PLC banner

CHAD 101: Career and Major Exploration in Child and Adolescent Development

Aligned, Student Centered, Purposeful

Reflection on Instructional Change:

Each class section includes 35 undergraduate Child and Adolescent Development majors that meet together for 50 minutes per week. On Day 1, I implemented the technique introduced in this learning community that involves students accessing the syllabus and examining the student learning outcomes, which was designed to engage the students in actively exploring the syllabus and in thinking about the goals of this course (students completed a welcome module and syllabus quiz prior to class). This activity required students to "Open the syllabus and focus specifically on the Learning Outcomes on page 5. Identify something you are excited about learning, have questions about, and/or would like to add." Students worked on this activity in three steps: 1) individually, to document their own thoughts, then 2) in small groups of 3-4 students to share, discuss, and agree on at least one thing to share with the class and who would share it (using local groups in person vs. breakout rooms in Zoom), and 3) whole class discussion, when every student group shared. During the whole class discussion, I documented statements on the whiteboard or wrote them on a shared screen online, to promote accountability as well as give students a sense of belonging and being heard.

Students were engaged in this task, although there were areas for improvement. 1) Some students struggled to access the syllabus. I have multiple sections in one Canvas site, and so it is a bit convoluted to access the syllabus; I ended up displaying the Learning Outcomes on the screen for students in this case. 2) Some student groups made vague comments ("I'm excited to learn in this class!"). In the Observe and Analyze, it was suggested I be more specific such that this answer would not suffice (e.g., Which objective and why?). 3) Some students focused on the assignments, etc. rather than the objectives. I appreciated the feedback I received from my colleagues during the Observe and Analyze session, although I have not yet had time to implement this feedback, such as providing students with sticky notes in class to mimic some of what we do in Zoom "chat," using Jamboards for online students to share ideas, and continuing to work on clarity in my questions.

Within the ACUE course, I most benefitted from watching demonstration videos--both the new techniques and some less effective techniques. I also appreciate reflections, as they provide a record of my learning to refer back to. I implemented these changes to provide alignment and connection for students, and have found these changes also provide a more streamlined course with less extra work for students.

Evidence of Instructional Change

First image of the aligned learning outcomes and assignments, student responses to the first day activity, and badge for ACUE Completion
Aligned Assignments aligned with Course Objectives for student first-day activity	Student Centered Photos of Whiteboard on which student large group discussion responses were recorded for in-person classes	Purposeful Badge for completing 7 ACUE modules: Leading the First Day, Promoting a Civil Learning Environment, Ensuring Equitable Access, Helping Students Persist, Embracing Diversity, Checking for Understanding, Providing Useful Feedback

Practice and Reflect on Checking for Student Understanding

Post FLC Course Syllabus and Schedule

Faculty Bio

Faculty Biography
	Dr. Kristen Weede Alexander earned her PhD in Human Development at UC Davis before beginning her career at Sacramento State in 2002. Prior to moving north for graduate school, she obtained her multiple subject teaching credential and BA in Human Development at UC Riverside. She is a Professor of Child Development, with publications concerning children's cognition and memory in emotional contexts within the family and other relationships. She has served as the graduate coordinator for the CHDV MA program and currently serves as the undergraduate coordinator for the CHDV BA program. She teaches Quantitative Methods, Cognitive Development, a graduate-level Advanced Theories seminar, as well as one of our newest CHAD courses: Major and Career Exploration. Dr. Alexander facilitates student learning by working with learners to co-construct knowledge as they process ideas in relation to their prior knowledge and experiences.

Sac State information
	This work was supported by: National Science Foundation Hispanic Serving Institution Project STEM Zone DUE 1832335 CSU Office of the Chancellor Academic Affairs grant for Faculty Professional Development US Department of Education Hispanic Serving Institution Project STEM4Equity P031C210012 *Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation or the US Department of Education.