Download - 2011 upcea-stone
The Adult Learner and Professional Certification: Comparing and Contrasting Two Different Approaches from Maryland and IndianaTheodore Stone, Ph.D.Professor and Director, Field and Clinical Experiences
Goals for this section
• Background and history of UMUC’s anytime-anywhere approach for adult learners
• Certification requirements for Teacher Education in Maryland
• How we designed the MAT program with respect to both
About UMUC
• Founded in 1947• One of 11 degree-granting institutions of the
University System of Maryland • Serving primarily adult and part-time students• More than 86,000 students and 3,300 faculty
worldwide• More than 160 on-site locations worldwide
Serving the U.S. military
• UMUC-Europe: Headquarters in Heidelberg, Germany– Classes offered at more than 100 locations in 21
countries– Faculty on the ground in Iraq and Afghanistan
• UMUC-Asia: Headquarters in Yokota, Japan– Classes offered at 50 locations throughout Asia
and the Pacific
Distance Education
• Nearly 40 years in distance education (instructional television, voicemail, online)
• All 23 master’s and 30 bachelor’s degree programs available fully online
• Almost 700 discrete courses available online• 65 graduate and undergraduate certificate
programs available online• More than 196,000 online enrollments in
FY09
Reinventing the MAT
• In 2008, began the redesign of the Master of Arts in Teaching degree (MAT) at UMUC– 36-credit graduate degree for initial certification as
a public school classroom teacher– requires baccalaureate in subject area (biology,
chemistry, computer science, earth/space science, English, history, mathematics, physics, or social studies)
High standards for redesign
• Remaining true to principles of adult learning• Fulfilling UMUC’s vision of anytime-anywhere
learning• Meeting state requirements for certification of
teacher• Meeting national standard for teacher
education• Combining these standards with a clinical
model for teacher education
Adult learning principles
• A 2007 U.S. DOL report estimated that adult learners over the age of 24 comprise about 44% of the U.S. postsecondary students
• Barriers to adult learners at most universities because of the adult learners' need for – focusing on careers,– their family responsibilities, – the scheduling of courses, – the need to travel to far-away campus to attend
classes, – and the cost to attend courses.
State, national and university standards
• Teacher education program at UMUC designed to meet several standards– Maryland Higher Education Commission– Maryland State Department of Education– National Council for Accreditation of
Teacher Education (NCATE)– Content-area-specific national standards – Internal UMUC standards for student
success, outcomes and retention
The clinical model in education
• In Nov. 2010, blue-ribbon NCATE panel called for clinical practice to be center of teacher preparations
• Eight states have committed to the clinical model -- CA, CO, LA, MD, NY, OH, OR, and TN
MAT program challenge
• How to redesign the program to– Support the adult learner through anytime-
anywhere learning opportunities– Rationally sequence the program
progression for the busy working adult– Meet state and national standards– Reinvent the program as inherently a
clinically-based program in an online setting
Reinventing the MAT program
• Reconfigured 36-credit program (mostly 3-credit courses) into 30-credit program of five 6-credit courses – Technology course now incorporated
throughout program– Final 15-week internship redefined from 9
to 6 credits– Field experiences embedded in each
online course
Field and clinical experiences
• Courses are online, but teacher candidates must be prepared for 3-5 days of field experiences in each semester– Teacher candidates identify schools in their
community for field experiences– Overseas students coordinate with DoD schools
• Final internship requires fulltime 15-week commitment
Leveraging technology
• Some field experiences combine virtual experiences with live classrooms– Watch online a master class followed by
live discussion with teacher– Online tutoring with students– Use of Skype, Wimba web conferencing for
field supervision
Scaffolding support
• Created office for Out of State & Student Success Initiatives– Support and guidance for field placements– Fingerprinting and background checks– Support for testing and certification
(PRAXIS)– Coordination certification requirements in
other states
Questions?