"I feel accepted. I don't feel as a prisoner. I look forward to going to class every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. We brag to our friends about how much fun it is in our class and how much better it is compared to a traditional class."
Does this sound like the ideal student response to a course evaluation? Perhaps, but, this is an actual comment from Regina, a student engaged in the Dynamic Learning project at South Mountain Community College. The project, implemented for the first time in the Fall semester of 1993 by Jackie Jaap and Yvonne Montiel, reflects a shift in education today away from the lecture and rote-memorization format toward more meaningful teaching and learning.
During the Spring semester of 1994, Dynamic Learning combined three classes into one, team taught by three instructors, Jackie Jaap, Yvonne Montiel, and Peter Facciola. The classes were scheduled back to back for three hours three times a week. The block consisted of Freshman English (ENG102), Introduction to Cinema (HUM205), and Introduction to Human Communication (COM100). Students also took Career/Work Experience (CWE198AC) and received academic credit for volunteer work in a community service project. The courses were totally integrated around a theme, Meeting the Challenges of the 90's: Learners Making a Difference.
As you walked into the classroom on any given day, you may have seen a half-empty room. Students were not absent or skipping class. A few may have been at the library researching a topic. Others may have been on telephones talking to sources or interviewing potential guest speakers, while several more may have been out in the community learning about their research topic first hand. Students in the classroom were likely working in groups, discussing a issue, arguing a point, or closely interacting with their teachers. You may have even had difficulty determining who the instructors were at first.
Dynamic Learning breaks the traditional teacher-student distinction and replaces it with a community of teachers and learners 50 strong. This learning community meets for three hours, three days a week, in an interdisciplinary block taught by a team of instructors. The community is guided by the following conceptual framework for the program developed from the latest research in psychology, physics, biology, physiology, neuroscience, and education:
In addition to achievement of the course competencies, the goals of Dynamic Learninginclude learning how to learn, cooperation and team building, precise communication, development of higher order thinking skills, appreciation of disparate value systems, ability to tolerate stress and change, and ability to participate in meaningful ways in the community. To help students achieve the goals, the instructors use a variety of teaching strategies, such as collaborative learning, classroom demonstrations, Electronic Forum, role playing, writers' workshops, journals, films, visual imagery, stories, field trips, outside experts, and community volunteers.
The Dynamic Learning curriculum does not require textbooks. The intent is to immerse students in complex and real projects of personal interest that require the integration of skills and knowledge from each of the disciplines represented. Many of the reading, writing, and discussion topics will be chosen by students, and all will be related to the main theme.
"Basically, there's a structure to the class," said student Amanda Cohen. "The structure is research, films, and presentations. They (instructors) gave us the topic of AIDS, we went to see the movie Philadelphia, and from there it kind of spun off into different ideas about what we wanted to present. They gave us a choice about what we wanted to do research on as long as it relates to the topic of AIDS."
Regina Dominguez added, "That's what is neat about the process. You have your choice."
Amanda Cohen explained, "if you are involved in the decision making in the class, you would definitely be more interested in what's going on."
Students involved in the project are expected to work on several research projects. For each project, students complete individual research papers as well as plan and deliver group presentations. Students begin by brainstorming topics, move on to mapping out ideas about the topic, and then they choose a group to work with.
"We go to a group that's doing whatever you're interested in doing," said student Joseph Medina. "If it (the idea) is individual, then you do it individually."
Cohen said of her group, "We all had the same interest in doing a project on AIDS and children. We reached our decisions (as to what to do) by consensus. We split it (the presentation) up into what we wanted to present and then ... took on a topic individually."
Dominguez said of her project, "I personally got to go down to Shante Hospital and tour their hospital. We (then) had two patients of the Arizona AIDS project come in and talk about their life and AIDS."
Instructors do not lecture. They may conduct mini-sessions to present information any time the need arises. However, most of the content is either researched by the students or shared by the instructors on an individual basis or with small groups, depending on the project and the needs of the group members working on the project.
"The instructors are just guides," Dominguez said. "They aren't lecturers. They're not like the boss. We are all team members. We are all equal. We all call each other by our first names."
Ana Pinuelas added, "When we need help, we just go to them (the instructors) and they will give assistance to us."
Cohen said, "The thing about being in this Dynamic Learning process is its everybody participating and guiding each other. The instructors are there, and they guide us. But, they are also going through the process of learning with us."
Student presentations are a key part to the Dynamic Learning Process. Not only do students practice communications skills, but they also work together to improve their presentations and research work through questioning and constructive criticism.
Cohen said, "that is the Dynamic Learning setting where research and communications come together. We are learning all the procedures to do research and then when we get up there to do presentations we are basically enhancing our communication skills."
"Yes, after our presentations, they (the class) will ask us questions," said Pinuelas. "We'll ask them what they thought about our presentation and how we can improve."
Cohen added, "It's not only during presentations that we criticize each other's work. Last semester we wrote essays, got into groups and worked together discussing how to improve them and what we liked about each other's essays. Before I got into this class, I never could have taken any criticism very constructively. After I came in here, it's (criticism) helpful. That's how you learn. That's how you change."
Miranda said, "You figure your paper is good, but someone else doesn't think it's good. They're going to help you improve it, and it's going to be better in someone else's eyes."
There are no complex point systems for grades. There is no "final exam" either. The student's performance and products are evaluated by both student and instructor based on pre-established class standards and competencies. Students discuss their work and grades in individual conferences with instructors after each project.
"That's one of the important things," Cohen said. "We have conferences with the teachers, and they let us know how we are doing."
Said student Tiffany Barber, "I think it's fair that we get feedback and that we have a say. Usually what will happen is that they (instructors) will have you bring in your research paper, rough drafts and notes and sources, and that's what I think is used and shows how long you worked on your project to justify your grades."
Said Pinuelas, "We have all this work to prove that we actually tried hard. We support our grade."
Students have a sense of ownership and sense of control over their learning. They participate and collaborate with instructors in planning every phase of the class. The instructors serve as resources, consultants, and facilitators. They create environments where the need arises to learn some content. On their best days, the students are aware of the instructors' presence only because they need some help or guidance.
Every day, though, does not flow smoothly. Sometimes students get frustrated because it is a very different learning environment and expectations are not the same as in the traditional setting.
Dominguez said, "There are a lot of people who are used to the old fashioned ways in a desk listening to a teacher lecture, taking your notes, and taking a test and getting your grade. Not all of us are thinking about going into a class and being part of it and having your choice and to be outspoken."
Pinuelas added, "Some people who first started coming to class said 'but this is not a class, you are not a teacher and you are not lecturing.' You have to be willing to accept change."
Still, instructors believe in the program and its potential for success. For the AIDS project, students went beyond the textbook and classroom. A group of students brought in people with AIDS to speak, another created a play, one more made a film, and many other groups and individuals presented their research. The student presentations were effective.
"I think that we all came out of this class educated a little bit higher about AIDS," Dominguez said. "A lot of us didn't know. We learned a lot." Attitudes were changed not only about AIDS, but also about the belief in one's own learning.
"It's really neat in a sense that you guide your own learning," Barber said. "You retain a whole lot more."
Cohen added, "This class prepares us for the future with cooperative learning because we learn to work with other people."
Dominguez summed up the difference about Dynamic Learning saying, "We don't just have two instructors, we have 46."
The true measure of effectiveness of the Dynamic Learning project is the students' perceptions of academic success and personal development.
As Dominguez said, "It is a lot better. We learn more. There is so much to do, I don't get bored. So I am interested. I learn something new every day in this class. In other classes, I write my notes and the minute I walk out the door, it's like 'what did we just talk about again?' This class you don't forget."