Online Modules for
Professional Learning
INTRODUCTION TO THE SERIES
July 7–8
PARTICIPANT
VERSION 1.0
The New Mathways Project
Introduction to the NMP Online Professional Learning Series: Participant Version
New Mathways Project Overview
The New Mathways Project is a systemic approach to student
success and completion through implementation of processes,
strategies, and structures built around three accelerated
mathematics pathways and a supporting learning frameworks1
course. The project is guided by four fundamental principles:
1. Multiple pathways with relevant and challenging math
content aligned to specific fields of study
2. Acceleration that allows students to complete a collegelevel math course more quickly than in the traditional
developmental math sequence
What’s in This
Document
• NMP overview2
• An introduction to the
NMP online
professional learning
series
• How to get
documentation of
participation 3. Intentional use of strategies to help students develop skills as learners
4. Curriculum design and pedagogy based on proven practice
Through a collaboration with the Texas Association of Community Colleges, the Charles
A. Dana Center at the University of Texas at Austin has received the support of all 50
community college districts in Texas to develop resources for colleges implementing
these principles.
These resources include implementation tools, policy and research briefs, curricular
materials, and professional learning content for faculty and staff. For more information
about the NMP and these resources, see http://www.utdanacenter.org/mathways.
Introduction to the NMP Online Professional Learning Series
The NMP Online Modules are intended to support professional learning at local
campuses. As of the release of Version 1.0 of this guide (fall 2014), four modules are
available. We will continue development to create a suite of modules for three
audiences:
•
Mathematics faculty
•
Learning frameworks and student success course faculty
•
Staff (advisors, tutors, administrators) who support implementation of the NMP
principles
This guide is specifically for the modules intended for faculty.
1 Learning
frameworks courses are college-level courses that combine elements of student success
courses with research-based content from learning psychology to help students develop the skills,
attitudes, and beliefs to become successful learners. Page 1 of 7
The New Mathways Project
Introduction to the NMP Online Professional Learning Series: Participant Version
Promoting Active Learning
The modules for faculty focus on strategies to support active learning3 in the classroom
and—while these modules use Dana Center NMP course materials for discussion and
to demonstrate concepts—the modules are designed to support faculty using any
curricular materials. In other words, these modules focus on the pedagogy, not on
the course materials.
The Dana Center promotes active learning as a set of pedagogical strategies
grounded in evidence. The general concept of active learning is articulated in eight
NMP curriculum design standards.4 These standards describe curriculum designed to
promote deep learning and a lasting conceptual understanding through having
learners engage actively with core ideas in meaningful contexts. Course content that
meets these design standards will provide learners with opportunities for sense making
and support for persevering through complex tasks that require reading, writing, and
technology use.
The Design and Suggested Use of These Online Modules
The module design is grounded in evidence-based practices for supporting effective
adult learning. Professionals are most likely to develop new skills and change current
practice when they:
•
Actively engage with colleagues and with the content
•
Practice and reflect on new learning
•
Engage in reinforcing structured learning activities over time.5
The modules provide information about high-impact pedagogical practices and
suggestions for implementing them. To help participants engage with this content, the
modules are designed to be used by small groups of faculty in a collaborative setting.
Discussion prompts and activities help connect and expand concepts. Classroom
video, interviews with students and faculty, and samples of student work connect the
abstract ideas to real classroom practice.
To create the appropriate collaborative environment, we recommend that faculty:
3 For information about the research base for the NMP, see http://www.utdanacenter.org/highereducation/higher-education-resources/new-mathways-project-evaluation-and-research/newmathways-project-annotated-bibliographies
The NMP design standards are available here: http://www.utdanacenter.org/wpcontent/uploads/NMP_curriculum_design_standards_Sept2013.pdf 4
5 See, for example, Sharan B. Merriam, editor. (2001 Spring). The New Update on Adult Learning
Theory. New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, no. 89. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
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The New Mathways Project
Introduction to the NMP Online Professional Learning Series: Participant Version
•
Form a learning community of four to twelve people who are committed to
participating in sessions and implementing new learning and skills.
•
Appoint a facilitator for the group.
•
Set a schedule of regular meetings. For example, the group might choose to
meet monthly.
Facilitator Responsibilities
The facilitator has two main responsibilities:
•
Organize session logistics and
•
Lead the sessions to promote learning for all participants.
If groups decide to divide these responsibilities between two people, we recommend
explicitly defining the responsibilities and documenting them in writing. Specific tasks for
the facilitator are outlined in the facilitator version of these notes.
We strongly recommend selecting a facilitator who has experience in leading
discussions in collaborative settings.
Participant Responsibilities
Each participant is responsible for contributing to a positive, collaborative, and
productive learning community. These communities will establish their own norms for
behavior within the community. We believe it is also valuable to establish these specific
responsibilities for participants.
1. Commit to active participation in a learning community:
o Attend each session.
o Review prereadings before the session. Bring electronic or print copies to the
session.
o Participate fully in the sessions by contributing to discussions and supporting
others in contributing.
o Between sessions, practice and reflect on new skills and learning.
o Share insights and questions from practice with your colleagues in the learning
community.
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The New Mathways Project
Introduction to the NMP Online Professional Learning Series: Participant Version
2. Promote an inclusive environment:
o Encourage each participant to share ideas.
o Check to make sure that all group members have access to the materials and
are following the discussion.
o Ask questions if you are confused.
3. Promote productive discussions:
o Try to understand each idea presented and ask questions to help speakers
make their ideas clear.
o Ask for evidence (e.g., Why do you think that? How do you know?).
o Ask for limitations (Is that always true?).
o Try to connect to what has been said previously and build on or improve those
ideas (e.g., I think X is important, but I think it helps to also consider Y).
o If you disagree with ideas that were shared, be sure to provide reasons and
evidence.
Structure of the Modules
The modules are designed to be experienced in a specific order. The
topics of the modules are interconnected, and later modules work on
the assumption that participants have discussed and engaged with (or
practiced in their classrooms) the content from earlier sessions.
To include time for interactive discussions and activities, module sessions
are intended to run for 90 minutes.
An icon marks recommended timespans for the interactive portions of the session. If
your group follows these recommendations, it should be able to complete the session
in 90 minutes.
Most modules have prereadings for participants to complete before the session. These
readings may include background information, sample curricular materials, or samples
of student work used in the module. The preparatory materials and handouts of the
slides used in the modules may be downloaded from
http://thetexasnetwork.org/mathways.
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The New Mathways Project
Introduction to the NMP Online Professional Learning Series: Participant Version
In general, the modules provide three types of activities. The first two types include
discussions in pairs and are indicated by an icon of two people:
Turn and Talk: Quick discussions between two people that are
designed to quickly engage participants and surface initial ideas.
These are not intended to be in-depth discussions.
Think-Pair-Share: Participants first reflect on a prompt on their own,
and then share their ideas with a partner. The facilitator then leads
a discussion by the full group. This last step often includes a new prompt that
deepens the discussion. These activities are intended to promote more in-depth
discussion in the whole group by helping the participants build upon each other’s
thinking.
The third type of activity is indicated by an icon of four people.
Group discussions enable participants to discuss ideas with
larger groups. These discussions will take place in small groups
of three or four, depending on the size of the full group.
Each module ends with lists of resources for further learning and suggestions for
participants about practicing and reflecting upon the learning from the module.
Documentation of Participation
At the end of each module, instructions are provided for how to register to receive an
individual Certificate of Participation for that module. Please allow six weeks for
processing of the certificates.
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The New Mathways Project
Introduction to the NMP Online Professional Learning Series: Participant Version
Copyright and Acknowledgments
Copyright 2015, the Charles A. Dana Center at The University of Texas at Austin, with
support from the Texas Association of Community Colleges
All intellectual property rights are owned exclusively by the Charles A. Dana Center at The University of Texas at
Austin. Per our mutual agreement, the Texas Association of Community Colleges does not have rights to create
derivatives.
Unless otherwise indicated, the materials in this resource are the copyrighted property of the Charles A. Dana Center
at The University of Texas at Austin (the University) with support from the Texas Association of Community Colleges. No
part of this resource shall be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means—electronically,
mechanically, or via photocopying, recording, or otherwise, including via methods yet to be invented—without
express written permission from the University. We use all funds generated through use of our materials to further our
nonprofit mission. Please send your permission requests or questions to us at this address:
Charles A. Dana Center
The University of Texas at Austin
1616 Guadalupe Street, Suite 3.206
Austin, TX 78701-1222
Fax: 512-232-1855
danaweb@austin.utexas.edu
www.utdanacenter.org
Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do
not necessarily reflect the views of The University of Texas at Austin or the Texas Association of Community Colleges.
The Charles A. Dana Center and The University of Texas at Austin, as well as the authors and editors, assume no
liability for any loss or damage resulting from the use of this resource. We have made extensive efforts to ensure the
accuracy of the information in this resource, to provide proper acknowledgement of original sources, and to
otherwise comply with copyright law. If you find an error or you believe we have failed to provide proper
acknowledgment, please contact us at danaweb@austin.utexas.edu.
This resource was developed in Microsoft Office and Adobe Acrobat Pro.
First release September 2014.
As always, we welcome your comments and suggestions for improvements. Please contact us at
mathways@austin.utexas.edu or at the mailing address above.
About the Dana Center
The Dana Center develops and scales math and science education innovations to support educators,
administrators, and policy makers in creating seamless transitions throughout the K–14 system for all students,
especially those who have historically been underserved. We focus in particular on strategies for improving student
engagement, motivation, persistence, and achievement.
The Center was founded in 1991 at The University of Texas at Austin. Our staff members have expertise in leadership,
literacy, research, program evaluation, mathematics and science education, policy and systemic reform, and
services to high-need populations. For more information see www.utdanacenter.org.
About the New Mathways Project
The NMP is a systemic approach to accelerating student success and completion through implementation of
processes, strategies, and structures based on four fundamental principles:
1. Multiple pathways with relevant and challenging mathematics content aligned to specific fields of study
2. Acceleration that allows students to complete a college-level math course more quickly than in the
traditional developmental math sequence
3. Intentional use of strategies to help students develop skills as learners
4. Curriculum design and pedagogy based on proven practice
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The New Mathways Project
Introduction to the NMP Online Professional Learning Series: Participant Version
For more information about the New Mathways Project, see www.utdanacenter.org/mathways.
For more information about the Texas Association of Community Colleges, see www.tacc.org.
About this Resource
The NMP Online Professional Learning Series modules are intended to support professional learning at local
campuses. As of the release of Version 1.0 of this guide, four modules are available. This guide specifically addresses
the modules intended for faculty.
The modules use the NMP curricular materials as points for discussion but are designed for use with any curriculum
based on the principles of active learning.
These online modules can be accessed via the Texas Network for Teaching Excellence website, via
http://thetexasnetwork.org/mathways.
Acknowledgments
We thank the faculty and students from the following NMP codevelopment colleges for granting us permission to film
their NMP Foundations of Mathematical Reasoning and Frameworks for Mathematics and Collegiate Learning class
sections during the 2013–2014 academic year:
Austin Community College
Gustavo Cepparo, Foundations Instructor
Sharon Frederick, Frameworks Instructor
Anne Praderas, Foundations Instructor El Paso Community College
Ivette Chuca, Foundations Instructor
Lone Star College–Kingwood
Stephanie Doyen, Foundations Instructor
Temple College
Debbie Gilmore, Frameworks Instructor
Paula Talley, Foundations Instructor Development of this resource was made possible through the generous support of TG, with additional support from
the Carnegie Corporation of New York, Greater Texas Foundation, Houston Endowment, Kresge Foundation, and the
State of Texas.
Project Leads
Amy Getz, manager of
community college
services, Charles A.
Dana Center
Connie Richardson,
course program
specialist,
mathematics, Charles
A. Dana Center
Content Designers
Video Production
Michael Davis, lead research
specialist, University of
California, Berkeley
STARLINK Training Network,
an agency of the Texas
Association of
Community Colleges
Mary Beth Orrange, SUNY
distinguished service
professor, Erie Community
College
Jane Saunders, associate
professor, literacy, Texas
State University Marcos Molina, technical
support manager, Texas
Community College
Teachers Association
Ben Slamka, video editor Page 7 of 7
Editing & Production
Rachel Jenkins, consulting
editor, Charles A. Dana
Center
Erica Moreno, program
coordinator, Charles A.
Dana Center
Coral Southwell, copyeditor
Phil Swann, senior designer,
Charles A. Dana Center