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
Mountain Home High School
School Dist. 193
Mountain Home ID
Mountain Home High School
School Dist. 193
Mountain Home ID
Mountain Home High School
School Dist. 193
Mountain Home ID
Course Number & Title
TI 1101
Residential Carpentry/Building Construction Level I
TI 1102
Residential Carpentry/Building Construction Level II
TI 1103
Residential Carpentry/Building Construction Level III
Why did you choose this/these course(s) for revision?
I’m a grant recipient through the US Department of Labor and the Idaho Department of Labor’s Idaho’s
Grow Green Project and will be purchasing a blower door test unit, an infra-red camera, Solar cell, Wind
Generator and various other meters and sensors and software. I will be incorporating the information and
resources acquired at the STTE-SSI to make the changes through out my entire Residential
Carpentry/Building program.
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.
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
No
No
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
Explain why you expect this/these impact(s) to occur.
In class students will study what we mean by sustainability the use of sustainability principles in
construction. We will discuss what in constitutes green building materials. We will discuss and
demonstrate, wind and solar energy alternatives and discuss nuclear and bio-fuels. In class we will discuss
Energy Star, LEED and Net Zero standards.
Students in the Carpentry I class will be conducting energy audits of their own homes and the high school’s
temporary buildings. Students in the Carpentry II and III classes will be conducting blower door test on the
temporary buildings and work to seal them so they are more energy efficient. We will also be setting up a
wind generating system and a solar-voltaic test station at school.
By participating in these activities students will become aware that there are new careers opening up in the
Architectural and Engineering fields to design and build Green/Sustainability structures. This will create
changes in Construction Management and job site management. It will also demonstrate the need for highly
trained technicians in the HVAC, Electrical and Plumbing fields.
The discussions and activities that the students will be involved in during class will foster their awareness of
what is being done in South Western Idaho to advance sustainability issues and how these relate to what is
being done on a regional, national and world level.
I feel that by studying and participating in the activities in the class room that student will become more
aware of the importance of modifying our practices that are taking a major toll on the earth’s resources. It
may be as limited using reusable drink containers or as broad as building a Net Zero building.
As a PTE instructor it is my job to introduce students to careers in the construction fields. Using the blower
door test equipment students will receive training to be a technician in the HVAC industry. By studying the
green materials and sustainable concepts I am preparing them for careers in Architectural Design,
Construction Management and Engineering.
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: TI 1101
Residential Carpentry/Building Construction Level I
Students completing this course will be able to:
Students will describe the major changes to the green environment that are caused
1
directly or indirectly by the construction industry.
Student will identify decisions and actions they can take in their personal life that impact
2
the green environment.
Students will prioritize actions they may take in terms of which ones matter most to them
3
for helping the green environment.
Students will describe the life cycle in phases of a building and the impacts on the green
4
environment over its life cycle.
Students will be able to identify green alternatives to conventional building practices and
5
describe the pros and cons.
Students will be able to make informed decisions on selection of materials and describe
6
the pros and cons.
Students will describe the similarities, differences and impacts of LEED, Energy Star
7
and other green building certification standards
Course Number and Title: TI 1102
Residential Carpentry/Building Construction Level II
Students completing this course will be able to:
Students will perform an energy audit on a building and determine the amount on
1
energy used.
2
3
Students will learn what they can do to reduce the energy footprint of the building.
Students will learn about Solar-voltaic production by installing a solar-voltaic instruction
module on the Mountain Home High School Carpentry Shop. They will monitor the
energy produced by adjusting the direction of the panel and the affects of shad on the
panel.
Summer Sustainability Institute Template Description: STTE, NSF Project No. 0812576, J. Mattoon, External Evaluator, and Kim Smith, SSI Training
Coordinator, July, 2010.
4
Students will study Wind generation of electricity by installing a wind generator on
Mountain Home High School Carpentry Shop. They will monitor the energy produced
depending on wind speed and other variables.
5
6
7
Course Number and Title: TI 1103
Residential Carpentry/Building Construction Level III
Students completing this course will be able to:
Students will set up a blower door and computer to test the air loss and detect leakage
1
points; they will also seal points causing air leakage.
2
3
4
5
6
7
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).
Students the use the internet to research sustainable alternatives to traditional materials used
1 the construction industry.
2
3
Students will use the information to evaluate the materials and decide on what materials we
will use to construct our sample buildings. They will do this by writing a short article
comparing the alternative materials to conventional materials in accordance to Idaho’s
Academics in the Classroom initiative.
Students will be involved in a hands-on learning project to build sample buildings on the
school back lot using sustainable building materials.
4
How do you expect the new teaching/learning method(s) increase your students’ knowledge or skills or change
their attitudes?
By introducing students to alternative energy sources they will learn that there are alternatives to using fossil
fuels. In reducing the use of fossil fuels we can reduce our carbon footprint.
By using materials that are renewable we can also reduce our carbon footprint it might mean just using
materials that are locally available saving processing and transportation expenses.
They will learn if we just work on turning of light, computers, appliances and even adaptors that we can save
energy and money.
I would also like the to realize that just cutting back on the use of non-reusable items that we can reduce the
non-recyclable materials deposited in the landfills.
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.).
I am a recipient of a grant through the US Department of labor through the Idaho Department of
Labor and the State of Idaho Department of Professional and Technical Education to purchase a
blower door test set up completer with computer, software and meters. Also I will be purchasing
Summer Sustainability Institute Template Description: STTE, NSF Project No. 0812576, J. Mattoon, External Evaluator, and Kim Smith, SSI Training
Coordinator, July, 2010.
meters to monitor electrical usage in the home. Included in the grant are funds to purchase a solarvoltaic unit and a wind generator for the school. I will also be purchasing books. At Mountain Home
we are in the process of developing a practice building area in the property behind the school so
students can work on building sample buildings where we can not build an actual house.
Table 3c. Student Assessment
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.
1
2
3
4
5
How are these methods different than previous methods used in your course(s)?
Summer Sustainability Institute Template Description: STTE, NSF Project No. 0812576, J. Mattoon, External Evaluator, and Kim Smith, SSI Training
Coordinator, July, 2010.
Section IV: Curriculum Revision Plan Feedback
How has the SSI shaped your curriculum revision process?
Through the summer work shop I had my eyes opened as to what has changed in the “Green and Sustainable” area
of construction and the energy production from the late 70’s. Due to these changes I know that I need to
incorporate the use of sustainable materials, recycle and alternate energy concepts in to my entire construction
program.
How can the curriculum revision process be improved?
I need to put in more time in the time from the work shop until know I have had many items on my plate I
needed more time. We might have spent a little more time in the work shop on curriculum development
it has been many years since I last worked on developing new curriculum.
What are the major challenges in revising your course(s)?
The biggest challenge I am currently facing, we are already two weeks into school. I have 110 students
who are expecting what I have done for the past years. Also this year I have to prepare my students for
an exit test where they have to take a certification test (NCCER).
A plus in making the change is the grant I’m receiving from the US Department of Labor.
What resources do you need to help your students reach their learning objectives?
Through the USDOL grant I will be purchasing equipment and supplies to achieve my class goals. I also
have State Program funds to help offset some of the expense of changing my curriculum.
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