2011 upcea-stone

The Adult Learner and Professional Certification: Comparing and Contrasting Two Different Approaches from Maryland and IndianaTheodore Stone, Ph.D.Professor and Director, Field and Clinical Experiences

Goals for this section

• Background and history of UMUC’s anytime-anywhere approach for adult learners

• Certification requirements for Teacher Education in Maryland

• How we designed the MAT program with respect to both

About UMUC

• Founded in 1947• One of 11 degree-granting institutions of the

University System of Maryland • Serving primarily adult and part-time students• More than 86,000 students and 3,300 faculty

worldwide• More than 160 on-site locations worldwide

Serving the U.S. military

• UMUC-Europe: Headquarters in Heidelberg, Germany– Classes offered at more than 100 locations in 21

countries– Faculty on the ground in Iraq and Afghanistan

• UMUC-Asia: Headquarters in Yokota, Japan– Classes offered at 50 locations throughout Asia

and the Pacific

Distance Education

• Nearly 40 years in distance education (instructional television, voicemail, online)

• All 23 master’s and 30 bachelor’s degree programs available fully online

• Almost 700 discrete courses available online• 65 graduate and undergraduate certificate

programs available online• More than 196,000 online enrollments in

FY09

Reinventing the MAT

• In 2008, began the redesign of the Master of Arts in Teaching degree (MAT) at UMUC– 36-credit graduate degree for initial certification as

a public school classroom teacher– requires baccalaureate in subject area (biology,

chemistry, computer science, earth/space science, English, history, mathematics, physics, or social studies)

High standards for redesign

• Remaining true to principles of adult learning• Fulfilling UMUC’s vision of anytime-anywhere

learning• Meeting state requirements for certification of

teacher• Meeting national standard for teacher

education• Combining these standards with a clinical

model for teacher education

Adult learning principles

• A 2007 U.S. DOL report estimated that adult learners over the age of 24 comprise about 44% of the U.S. postsecondary students

• Barriers to adult learners at most universities because of the adult learners' need for – focusing on careers,– their family responsibilities, – the scheduling of courses, – the need to travel to far-away campus to attend

classes, – and the cost to attend courses.

State, national and university standards

• Teacher education program at UMUC designed to meet several standards– Maryland Higher Education Commission– Maryland State Department of Education– National Council for Accreditation of

Teacher Education (NCATE)– Content-area-specific national standards – Internal UMUC standards for student

success, outcomes and retention

The clinical model in education

• In Nov. 2010, blue-ribbon NCATE panel called for clinical practice to be center of teacher preparations

• Eight states have committed to the clinical model -- CA, CO, LA, MD, NY, OH, OR, and TN

MAT program challenge

• How to redesign the program to– Support the adult learner through anytime-

anywhere learning opportunities– Rationally sequence the program

progression for the busy working adult– Meet state and national standards– Reinvent the program as inherently a

clinically-based program in an online setting

Reinventing the MAT program

• Reconfigured 36-credit program (mostly 3-credit courses) into 30-credit program of five 6-credit courses – Technology course now incorporated

throughout program– Final 15-week internship redefined from 9

to 6 credits– Field experiences embedded in each

online course

Field and clinical experiences

• Courses are online, but teacher candidates must be prepared for 3-5 days of field experiences in each semester– Teacher candidates identify schools in their

community for field experiences– Overseas students coordinate with DoD schools

• Final internship requires fulltime 15-week commitment

Leveraging technology

• Some field experiences combine virtual experiences with live classrooms– Watch online a master class followed by

live discussion with teacher– Online tutoring with students– Use of Skype, Wimba web conferencing for

field supervision

Scaffolding support

• Created office for Out of State & Student Success Initiatives– Support and guidance for field placements– Fingerprinting and background checks– Support for testing and certification

(PRAXIS)– Coordination certification requirements in

other states

Questions?