Teacher Supports Using the Facilitator Model for Dual Credit in Open Ended Design Thinking Coursework: University Collaboration and High School Implementation

This research focuses on the teacher supports needed to implement university courses using a facilitator model approach to dual credit. This study runs parallel to a pilot program at Purdue that aims to provide a bridge for students who may otherwise feel that a four-year university is out of reach by providing directly transcripted dual credit and reducing required courses in the students’ plan of study. The facilitator model offers a unique approach to dual credit with the following three key features: secondary teachers that facilitate university curriculum, a Student Success Coach from the university who collaborates weekly with the secondary teachers, and an instructor of record from the university who allows for students to earn directly transcripted college credit. This model addresses many of the suggested changes to current dual credit models, including: ensuring credit transfer and articulation, affordability, accessibility, collaboration with the high school and college, and student supports. By addressing these barriers, successful incorporation of this model is likely to influence an increased enrollment and success of all students, including advancing equity for low-income and minority students. Few studies, if any, have examined teacher preparation for and implementation of the facilitator model. Unlike other dual credit models that utilize a secondary teacher, a facilitator model enhances collaboration between high school and college instructors, and, if done well, ensures college credit transfer and articulation. This unique model situates the teacher with the crucial role of fostering student learning and navigating enrollment in the college registration (L. J. Pyzdrowski et al., 2011). This research has two main goals, to contribute to studies of the facilitator model in a complex project-based curriculum, and to identify supports needed by school districts and teachers if this were to be scaled up to other schools. A qualitative case study was chosen to explore the needs of teachers as facilitators of college curriculum. Multiple interviews, focus groups, observations, questionnaires, and artifacts were triangulated and analyzed to draw conclusions on the needs of teachers through a summer professional development, and the implementation of the first year of the program. A thematic content analysis was conducted using both axial coding and code-recode techniques, with themes and data organized using NVivo software. Successful implementation of the facilitator model for administering dual credit is expected to increase access of underrepresented students to dual credit programs as students receive directly transcripted grades that articulates with the college, there are strong communications between the teachers and university, students have the added support of a facilitating teacher, and barriers such as requirements for a masters or credit hours in the subject area are navigated around as the instructor of record is a faculty member from the participating university. Results include a discussion of recommendations for professional development and ongoing support essential to maintaining such a program. For higher education, implications of the facilitator model include a greater confidence in dual enrollment offerings, allowing for greater exposure to a wider variety of students. Implications for secondary schools might be to reach out to colleges and universities to collaboratively establish these facilitator model-based pathways