Embedded Files
Goals of the FEXL Certificate
Goals of the FEXL Certificate
to develop faculty knowledge of experiential learning pedagogical theory and practices
to help faculty apply what they learn by providing a collaborative space to (re)design their current courses with a multilingual and multicultural perspective using relevant theory and practice of experiential learning pedagogy to support their decisions
to deepen faculty’s awareness of Black and Latinx students’ experiences and needs in order to be able to design culturally sustaining experiences
develop a possible action plan for adding, enhancing, or creating XL in respective departments
build a faculty learning community
What would the FEXL Certificate Program experience look like?
The FEXL Certificate Program invites faculty across disciplines to enhance a pre-existing or developing course with experiential learning. Faculty taking part will work together as a learning community to learn about and engage with experiential learning theory and practices and plan culminating projects/assignments to be enacted the following semester in their courses. This program is a place for faculty to reflect, learn, explore, create, and take risks to (re)consider what anti-racist, equitable experiential learning would look like. The program's meetings and workshops are designed using Estepp et al.'s "Experiential Learning Model of Faculty Development" as well as tenants of Universal Design for Learning to ensure that the design of the program models experiential learning instructional practices and accessibility.
Who & How? Faculty interested would apply to take part in the opportunity by submitting an FEXL Certificate Program application that invites faculty to submit a short proposal for a course they would like to enhance or (re)envision with XL the following semester. An advisory board would select faculty across disciplines to ensure interdisciplinarity of the participants.
When? The FEXL Certificate Program would be organized into two parts that are implemented over the summer and fall semesters and then followed by a continues learning community. The summer programming would be a blended experience, Meeting in person at the onset will allow faculty and facilitators to be immersed in discussions on learning, introduced to the program, and build a learning community. Later sessions would be a blend of online and in-person sessions.
Please see the slide deck below for an example of what a program like this may look like in terms of scope, time, and topics covered. Again, this is an example of what a program like this might look like. The two parts of the FEXL Certificate Program were inspired using the Transforming STEM Teaching and Faculty Learning Program at UC Berkeley.
Recognition for Participating Faculty
Earn a faculty learning certificate in experiential learning
Be named a *Community-Engaged Experiential Learning Scholar on the experiential learning hub website and receive a badge that can go on the outside of your door
Able to host/lead brown-bag workshops during Experiential Learning Community Meetups
Have priority funding for internal experiential learning course funding and research
*The specific language "Community-Engaged Experiential Learning Scholar" is used at Loyola University, so we would need to rethink what we would like to use here at ODU.
Upon successful completion of the FEXL Certificate Program, faculty would receive a financial stipend or course release for their work
Example Topic: How Do We Assess Experiential Learning?
Example Topic: How Do We Assess Experiential Learning?
Grading Equity & (un)Grading
As we move forward, an important considering will be grading equity. How do you assess experiential learning? How do you assess student reflections? We need to RADICALLY rethink assessment at the institution and consider how we shift focus for the extrinsic motivation of grades to intrinsic motivation of LEARNING and human experiences.
In April 2021, Kole Matheson, Kevin DePew, and our team member Ann Kumm led a panel discussion on "Exploring Grading Equity" in collaboration with the Center for Faculty Development to discuss how grading aligns with what we know about equity and justice in education.
Ann allowed us to share her section of the slide deck as well a video dry run she did before the talk. She asks you all to be kind because this was only a practice recording and there some awkward pauses. In her talk she shares:
a personal anecdote on how she began questioning assessment practices
questions for faculty to ponder about grading and assessment
ways of ungrading
examples from her own classroom practices
resources for further knowledge
2021-05-12 15-13-32.mov
Resources Mentioned in Ann's Talk
People to follow:
Hashtags
What are more equitable grading practices, and how can they be implemented in experiential learning?
How can we assign a number to student experience and growth? What does it communicate to students about what we value as an institution?
How does our current research-based understanding of equity, motivation, adolescent psychology, and teaching and learning inform more equitable grading practices?
How does grading impact the student learning experience? Are we doing harm?
Additional Resources on Rethinking Grades and Assessment
Blog Posts:
“Ungrading Traffic Light” (Online Learning Toolkit)
Miscellaneous
Specifications Grading
"Tip: Specs Grading" (Breana Bayraktar)
"Specifications Grading" (from the Teaching in Higher Ed podcast)
Minimal Grading
“Grading Student Writing: Making it Simpler, Fairer, Clearer” (Peter Elbow)
Single-point rubrics (Cult of Pedagogy)
Our grading scale is weighted toward failure with over half being F.
References
Center for Adult English Language Acquisition. (2007). The CAELA guide for adult ESL trainers: Tools for training practitioners working with adult English language learners. Washington, DC: Center for Applied Linguistics.
Smith, T. W. (2018). Invitations and expeditions, but hardly ever destinations. To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development, 37(1). https://doi.org/10.3998/tia.17063888.0037.113
Page updated
Report abuse