USING STUDENT CREATED
ELECTRONIC MAGAZINES TO
PROMOTE INTEGRATIVE AND DEEP
LEARNING
Dr. Becky Boesch
Portland State University
ADJUSTING TO A CHANGING
WORLD
• 21st Century Graduates
Will change employers and even careers several times (Huber, Hutchings, &
Gale, 2005).
Will encounter a shrinking world culturally and socially.
Will enter a world that requires them to make wise choices not just for themselves
but for a larger world.
• In response, Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U)
recommends four essential areas for all college students:
Knowledge of human cultures and physical/natural world
Intellectual and practical skills
Personal and social responsibilities
Integrative and applied learning
INTEGRATIVE LEARNING
• Integrative learning is helping students develop the ability to make
connections and see relationships between subjects, themselves and the
world around them.
“Integrative learning is, at its core, a process of synthesizing learning across
multiple experiences, coalescing meaning, and also creating new learning and
meaning” ( Taylor, 2011).
• Integrative learning differs from Interdisciplinary learning in that
interdisciplinary learning draws connections between seemingly disparate
areas of study. Integrative learning draws these connections but summarizes
them into a larger understanding, a sum greater than the parts.
DEEP LEARNING
• Integrative learning only becomes permanent when deep learning occurs.
Deep learning is meaningful, significant and life changing. For deep learning
to occur it needs to include the following characteristics.
1. A well-structured knowledge base with a focus on concepts, integration of
knowledge, and a cumulative experience.
2. An appropriate motivational level, with an emphasis on intrinsic motivation and
a sense of “ownership” of the material (i.e. student driven learning).
3. Learner activity associated with active, not passive, learning.
4. Interaction with others, including student-teacher interactions and studentstudent interactions (McKay and Kember, 1997, p. 65).
BACKGROUND TO THE PROJECT
• Part of a year-long freshman general education course with four overarching goals:
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Inquiry and critical thinking
Ethics and social responsibility
Communication
Diversity of Human Experience (These goals are in line with AAC&U guidelines)
• Each term builds on the knowledge/skills from the previous term and revolves around the theme, Human/Nature,
which explores the complex connections between humans and nature and draws upon such disciplines as
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Evolutionary Biology
Neuroscience
Linguistics
Cultural Anthropology
European and American History
American Literature
American Art
Landscape Architecture
Environmental History
Conflict Resolution
FINAL TERM ELECTRONIC
MAGAZINE PROJECT
• Research/explore current conflicts between humans and nature.
 These topics should involve different stakeholder groups in the conflict.
 The conflicts chosen should be two local, two regional/national and two
international in scope.
 Some past topics chosen are:
 Wolves in Oregon
 Coal Trains in the Columbia River Gorge
 Invasive Aquatic Species in the Great Lakes
 Natural Gas Fracking
 Whaling in International Waters
 African Land Grab
DESIGN OF THE COURSE AROUND
THE PROJECT
• Class chooses 6 topics. Groups of no more than 5 students choose to become the
“experts” on a topic. These topics basically become the content of the class.
• Specific activities associated which aid in the creation of the culminating project
(electronic magazine) AND in the develop of integrative and deep learning
 Group researches and finds articles appropriate for the class to read on the topic.
 Group leads an entire class on the discussion of the topic and the articles assigned
to be read.
 Each student in the group individually researches a specific stakeholder in the
conflict and writes a research paper from that perspective
 Group finds raw numerical data on the conflict and translates that data into
graphics and charts.
 Group collectively discusses and drafts a resolution to the conflict which takes into
account all stakeholders’ concerns.
 Group presents this webpage and discusses both design and content with the class.
COMPONENTS OF THE
ELECTRONIC MAGAZINE
• Create group contract with clearly delineated expectations
• Collectively design overall format and organization of the website
• Individually write a feature article on the conflict from a particular
stakeholder perspective
• Present numerical/statistical/graphical data critical to understanding the
conflict
• Share a joint solution which takes the major stakeholders into account
• Include possible additional components such as reportage, opinion polls,
book reviews, informational videos, relevant web sites…..
• Evaluate fellow students on their group contribution and role
ELECTRONIC MAGAZINE
EXAMPLES
• Local
• http://coaltrains.weebly.com/
• Regional/National
• http://teresauv.wix.com/thenuclearoption
• http://mezaderic.wix.com/ocean-sounds
• International
• http://monopause.yolasite.com/
STUDENT FEEDBACK
• Doing this project and listening to the presentations of the other e-magazines
were great experiences because they made me more aware of what’s
going on in the world, which is something I rarely experience in other classes.
Being able to combine schoolwork and an important world issue is a very
beneficial project and it makes engaging in my work much easier.
• So…knowledge is not merely knowing things, like memorizing from a test, but
truly understanding them and learning from them so you can use that
information/understanding in other areas of your life. An education is not
something you wait around for….there is always something to be learned,
something beyond an “ought” or an “is” and this is how I see my
education…something that is lifelong and is going to be layered and
challenging but what will, in the end, make me a well-rounded person.
BRAINSTORMING YOUR PROJECT
• With 3 or 4 colleagues, think of a specific class/classes or programs where an
electronic magazine project would be beneficial. Please pay attention to
the following:
 What aspects of the project get specifically at integrative learning, i.e.
“developing the ability to make, recognize, and evaluate connections among
disparate concepts, fields, or contexts” (Huber, Hutchings, Gale, Miller & Breen,
2007, p. 46)?
 How can the project allow for deep permanent learning within the context of
integrative learning? Deep learning should allow for student motivation and
choice, active learning, and both student and faculty interaction. (15-20
minutes)
GROUP IDEAS
REFERENCES
Huber, M.T., Hutchings, P., Gale, R., Miller, R. & Breen, M. (2007, Spring) Leading
initiatives for Integrative learning. Liberal Education, 93(2), 46-51.
McKay, J., & Kember, D., (1997). Spoon feeding leads to regurgitation: A
better diet can result in digestible learning outcomes. Higher Education
Research and Development (6)1, 55-67.
Rhodes, T.L. (Ed.) (2010). Assessing outcomes and improving assessment: Tips
and tools for using rubrics. Washington D.C.: Association of American
Colleges and Universities.
Taylor, S.H. (2011, November-December). Engendering habits of mind and
heart through integrative learning. About Campus, 13-20.