Focused Discussions (Asynchronous Session)
Evaluating Best Practices using a Multiple Measures Assessment Framework
Focused Discussion Alison Reddy
Institutions across the United States are considering, piloting, or implementing a Multiple Measures Assessment Framework (MMAF) to improve the transition and shorten the timeline to college-level mathematics and English courses, and to ensure students remain on track for their areas of study without having to repeat prior coursework. Some initiatives are driven by legislation, outside entities, or as part of an institution’s strategic plan. This focused discussion will provide an opportunity for a lively and fruitful conversation on MMAF as we discuss: (1) If MMAF means a combination of measures, or a single best measure selected from multiple options; (2) Selection of measures used in a MMAF; (3) Examples of institutions using MMAF; (4) Efficacy, equity, and longitudinal data from MMAF; and (5) The impact of MMAF on students. Institutional data and practices, and the moderator’s experience serving on State Senate Advisory Council evaluating legislation regarding multiple measures for gateway level coursework, will be shared. There will also be time to synthesize and summarize the key discussions points and takeaways.
Revisiting the Equity Elephant in Education: How Do We Foster and Sustain Equity-focused Learning Communities? View Digital Media
Focused Discussion Belkis Cabrera, Ashlee Robertson
For decades, authors like DuFour and Eaker have championed the work of learning communities (LCs), maintaining that these spaces are transformational and profound in their promise to create more equitable educational practices and systems. We seem drawn to these special spaces because we recognize their capacity for honoring teachers. Recently, we conducted a study on learning community facilitators. Our research questions asked two sets of participants (those who had been trained by specific organizations to facilitate learning communities and those who had received no formal training to facilitate the work) to describe their learning community experiences. When these participants shared their conceptualizations of their work in these spaces, we found a number of significant differences between the trained and non-trained participants. One unexpected finding was that trained facilitators, more than their non-trained counterparts, shared an equity focus, which seemed to add a sense of urgency to their work in LCs. As an example, one of the trained participants asserted that “equity” is “where you want to get to with this work” and often asked participants to reflect on questions like: “Who’s being served?” and “Who’s not being served?” In our focused discussion, we would like to add your voice and insights to the conversation on learning communities and equity. What do learning communities look like at your institution? Who’s involved? What has been your role in the process? What can we do to honor the fundamental vision of learning community work as equitable, social-reforming practice within our own institution/department/center/program?
Helping Educators Escape the Maze of Technology Integration: Building Better Professional Learning Experiences for Educational Technology Integration in Classrooms View Digital Media
Focused Discussion Christopher Godfrey
Educators require a deep understanding of any technology that they will integrate into their classrooms practices if that integration is to be successful, and professional learning in this area may be a lynchpin that allows for such integration to take place. Unfortunately, current learning in this area is lagging behind what is necessary to ensure that teachers have the tools and understanding they need. Using qualitative methods, this work seeks to better understand how educators feel about their current professional learning experiences in this area, and what types of learning experiences may best suit their personal learning styles. It offers suggestions for how administrative policy may be better directed towards learning experiences that can help educators develop the understandings they need for technology integration to be successful in their daily classroom practices.
Teacher Networked Learning in a Collegiate Context: A Review of Literature on the Relationship Between Social Networks and Professional Development View Digital Media
Focused Discussion Lesley Anne Johnson
This research is interested in the learning that occurs between schools and campuses within the greater collegiate structure, in terms of extended networks. The aim is to evaluate the impact of these network ties on teacher learning and practice within a large independent College in South Australia. How can networks influence conceptual learning for complex professional action? The research takes place in a naturalistic setting and makes use of a mixed methods approach to triangulate several data sources. The focus of the proposed discussion is a systematic review of literature on the relationship between social networks and professional development. Of particular interest is the question about the nature of learning ties in networked learning. These findings are used to frame the descriptive research of a second study. The second study investigates what data collection methods and techniques suit best when conducting naturalistic research in schools and what methodological research traditions and orientations frame the role of the researcher in this process. A set of research guidelines is the overall outcome of the initial part of this study.
