COVA/CSLE Reflection | Stephanie Wells

COVA Reflection and the Move to Learner's Mindset

My COVA Connection-Trust the Process

Part A-

Day 1- "Trust the process."- Dr. Harapinuk

It was a very difficult start for me in this program. The very first course and the very first session I was confronted with the realization that the learning process was going to be very different in this program than the way I learned 30 years ago. I did realize before I even signed up for the program that I was long overdue for a complete shift in how I teach because I have very different learners in this digital age. I guess it never occurred to me that I would have to make the growth mindset shift for myself as a traditional learner to be an active participant in my own learning in this program before I could implement such changes into my own teaching. Looking back, how naïve can I possibly be? I was thrilled to revisit growth mindset later after I had worked through a few courses. I learned just what disruptive innovation was and how that would challenge all of my traditional methods. My first task was creating an innovation proposal that was relevant to me and my students. At the onset, I wasn't sure I had the ability to make the changes I needed to make in order to be successful. I quickly switched from taking 2 courses a semester to 1 course so that I could give each piece my all.

I have lived by the mantra, "I think I can, I think I can." for the last almost 2 years. Turns out, I really can. I had what it took to create a plan. It is almost comical to look back now at this first iteration because it has blossomed and grown to such a different final plan based on all the incredible things I have learned. I look forward to the summary that will display the many levels beyond what my beginning thoughts of what I could do and the metamorphosis of my thinking from the very first class. I am daily amazed by the level of understanding I have and the importance of what I have learned and how it will apply to my students and my organization moving forward.

First, I want to discuss COVA/CSLE approach and what that even means.

When I look back on what building that framework for COVA was I can see just how far I have come. In case you are wondering what I mean by "just how far I have come", I had to Google "What is a widget?" after the first class meeting because beyond my understanding of radiologic technology equipment and software, some basic power point and using my own LMS, I was a lost puppy. Realizing that I would be choosing something relevant to me and genuinely informing change in my organization sent me reeling. However, I quickly discovered that I am surrounded by outstanding educators that continually encouraged and collaborated with me. I also learned that jumping in and just searching, trying, failing, starting again, all worked to increase my understanding of technology and how it works.

I found that the strategy that I devised to influence change was pretty valid. Dallas College is all about innovation because their belief in improving student outcomes far outweighs the difficulty of implementing change. Within my radiologic technology program, the support has been tremendous and half of the faculty started to implement my ideas and gather their own ideas. I did create an entire professional development in an effort to shift the thinking of the other half of my program educators. The ability to lead the change blooms mostly from everyone in my program realizing that I was the most resistant to change and if I was transformed by this process then they are even more likely to be moved to change.

CHOICE- This concept is as easy as it sounds. The learner is given a choice in what project they are learning based on their interests.
OWNERSHIP- Since each creation is unique to the particular learner opportunity they are more apt to create something unique to them and they are more motivated and engaged.
VOICE- When a learner chooses something meaningful and significant to them they are more likely to share those findings with others.
AUTHENTIC- When students engage in real-world, hands-on applications of their knowledge, they form meaningful connections to the concepts (Harapinuk, 2018).

Leading the Change

Authenticity

My innovation project is very authentic to the radiologic technology program. I think the original plan is not as authentic as what the plan has metamorphized into because as I started to really understand the goal of the COVA approach and creating significant learning environments then I was really able to identify how I could create real change. My first call to action addressed the concerns and improvements that I hoped to make. I originally planned to blend 3 different procedures courses. I now hope to add blended-learning and the COVA/CSLE principles to marry most courses across the curriculum.

Turns out, COVA and the CSLE approach aligns quite beautifully with my own uncovering of my learning philosophy. I have long had the personal belief that students must see the relevance in what they are learning and see how it applies to real-life to really make the connections. I, unfortunately, believed that I was making those connections for them through my story telling. I discuss this in detail in my learning manifesto. I shudder to think now that I thought that truly effective in their long-term learning although I do believe it helped with short-term engagement in the classroom. Although it didn't change my learning philosophy to any great degree to learn about COVA/CSLE, it fundamentally changed my understanding of how to effectively empower the students with those real-world, hands-on opportunities. I can facilitate their understanding of those principles so that the long-term learning can occur by applying the COVA principles.

Creating Significant Learning Environments

Part 2

I do not fully have my innovation plan implemented based on my original timeline and following upgrades and adjustments but I have begun the process of implementation using COVA/CSLE course planning. I will deliberately use these methods moving forward. The preliminary elements that have been added to my curriculum have been game-changers for my students. They love the ability to forge their own path in understanding and by having ubiquitous access and engaging with their peers they feel they have much more ownership in the process. I have added collaboration across cohorts of students at different levels. Although not all elements of our curriculum have an opportunity for personal choice, we do have an opportunity for choices in different areas of content. The students also have the opportunity to role-play in real-world scenarios for radiologic technology. We are bridging the gap between memorization and understanding and application by adding these opportunities but by also adding outcome-based assessment instead of competency based assessment in many areas.

For My Students

For My Colleagues

Although I have had a great group of colleagues overall, I still have a few that are resistant to change to this type of approach. I created my entire digital learning course as a professional development to sway those last few holdouts. This is essentially a course to introduce blended-learning and the key principles I learned in the ADL program to create bigger and better collaboration within the curriculum using the important principles of creating significant learning environments for the students.

I feel very strongly that there is no going back to traditional learning after being enlightened about these very important principles. I am battling the guilt I have for not being willing and open-minded enough to change my ways to using digital tools to enhance learning but also for not giving learners the opportunity to build their own understanding through the COVA/CSLE principles. Although I am not where I want to be yet in my own personal journey of adding digital tools, I know that I have a better understanding of how to get there along with a passion for change that will continue to burn. More importantly, the understanding that digital tools are only for learning enhancement and engagement but the real path to learning is through the COVA/CSLE principles.

References:

Harapnuik, D. (2018, July 14). COVA. It's About Learning: Creating Significant Learning Environments. https://www.harapnuik.org/?page_id=6991