Transforming Teaching

Helping educators translate their expertise into effective learning experiences for their students.

Transforming teaching is about helping educators understand how to translate their subject matter expertise into the design of effective learning experiences for their students. Faculty at the post-secondary level are hired for their expertise in their discipline; most teach as they were taught or how they prefer to learn. Neither approach is ideal, nor evidence-based. In today’s vastly changed teaching context, educators in colleges, universities and the workplace need to know pedagogically sound approaches to designing adult learning.

Putting the pieces of the curriculum development puzzle begins with an understanding of how to effectively articulate the intended outcomes of learning and designing clear, measurable outcome statements. Creating an effective assessment and evaluation process to ensure that the intended learning is authentically assessed is the next step. Finally, developing instructional strategies that link the outcomes to the evaluation and reflect the same level of intended learning ensures a better quality learning experience.

As an educator, I design activities that provide opportunities for learners to engage actively, practice higher order thinking skills and ultimately develop deeper meaning. My goal is to effectively design curriculum and learning experiences to promote the construction of meaning and encourage transformation. My approach is grounded in a 21^st century teaching and learning paradigm (Tagg, 2006) and enacted by a curriculum design framework utilizing evidence-based (Groccia & Buskist, 2011; Petty, 2009), arts-informed (Eisner, 2001; Knowles & Cole, 2008), and technology-enabled (Prensky, 2001a; 2001b) instructional strategies. Today’s technological, knowledge, economic and communication realities are driving an increasing demand for global citizens to demonstrate 21^st century learning competencies including communication, critical thinking and problem solving, creativity and innovation, collaboration and leadership, self-direction and life-long learning, information and technological literacy skills as well as social responsibility and cultural, global and environmental awareness (Fullan & Langworthy, 2014). There is an increasing need to embed these skills in core curriculum outcomes.  By doing so, educators ensure the future readiness of all learners to be productive citizens.

I have extensive experience supporting teachers and trainers in understanding how to design curriculum to achieve these goals.  I provide a wide range of curriculum workshops, training programs that focus on the design and evaluation of higher order learning. They include:

• Assessment and Evaluation
  • Program, Course and Lesson Level
• Curriculum Design Models
  • ADDIE
  • Understanding by Design (UbD)
  • Kemp Model
• Curriculum Development
  • Program, Course and Lesson Level
• Designing for the Learning Paradigm
• Designing for the Technology Paradigm
• Embedding arts-informed, evidence based, technology-enabled strategies in design
• Program Review & Quality Assurance

Consulting Services in this area include:

• Audits – Regulatory/Ministerial
• Curriculum review and revision
• Course/program development
• Course/Program outlines
• Program Mapping
• Quality Assurance Tools & Processes
  • Course Mapping
  • Course evaluations Institutional
  • Program Review
• Support/develop institutional proposals
• Support/develop and review regulatory body/ministerial proposals
• Trouble shoot specific issues; Recommend solutions