Jacques passed on a mention of Alverno College while we were discussing the issues around early French immersion in New Brunswick last week. I took a look at the web site for this women’s college in Milwaukee and found that the program is based on ability-based curriculum, which is fascinating and reflects many of my own beliefs around education and learning:
Alverno doesn’t use standardized tests and traditional exams. Each student is unique, each learns in unique ways. But life is competitive, and so are we. Rather than measure performance as a snapshot in time, against a curve that strips away individual achievement, we focus on measurement that’s about you, and only you. The lessons you learn are applicable in real life, they become part of who you are. Alverno students learn more in class and retain the lessons longer. Our eight cornerstone concepts represent the very building blocks needed to create an effective and relevant learning experience.
The eight abilities (Communication; Analysis; Problem Solving; Valuing in Decision-Making; Social Interaction; Developing a Global Perspective; Effective Citizenship; Aesthetic Engagement) could be the cornerstone of many educational programs, even at the high school level, and make more sense to me than most outdated subject-based curricula. This program has been around since the 1970’s and is an excellent example of how an institution can be a place of real learning for every individual.
Very cool to see Alverno mentioned. I was fortunate to graduate from Alverno and earn my bachelor’s degree. Now, as a student of instructional design, I am continually recalling my experiences at Alverno. Every class and every activity relates back to what I am learning constitutes great learning experiences. It truly is an amazing school.
Thanks, Jade. It’s really important to have working models of alternate models of education, so that people can see that change is possible. Thanks for telling us about your positive experience.
The problem here is still one of assessment being done by the teaching institution itself.
From an assessment perspective, It is a great example of how to do things well in the past. We need models for the future that take into account the deep changes that happening.
Totally agree that what we need are more Working models.
Gilbert
While it’s true that some assessment is performed “by the institution,” there were examples at Alverno where it became broader. For instance, there were at least two points in my curriculum that I was required to be assessed by “external assessors,” who were volunteers from local business and institutions. Given a set of criteria (based on the 8 competencies), each assessor was paired with a student. During one, I remember being in a room with students and we simulated a “meeting” involving a task. One assessor watched my performance, took notes, and then met with me to provide feedback.
Also, in several of my classes, our semester-long projects involved outside clients. For instance, in Marketing 101, a not-for-profit agency was our client, and in groups, we each had to create marketing packages to present to the client. Their feedback was incorporated into our overall class success. Or, when learning web pages, I created a web site for an outside client – who gave feedback based on their satisfaction.
We need new models. The direct skills approach is nice. Involving the community is nice. Still we are looking in the rear view mirror.
The need for assessment is not educational. Assessment of knowledge and skills is a core necessity for a knowledge economy to function.
Assessment is as important to a knowledge economy as transportation and distribution networks are at the industrial layer. Up until now summative assessment at the institutional level was possible and efficient. Expect the future to be formative assessment at the level of the institution and summative assessment outside of the institution.
The nice thing about that is that it will make it possible to get the education at an extremely low cost. Assessment will be the cost center. I see the knowledge economy as a layer on top of the industrial economy. At the knowledge economy layer assessment will become external. In the jungle, on the farm, in the manufacturing/distribution world the rules might not have to change.
I could write an entire book on the subject. Eech..did I say book…
I was a student at Alverno in the 1970s when the ability-based curriculum was relatively young – and debated. That the eight abilities have remained stable (though adapted I’m sure) and the model fairly well aligned with its launch says a lot about the success at least one institution has had with it.
As a student, I would gladly have traded abilities for grades many times. The process was rigorous. Jade mentioned the outside assessors, but self-assessment was also built in. Parsing HOW an essay or a report or a speech for that matter was good (or bad) rather than just sitting back and receiving a teacher’s judgment on it helped to integrate the lessons of every variety. That habit becomes ingrained (in my experience) and is hard to shake.
I’m not an instructional designer or teacher (my husband, who is, passed this mention on), but I have appreciated the value of the learning environment I experienced many, many times in my career as a writer, editor and consultant.