Achieving Academic Excellence Through Mastery Learning

1. Achieving Academic Excellence Through Mastery Learning Catherine Smith MacDermott Program Director, Business Administration Professor of Business Communication Lori West Peterson Associate Professor of Communication

2. STRATEGIC PLAN 2015 Academic Distinctiveness and Global Preparedness II. Academic Challenge: St. Edward’s University will enable all our students to attain the fullest potential of their intellectual, personal and career goals. • What isacademic challenge? Excellence? • Do these terms differ among the disciplines, or, • is there common ground? • How can we know & assess if we are enabling all our students to attain their fullest potential?

3. Define/describe the core elements of Mastery Learning as a method of achieving Academic Excellence. • Offer specific examples from our own courses on Teaching for Mastery • Encourage audience members to explore the possibilities for Mastery Learning in their disciplines (especially interdisciplinary Enhancement Exercises!) • Provide tangible resources including sample assignments & grading rubrics. Achieving Academic Excellence Through Mastery Learning

4. SEU MISSION/ HOLY CROSS VALUES MASTERY LEARNING • Although students learning rates & modalities vary widely , nearly all can reach a high level of achieve- ment if teachers provide necessary time & learning conditions (Benjamin Bloom). • A caring faculty… • teach…encourage… • help… • Provide educational • opportunities for • students of varied • cultural, religious, • educational and • economic backgrounds • Foster each student’s • unique intellectual, • ethical and moral • development • To reduce variation in achievement of diverse groups of students and have all students learn well, Bloom argued that educators must increase variation in instructional approaches and learning time (Guskey, 2010).

5. Higher Education for All As a private, Catholic, liberal arts university, St. Edward's provides higher education opportunities to students of all ages and of varied cultural, religious, educational and economic backgrounds. Bloom envisioned the mastery-learning environment as one that captures “the most powerful aspects of tutoring and individualized instruction to improve student learning…”. (Guskey, 2010).

6. How Varied and Diverse are We? • 55% Hispanic and/or persons of color • (George Martin, August 21, 2012). • “First Year in France Students” finishing years 2-4 at SEU Austin. • Highest numbers of international students this incoming year. SCHOOL OF HUMANITES: Approachable faculty members whose top priority is ensuring you benefit from a personalized learning experience.

7. Family Systems Theory Time + Learning Conditions = Mastery Dr. V. Meunier’s Graduate-level class role-play experience….. Unit 2 Enrichment Activities Formative Assessment A Unit 1: Feedback/ Correctives Family Images, Themes, Boundaries, & Cross-generational Patterns Formative Assessment B Family “Genogram” Assignment Assignment is graded & returned Assignment is revised & resubmitted until mastery is demonstrated The mastery learning instructional process. (Guskey, T.R., 2007)

8. Problem Solving & Decision Making Time + Learning Conditions = Mastery Interviews with co-workers/supervisors regarding ethical dilemma in the workplace Unit 2 Enrichment Activities Formative Assessment A Unit 1: Feedback/ Correctives Formative Assessment B Ethical issues in the workplace Reflection Paper Assignment is graded & returned Ethical case revisited/ analyzed. Paper resubmitted The mastery learning instructional process. (Guskey, 2007)

9. Effects of Mastery Learning Improvements in: Grade Distributions: • Students’ cognitive & • achievement outcomes. • Confidence in • learning situations • Class attendance rates • Class participation • Attitudes toward learning • A variety of other affective • measures (Guskey, 2007). • Retention! ….…… = Norm-based grading _____= Criterion-based grading

10. Question for Consideration: • Audience questions about Teaching for Mastery in various disciplines. • Explore possible “enhancement exercises” that emphasizes interdisciplinary learning.

11. References • Bloom, B.S. (1971). Mastery learning. In J.H. Block (Ed.), Mastery Learning: Theory and practice (pp. 47-63). New York: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston. • Guskey, T. R. (2010). Lessons of mastery learning. Educational Leadership, pp. 52-57. • Guskey, T. R. (2007). Closing achievement gaps: Revisiting Benjamin S. Bloom’s “Learning for mastery,” Journal of Advanced Academic, 19, 8-31. • Klecker, B.M. (2008, November.). Advocating the implementation of mastery learning in higher education to increase student learning and retention. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Mid-South Educational Research Association, Knoxville, TN.