Teaching Institute

July 11-13 Northeastern University (Burlington Campus, Boston MA)

Pre-Institute Activity

Click to visit the Teaching Institute Resources and Tools Website.
This site contains a link to the Pre-Institute Activity, as well as a variety of Learning Objects.

The Philosophy of Process Education

The articulation of Process Education has evolved over time and reflects a synthesis of the change processes taking place in higher education. Process Education includes: active learning, student-centered learning, mentoring, assessment, use of technology and the learning paradigm. A concise definition for Process Education (PE) is as follows:

Institute Theme Areas

The activities during the Teaching Institute provide participants with a greater understanding and skills in the following areas:

  • articulating and implementing the philosophy of Process Education,

  • student learning processes,

  • teaching and facilitation,

  • self-assessment and assessments of student learning outcomes.

Process Education

Participants will :

  • learn about the philosophy of Process Education; that it is a philosophy (rather than a set of methods) which is based on a set of core principles and its relationship for improving student success.

  • be introduced to the Classification of Learning Skills; a valuable resource which identifies 15 key processes and more than 275 specific skills fundamental to learning and student growth.

  • learn about the levels of learner performance and the characteristics of a self-grower.

  • understand the importance of assessment and self-assessment with respect to successfully implementing Process Education to increase student success rates.

Assessment

Participants will:

  • learn to articulate and distinguish between measurement, assessment, and evaluation, including their similarities and differences.

  • utilize and implement a learning assessment journal.

  • be introduced to various forms of assessment including real-time, summative, formative, and self-assessment.

  • study an Assessment Methodology and models for effective assessment design.

  • learn to use a practical and powerful assessment tool called SII.

  • explore designing a Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) central to student learning and success.

Teaching and Facilitation

Participants will:

  • learn ways to create greater student ownership of the learning process.

  • meet high expectations.

  • be introduced to a facilitation methodology that helps educators get the most from student-centered, active learning classes.

  • be introduced to constructive intervention techniques and learn ways to enhance the productivity of cooperative teams.

  • appreciate the importance of the affective domain in learning and address dealing with learner frustration.

Curriculum Design

Participants will:

  • be introduced to the concept of a knowledge table as means to categorize the content of a course.

  • learn to apply a learning methodology when designing curriculum to enhance the quality of student outcomes and success.

  • model creating an activity for use in an active learning environment; focusing on how to design the basic components of an activity.

  • learn how to develop and structure critical thinking questions in a manner which supports guided-discovery learning.

  • be given an overview for designing a process-oriented course.

  • have the opportunity to explore sample curricula from various contents areas focused on student success.

Institute Objectives

Process Education Teaching Institutes

Since the first Teaching Institute in 1991, Pacific Crest has facilitated more than 100 teaching institutes. These institutes focus on improving key processes, essential to quality education, through the implementation of practical techniques, tools, and strategies which support the philosophy of Process Education.

Participants experience the institute from three different perspectives; that of student, educator, and researcher, and realize how faculty success improves student success

Pacific Crest’s Learning Outcomes for a Teaching Institute are to help participants to:

  • incorporate more process approaches in their teaching.

  • value their role as mentors.

  • integrate new and improved student learning techniques and tools.

  • implement new and improved teaching techniques and tools.

  • incorporate existing process curricula and learn to design process curricula for use in their own courses.

  • value the importance of self-assessment in the growth process and design strategies to make more use of specific assessment tools with students and themselves to increase student success.

Institute Agenda

Day 1

Overview of the Institute

Overview of Process Education (PE)

Team Goal Setting

Levels of Learner Knowledge

Learning Process Methodology

Creating a Productive Learning Environment

Managing Learner Frustration

Consulting/ Q &A session

Day 2

Knowledge Tables

Team Reflection/Discoveries

Assessment and Evaluation

Assessment Methodology

Classroom Assessment Techniques

Facilitation Methodology

Modeling a PE Learning Environment

Consulting/ Q &A session

Day 3

Team Project (based on Team Goals)

Overview of Designing a Course

Designing a Student Success Course

Designing a Quality Enhancement Plan

Exploring Sample Curricula

Consulting/ Q &A session

Assessment of the Institute