INSTRUCTIONAL STANDARD

Indicator:

Effective instruction engages learners in the process of learning rather than merely transmitting information for them to receive. Relevant experiences promote learners' active involvement and bring the classroom closer to--or into--their future work environments. Moreover, active learning experiences must be meaningful. They should relate to the "real world" and, most importantly, the learning experience should bring about the desired student knowledge and skills. Do the instructional strategies in the material reflect real-world problems, issues, and experiences? Do they align with what the student is expected to know and be able to do? The following example from Analyze and Apply: A Guide To Connect Learning to Performance (Stanley, 1994) illustrates two active and meaningful learning experiences directly related to a stated outcome:

Subunit Objectives: After you complete this subunit, you will be able to:

1. Investigate the sources and uses of water in your community.
2. Categorize water uses based on the properties of water.
3. Explain how water is used in a home heating systerm, a power plant condenser, an evaporating cooler, and a car radiator.
4. Compare three types of mixtures involving water and other substances.
5. Explain why water represents such an important habitat for organisms.
6. Devise a rule to predict whether a material will float in water. (See corresponding activities below.)
7. Investigate the structure of water through the chemical formulas for water.

Objective 6 Corresponding Learning Activity A:

• Find the density of a block lf marble measuring 3cm x 4cm x 7cm and weighing 450 grams. Find the volume first by multiplying the dimensions. Then divide the mass by the volume. How much greater is the density of the marble than the density of the water?
• Find the density of evaporated milk if 384 cm^3 weighs 411 grams. How does its density compare with that of water?
• Determine the procedures you would use to find the density of the following materials. Compare your procedures with those suggested by others in the class and decide as a class which one might work the best.
  -A bar of soap
  -Whole milk
  -Ice

Objective 6 Corresponding Learning Activity B

• Divide the class into four or five groups.
• In each group, develop a guideline that can be used to predict what materials will float in water and what materials will sink in water. The guideline may be stated in words, shown in a diagram , or expressed as a formula.
• Compare the guidelines developed by each group. Decide what kind of knowledge or information each guideline is based. Decide which guidelines you think are true and which expressions are clearest.

Indicator:

Intellectual processes are critical to meeting the challenges of advancing technology and of keeping pace with the rapid changes occurring in the workplace. Thinking skill development is critical for workforce participation. Within the curriculum material, are the instructional strategies designed to develop students' problem-solving, decision-making, knowledge production, and analytical thinking skills? The following example, from Developing Entrepreneurial Attitudes (MAVCC, 1995), illustrates an instructional strategy that emphasizes the SCANS thinking skills:

Learning Task: Use CAD to design and develop a package.

You are the president and owner of an independent specialty packaging company. A firm that is developing new hot and cold packs to be marketed to the sports trade has hired you to design the most cost-effective package for the product. You're also asked to ensure that the package has a minimal environmental impact. You have been given permission to consult with the chemistry department and the marketing department of the firm.

• Determine the relationship of surface area to volume and develop the most cost-effective package.
• Consult the marketing department for their suggestions and design requirements.
• Consider various packaging materials and compare the costs.
• Consider the environmental impact of possible materials and be able to justify your final decision.
• Make a scale drawing of your package.
• Make a model of your package.

Indicator:

Quality curricula engages students with a variety of learning activities adaptable to students' different learning styles, and encourages students to think and create in ways unique to their own preferences and experiences. Factors to consider when reviewing curricula include "Can the instructional strategies in the material be adapted to alternative forms such as group, team, or cooperative educational activities; class presentations; or data collecting through surveys of community members?" "Can the strategies in the material be adapted, if necessary, to meet the learning levels of all students?" For example, the following learning task, taken from All Aspects of the Industry: Supplementary Instructional Modules (Instructional Materials Laboratory, 1994), could be adapted in a number of ways: (1) it could become a team or group activity; (2) it could involve a panel discussion or presentations on findings; or (3) it could be expanded to include interviews of paint contractors.

Student Activities (from All Aspects of the Industry. Instructional Materials Laboratory. University of Missouri-Columbia)

1. Describe briefly the process of estimating and bidding.
2. Name a factor that can alter the final cost of a project after the estimating and bidding process is completed.
3. Envision that you own a painting company. You know that you must be the low bidder to get the contract to paint the outside of the Columbia office building. Would your bid be the same in the summer as in the winter? Why?

Indicator:

Do the instructional projects and activities in the material reflect women and men in occupations not traditional to their gender? Do the projects and activities create the impression that persons of color work in all types of occupations? Are aspects of different cultures integrated into the projects and activities encouraging greater understanding of diversity in the workplace? Will the projects or activities enhance and reinforce the concept of an inclusive workplace?

An activity from All Aspects of the Industry: Supplementary Instructional Modules (Instructional Materials Laboratory, 1994) provides an illustration of diversity issues within the workplace:

Student Activity: Contact a company representative in the area in which you have an interest and ask for examples of cultural diversity affecting the company.

The Applications in Biology and Chemistry curriculum developed by CORD (1991) incorporates job profiles into the curriculum content. The following case illustrates the inclusion of a woman in a nontraditional technical position:

Job Profile: Hydrogeologist

Christa P. is a hydrogeologist who works for a civil engineering firm. The firm does environmental studies for businesses and government agencies.

"A hydrogeologist has to incorporate a basic understanding of groundwater flow with a knowledge of geology and chemistry," says Christa. "Much of my work involves helping companies comply with environmental regulations. For example, we might be called out to evaluate groundwater if a company's underground storage tanks were suspected of leakage. Or we might be hired to routinely monitor the groundwater in the tank storage area. When asked what steps she would take in such a situation, Christa explains, "We install monitoring wells--these are small-diameter pipes that are placed into the ground. Groundwater comes up into the pipe, and we're able to sample it. We also do soil borings and test soil for contamination. If we find contamination, we help the company make a plan to remedy the situation. But prevention is always better than remediation."

Indicator:

Including team or small-group projects and cooperative learning activities within an instructional material lends a real-life touch to classroom experience and fosters greater learning for many students who learn best in that environment. Do some of the learning tasks in the material build around this concept? The following example from Guide for Integrated and Applied Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment (Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, 1994) illustrates the concept of team or small-group projects.

Learning Task: Cut School Budget

Your task force of three to five people has been charged by the school board to suggest ways to cut the total school budget by 20%. The school board members will depend on your work to defend their position regarding all cuts. Your task entails the following:

• Identify a process you would use to prioritize the cuts.
• Document how these changes would affect program needs, curriculum, learning atmosphere, user fees, and extracurricular activities.
• Identify the effects of this cut on a family (two school-aged children) that pays property tax, of which $500 goes toward the school budget.
• Work effectively in a group.
• Create a quality product, process, or performance that will enable the school board to make appropriate budget cuts and to defend those cuts to the general public.
• Identify a compelling personal interest and pursue it by creating strategies and policy to effect change in one's life and in the great society.

Interactions between and among students, instructors, and community members broaden and enhance students' learning experiences. Interactions also strengthen students' abilities to become competent learners in the changing workplace. Interaction strategies can take the form of teaching experiences for students, as exemplified in the Food Science: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Curriculum Design curriculum by Interdisciplinary Resources, Inc. (1995). In this example, students articulate and reflect upon their own learning with peers, with instructors, and with students several years younger:

Learning Activity: Mentoring in the Elementary or Middle School

In this learning activity, you will share your knowledge in the area of Food Science with elementary/middle school students. You may choose to work with one partner on this mentorship. Your presentation must have instructor approval from the beginning. School field trip procedures will be followed for this activity.

Procedure:

1. At a time that is convenient to the program, arrange a conference outside of class with the Food Science instructor.
2. Communicate with the instructor of the school you'll be visiting.
3. After the conference, complete an outline of the proposed mentor project. The outline must meet instructor approval, and should include the following:
   • Purpose of the project
   • Objectives and goals
   • Activities to be completed by the students
   • Explanation of any displays, visual aids, and handouts
   • Outline of verbal presentation
   • Outline of evaluation
4. Have a practice session with instructor and/or Food Science class.
5. Upon completion of your presentation, summarize the success of the experience, including suggestions for the future.

Indicator:

Now more than ever, intellectual processes are critical to meeting the challenges of technological advancement and keeping pace with the rapid changes occurring in the workplace. Workplace skills have shifted from concrete to abstract tasks. Do the instructional emphases in the material reflect this shift? The example that follows, taken from Measuring What Counts: A Conceptual Guide for Mathematics Assessment (Mathematical Sciences Education Board and the National Research Council, 1993), illustrates an instructional strategy designed to develop students' higher-order thinking skills:

Formulate and Solve the Following Problems:

• You have 10 items to purchase at a grocery store. Six people are waiting in the express lane (10 items or fewer), lane 1 has one person waiting, and lane 3 has two people waiting. The other lanes are closed. What check-out line should you join?
• You are considering purchasing one of two cars, both four years old. One car costs $3,000 and gets 20 miles per gallon. The other costs $4,500 and gets 35 miles per gallon. Which car is the best buy if you plan to keep it two years?

What Additional Information Do You Need To Answer These Questions?

One aspect of formulating problems is identifying whether additional information is needed. Neither of the problems above provides all the information needed to make a decision. Students need to identify the missing information and the likely estimates for the missing quantities. In question a, the number of items each person has and the speed of the checkers are considerations. In problem b, the number of miles traveled each year, the price of gasoline, and cash available are considerations. If money has to be borrowed to purchase the more expensive car, the loan can make a difference.

These problems are appropriate for individual or small-group work. Notes can be kept on the variety of questions generated and what additional information is assumed in class, and instructors can observe the willingness of students to engage themselves in finding the necessary information. Calculators are important for question b..

(From Measuring What Counts: A Conceptual Guide for Mathematics Assessment. Mathematical Science Educational Board, National Research Council, 1993)

Indicator:

Effective learning projects build on a base of integrated knowledge--content--that incorporates other critical skills and competencies, and provides opportunities for students to develop writing, speaking, and listening skills. Does the material provide opportunities for students to engage and integrate these critical skills? The following instructional strategy, taken from Developing Entrepreneurial Attitudes (MAVCC, 1995), illustrates the development of students' critical skills of writing, speaking, listening, and following directions:

Assignment Sheet 5

Many businesspeople might define "business sense" differently, and their definitions are equally valid. All will argue, however, that business sense is essential to an entrepreneur's success, and each businessperson's definition of business sense should give you additional insight into entrepreneurial thinking skills. The following exercise will enable you to discuss business sense with a successful entrepreneur and to consider its relationship to creativity in the business world.

Reading Assignment: Read the information presented in the following component.

Objectives: Identify major aspects of entrepreneurial thinking and their definitions. Identify the characteristics of a person with business sense, and define those characteristics.

Activity Checklist: Cross off each activity below as you complete it.

1. Your instructor will invite a group of local entrepreneurs to your class. Your class will be divided into groups, and each group will be assigned one entrepreneur to interview, using the interview outline on the next page. Each student in the group should take notes during the interview process.
2. Using the notes each person has taken during the interview, your group will work together to write an essay that describes the business sense of the entrepreneur your group interviewed.
3. Turn in your essay to your instructor for evaluation.
4. Your instructor will return your essay with suggestions for improvement. Make the improvements your instructor suggests, and return your essay to your instructor for final evaluation.
5. Your group will then make a class presentation on the information included in your group essay.

Indicator:

"Real world" learning projects integrate academic and school-to-work or occupational skills to reflect authentic life and work situations, and they afford opportunities for students to witness the diversity (specifically regarding gender, race, ethnicity, and disability) of today's workforce. Does the material include authentic learning projects in which students can apply knowledge and skills to complex real-world problems? The two following instructional strategies are designed to incorporate real-world experiences to reinforce the desired academic and technological learning:

Assignment Sheet 2: (from The Entrepreneurial Workplace [Wood, 1995])

Activity Checklist: Cross off each activity below as you complete it.

1. Your instructor will divide your class into groups, with at least three students to a group. Your group should study the information provided in the following scenario.
2. Design a benefits package for ENTY's employees. Prepare a written report describing your benefits package and justifying your group's selections. Provide cost figures for each benefit your group selects.
3. Turn your benefits package report in to your instructor for evaluation.
4. Your instructor will return your report with suggestions for improvement. Make the improvements your instructor suggests, and then return your report to your instructor for final evaluation.

ENTY Scenario: Wanda Marker hated the way her car and her lawn furniture rusted. Using her past experience as a chemist, Wanda developed a new paint product that prevented metal from rusting. She then borrowed money to modify second-hand equipment, set up a production line in her barn, and ENTY was born.

• ENTY has 75 employees.
• Fifty-five of the employees are between the ages of 25 and 35 and have young children.
• Four employees have the responsibility of caring for their parents.
• While ENTY has the latest safety devices, 70 of the company's employees are considered to be in a high-risk group for disabling injuries.
• The plant operates three eight-hour shifts.
• Twenty-five employees have expressed a desire for flexible work hours.

Wanda wants to meet her employees' needs, but benefits can only be 8% of gross income ($6,000,000). If benefits were at a higher percentage, the additional cost would necessitate a boost in product price, a move Wanda feels would result in a loss of market share.

Wanda has asked a team of her employees to help her decide which benefits should be included in the employee benefit package. She has assigned each benefit a cost:

Description																																																												Cost (in thousands)
Current medical benefits, without dental or eye care																																																												$250
Dental/eye care coverage																																																												$30
Day care for children																																																												$100
Day care for parents																																																												$50
Disability insurance																																																												$50
Flextime																																																												$100
Life insurance																																																												$30

Daily Nutrition Intake Lab (from Food Science: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Curriculum Design by Interdisciplinary Resources, Inc.)

Introduction: In this lab activity, students will keep track of their daily nutrition intake and then use this information to analyze the types of nutrients being consumed.

Prior to using the nutrition program, the student must record all foods, beverages, and so on, consumed during a 24-hour period. After completing the list, students should list each item in the appropriate food group, listed below.

Here are the available food groups: Baby Foods, Pastries & Candy, Fast Foods, Dietetic Foods & Supplements, Fats-Sugars-Condiments, Beverages, Cereals & Grains, Fruits, Ingredients & Spices, Non-Meat Entrees, Breads & Crackers, Cookies & Snacks, Juices & Drinks, Legumes, Meat-Fish-Poultry, Cakes, Dairy, Soup & Sauces, Vegetables

Before You Use the Computer, You Need To Have the Following:

1. A list of foods eaten in the last 24 hours.
2. Next to each food on the list, an abbreviation noting what food group it will be found in.

Once the list has been completed, the student must start up the MacDiet program on the computer.