Flexible Learning strategies in Land,
Food and Community series courses
Sharing Our experiences
Guopeng Fu, Post-doc
Will Valley, LFS 250, Academic Coordinator, Core
Series
Alice Cassidy, LFS 150 Course Coordinator
Andrew Riseman, LFS 450; Assoc. Professor
Cyprien Lomas, Director, Learning Centre
Eduardo Jovel, LFS 350; Assoc. Professor
Session overview
• What do we mean by the term Flexible
Learning (FL)?
• FL at UBC – a brief history!
• A few of our examples and experiences
• What are your examples and experience?
• 3 key take-home points
• Wiki for now and later
What does Flexible Learning mean to
you?
• Do you use another term?
• 1 min On your own – how do you define it?
• 2 min Turn to a neighbour you don’t know:
introduce yourself
share your definitions (and terms)
• Share some examples?
UBC’s definition of Flexible Learning
Evidence-based, technology-enabled teaching
methods that improve the learning experience
for a broader student community
Was your definition similar or very different?
FL at UBC: a brief history!
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Distance education roots
Infusion of IT
Increased time flexibility
Community-based experiential learning (CBEL)
Core series in LFS
LFS 350 was the first
Where we came from and where we are going
How we have achieved success
• What we have measured
– Course evaluations
– Testimonials from community
• Current funding: Collecting data on:
– Grades
– Writing
– Instructor and TA interviews
Key themes
1. Objectives and designing process of using FL
as pedagogical approach
2. Improvement and challenges in
implementation
3. Evaluation strategies
Wiki (for now and later)
wiki.ubc.ca/Flexible_Learning_strategies_in_Lan
d,_Food_and_Community_series_courses:_Sh
aring_Our_experiences
LFS 100: Introduction to Land, Food
and Community
• Introduction to Faculty
– Programs, policies, & support
– Content themes
– Research programs
• Format
– Large lecture hall
– ~300 students
– 1.5hrs/week
– 1 term
LFS 150: Scholarly writing and argumentation in
Land and Food Systems
•
•
•
•
•
Small class (28 max) – about to start 2nd iteration
Focus on writing argumentative essays
Provides students a flavour of the range of LFS
Out of class technology linked to in-class activities
Analyses: student writing and grades, survey results,
TA/instructor interviews
• Key question: How are students meeting LOs?
• http://wiki.ubc.ca/Course:LFS150
LFS 250: Land, Food and Community I
• Introduction to…
–
–
–
–
Food systems theory
Systems thinking & modeling
Collaborative learning & critical reflection
Community-based experiential learning
• Format
–
–
–
–
–
Large lecture hall, small tutorial sections
Field trips & community-based projects
~300 students
3hrs/week
2 terms
LFS 350: Land, Food and Community II
LFS 450: Land, Food and Community
III
Objectives:
Upon completion of LFC III, students will be able to:
• Initiate activities to create or effect positive change to the
sustainability of the campus food system;
• Synthesize ideas and perspectives from multiple disciplines and
knowledge domains (ways of knowing) to achieve appropriate and
effective project outcomes;
• Interact with professionalism in a wide variety of contexts;
• Critically evaluate food system sustainability initiatives;
• Develop and apply strong leadership skills.
Campus Food System Project-link
LFS 450 wiki- link
UBC’s approach to Flexible Learning
http://flexible.learning.ubc.ca/
• View research papers and case studies
• Find support on how to enhance flexible
learning within your own learning
environments