Spring 1998
Vol 6 Issue 2
IN THIS ISSUE...
Change or Efficacy?
New Alignments in Calculus Instruction
Change: Do We Really Have a Choice?
Change, Learning, and the Future.
Using a Student's Fund of Knowledge to Guide Discovery
You Say You Want and Evolution?
SEE ALSO...
The Labyrinth
Maricopa Center for Learning and Instruction
Change: Hype or Efficacy?
John Nelson, Editor
PVCC
"Outcomes," "independent learning," "faculty as mentors,"
"interactive technologies," "simulation" -- these concepts and
many more are presenting themselves to the education community as faculty confront
the current issues of student learning and cost effectiveness. It would appear, at
least when one considers all of the new delivery modes and interactive technology,
that change is indeed in the air.
If we as educators acknowledge change, we must also consider our response to it.
For some, change may be welcome and invigorating; for others, it may be anathema
or merely rhetoric. Regardless of how it is perceived, each of us encounter problems
managing it.
Alan Guskin, our spring Convocation speaker, asserts that change is being forced
on us. In his article "Restructuring the Role of Faculty," which appeared
in the September/October 1994 issue of Change Magazine, Guskin states, "the
unacceptability of student costs will drive us to change, the new technologies will
challenge us to alter our practices, and the society will force us to be accountable"
(25). Guskin continues his thoughts by advocating that faculty creatively embrace
the change and avoid locking themselves in an "unexamined educational delivery
system" (25). His final pronouncement is a restructuring of our role as faculty
so that we can meet the demands of student learning.
While any "restructuring" may sound a bit grandiose, we have already seen
many of these ideas successfully implemented around Maricopa. Guskin says restructuring
". . . will be to integrate the new world of simulation and interactive technologies
with their [the faculty's] own unique role as mentors, coaches, facilitators, and
teachers of student learning" (23). Our writers, in this issue of the Labyrinth/Forum
have responded to this challenge with highly unique approaches to change. All of
their ideas clearly enhance student learning.
In these articles you will read about faculty who are developing curriculum that
allows students to select options and enhance their capabilites of "learning
in ways that make sense to them." You will find pedagogical changes which encourage
the students to "become part of the process," and interactive technology
in which "...students are put into an authority mode and placed in a more equal
stance to the 'teacher' in the learning process." All of these changes are examples
of individuals in our District who are taking charge of change and creatively implementing
techniques that allow students to relate to the material and actually apply their
knowledge and critical thinking.
Considering the theme of change, you may notice the Labyrinth/Forum has a new look!
Our new color and design changes are provided to enhance the presentation of our
articles' text, and I want to take this opportunity to thank Sathees Koopat of Creative
Graphics. He freely gave his time and expertise to assist our efforts in producing
a content-centered and attractive publication.
As the spring issue of the Labyrinth/Forum takes on the theme of change, our desire
is to provide a medium which allows you to question and explore your relation to
change. Read and use it. Most importantly, consider these ideas as a means to evaluate
your role in change.