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CHAD 135: Culture and Human Development

Syllabus, Motivation, Active Learning

Reflection on Instructional Change:

I have taught this class since Fall 2019. In the past two years I have modified different parts of this course in response to students’ feedback, the COVID-19 pandemic and the transition to remote learning, and since last semester, the transition back into the classroom. During this time I have benefited from several professional development opportunities, including another ACUE course. As a result of this work, the course overall works well and I receive mostly positive feedback from students. However, there were some persistent problems that I wanted to address this semester:

Many students were not engaging with the syllabus/navigating Canvas as expected by the course design (the course has a flipped classroom design, which emphasizes independent active learning)
Some students were struggling to understand the purpose and weight of assignments/activities (the information and guidelines are provided in the syllabus and in Canvas)
Some students got discouraged early in the semester
Some students were surprised by their grades at the end of the semester

To address these persistent problems, I selected the combination of practices: 1) a syllabus activity for the first day of class, and 2) a weekly active learning cycle document (which models how to best approach the weekly course work). Both practices were implemented at the beginning of the semester.

The Syllabus Activity

The main goal of this activity was to provide students with an opportunity to review the syllabus and discuss it with peers, to highlight common questions/misunderstandings, and to answer students’ questions. In preparation for the activity, students were asked to either bring a printed copy of the syllabus to the first session or to make sure they had access to a digital version. In class, students worked in pairs to find answers to the following questions:

How is the class structured? What is the learning cycle/work rhythm of a typical week?
Are there any assignments with more than one deadline?
How is your grade calculated? How do you know how much an individual assignment affects your grade?
What are the guidelines/recommendations for when you are feeling sick?
How can you avoid (unintended) plagiarism?

I made sure that the questions directed students to the course information students in previous semesters struggled with the most. The activity ended by sharing the answers and discussing them with the whole group.

Active Learning Cycle Document

The goal of this document, which was adapted from the ACUE course materials, was to highlight the different stages/elements of the active learning cycle and to help students approach the independent asynchronous work that they have to complete before the discussion sessions. The document also provided students with the space to adjust how they want to break up the work cycle based on their needs and schedule.

I presented this document during the first session when I discussed the structure and rhythm of the class. A few weeks into the semester I recognized the need to remind students about the document at the beginning of each Canvas module.

Students' Response

Overall, I think starting the course with a syllabus activity and providing students with a document to help them approach the rhythm and coursework of the class was an effective way to address the persistent problems that I had identified. For instance, students left the first session with a better understanding of the structure, content and evaluation parameters of the course. As a result of this, students' work has been consistent and I have less students who are struggling. However, I think I could do a better job introducing the Active Learning Cycle Document. I am not sure students' really used the document or benefited from it. Next time, I will create a low-stakes assignment or activity where students use the document to adjust the rhythm to reflect their needs and schedules.

My Interaction with the FLC activities

While I have found all components of the ACUE course useful for my practice (I really enjoy the format of the course), what has impacted my teaching the most is the combination of demonstration videos, the implementation resources, and the practice and reflect written assignments. In fact, I have put together a binder with my notes from watching the videos, my written assignments, and the resources that I downloaded and printed and I frequently go back to it to refresh my knowledge and to spark new ideas.

In addition, I really appreciated the "Observe and Analyze" synchronous zoom session with colleagues and the exchange of ideas in discussion boards. I felt inspired listening to the creative ideas presented by my peers and I also benefited from their generous feedback.

Evidence of Instructional Change

Evidence of Instructional Change
Screenshot of Active Learning Cycle document	Slide with instructions and questions for syllabus activity	ACUE badge

Practice and Reflect on: Helping Students Persist in Their Studies

Course Syllabus: CHAD 135 Culture and Human Development

Faculty Bio

Faculty Photo and Bio
	I am an assistant professor of Child and Adolescent Development at the College of Education at California State University, Sacramento. This semester, I am teaching the undergraduate courses CHAD 135 Culture and Human Development and CHAD 131 Language Development, and the graduate course CHAD 249 Language Processes in Development. I hold an MA degree in Hispanic Linguistics from UNAM (Mexico) and a PhD degree in Comparative Human Development from the University of Chicago. My research program focuses broadly on the relationship between language, culture and the intergenerational creation, reproduction and transformation of knowledge. My overarching goal is to use my teaching, research and service to support families and communities in their work towards social and linguistic justice.


	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.