Department of Curriculum and Instruction
Members of the Department of Curriculum and Instruction see value in each of the three
models. The Integrated Core Model, grounded in a global view, emphasizes the idea
that what students learn in their university courses should not be in isolation but in unison
with other courses and mirrors the realities of life. The concept of integration is an
exemplary practice in teaching which we promote. The Learning Communities Model
includes an element of service learning. Service learning is a very desirable process that
we educators hope that our teacher candidates will adapt into their teaching practices. It is
well documented that participation in service learning activities helps participants to
become empathetic and altruistic citizens. The health and wellness component is also an
admirable dimension of this model. It is always recommended that we accommodate all
dimensions of the human experience. The Integrated and Universal Essential
Education Model (Distribution) model is most similar to current general education
requirements. This model addresses the skills and core knowledge that students need to
be successful in academia and life.
The Integrated Core Model
Strengths:
 Strong integration across disciplines, embedding skills into content (models what
effective teachers do)
 Foreign language component is an added experience for teachers
 Strong global perspective
 Faculty work across disciplines to team teach integrated courses
Concerns:
 Teacher candidates have specific standards as prescribed by the state for teacher
certification. The integrated courses may not adequately satisfy these standards.
 If the integrated courses do not satisfy the required standards, teacher candidates will
need to take additional courses.
 Many students transfer into SIUE just prior to admission to the education programs.
Articulation of courses may be an issue. Transfer students may have to take more
courses to complete their program of study.
 Team teaching, although a great practice, requires a great deal of coordination. This
adds additional planning time to a professor’s already busy work load.
 Enrollment issues with a 6 hour block of two courses
The Learning Communities Model
Strengths:
 The service learning component is highly desirable for teacher candidates. It is a
practice that they can adapt and use in their own classrooms.
 The Health and Wellness addition addresses the needs of the whole university
student.
 This model appears to be workable for the native SIUE student, majoring in
education, but these students need to begin their program in the first semester of their
freshman year.
Concerns:
 Type A/Type B linked courses may not meet all the required state standards for
teacher certification.
 If departments do not have flexibility to meet state requirements, students will have to
take more classes.
 The addition of the Ethics, Research and Professionalism course in senior year is
difficult; students will have to take a professional core course earlier in their program.
 Linking of classes can cause enrollment issues. Will students be able to enroll in both
of the linked courses at the times they need?
 Linked courses may or may not make connections to one another. Faculty have to
actively coordinate these courses. Faculty work loads may be strained to allow for
this
 Information Literacy was mentioned in the model, but how it is infused into this
model is unclear. Teacher candidates are required to have technological experiences
that equate with a course offering.
The Integrated and Universal Essential Education Model (Distribution):
Strengths:
 Courses are not linked to one another, so scheduling may be easier.
 Since courses are not linked across disciplines, this model is more adaptable to
meeting the state requirements for teacher certification.
 Students are able to overlap as many as 15 hours.
 Adds additional math course: Quantitative Literacy
Concerns:
 This model treats skills out of the context of the disciplines; therefore it is not as
innovative as other models.
 Students can overlap as many as 15 hours in this model, but they have to have
exemplary advising in order to see all the options.
 Does not include a CMIS course, which our students need for technology
requirements.
 This model caps enrollment to 25 students, which is admirable, but requires many
sections of each course and additional faculty members.
Department of Kinesiology and Health Education
Unanimously the programs of Kinesiology and Health Education endorse the Learning
Communities Model. The philosophy of this model supports the goals of the department.