VOLUME XIII, NUMBER 27

3 INNOVATION ABS TRACTS

PUBLISHED BY THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR STAFF AND ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT (NISOD), COLLEGE OF EDUCATION, *

_ THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN + WITH SUPPORT FROM THE W. K. KELLOGG FOUNDATION AND THE SID W. RICHARDSON fel ice

 

ALC: Activating Learning in the Classroom

The faculty participants say: “The ALC Program is a
time to reflect—a hardworking sabbatical.” “I know it
is a little corny, but I feel as if my teaching is being
celebrated.” The students participating in the Activat-
ing Learning in the Classroom classes say: “The Course
Guide asked us to supply our own input and feelings—I
loved it! If every class had something like this, I think I
would like school better.” “It’s been a while since I had
fun in the classroom. I need that kind of attention to do
well. Thanks for letting me be myself, not my student
number.” What in this program produces such positive
reviews from both faculty and students?

The ALC Program considers the crucial elements
present in any classroom learning environment and
then focuses on the three variables of the classroom
equation: instructors«>information« students (to be
read in either direction). The instructor’s task is to
facilitate learning, and the students’ task is to learn. But

how? There is a process to teaching as there is a process

to learning. In order to activate these processes, ALC
offers an instructor the opportunity to stand back from
a course and consider each of its ingredients. Instruc-

tors analyze their own styles of teaching, the thinking of

their students, and the materials in their course. They
clarify their goals for the course, then ponder the most
cfiective ways to motivate a varied group of students to
embrace them.

Once these questions have been considered, the
instructors begin the challenge of translating their ideas
about the classroom component into a Course Guide.
Thus, the Guide, which is developed for each ALC
course, reflects the individuality of the instructor and
connects the students to the experience of learning. It
serves as a concrete avenue for faculty members to try
out new approaches to presenting material, and it
provides a way for students to experience supportive
and personal comments from the instructor as they
work through the course material.

Pretend that you are a student arriving on the first
day for your humanities course. You settle into your

chair and open up the large Course Guide that the
professor has just handed to you. On the first page, you
see the following information:

 

 
  

The Course Guide (this huge notebook sitting in
front of you right now) will help guide you
through the course material.

It contains:

e acalendar for the semester;

e¢ maps—for identifying the areas about
which we will be studying;

e journal entry questions (more details on
these later on);

© previewing exercise—to introduce you to
the texts you will be reading for this
course and give you a preview (before you
begin reading) of useful background
material and relevant information outside
the actual “body” of the text;

e reading Guide question—to help you focus
on and respond to the material you will be
reading in preparation for class;

* occasional pithy, personal, wise, and
whimsical comments from me; and

e other oddments and errata.

You will find that you are asked to write a lot—
perhaps more than you’ ve been used to in other
courses—on your thoughts about topics to be
discussed in class, answers to specific questions,
questions you want answered.

But it’s your interaction with the “stuff” of this
course that will make it more worthwhile—for
you and for the rest of us.

Now, on to some of the requirements and
expectations.

 
   
     
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
    

 

   
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
    
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What do you think? You probably have a sense that
this professor is well prepared, but you also get a

feeling that you will be an active pa* icipant in the

 

 

THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR STAFF AND ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT (NISOD)
Community College Leadership Program, Department of Educational Administration
College of Education, The University of Texas at Austin, EDB 348, Austin, Texas 78712