New Horizons for Learning: Lifelong Learning

MITA's Five Phases for Renewed Higher Education

by Ellen Weber

For the most part, secondary and higher education classes remain untouched by new visions that revitalize younger grades. So while teachers in training are told about reformed approaches based on the brain's capacity to learn well, few models exist to illustrate these practices in higher education classes.

We see a growing and tremendous need to support faculty who express willingness to change their classroom practices in order to reflect current theories about the brain's unique abilities to achieve. Participation in roundtable discussions, interactive support sessions, and curriculum institutes are only a few of the programs offered at a new center for higher education reform in New York's southern tier.

The MITA (Multiple Intelligence Teaching Approach) Center is being launched in Houghton, New York. This new center responds to local, national and international requests to help revitalize secondary and higher education. Over the past ten years learning theory has come to include student outcomes based on inquiry, constructivism, and multiple intelligence ideas. Yet, for the most part, high school and college learning still consists primarily of lectures. At the MITA Center faculty come together to share ideas and create renewed curriculum in roundtable settings. Ellen Weber helps faculty build renewed curriculum through five MITA phases.

These five phases include:

    1.    Ask a Question. An opening question describes the lesson topics and relates content to students' interests and abilities.

    2.    Identify Objectives. To establish clear goals for student outcomes in each lesson is to ensure deeper understanding of context, good participation, and fewer class management problems. MITA curriculum guides faculty toward well-stated objectives that create active, student-centered learning of any topic.

    3.    Create a Rubric. Rubrics provide one tool to guide evaluation of students' work. MITA lessons provide more effective rubrics for improved feedback than the current system by adding precision about specific criteria used for evaluating student work. By giving rubrics at the start of their work, we pay more attention to diversity among students, to their unique worlds, and to their dreams for the future.

    4.    Assign an Assessment Task. We help faculty assign tasks that match related learning approaches, cover content, solve real world problems, create meaningful challenges, and motivate students to explore related issues. Through diverse assessment tasks in place of rigid tests, students begin to broker their gifts and abilities to explore lesson topics at deeper levels.

    5.    Reflect to Adjust. We help faculty to look at each lesson reflectively to highlight parts that work well and to adjust weaker parts. We present reflective sessions at the MITA Center with questions about content, delivery, and students' perspectives.

MITA Phases

Phase 1: Form a Question

    Assumption: Good questions help us map our interior worlds and motivate us to explore new lands.

Phase 2: Identify Objectives

    Assumption: When we know exactly where we are headed we are more likely to arrive there successfully.

Phase 3: Create a Rubric

   Assumption: With specific signposts and pathways lighted, we are ensured to reach our destination.

Phase 4: Assign an Assessment

   Assumption: MITA assessments ensure multiple approaches to any destination by creating choices along converging highways.

Phase 5: Reflect to Adjust

   Assumption: Reflection is a regular commitment much like inspecting an airplane for each new flight.

About the Author:

Ellen Weber, Ph.D., is Director of MITA Center for Renewal 9847 Seymour St, Houghton, NY 14744 You can email her at: ellen.weber@houghton.edu Ellen is the former Professor of Education and Director of Secondary Education at Houghton College, author, lecturer, and columnist. She has taught for the University of Toronto, McGill University and York University. Ellen is also adjunct professor at McMaster University. Combined with her experience in Multiple Intelligence research, twenty years as a high school English teacher, and as a TV and radio guest, she brings invaluable expertise and leadership to the MITA Center.

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