The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 45, No. 3 - 36

Christina Stauffer * Dillon Kimmel

domains which were derived from a review of
the university context and the locations that
provided the best capacity to influence learning. Under each learning domain are measurable learning objectives that explicitly state
desired student learning. Each learning strategy employed-standalone programs, studentstaff individual meetings with students, floor
meetings-has learning outcomes that are
mapped and sequenced to these domains and
outcomes.
Drawing from the suggestion of an annual
review process in the Ten Essential Elements
(Kerr et al., 2017), the program plans are assessed and authored on a yearly basis. Beginning in December, the full RLH team convenes
to review gathered assessment on the success
of existing learning strategies and proposes
and designs new strategies for the following
academic year. Once completed, both the firstyear plan and upper-division plan are reviewed
and approved by the University of Delaware
Faculty Senate.
However, despite the thorough review
process, UD staff recognized gaps. The professional staff reported that their comfortability
with creating learning outcomes and employing Backward Design was limited, yet they
were being asked to apply those skills in the
program plan writing and implementation
process. Curriculum trainers recognized that
the success of the program plans' implementation depended on professional staff comfort
with learning design, so they created a plan to
increase staff capacity and confidence.
UD curriculum trainers built a comprehensive professional training program to prepare
staff to design and implement a Residential

36

Curriculum by identifying theoretical frameworks most aligned with the UD Curriculum
Model. The chosen theoretical frameworks included Backward Design (Wiggins & McTighe,
2008) and the learning sciences principles introduced in How Learning Works (Ambrose et
al., 2010).
Curriculum trainers determined that
staff should meet the following learning outcomes in order to be prepared to implement
the program plans, calling on the utilization
of Backward Design (Wiggins & McTighe,
2008) and applying the empirical evidence
of the learning science principles outlined in
How Learning Works (Ambrose et al., 2010):
(1) ability to construct a measurable learning outcome; (2) ability to assess a learning
outcome; (3) ability to write a lesson plan for
a designed learning experience; and (4) ability
to apply selected learning science principles to
the design of programs.
The professional development series was
designed to align with the annual revision
process of the curriculum model; staff completed the development series as the program
plans revision process was beginning in order
to capitalize on the opportunity for applied
learning. The professional development series
itself was split across seven weeks. Chapters
from the text How Learning Works (Ambrose et
al., 2010) were chosen for pre-reading before
each hour-long session. The sessions themselves were guided discussions and activities
that addressed applicability of the learning
principles and how they could be applied in
a residential setting. Staff were also given additional training on authoring learning outcomes, writing rubrics, and the process of

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The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 45, No. 3

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