PBL and Accreditation Dilemmas

I have been thinking too much lately. So much that it makes my head hurt! As our BGSU Graduate Classroom Technology Program coordinator, I have taken on the responsibilities of leading major curricular revisions of our program. At the same time, another area of responsibility that I have been given is preparing for another round of national accreditation for the program.

In some ways, revitalizing our curriculum (creating new and exciting ways to support graduate student learning!) and showcasing what a great program we are (via state and national accreditation standards) should go hand in hand. As we continue to provide awesome courses and programs, and students affirm that they value their experiences, pulling together the evidence needed for accreditation should be simple, right?

Nope.

Here is the dilemma. I am absolutely convinced that education is about empowerment. We possess the resources and tools to support learners in identifying their needs and interests, growing their knowledge and skills, providing individualized feedback on their progress, and producing evidence of their learning. We are ALL learners and we can grow in our learning without the boundaries of school walls and narrow "standards." However, our institutions are caught in the trap of documenting our worth through standardization. Reliable and valid testing structures do have a place in some professions, but when the tests do not keep up with the reality of our educational circumstances, they become a distraction, at best, and a deterrent to real learning, at their worst.

I am currently being asked to craft a strategy to support our graduates in getting even higher scores on the Ohio Assessment for Educations (OAE) Computer Technology Endorsement exams. This might seem like a great use of my time, until you consider these facts:

• Our graduates are already passing these tests on their first attempts at a 100% rate.
• Our graduates are reporting that many areas of the test are antiquated and are asking about teaching resources and tech tools that were current a decade ago. Most of the assessments are not aligned with current ed tech standards for students, teachers or tech coaches.

I do not want to waste my time (and, more importantly, my students' time) perfecting our expertise in historically obsolete trivia. We are moving towards personalized and empowered learning. So, on we go... My sense is graduates will continue to pass the required tests and be baffled by some of the content therein, but we are going to have a great adventure in learning as we go.