were at the core of content development and pedagogical strategies, including an understanding of what issues are most relevant and motivating to students and their communities. This will be done in line with the SENCER commitment to anti-racism.
• Use the backward design approach to develop any teaching material or curriculum
  • Combine backward design and the SENCER ideals by starting with a problem and designing the curriculum around the problem.
  • Identify ways to engage the learner with the problem at the core of the learning experience
• Actively integrate different knowledge/skills domains and ways of thinking into their curricular materials.
• Leverage assets at their institution or in their community that will enhance, broaden, and anchor the learning experience and demonstrates its relevance to "real life."
• Identify student-centered, active assessment strategies, and approaches that would measure the efficacy of the learning process.
• Once a draft is completed, use decolonizing strategies and a culturally sensitive framework to evaluate the syllabus and learning materials to ensure the tenets of inclusion, diversity, and equity are intrinsic to the learning experience.

Assessment and Evaluation Strategies

Our assessment and evaluation strategies will be implemented asynchronously and synchronously. The development of the course or unit will use a scaffolded approach, and a backward design framework, allowing the assessment of the materials to occur at several stages.  A template will be available for the participants as well as examples at each stage along with the rubrics that will be used to assess each component. The rubric we will use for assessment is the SENCER course design rubric, the same one that is used to evaluate the model courses.

We have long used a mentorship model at SENCER which engages new participants with a community of leadership fellows. Leadership fellows have worked with faculty teams at our institutes and in our workshops. For this module, we anticipate having a system in place of asynchronous mentoring and feedback. We will leverage our experiences of working in an online environment (NSF PALM, Faculty Guild, and QUBES). As participants develop their materials and upload them, they will receive feedback and suggestions from a select group of fellows. We will also leverage peer mentoring.  Using discussion boards and forums, participants will receive feedback from other participants as they are taking the course. Once we have completed our pilot years, we will be in a position to welcome certificate holders to act as mentors for future participants.

Once our participants have completed their module/course, they will upload them to their ePortfolios. ePortfolios have been proven to improve practitioner self-assessment and meta-cognitive understanding of their own values, strengths, etc. and it is a skill/capacity that will transfer to their own educational practice. Many institutions are using ePortfolios as the mechanism to perform annual evaluations of faculty and they are increasingly being used by SENCER faculty in their own classrooms. We anticipate hosting the ePortfolios on our own platform and highlighting our certificate holders on the NCSCE website.

Linking Disciplinary Learning and Civic/Social Issues (addressing the knowledge domains)

This is where we would add the three-domain outcomes (Foundational, Meta, Humanistic)--SENCER strategies for both course and program design take systems- and trans-disciplinary approaches. We will use a course template for the design process in Module 2 that will guide instructors in creating learning experiences that integrate all these domains.  Here is an example of COVID-19 and Nuclear Waste, but all civic challenges can be approached this way (food security, environmental racism, sea-level rise in coastal communities). We have 55 models to use as guides, but faculty come up with their own

Here are some other examples of integrative course design organized in a course portfolio presentation and which teach science alongside humanistic/cultural/social knowledge and meta-knowledge and skills. These will serve as models for Module 2 products:

• Ecotoxicology (Sharon Pochron, Stony Brook University): http://ncsce.net/ecotoxicology/
• Virology (Tammy Tobin, Susquehanna U): http://ncsce.net/virology/
• Pollinators (Susan Cusato, Southern Connecticut State): http://ncsce.net/pollinators-a-case-study-in-systems-thinking-and-sustainability/
• Stem Cells and Social Justice (Katayoun Chamany, The New School): http://ncsce.net/stem-cells-and-social-justice/

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