This work is supported by a National Science Foundation (NSF) collaboration between the Directorates for Education and Human Resources (EHR) and Geosciences (GEO) under grant DUE - 1125331

Creating Curricula for a Sustainable Future: A Team-based, Rubric-supported Approach

Anne E. Egger, Central Washington University

Hannah Scherer, Virginia Tech

Transforming STEM Higher Education

AAC&U Meeting; Atlanta, GA

November 7, 2014

Who are you?• Find three other people in the room who are here for

similar reasons as you. You might ask questions like:– Are you interested in redesigning your own course based on a

rubric?– Are you an administrator interested in promoting curricular

redesign?– Or perhaps simply: Why are you here?

• Once you find your new friends, you’ll tell us why your group is here.

A 5-year community effort to improve Earth literacy and build a workforce prepared to tackle environmental and resource issues

NSF’s STEP Center in the Geosciences

InTeGrate supports integrated interdisciplinary learning about resource and environmental issues across the

undergraduate curriculum to create a sustainable and just civilization.

What is InTeGrate?

A systems model for transformation of

individuals, institutions, and the geoscience

community

Courses Programs/Institutions

Community/Network

Preparing students for the futureCurricular materials that …• Engage all students in a variety of settings• Address grand challenges society is facing• Use rigorous science• Use best practices in learning• Are adaptable and adoptable by instructors

How do we ensure that all of these conditions are met in the materials we develop?

1. Design of development teams

• Three instructors from three different institutions

• Assessment consultant• Web consultant• Team leader

2. Goals are encoded in a materials design rubric

• Guiding Principles• Learning Objectives

and Outcomes• Assessment and

Measurement• Resources and

Materials• Instructional Strategies• Alignment

Guiding principles (Must score 15/15) Points ScoreCourse/module addresses one or more geoscience-related grand challenges facing society 3Course/module develops student ability to address interdisciplinary problems 3Course/module improves student understanding of the nature and methods of geoscience and developing geoscientific habits of mind 3Course/module makes use of authentic and credible geoscience data to learn central concepts in the context of geoscience methods of inquiry 3Course/module incorporates systems thinking 3

Learning objectives (Must score 13/15)Learning objectives describe measureable geoscience literacy goals 3Instructions and/or rubrics provide guidance for how students meet learning goals 3Learning objectives and goals are appropriate for the intended use of the course/module 3Learning objectives and goals are clearly stated for each module in language suitable for the level of the students 3Learning objectives and goals address the process and nature of science and development of scientific habits of mind 3

Assessment and Measurement (Must score 13/15)Assessments measure the learning objectives 3Assessments are criterion referenced 3Assessments are consistent with course activities and resources expected 3Assessments are sequenced, varied and appropriate to the content 3Assessments address goals at successively higher cognitive levels 3

Resources and Materials (Must score 15/18)Instructional materials contribute to the stated learning objectives 3Students will recognize the link between the learning objectives, goals and the learning materials 3Instructional materials should be suffi ciently diverse and at the depth necessary for students to achieve learning objectives and goals 3Materials are appropriately cited 3Instructional materials are current 3

Instructional materials and the technology to support these materials are clearly stated 3Instructional Strategies (Must score 13/15)

Learning strategies and activities support stated learning objectives and goals 3Learning strategies and activities promote student engagement with the materials 3Learning activities develop student metacognition 3Learning strategies and activities provide opportunities for students to practice communicating geoscience 3Learning strategies and activities scaffold learning 3

Alignment (Must score 5/6)Teaching materials, assessments, resources and learning activities align with one another 3All aspects of the module/course are aligned 3

Total 84

Guiding principles• Address one or more geoscience-related grand

challenges facing society• Develop student ability to address interdisciplinary

problems• Improve student understanding of the nature and

methods of geoscience and developing geoscientific habits of mind

• Make use of authentic and credible geoscience data to learn central concepts in the context of geoscience methods of inquiry

• Develop students’ ability and propensity to use systems thinking

geoscientific thinking skills

The Rest of the Rubric

• Drawn from high-impact practices and research on learning

• Based on a backward design model– Learning objectives and outcomes– Assessment and measurement– Resources and materials– Instructional Strategies– Alignment

Hannah Scherer, Sarah Fortner, & Martha Murphy

Proposal: sustainable agriculture as an interdisciplinary grand challenge.

Foley et al., 2005

Module development: objectives

Students build earth systems thinking by

● Examining landscapes & geospatial figures

● Evaluating soil properties ● Using technology (SoilWeb™)● Forecasting climate change impacts

on regional agriculture● Proposing solutions to meet local soil

resource challengesCompare soil porosity & permeability before & after compaction

Module development: pedagogy

● Practicing geoscience communicationo Think-Pair-Shareo JigSawo Small Group

Collaboration o Fact Sheet

● Scaffolding● Working with authentic

data

● Constructivist/ active learning classroom

Summative Assessment: Fact sheet

Summative assessment: evaluation

Degree to which assessment reflects …

Module Learning GoalsFact Sheet Assignment

…ability to use geological data to develop a plan for sustainable soil management in one or more agricultural settings.

2.5

…ability to predict agricultural challenges that might result from climate change using systems thinking.

2.5

InTeGrate Guiding Principles

… competence explaining one or more geoscience-related grand challenges facing society .

3

… ability to address interdisciplinary problems. 2.5… the nature and methods of geoscience and developing geoscientific habits of mind.

2.5

… use of authentic and credible geoscience data to learn central concepts in the context of geoscience methods of inquiry.

3

… ability to incorporate systems thinking. 2.5

Summative assessment: evaluation

Degree to which assessment reflects …

Module Learning GoalsFact Sheet Assignment

Student Work

…ability to use geological data to develop a plan for sustainable soil management in one or more agricultural settings.

2.5 2

…ability to predict agricultural challenges that might result from climate change using systems thinking.

2.5 2

InTeGrate Guiding Principles

… competence explaining one or more geoscience-related grand challenges facing society .

3 3

… ability to address interdisciplinary problems. 2.5 2.5… the nature and methods of geoscience and developing geoscientific habits of mind.

2.5 2

… use of authentic and credible geoscience data to learn central concepts in the context of geoscience methods of inquiry.

3 2

… ability to incorporate systems thinking. 2.5 1.5

Technical review and revisions: improvements to module

(SoilWeb: http://casoilresource.lawr.ucdavis.edu/)

Authentic data

(Pruski, and Nearing, 2002)

Systems thinking

(Wilkinson and McElroy, 2007)

Local context

Tour of A Growing Concern

In your like-minded groups:

• How do you envision using faculty teams and/or the rubric in your setting?

• What adaptations would you make?• Be prepared to report out in 20 minutes.

Other ways we’ve used the rubric

Rubric-Structured Developer’s Meetings

Impact of Corrective Actions

2012 Teams (6) 2013-14 Teams (11)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 2850%

55%

60%

65%

70%

75%

80%

85%

90%

95%

100% Average Rubric Element Scores

1 Grand Challenges2 Interdisciplinary3 Nature of Science4 Data driven5 System Thinking6 Geoscience Outcomes7 Grading Rubrics8 Learning Outcomes (LO)9 Understandable LO's10 Scientific Habits Mind11 Assessments for LO's12 Critereon Referenced13 LO's Consistent with Course14 LO's Sequenced and Varied15 Multiple Cognitive Levels16 Materials Support Goals17 Materials Link18 Diverse Acitivites19 References20 Current21 Technology States22 Mutitple Learning Strategies23 Student Engagement24 Metacognition25 Communicating Science26 Scaffold Learning27 Materials Align28 Module Segments Align

Professional Development Webinars

Impact of Corrective Actions

2012 Teams (6) 2013-14 Teams (11)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 2850%

55%

60%

65%

70%

75%

80%

85%

90%

95%

100% Average Rubric Element Scores

1 Grand Challenges2 Interdisciplinary3 Nature of Science4 Data driven5 System Thinking6 Geoscience Outcomes7 Grading Rubrics8 Learning Outcomes (LO)9 Understandable LO's10 Scientific Habits Mind11 Assessments for LO's12 Critereon Referenced13 LO's Consistent with Course14 LO's Sequenced and Varied15 Multiple Cognitive Levels16 Materials Support Goals17 Materials Link18 Diverse Acitivites19 References20 Current21 Technology States22 Mutitple Learning Strategies23 Student Engagement24 Metacognition25 Communicating Science26 Scaffold Learning27 Materials Align28 Module Segments Align

Other projects have adopted it

• GETSI (Geodesy Tools for Societal Issues): modified guiding principles slightly to focus on geodesy

• GeoPRISMS mini-lessons

Get involved

• Sign up for InTeGrate email news and updates

• Consider proposing an implementation program

• Express interest in (and come to!) the Earth Educators’ Rendezvous