The Academy of Process Educators continues to increase its membership and work to drive transformational change in education by generating, disseminating, and archiving research based on the principles of Process Education, including the sponsorship of a yearly Process Education Conference. Academy membership is open to anyone passionate about Process Education and interested in engaging, supporting, and collaborating with a community of similarly dedicated educators. Visit the Academy online at: www.processeducation.org.

The Academy of Process Educators is a registered non-profit corporation.

 Book Chat

Do the guiding principles of Process Education align with What the Best College Teachers Do? What ideas can immediately be implemented in our classrooms and course designs? We'll be in touch over the coming months as the Academy reads through the book and then join Jim Morgan (Texas A&M) and Melissa Desjarlais (Valparaiso University) as they lead a book chat at the 2011 Process Education Conference. 

For more about What the Best College Teachers Do, by Ken Bain, visit the Harvard University Press website. Resources include: About the Author, Reviews, Table of Contents, and a link to purchase a copy.

Also available for purchase at Barnes&Nobel.com and Amazon.com

Click to visit the conference website!

We're pleased to announce an interactive member's forum! Available through the Member's area of the Academy website (user name and password required), the forum is the ideal way and place to collaborate with other Academy members about current research, Academy business, conference planning, etc. If you're already an Academy member, why not take a few minutes and register today?

If you're not an Academy member, have you considered what you might be missing?

 Research Updates

Reliability and Concurrent Validity of an Analytic Rubric for Writing Across Disciplines

Investigators Kathy Burke and Judith Ouellette (SUNY Cortland), Cy Leise (Bellevue University), and Tris Utschig (Georgia Tech) have received approval from the SUNY-Cortland IRB regarding compliance with research standards and ethical principles for a study of the inter-rater reliability and concurrent validity of the revised Writing Across the Disciplines Rubric. Three different types of papers will be scored by four raters using the Academy rubric as well as the Written Communication VALUE Rubric available for public use by the AAC&U (Association of American Colleges and Universities). Contact with a representative of the AAC&U clarified that our plans are consistent with the uses intended for their rubric; having a second rubric in the design will add evidence of concurrent validity to our main goal of gathering reliability evidence. The goals for the next few months include distributing numbered sets of papers to the four readers, collecting the data, completing the statistical analysis, and preparing the report for publication in the next issue of the International Journal of Process Education.

The larger intent of this research project is to establish an empirical design that can be generalized to other Academy measures in the future.

A Comparative Analysis of Reflection and Self-Assessment
Melissa Desjarlais (Valparaiso University), Peter Smith (Saint Mary's College, retired)

Abstract: Reflection is a personal process that can deepen one’s understanding of self and can lead to significant discoveries or insights while self-assessment involves establishing strengths, improvements, and insights based on predetermined performance criteria. In this paper we will perform a comparative analysis of reflection and self-assessment, clarifying the differences in definition, methodologies, and results.  We will model a familiar situation using both processes to illustrate the need for doing reflection and self-assessment and to differentiate their separate purposes. In the process, we will elucidate some tips for doing reflection and self-assessment as well as deciding when to do one or the other, and also discuss ways to evaluate their effectiveness.

The Transformation of Teaching and Learning: 14 Aspects
Denna Hintze-Yates, Steve Beyerlein (University of Idaho), Dan Apple (Pacific Crest), Carol Holmes

Abstract: While calls for reform in education are arguably as old as the enterprise of education itself, there is a new sense of urgency accompanying the reports of those who study the economic and cultural impacts of education, at all levels. This article offers a framework for understanding and responding to both internal (largely academic and pedagogical) and external (largely economic and cultural) pressures for positive transformation in teaching and learning. Fourteen aspects of educational cultural change are labeled, defined, and characterized in terms of historical tendencies and future directions that hold promise for better fulfillment of society’s expectations and needs. For each aspect, a core set of modules is identified from the Faculty Guidebook, linking that aspect to the larger body of Process Education scholarship. Meaningful descriptors for recognizable stages of transformation within each aspect are proposed from this analysis. Each aspect is then illustrated through examples typifying student and faculty behavior, as observed in faculty development institutes, workshops, and classroom teaching on the part of the authors. Three broadly applicable tips are also given for managing affective, practical, and research issues associated with moving to increasingly transformed practices within each aspect. The finished product is packaged in a new online learning object that is currently undergoing usability testing. The article concludes with an exploration of potential future uses for the learning object.

2011 Mid-Year Academy Meeting: A Report

Kathy Burke (SUNY Cortland), Cy Leise and Victor Harmes (Bellevue University), Marie Racine (University of District of Columbia), Peter Smith (St Mary's College-retired), Steve Beyerlein (University of Idaho), Dan Apple (Pacific Crest), Marie Baehr (Coe College), and Al Rowe (Kirkwood Community College) gathered at the exquisite setting for our 2011 PE Conference — The Hotel at Kirkwood Center. This is a four-star facility, professionally supervised and student-run, that is a centerpiece of Kirkwood's program for hospitality education. The meeting covered two full days (1/7-1/8). A full day was spent assessing and collaborating on papers under development for the 3rd edition of the International Journal of Process Education. These included evolution of the Transformation of Education table that many of you saw at the 2009 Conference (Hintze-Yates, Beyerlein, Apple, and Holmes), distinction between processeses of reflection and self-assessment (Smith and Desjarlais), classification of life enrichment skills (Leise), and profile of ecological leadership (Harmes).

A good portion of the second day was dedicated to planning engaging sessions as well as reviewing logistics for the 2011 PE Conference which we intend to be our best attended, most luxurious, and most transformational yet. Considerable time was spent on organizing a plenary session with Kirkwood faculty on Transforming from an Enrollment-Centered to a Student Success-Centered Organization. This is an exciting initiative motivated by Kirkwood's president and widely endorsed by faculty/staff. The goal of the session is to identify key barriers and tipping points in realizing this ambitious goal. Many take-aways and session-induced insights are expected. The conference center is positioned between the Community College and a K-12 educational complex that is nationally recognized for its creative pedagogy and high level of student achievement. A number off-site parallel session options are planned so that participants can see these innovative learning environments and educational practices first-hand. These include culinary clinics, math and science labs, and middle school/high school studios. The mid-conference evening social will be an art museum in downtown Cedar Rapids. A guest speaker on Transformational Learning Through Art is planned along with an opportunity to network and examine works by local artists using this framework.

Points in the strategic plan were reviewed and updated. Special attention was given to collaborative scholarship among Academy members.

Membership (A Reminder)

Remember: If you did not attend the PE Conference 2010 and have not paid your membership dues for the year, your membership has expired. To renew your membership, simply click to visit the Academy Store.