Instructor Qualifications for DES 1111

The qualifications listed below reflect the minimum qualifications a high school instructor must meet before applying to teach the UMN course DES 1111: Creative Problem Solving.

Licensure

CIS instructors must have a valid Minnesota teaching license or an approved alternative.

Experience and proficiencies (all required)

• Three years of experience teaching rigorous courses, primarily to advanced high school juniors and seniors or first year college students.
• Experience teaching a laboratory, problem solving, makerspace, or studio course at the high school or college level.

Demonstration of advanced, relevant content knowledge (select one)

1. Graduate degree in the field(s) of design, fine arts, studio arts, or a comparable or related field
2. Graduate degree in any field and 18 graduate credit hours in field(s) of design, fine arts, studio arts, or a comparable or related field
3. Graduate degree in any field plus at least five equivalent experience options from A through I, below
4. Undergraduate degree in design, fine arts, studio arts, or a comparable or related field plus at least seven equivalent experience options from A through I, below

Description of Equivalent Experience Options (only required if #3 or #4 is selected above)

A: Graduate credits

Especially in the fields of design, fine arts, studio arts, music, creative writing, engineering, maker spaces, or a comparable or related field. These need not have been taken as part of a graduate degree program.

• Three semester-length credits are considered one experience
• Can be applied up to six times

If including this option in your Description of Professional Experience, include a list of relevant graduate coursework. For each course include the title, where taken, and number of credits earned. Faculty will evaluate the courses you list for relevancy to the topics taught in the UMN course or to advanced topics in the same field. If the applicability isn’t obvious from the course title, please describe the relevance.

B: Discipline-specific professional development

Such as workshops, trainings, conferences or seminars in graphic design, architecture, landscape architecture, apparel design, interior design, product design, fine arts, studio arts, engineering education, design education, technical education, maker spaces or other related disciplines.

• 30 hours of professional development is considered one experience
• Can be applied up to five times

If including this option in your Description of Professional Experience, include a list of each professional development workshop, the sponsoring group or organization and total hours. Refer to Faculty Guiding Questions #1: Discipline-specific professional development.

C: Published textbook, journal article or essay

May include similar scholarly or creative works in the fields of graphic design, architecture, landscape architecture, apparel design, interior design, product design, fine arts, studio arts, engineering education, design education, technical education, maker spaces, or a related field.

• One experience is based on the scale of the work
• Can be applied up to three times

If including this option in your Description of Professional Experience, describe the significance of the work, particularly as it applies to the topics covered in the UMN course or to advanced topics in the same field. Include a link to the publication or provide, with your application, an abstract or copy that lists your authorship.

D: Experience requiring regular use of design thinking principles

Especially in the performance of professional responsibilities such as design consulting, design practice, contract work, designing curriculum, etc. May include paid employment or volunteer work.

• Each year in the role is considered one experience
• Can be applied up to three times

If including this option in your Description of Professional Experience, respond to Guiding Questions, #9: Experience requiring regular use of skills or content knowledge related to the field.

E: Participation in a discipline-specific community of practice

Including significant personal practice to develop particular skills or understandings; for example, action research to explore topics relevant to creative education such as student learning, design practice, or design theory.

• Each experience, each with at least six months is considered one experience
• Can be applied up to three times

If including this option in your Description of Professional Experience, respond to Faculty Guiding Questions, #6: Discipline-specific community of practice.

F: Fellowships or awards for recognition of high school or undergraduate teaching

This includes recognition from school, district, state, regional, national or international organizations.

• Two awards from a school or district award equals one experience
• Each state or broader award equal one experience
• Can be applied up to three times

If including this option in your Description of Professional Experience, describe your awards using tips from Faculty Guiding Questions, #8: Receiving an award or other recognition.

G: Additional years of successful and effective teaching experience

Specifically in a course leading to undergraduate credit including dual credit, Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, or teaching undergraduates on a college/university campus.

• Three years is considered one experience
• Can be applied up to two times

If including this option in your Description of Professional Experience, describe your teaching experience using tips from Faculty Guiding Questions, #3: Teaching of a course leading to undergraduate credit for students.

H: Discipline-specific leadership role in a secondary or postsecondary institution

Such as department chair, or leader in a professional organization.

• Each year is considered one experience
• Can be applied up to two times

If including this option in your Description of Professional Experience, respond to Faculty Guiding Questions, #3: Teaching of a course leading to undergraduate credit for students.

I: Content or pedagogy trainer or coach; student teacher supervisor

Specifically in graphic design, architecture, landscape architecture, apparel design, interior design, product design, fine arts, studio arts, engineering, maker spaces, creative writing, or a related field.

• Each year is considered one experience
• Can be applied up to two times

If including this option in your Description of Professional Experience, list and describe roles and responsibility using tips from Faculty Guiding Questions, #9: Experience requiring regular use of skills or content knowledge related to the field or to #7: Student teacher supervisor.