Stephen Mendonca
Lone Star College
University Park
Houston, Texas
It is time to change the paradigm.
Teaching/Learning Landscape






Marked by radical shifts
Explosion of available knowledge
Impact of media channeling
Brain research
Widening cultural and digital divides
Generational learning/teaching styles
 Millennial
 Gen X
 Boomers
Are they learning?
st
21
Century Challenge
 Global competition for investment, jobs,
skilled workers
 How can we make the college learning
experience richer and more rewarding for
both student and instructor?
 How can we prepare our students to be 21st
century citizens, leaders, innovators, and
entrepreneurs?
Transform students into … ?
Our Complex Mission
 “To enable learning that prepares students
for success in the real world.”
Type of Learner
• Self-directed
• Intentional
• Engaged
Outcome
• Takes ownership
• Significant
• Authentic
Downing (2005)
st
21
Century Learning
• Blend of literacies
• Technology-based
• Career orientation
• Social responsibility
• Creative problemsolving
• Experiential
= LEARNING AGILITY
st
21
Century Literacies
 Global awareness
 Range of Literacies
 Liberal arts
 Business entrepreneurship
 Social Sciences
 Civics/Ethics/Philosophy
 Technology
 Sustainability
Critical Competencies
st
(21
 Creativity & Innovation
 Communication & Collaboration
 Research & Information Fluency
 Critical Thinking & Problem Solving
 Digital Citizenship
 Technology Literacy
 Growth & Leadership
C.)
Redefines the Encounter
A Way to Engage Students
Cognitive exploration
 Challenging old models & ideas
 Daring to ask questions
 Building new constructs
 Assembling elements in new ways
 Reinventing themselves, their world

Matrix of Methods
 Cognitive and pedagogical
 Bloom’s taxonomy
 Active Learning
 Accelerated Learning
 Significant Learning
 Contextualized Learning
 Evolution of constructivist methods
Student-Led Effort
 Motivated to help instructor & use their skills
 Not a simulation – a real need
 Divide themselves into work groups
 Discuss, argue, persuade, negotiate, compete
 Technology and social media are big enablers
 Students come to see how the pieces fit
together
 Take pride in a shared product with real value
Significant Learning






Foundational Knowledge
Application
Integration
Human Dimension
Caring
Learning How to Learn
Personal Impact on Student
Relational & Interactive
Fink (2003)
Scenario

Instructor walks into a class
 “I need to organize a Student Forum.”
 “I also need to post it on the website
and promote it via social media.”
Authentic Teaching
 Engaging students in meaningful activities
that are developmentally appropriate.
 Learning through real-world activities that:
 Help create a meaningful learning
experience
 Motivates and challenges the student
into higher-order thinking and response
Experiential + Creative
 Allows students to explore, discuss, and
relate concepts relevant to the real-world
and meaningful to them (Donovan,
Bransford, Pellegrino 1999)
 Gather information from various sources
 Develop critical information-age skills and
higher-order thinking skills (Newman 1994)
 Access and present information creatively
Holistic Learning
 Enables holistic learning by:
 Phased learning
 Creative connections
 Realistic tasks
 Scaffolding
 Inquiry and discourse
 Accessing breadth of resources
 Integrating imagination & technology
(Donovan et al., 1999; Roth 1992)
Make the world your book.
Master Theme: Sustainability
 Serves as an integrating point of inquiry
 Touches multiple issues:



environment, consumerism, economics,
business management, marketing
education, healthcare, ethics
 Prepares citizens of integrity to be
stewards of a globally interdependent
community.
The Lorax
Other Master Themes
 Find themes that can work across
disciplines in any given semester.
 Moral Compass
 Civility
 Critical Thinking
 A Balanced Life
 Social Justice
Across the Disciplines
 APA, MLA Style/Formats (Plagiarism)
 Research mindset and methods
 Government: Model United Nations
 Learning Signature options
 Geography and Economics
 Psychology and Communications
 Philosophy and Literature
 Business and Technical Writing
Multi-Step Proposal
 Create an innovative proposal
 Event, institution, program, issue
 Long-cycle project (4 weeks)
 Phased development, time management
 Matrix of problem-solving skills
 From inquiry and research
 To concept design and presentation
 Practical initiative with real world value
Phased Project
 Phase 1: Inquiry [identify a need and research
alternative approaches]
 Phase 2: Design [validate outline of concept &
plan; include visuals]
 Phase 3: Draft Proposal [5-page document with
executive summary]
 Phase 4: Publish [Finalize and present]
 At each phase, students must verbally present their
findings to a “reaction group” in class.
Assessment
1. Researched Idea
-- 1 page “Needs Statement”
2. Draft design & plan
Points
20
30
-- Concept/Implementation/Visuals
3. Formatted proposal
30
-- Simulated internal review
4. Executive summary and slides
20
TOTAL POINTS
100
Project Examples
 Community park and fitness center
 After-school daycare for inner city boys
 Non-profit book fair
 Counseling program for newlyweds
 Energy-saving initiative for Lone Star
College campus
 Leadership Club for international students
Impact & Benefits
 Students:
 Immersive experience
 Self-directed choices
 Integration of skills
 Real-world development process
 Instructor:
 Logical sequence of teaching modules
 Allow students to direct the process
Start small. Think big.
Get the buy-in on the ground floor.
1. Promote benefits
 Advocacy and professional training
Full-time and adjunct faculty
 Forge links with workforce resources

Encourages broader career vision
 Address persistence issues
 Evidence of higher levels of:
 Motivation
 Initiative
 Self-Direction

2. Contextualize
• Use learning community strategies
• Include real-world applications for course
concepts and activities that demonstrate the
relevance of the material
• Provide appropriately cited links to current
newspaper or journal articles discussing the
week's material
• Use reflective journaling
• Demonstrate relevance to careers.
3. Foster a Culture
 Evangelize
 Build a community of practice
 Designate advocates or faculty mentors
 Establish a Resource Center
 Tap into Social Media outlets
 Foster a culture of authentic learning
 Enlist the highest level of commitment
 Grow the BRAND for college recruiting
Closing Words
 Authentic learning is transformative.
 Authentic teachers help raise the
caliber of the institution.
Bibliography
 Mims, Clif. (2003). Authentic learning: A practical introduction & guide for
implementation. Vol. 6 (1) Retrieved at
http://www.ncsu.edu/meridian/win2003/authentic_learning/3.html
 Fink, L. Dee. (2003). Creating Significant Learning Experiences: An
Integrated Approach to Designing College Courses. San Francisco: JosseyBass.
 Andrews, Hans. “Creating Significant Learning Experiences: An Integrated
Approach to Designing College Courses.” The Community College
Enterprise. FindArticles.com. 05 Jul, 2011.
 Brookfield, S. D. (1987). Developing critical thinkers: Challenging adults to
explore alternative ways of thinking and acting. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
 ELI. "Approaches that Work: How Authentic Learning is Transforming Higher
Education.” Retrieved at
http://connect.educause.edu/library/abstract/ApproachesThatWork/Ho/44821