Welcome to the Neighborhood

Developing and Maintaining Inspired Learning Environments for the Community College

Student

Morgan P. AppelDirector, Education Department

Getting a Lay of the Land Role of the good observer,

first and foremost Moving from broader

understandings of the adult learning landscape toward cultural proficiency and development of social capital for/with students

Using action to establish Tipping Points for Change

No answers just yet— but rather things over which to muse

Things have changed over the years. Populations are different. Needs are different. Our roles as instructional leaders are different.

In the Stone Age (1983-85)…

When I was enrolled in Contra Costa, Laney and Merritt Colleges in 1983 (third from left), there were no fees/tuition. Smoking was allowed and prevalent. Most of us were 18-21 and moved rather slowly from one college to another—always seeking out a different environment. Distance learning meant taking a bus to school. Whole-group instruction was the theme of the day.

In the Stone Age (1983-1985)… Enrollment decrease in

urban areas, slight increases in suburbs and rural areas

Unusually large decrease in African American enrollees, minorities generally

Decline in the number of high school graduates statewide

Objectives: transfer or vocational AA. Business as usual. Getting through, getting by.

Source: State of California, 2015

The Changing Landscape at CCC Demographic Shifts:

Majority/Minority Urbanicity (primarily large

cities and urban fringe) Bifurcated Mission

(remedial in some cases, advanced/ four-year in others)

Linguistic Diversity (English Learners – first, second, and third generations)

Female Majority (53.6 percent)

39%

31%

7%

1%

11%

3%

1% 4%

4%

CCC Student Demo-graphics by Ethnicity,

2012-2013

LatinoWhiteAfrican AmericanNative AmericanAsian AmericanFilipinoPacific IslanderMultiple Ethnici-tiesUnknown

The Changing Landscape at CCC Increased distance learning Increased partnerships

between CCs and Four-Year Institutions

Greater recruiting of Baby Boomers

Changes in enrollment (non-traditional students—HS/Reverse Transfer/Veterans)

Increased partnerships with business

Response to Globalization Policy trends (free community

college initiative)

Inconsistent enrollment vectors and intensity (enrollment patterns—full/part- time; enrollment during a given semester), challenging assumptions about regularity and persistence

Tracking transfers and providing survival skills—especially for non-traditional enrollees.

Technology and formal/informal learning resources – striking a balance

Embracing Change As the landscape changes, so

must we change our practice Not to survive, but to thrive Need to provide learning

environments that are both high challenge and low risk

Cultural Competence and Proficiency

Facilitating the development of social capital (putting ‘community’ in the community college) – using technology to the extent possible

Sound andragogical practice that attends not only to the cognitive domain, but also to the affective elements of teaching and learning

Developing and maintaining a learning environment that engages diversity in all of its forms and serves as a foundation for ongoing support for students

You need not change the world—only your course and your classroom

Who we are and how we Learn

It all starts here.Everyone has aunique learningprofile and set of life experiences to scaffold upon.

This is especially true for diverseadult learners whopopulate yourcourses.

One size doesn’t fitall – it never did!

Equity and equality are at the roots of the endeavor

Wisdom from Miles Davis

My future starts when I wake up every morning. Every day I find something creative to do with my life.

It's not about standing still and becoming safe. If anybody wants to keep creating they have to be about change.

Do not fear mistakes - there are none.

Common Themes: Andragogy

Self-concept: dependent to self directed as one matures

Experience is a resource for learning

Readiness to learn is focused on developmental tasks

Postponed application versus immediate application of knowledge

Learning is internally motivated

Adults need to be involved in the planning and evaluation of their instruction

Experience (including mistakes) provides the basis for the learning activities

Adults are most interested in learning subjects that have immediate relevance and impact to their job or personal lives

Adult learning is problem-centered rather than content-oriented

From Demography to Competence

Who we are and how we

learn and teach

How these factors

influence interactions with others

Cultural Competence An idea that began in the health

sciences to better serve increasingly diverse groups of patients

Eventually integrated into mental health services and into education

Precursor to long-term, sustained engagement with students

Conceived of as a means to facilitate collaboration and communication between educational institutions and members of the broader community

What does Cultural Competence look like in the community college setting?

How does this

influence our work

with students?

How does this influence student opinion?

How do we use cultural

competency as a basis for supporting students?

Cultural Competence

Source: Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency, Aboriginal Cultural Competence Framework (2008), p 24; www.humanrightsgroup.gov.au

Interpretationsabout where one(or a constituency)falls along the continuum tendto differ greatlydepending uponwho is asked.

Cultural proficiencyis always the endgoal but very hardto reach.

Competence and Proficiency requireACTION.

Cultural Competence in the Postsecondary Environment Multifaceted and

multidimensional—interpreted differently by different constituencies (moving target)

Ongoing self examination and reflection; understanding contexts; how identity impacts assumptions, values, biases and influences interactions on campus

Cultivate awareness of professional style that enhances or impedes culturally competent practice

How content/ curriculum is developed and delivered, including the development of learning objectives and assessments

Awareness of current demographic and sociocultural trends that impact students and others

Develop instructional methods, practices and resources that are accessible and reflective of diverse learning styles, language abilities, developmental skills and cultural perspectives.

Source: ALA.org, 2015

From Competence to Capital

Who we are and how we

learn and teach

How these factors

influence interactions with others

How to use what we know to support

others and cultivate

survival skills

Social Capital in the Community College Environment

The collective value of social networks and relationships

Bridging and bonding social capital (across/within)

Social relationships can be managed and organized to get things done

Impacts both ‘survival skills’ for diverse student groups and academic achievement

Provides an important socialization function in education (and for transfers)

Social Capital in the Community College Environment

Leveraging the power of relationships facilitates integration into the college environment (especially bridging) through norms, sanctions and socialization

Alignment with Cultural Competence and cultural capital (common understandings as a basis for connection and the ‘know how’ to succeed)

Impetus—intentionality in larger complex communities (the institution plays a powerful role in building bridges and capital, providing support

Empowering students across the board to take charge of their own learning

Role of the faculty in establishing high-quality dyadic and reciprocal relationships with students

From Capital to Classroom

Who we are and how we

learn and teach

How these factors

influence interactions with others

How to use what we know to support

others and cultivate survival

skills

How we use these

factors to guide sound andragogica

l practice and

differentiate instruction

Wisdom from Martha Graham

Great dancers are not great because of their technique, they are great because of their passion.

Some men have thousands of reasons why they cannot do what they want to, when all they need is one reason why they can.

Differentiation and Personalization Key= different Content, process

and product (resources and assessment)

Ability, interest and learning style (grouping)

Scaffolding upon experience and moving from concrete to abstract

Striking a balance between formal and informal learning resources

Meeting students where they are versushaving them come to us

Differentiated Instruction

Differentiated instruction (DI) lies at the heart of effective learning

DI attends to the unique cognitive and affective needs of diverse learners

DI is a straightforward and brain-friendly way to inspire ingenuity and commitment by appreciating diverse abilities, interests, aptitudes and learning styles

Depth and complexity are the essence of DI and engage the brain through exploration, creative problem solving, metacognition and opportunities for ‘flow’

DI is organically cross-disciplinary and collaborative

Proof may be found in an understanding of how the brain learns and uses information in context.

Where do we Acquire Information? Formal Resources: Courses; textbooks; trainings;

literature and other media; official websites; television; radio; among others

Informal Resources: Networks; YouTube; Facebook; LinkedIn; Flickr; Google; Itunes; Netflix; Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs)

Balance is Tantamount —based on your resource preferences and learning styles. What technology tools do you use? For what purposes? How do you organize learning? How do you map it out?

‘Buffets for the Brain’

Beyond Differentiation: Personalized Learning Environments

Customizing sets of online/offline resources (content; presentation; navigation support; and educational services) to address the unique learning styles, profiles and interests of the individual user

Benefits: Engages students as creators (versus strict consumers) of education and

information Promotes ownership of knowledge and participation in assessment Offers choice and autonomy, values dimensions beyond cognitive Real-life connections and creativity -- culturally and contextually based Promotes critical thinking and sound habits of mind Opportunities to share ideas and processes in an integrated way Interdependence and mutual respect between teacher and student Enhances tiering, grouping and scaffolding

Think… Reflect upon your own

postsecondary experiences—and your induction into academia

What are the most salient issues in considering cultural competence and instructional practice? What changes might be made?

How do we move beyond our traditional roles as members of the faculty and into professional mentorship?

What small/incremental changes can be affected to your work to address changing demographics, diversity in skills, attitudes and learning styles?

Is it possible to differentiate and personalize curriculum and instruction in the current environment? What factors enhance or inhibit the process?

Others?

Comments and Questions

Contact Information

Morgan Appel, DirectorEducation DepartmentUC San Diego Extension9500 Gilman Drive, MC 0170-NLa Jolla, California 92093-0170

mappel@ucsd.edu858-534-9273extension.ucsd.edu/education