The Commando as a pedagogical development
strategy in colleges
Renaud Bellemare, Dean for Pedagogical Development & Academic Success
18th Innovations Conference, ChicagoMarch 20th, 2016 – 8:30, Forum session
Presentation Outline
Context
Québec Education System
Goals and Concept of the Commando
Key Rules and Process
Two examples
The Commando for Enhancement of French in the Disciplines (2011-2012)
The Commando for Active Learning (2015-2016)
Conclusions
Context
The Commando : a context
LABOUR MARKET
PRE-
SCHOOL
6 DES
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SECONDARY SCHOOL CEGEP UNIVERSITY
DEP
YOUTH SECTOR HIGHER EDUCATION
Québec Education System
54321 1 2 3 4 5
321
21
321
DEC B.3 years
M.2 years
Ph.D.4 years
The Commando : a context
LABOUR MARKET
PRE-
SCHOOL
6 DES
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SECONDARY SCHOOL CEGEP UNIVERSITY
DEP
YOUTH SECTOR HIGHER EDUCATION
Québec Education System
54321 1 2 3 4 5
321
21
321
DEC B.3 years
M.2 years
Ph.D.4 years
The Commando : a context
LABOUR MARKET
CEGEP
HIGHER EDUCATION
Québec Education System
21
321
DEC
The Commando : a context
LABOUR MARKET
CEGEP
HIGHER EDUCATION
Québec Education System
21
321
DEC
The Commando : a context
LABOUR MARKET
CEGEP
HIGHER EDUCATION
Québec Education System
21
321
DEC
The Commando : a context
Every CEGEP has Pedagogical DevelopmentDepartment for faculty members
Information about pedagogy
Counseling
Support
Training for teachers
Programs evaluation and development
Project management
R & D
The Commando : a context
The first Commando was
developped as a training strategy for
teaching when I was a pedagogical
advisor
The Commando : a context
Goals of the Commando
To accompany a group of teachers in the implementation of innovative educational practices
To stimulate linkages between teachers who do not usually work together
The Commando : a context
Concept of the Commando
The Commando borrows approaches and inspires itself from
communities of practice, design thinking and professional
development
The Commando : a context
Concept of the Commando
The Commando is intended to infiltrate academic departments to
disseminate innovative pedagogical practices
Our motto : Infiltrate to innovate!
The Commando : a context
Key rules for a winning Commando
1. Find an expert in the innovative educational practice
The Commando : a context
A few rules for a winning Commando
1. Find an expert in the innovative educational practice
2. Recruit teachers from several disciplines
The Commando : a context
A few rules for a winning Commando
1. Find an expert in the innovative educational practice
2. Recruit teachers from several disciplines
3. Specify constraints
The Commando : a context
A few rules for a winning Commando
1. Find an expert in the innovative educational practice
2. Recruit teachers from several disciplines
3. Specify constraints
4. Document the process
The Commando : a context
A few rules for a winning Commando
1. Find an expert in the innovative educational practice
2. Recruit teachers from several disciplines
3. Specify constraints
4. Document the process
5. Spread
The Commando : a context
Rules of the Commando
1. Find an expert in the innovative educational practice
2. Recruit teachers from several disciplines
3. Specify constraints
4. Document the process
5. Spread
One year
process
The Commando : a context
Process of the Commando
Inspired by the Design Thinking approach of D.School at
Stanford University
The Commando : a context
Process of the Commando
The Commando : a context
Process of the Commando
The Commando : a context
Process of the Commando
The Commando : a context
Process of the Commando
The Commando : a context
Process of the Commando
Two examples
Two examples
1. The Commando for
enhancement of French in the
disciplines (2011-2012)
2. The Commando for active
learning (2015-2016)
The Commando for enhancement of
French in the disciplines
In 2011, the ministère de l’Enseignement supérieur (ministry of Higher
Education) of Québec launched a national project on the promotion of
French in CEGEPs.
My former college wanted to implement the writing in the disciplines
(WID) approach.
The Commando for enhancement of
French in the disciplines
1. Find an expert in the innovative
educational practice
As pedagogical advisor and former French
professor I was chosen by my Academic Dean as the expert to implement the WID
approach.
The Commando for enhancement of
French in the disciplines
2. Recruit teachers from several
disciplines
I recruited teachers from a representative
sample
• Martin Bouchard – History
• Sophie Crevier – Law
• Josée Déziel – Psychology
• Jean-Luc Filiatrault – Business Administration
• Annie Glazer – Medical Electrophysiology
• Édith Gruslin – Biology and Biotechnologies
• Geneviève Levasseur-Thériault – Chemistry
• Suzanne Tassé – Industrial Engineering
The Commando for enhancement of
French in the disciplines
• Martin Bouchard – History
• Sophie Crevier – Law
• Josée Déziel – Psychology
• Jean-Luc Filiatrault – Business Administration
• Annie Glazer – Medical Electrophysiology
• Édith Gruslin – Biology and Biotechnologies
• Geneviève Levasseur-Thériault – Chemistry
• Suzanne Tassé – Industrial Engineering
The Commando for enhancement of
French in the disciplines
3. Specify constraints
Teachers are specialists in their
discipline, not in French
It is not the place to talk about
orthography
It is not the place to blame secondary school, French teachers or the society in general…
The Commando for enhancement of
French in the disciplines
3. Specify constraints
3 goals :
To agree on a common definition of
writing competencies in specific
education disciplines
To intervene strategically in the
classroom to help students improve their writing
To develop written assessment tools
for specific education disciplines
The Commando for enhancement of
French in the disciplines
4. Document the process
The Commando for enhancement of
French in the disciplines
4. Document the process
SUBJECT :
Implementation of the WID approach in the college
NEED :
To improve students skills in writing
To engage teachers in writing strategies specific to their discipline
EMOTIONS + STRENGTHS + FEARS + MOTIVATIONS
Teachers have said :
If I correct French in the texts of my students, they'll fail my courseI won’t teach something that was supposed to be teached by someone else!My students aren’t that bad in French.I feel privileged to be a part of that group.
The Commando for enhancement of
French in the disciplines
CONCEPTS + VOCABULARY
Specific genres or “types" of writingLanguage competencies : linguistic, textual and discursive
Written communication characteristics in a disciplinary context
The Commando for enhancement of
French in the disciplines
MEDIAGRAPHY
Blaser, Christiane (2009). Faire lire et écrire au cégep : un défi pour tous les enseignants. Pédagogie collégiale, vol. 22 no 4.
Blaser, Christiane. La langue dans tous ses états. La maitrise des compétences langagières dans la formation
postsecondaire: regards sur les pratiques d’ailleurs. Présentation au Carrefour de la réussite. 13 avril 2012.
Cabot, Isabelle et Cloutier, François (2010). Apprivoiser une bête noire – une pratique d’interdisciplinarité pour développer
l’intérêt de collégiens éprouvant des difficultés en français. Pédagogie collégiale, vol. 24 no 1.
Libersan, Lucie (2009). Le français et la formation spécifique dans les programmes d’études : Projet de développement de
matériel didactique, Correspondance, vol. 14 no 3. [Online : http://correspo.ccdmd.qc.ca/Corr14-3/Specifique.html]
Libersan, Lucie (2011). Stratégies d’écriture. Centre collégial de développement de matériel didactique (CCDMD). [Online :
http://www.ccdmd.qc.ca/fr/strategies_ecriture/]
The Commando for enhancement of
French in the disciplines
DRAW + DESCRIBE
The Commando for enhancement of
French in the disciplines
PROS + CONS
The Commando for enhancement of
French in the disciplines
The Commando for enhancement of
French in the disciplines
In 2012, students were on strike for six months in most colleges and universities. Courses were suspended. And so was the Commando…
The Commando for enhancement of
French in the disciplines
The Commando for enhancement of
French in the disciplines
5. Spread
I published an article in October 2012, even
though we had not finished the work and
tests :
Bellemare, Renaud (2012). Voir plus loin que la correction des fautes, Correspondance, vol. 18 no 3. [Online : http://correspo.ccdmd.qc.ca/Corr18-1/7.html]
The Commando for active learning
In 2014, my college launched a new strategic plan. One of the
objectives is to promote active learning and to implement it in a wide
variety of programs.
As Dean responsible for pedagogical development and academic
success, one of my tasks is to achieve this goal.
The Commando for active learning
I mobilized my team of pedagogical advisors in this mission. Before
launching the Commando, we have:
Designed a new classroom model for active learning
Organized a Pedagogical Day on active learning for Faculties
The Commando for active learning
The Commando for active learning
We had many active learning classrooms and facilities in our college :
Scale-up style classrooms for mathematics courses
Academic Training Business classrooms for Business Administration and Accounting
programs
Botanical garden for Landscape and Ornamental Horticulture program
Medical Simulation Center for Nursing program
Physiotherapy Clinic for Physiotherapy Technology program
Orthotics & Prosthetics Clinic for Orthotics and Prosthetics program
Academic Restaurant (L’Ambroisie) for Restaurant Management program
1. Find an expert in the innovative
educational practice
As Dean, I chose three pedagogical
advisors for this important project :
Marie Ménard – Teaching strategies
Claudine Cossette – Assessment
Anne-Marie Nault – Techno-pedagogy
The Commando for active learning
2. Recruit teachers from several
disciplines
Pedagogical advisors recruited teachers
from a representative sample, and tried to
integrate new disciplines in active learning : 18 teachers have been recruited.
• Alain Grandbois + Béatrice Garcia + Nina Lukova –
Chemistry
• Alain St-Pierre – Early Childhood Education
• Amélie Cloutier + Andréa Szabo + Marie Veilleux +
Stéphanie Nardone – Psychology
• Brigitte Auclair + Sylvain St-Amour – French
• Francine Clément – Museology
• Isabelle Sauvé – Civil Engineering
• Lyne Gravel – Insurance & Finance
• Marc Francoeur – Physiotherapy
• Marie-Claude Bastien – Orthotics & Prosthetics
• Michel Duval – Tourism
• Naomi Jarry – Horticulture
• Nicolas Bertrand – Philosophy
The Commando for active learning
3. Specify constraints
You must teach all of your “theory
hours” in the active learning
classroom
You will work with Faculties from other
disciplines
You agree to undergo training for a year
You will attend a meeting every two
weeks
The Commando for active learning
4. Document the process
SUBJECT :
Active learning in a new classroomprototype
NEED :To spread active learning in the disciplines
To give teachers the opportunity to be guided in their experimentation
The Commando for active learning
EMOTIONS + STRENGTHS + FEARS + MOTIVATIONS
Teachers have said :
I like lectures! What will I do in class?Is it more job for me or for my students?I have to talk to my colleagues because we attach great importance to fairness between classes.How not to lose control in the classroom?
The Commando for active learning
CONCEPTS + VOCABULARY
Active learning vs Flipped classroomProblem-based approach
Project-based approachCooperative learning
Learning / assessment in authentic situations
The Commando for active learning
MEDIAGRAPHY
http://pedagogie.uquebec.ca/portail/system/files/documents/membres/letableau-v2-n5-2013_0.pdfhttp://www.capres.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Lenseignement_et_lapprentissage_section2.pdf
http://blog.educpros.fr/jean-charles-cailliez/2014/11/15/des-tableaux-qui-tournent-dans-une-classe-renversee-quand-les-eleves-font-le-cours-a-leur-professeur/
HOWDEN, J., KOPIEC, M. (2000). Ajouter aux compétences, Enseigner, coopérer et apprendre au secondaire et au collégial, Chenelière/McGraw-Hill, Montréal, 144 p.
Kagan, S. and Kagan, M. (1994). The Structural Approach: Six Keys to Cooperative Learning. In S. Sharan (Ed.). Handbook of Cooperative Learning Methods (pp. 115-
136). West Port, CT: Praeger.
Keller, J. M., (1983). Development and Use of the ARCS Model of Motivational Design (Report No. IR 014 039). Enschede, Netherlands: Twente Univ. of Technology.
(ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 313 001).
King, A. (1995). Guided peer questioning: A cooperative learning approach to critical thinking. Cooperative learning and college teaching, 5(2), pp. 15-19.
Kolb, D. (1984). Experiential learning: Experience as the source of learning and development. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall.
The Commando for active learning
DRAW + DESCRIBE
Teachers + Pedagogical advisors designed :• Syllabuses• Learning activities• First courses• Assessments
The Commando for active learning
The Commando for active learning
The Commando for active learning
The Commando for active learning
PROS + CONS
I have a better relation with my studentsStudents are more engagedThis allows a variable time management, the pace is no longer dictated by theslowestI don’t want to go back to lectures
I’m concerned about autistic studentsThe desks are small, the students complain, everything falls, coffee damage...I fear for exam results!!
The Commando for active learning
The Commando for active learning
5. Spread
Three pedagogical advisors were invited to
present the active learning project at the
Educational Governance Committee and the
Academic Council.
The majority of program committees discussed
active learning at a meeting this year.
The pedagogical advisors will present this
approach at the Association québécoise de
pédagogie collégiale (AQPC) Conference in
June 2016.
The Commando for active learning
Conclusions
Conclusions
If the goals of the Commando are…
To accompany a group of teachers in the implementation of innovative educational practices
To stimulate linkages between teachers who do not usually work together
To accompany a group of teachers in the implementation of innovative educational practices
To stimulate linkages between teachers who do not usually work together
Conclusions
If the goals of the Commando are…
Conclusions
But…
We have to manage the success and the dissemination of active learning
We will add four active learning classrooms next year to meet demand
Conclusions
Q & A
Merci! Thank you for your attention!
Renaud BellemareDirecteur adjoint des études
Service du développement pédagogique et de la réussite
