Mission, Goals, and Conceptual Framework
Mission
Goals
Conceptual
Framework of the College of Education and Human Services
Mission
The mission of the Department of Library Science of Clarion University is to educate individuals for careers in a diverse information society.
To achieve its mission, the department:
Teach students the major theories, principles, and current and emerging practices in the field
Instill in students the qualities, knowledge, skills, and passion inherent in effective leaders and modeled by the faculty through their research and service
Teach students to understand, design, conduct, and disseminate research in the library professions and related disciplines
Provide opportunities for lifelong learning
Conceptual Framework of the College of Education and Human Services
Learners: Constructing Knowledge, Skills, and Dispositions | The Learners | The Contexts | The Processes | The Outcomes
Learners: Constructing Knowledge, Skills, and Dispositions
Based on a strong commitment to learning and teaching, the mission of the Clarion University College of Education and Human Services defines the preparation of effective, dedicated, and high quality professionals as Learners: Constructing Knowledge, Skills, and Dispositions. Clarion's Conceptual Framework for Learning and Teaching reflects the current knowledge base in the field of Education as advocated by professional accrediting agencies. The Conceptual Framework defines and describes principles of learning and teaching for administrators, teaching and human services professionals, students, families, policy makers, and others who make decisions about excellence in education. The framework offers a foundation for articulating and discussing current learning theories and research on effective educational practices for professional education candidates as well as for university and school faculty and for assessing professional candidate performance.
Learners are at the center of the Conceptual Framework. The centrality of Learners, depicted by the graphic above, reflects current cognitive views of how individuals learn. The framework identifies both students and professionals as Learners who are active participants in the process of building knowledge, skills, and dispositions within the context of what they already know and applying the new understandings and skills to authentic situations. Learners are surrounded by three triangles depicting the development of students and professionals as they acquire knowledge, skills, and dispositions within the:
The first triangle of the model is Contexts. Learners develop in the contexts of Individual Variations, Cultural Diversity, and Societal Influences. The learners are inseparable from these important contexts. Contexts impact the ways in which individuals process and construct knowledge and experiences.
Individual Variations provide complex contexts for the development of learners. As individuals develop knowledge, skills, and dispositions, they are dependent on the unique set of physical, social, emotional, cognitive, and technological abilities and skills they each possess.
Cultural Diversity is an important context in the development of learners. Educational programs include communities of learners encompassing students, families, and professionals from diverse backgrounds. Respect for and responsiveness to the learners and their cultural and language diversity is a crucial component of this context.
Societal Influences include the economic, social, technological, cultural, and political contexts that affect schools and agencies. These contexts impact learners as they construct knowledge, skills, and dispositions and apply these new understandings and skills to real-life situations.
The second triangle of the Conceptual Framework identifies the Processes of Knowledge Construction, Authentic Learning and Assessment, and Learning Interactions. Learners use these processes to promote cognitive, language, creative, social, emotional, physical, and motor growth and development.
Knowledge Construction is a process learners use to build meaningful understandings that support growth and development. Grounded in cognitive learning theory, inductive and deductive instructional models assume the active involvement of learners in the process of acquiring and constructing knowledge. Professionals use a variety of models of learning and teaching that are designed to help students develop deep understandings. Knowledge is not static but will continually evolve and change as learners confront new information, experiences, and technology.
Authentic Learning and Assessment are processes requiring understandings similar to the thinking encountered in actual situations outside the classroom. Effective instruction, technology, and authentic assessment assist learners in the application and investigation of real world problems and solutions.Learning experiences and assessments are anchored in the learners' real world experiences contributing to the knowledge construction in a particular content discipline.
Learning Interactions is a process occurring as learners communicate, collaborate, and negotiate in the construction of knowledge, skills, and dispositions. Learning interactions are enhanced through the integration of technology. Interactions encourage learners to verbalize their thinking, refine their understandings, and reflect on growth and changes.
The third triangle reflects the learners' Outcomes. All university Education and Human Services programs for candidates at the initial and advanced levels guide and facilitate learners as they develop:
The complete text can be found at http://www.stevens.clarion.edu/ncate/framework.htm.