PCC’s Summer Sustainability Institute 2010
Curriculum Revision Plan
With support from Portland Community College’s Sustainability Training for Technical Educators (STTE) grant,
funded by the National Science Foundation, the Summer Sustainability Institute (SSI) offers high quality and up-todate training to help instructors infuse sustainability into their courses. The SSI is designed to support faculty in
revising their curriculum to integrate current sustainability concepts, theories, practices, and policies to help prepare
students for careers in green building design, construction and maintenance.
Section I: Curriculum Revision Plan Objectives
The SSI Curriculum Revision Plan helps guide participants’ development of new and/or revised course
curriculum, with the following objectives:

Identify how faculty will integrate their SSI experiences and new knowledge into their course curriculum.

Align course revisions with current sustainability concepts, theories, practices, and policies.

Document changes and/or additions instructors intend to make in their courses or teaching practices.

Determine the impact that SSI participants expect from their course revisions. Will students:

o
Develop new knowledge and skills relative to sustainability practices?
o
Apply new knowledge and skills to their school or extracurricular projects?
o
Change their perceptions and/or choices of courses, degree programs, or careers?
o
Improve their awareness and knowledge of sustainability issues, principles and practices?
o
Change their attitudes toward sustainability principles and practices?
Ensure curriculum revision plans contain descriptions of essential elements for effective instruction, including:
o
Specific outcomes or skills that students will produce or demonstrate
o
Instructional formats to be used (lecture, hands-on learning, demo, etc.)
o
Instructional tools needed (multimedia, technology, equipment, materials, etc.)
o
Assessment plans to determine if students have achieved the set outcomes and skills (test, presentation,
portfolio, observation by instructor, etc.)
The SSI Curriculum Revision Plan also seeks evaluation feedback, to assess participants’ curriculum revision
experiences and to support continual improvement in course revision efforts. Please consider the following
questions when developing your curriculum revision plan.

How has the SSI shaped your curriculum revision process?

How can the curriculum revision process be improved?

What are the major challenges in revising your course(s)?

What resources do you need to help your students reach their learning objectives?
Section II: Curriculum Revision Plan
Revision of at least one course is a requirement of the SSI program. The overall purpose of the Curriculum Revision
Plan is to help you organize your ideas in a way that will facilitate integration of your sustainability training into your
courses. Revisions should include some new content and instruction techniques.
You will have an opportunity to share your ideas with each other during the week, at the follow-up Summit on August
30, and via our web page at www.ppc.edu/stte. We request that you submit your completed Curriculum Revision Plan
by August 30 to Kim Smith, the SSI Training Coordinator, at kdsmith@pcc.edu. Note that parts of your plan may be
combined with other faculty input for use in evaluation reports, but names and other forms of identity will be removed
to ensure anonymity. We appreciate all suggestions to help us improve the STTE SSI program.
Table 1. Course(s) to Revise
Identify the course(s) you plan to revise using knowledge and skills gained from the SSI.
College/School
Course Number & Title
Sustainability Science
Mt. Scott Alternative High
School
Why did you choose this/these course(s) for revision?
Students learn scientific principles by studying energy efficiency through project-based curriculum.
Table 2. Impact of Curriculum Revisions on Students
Describe the type of impact you expect your curriculum revisions will have on your students.
Circle “Yes” or “No” for each type of impact. Then, briefly explain your expectations.
Will your course revisions help students:
Develop new knowledge and skills of sustainability principles and practices relevant to
the course(s) and discipline?
Apply new knowledge and skills to their school or extracurricular projects?
Change their perceptions and/or choices of courses, degree programs, or careers?
Improve awareness and knowledge of broader sustainability issues within their
communities and the world.
Change their attitudes toward sustainability principles and practices?
Be better qualified for jobs.
Other: Please describe.
Be more aware of daily energy use individually and for their family.
Explain why you expect this/these impact(s) to occur.
Energy costs money and money talks!
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
No
No
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
No
No
Yes
No
Summer Sustainability Institute Template Description: STTE, NSF Project No. 0812576, J. Mattoon, External Evaluator, and Kim Smith, SSI Training
Coordinator, July, 2010.
Section III: Curriculum Revision Description
Use the following guidelines and tables to identify the learning objectives and instruction techniques you plan
to revise in your course(s). They are designed to help you organize your plan for adding content and/or new
student learning activities to the course(s) you teach.
Please copy and paste additional tables, if needed for multiple courses.
Table 3a. Learning Objectives
New or revised learning objectives are essential for effective curriculum revisions. Write student learning
objectives that describe exactly what you expect students to be able to do related to sustainability after taking your
course. Writing these as measurable actions, using action verbs, rather than in general terms like “understand”
(which is hard to assess) is important. Reference the Verbs for Measurable Learning Objectives (at the end of this
document) for help in setting specific outcomes for student knowledge and skills.
Course Number and Title:
Students completing this course will be able to:
1
Identify solar PV and hot water heaters.
2
Cite a new house to maximize passive solar energy utilization.
3
Recognize features of green design in new and old buildings.
4
Articulate the benefits of green building regarding health and energy savings.
5
Better understand ecological footprints.
6
Take notes on concepts covered, work effectively as part of a group and pass the final
exam.
7
Be more energy efficient in their daily lives.
Summer Sustainability Institute Template Description: STTE, NSF Project No. 0812576, J. Mattoon, External Evaluator, and Kim Smith, SSI Training
Coordinator, July, 2010.
Table 3b. New Teaching/Learning Methods
Describe any new teaching or learning methods you plan to use as a result of your SSI experience (multimedia,
technology, lecture, hands-on learning, demo, etc.) to help achieve your new learning objectives.
New Methodology: Identify any new teaching/learning technique(s) you plan to integrate into
your course(s).
Invisible gorilla videos!!! (Alex Glenn)
1
New cob or other natural building material structure on campus.
2
3
All of my basic environmental science curriculum is supported by learning new things and
solidifying past concepts during the SSI.
4
How do you expect the new teaching/learning method(s) increase your students’ knowledge or skills or change
their attitudes?
I expect the methods used to open students eyes and minds to the importance of understanding how we use
energy and the need to conserve. Also, students will be able to make money and save their family money by
more utilizing renewable energy and energy efficient designs for their homes.
Describe how each new activity will be set up. What must the instructor and/or students do to prepare for the
activity? Identify set-up tasks, equipment, materials, and/or supplies needed to complete the activity. Describe
what students must do to prepare for the activity when appropriate (e.g., reading, studying, forming teams, etc.).
See attached lesson plans for Tracking the Sun’s Path in the Sky and Energy Efficient Homes
Table 3c. Student Assessment
Summer Sustainability Institute Template Description: STTE, NSF Project No. 0812576, J. Mattoon, External Evaluator, and Kim Smith, SSI Training
Coordinator, July, 2010.
Student assessment should be closely aligned with each learning objective. Try to ensure that students demonstrate
active use of new knowledge by solving problems, making critical decisions, or creating new information or
products from what they learn. Assessment of new skills may require only a few new test questions or they might
require direct observation of new tasks or collaborative work. To make your observations consistent and accurate,
you may wish to create a checklist or rubric that enables you to assign ratings of student performance (e.g.,
excellent, good, acceptable, poor).
Describe assessment methods to determine achievement of specific learning objectives.
Students will be graded on the quality of their project work overall and peer evaluations.
1
2
Students will be responsible for keeping a notebook with all concepts covered during class. A
final exam will be given (open notes) to check the quality of note-taking and ability to interpret
concepts.
3
4
5
How are these methods different than previous methods used in your course(s)?
Peer evaluations have not been used for project work in the past.
Section IV: Curriculum Revision Plan Feedback
How has the SSI shaped your curriculum revision process?
Lots of ideas and lots of good resources
How can the curriculum revision process be improved?
Not sure, because it’s so different from Community college to high school.
What are the major challenges in revising your course(s)?
Making sure I have a budget for materials and enough time for out of classroom activities.
What resources do you need to help your students reach their learning objectives?
A sustainable funding source for science supplies.
Summer Sustainability Institute Template Description: STTE, NSF Project No. 0812576, J. Mattoon, External Evaluator, and Kim Smith, SSI Training Coordinator, July, 2010.
Verbs for Measurable Learning Objectives
add
alter
analyze
apply
arrange
articulate
assemble
build
calculate
calibrate
categorize
chart
check
choose
classify
collect
combine
communicate
compare
compile
complete
chart
compute
conduct
connect
construct
contrast
convert
coordinate
correct
criticize
critique
decrease
defend
define
demonstrate
derive
describe
design
designate
detect
develop
diagram
differentiate
discriminate
dissect
distinguish
distribute
divide
document
draw
duplicate
eliminate
employ
estimate
evaluate
execute
expand
explain
express
extend
extract
extrapolate
find
finish
formulate
generate
group
guide
identify
illustrate
include
increase
indicate
insert
integrate
isolate
label
list
locate
manipulate
map
mark
match
measure
modify
name
number
order
organize
outline
paraphrase
perform
place
plan
plot
position
predict
prepare
present
propose
prove
provide
rearrange
recall
reconstruct
regroup
relate
remove
reorganize
rephrase
replace
report
reproduce
restate
restructure
score
select
show
signify
sketch
Recommendations for Setting Learning Objectives and Planning Student Assessment
Understanding: It is challenging to assess if students
“understand” a particular concept or principle, so try to
create a task that will verify their understanding.
Students should be able to demonstrate their capability to
use new knowledge to make decisions or communicate
information to others. Some examples: apply a principle
in a particular context, find a solution to a problem,
compare and contrast ideas, assess a sustainability plan or
practice, or perform a new skill and explain why it is
important.
Standards: If you are using
established industry or educational
standards, please list them as part of
your learning objectives. Include a
reference citation (publication or
Internet URL) where the standards
may be found.
Quality and Value of
Assessment: Regardless of
your chosen method for
measuring student learning, try
to insure your outcomes can be
measured. Use specific criteria
to grade students, while
providing feedback that
supports improvement.
New Teaching Methods and Strategies: You may
decide to use a new teaching method or change your
student learning environment as a result of your SSI
experience. New methods can be simple or complex,
but consider the purpose and how best to integrate the
method(s) into your course.
solve
sort
state
structure
suggest
summarize
support
translate
troubleshoot
verify
write