Institute Outcomes

  1. Participants observe and learn the professional practices of a process educator from the perspective of a student. They experience what it feels like to analyze, learn, and apply new material. At the same time, participants are asked to routinely reflect on what it is like to be a learner in this environment. How easily does understanding come? What does it feel like to be a student in this situation? What would I do if I were a teacher in this situation? Often when teachers learn new content, they can do so without having to reflect on their own learning processes. Similarly, when teachers practice a new teaching technique, they often practice it using material with which they are comfortable. This event uses challenging content that requires participants to cognitively explore the learning process as well as the affective issues associated with learning.

  2. Each participant experiences learning within a team environment by contributing to the achievement of a set of team learning outcomes.

  3. A wide variety of techniques and tools for teaching and student learning are used during the institute.

  4. Participants act as researchers, deciding which strategies, tools and techniques might work well (or not) in their particular learning environments.

  5. Participants value the importance of self-assessment in the growth process and identify ways to make better use of specific assessment tools with students and themselves.

  6. Participants develop an understanding of an instructional design process that supports active learning, critical thinking, and assessment.