Fall 1997
Vol 6 Issue 1
IN THIS ISSUE...
Welcome!
A First Year Editor's Perspective
Wu Yi - MCCD Business Initiative
Alternative Assessment in Mathematics
The Library Tour is Gone, Long Live Live Instruction
SEE ALSO...
The Labyrinth
Maricopa Center for Learning and Instruction
Welcome!
Naomi Story, MCLI
Welcome back to another exciting year of teaching and learning! The Maricopa Center for Learning and Instruction (MCLI) continues to support learning insights and innovations in education for faculty and administrators who care about the quality of instruction across the District. We are pleased with this semester's issue of the Labyrinth/Forum which showcases some of the exemplary practices at Maricopa.
Although the burden of learning improvement tends to rest on faculty's shoulders, students must realize that they need to share this load. We as educators know little about the process of improving student learning or even if learning is actually occurring until students are tested. And, by then, it may be too late to undo any misconceptions of the shared knowledge or learning.
This summer I attended the AAHE (American Association for Higher Education) Summer Academy on "Organizing for Learning." Ted Marchese's presentation demonstrated his diligence, innovation, and commitment to teaching. These are attributes that many of our faculty display and I espoused when I was a teacher and department chair. Yet, much like Ted's own admission, I do not really know, other than the visible evidence of all those old grade books (which I finally tossed out last spring), whether any of my students learned to write well or to analyze the language and imagery of F. Scott Fitzgerald, Maxine Hong Kingston, or Langston Hughes.
The notion of learning, specifically student learning, is extremely important to all of us. It is very clear from the numerous responses to the Maricopa Roundtable Policy Perspectives document that significant pedagogy and tremendous energy exist among various disciplines and programs. The Labyrinth/Forum was created to share these insights and ideas for teaching innovation and faculty learning. This year we hope to enhance this journal forum so that it encourages and improves, not only aspects of instructional innovation, but also elements and perspectives of student learning.
So, as you read this issue and those that follow, each of us need to realize our responsibilities and take the next step. We must demand our students to, as they have at MCC, "show me the learning!" Also, we need to think about the process which is needed to create the contexts, elements, and/or conditions required for students to carry more of the burden of learning. Finally, we need to ask the question: "How can students be more vigilant about their learning?" There are no instructional formulas or easy answers. However, if we can continue the dialogue through this and other forums, we will certainly be a true "learning" institution across Maricopa.
We welcome John Nelson, English faculty from PVCC as our guest editor for this issue. We have learned a lot from John about writing and editing so that the articles are richer in flavor and substance.
Again, have a good year, and from the MCLI staff, we hope you will continue this very important dialogue in learning. We invite you to submit ideas and articles for our coming issues.
Mahalo