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Innovation Grant Winners

 

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2009 Innovation Grant Winners

Dr. Susan Yoder-Kreger
Dr. Wenjie He
Dr. Katheryn Walterscheid
Dr. Brian Hutchison
Dr. Mary Duncan
Dr. Sandra Lindquist
Dr. Kimberly Allen

 

Fall 2008

An Interactive DVD to Support Teaching and Learning of Discourse Analysis
Rebecca Rogers
Associate Professor


Description of Project/Defined Outcome:
This Innovative Technology in Teaching Grant will support the development of an interactive DVD and associated website for students taking a graduate seminar in the College of Education at the University of Missouri-St. Louis called Discourse Analysis in Education (EdRem 7712). Discourse analysis is becoming a popular set of theories and methods in educational research. The course is offered once a year in the Fall semester. I am proposing to develop an interactive DVD and website that will include the following multi-media: exclusive video interviews that I conducted with founders/experts in the field of discourse analysis, powerpoint presentations of my lectures, discussion questions, key articles/readings and other resources (e.g. discussion questions, lists of journals, websites, bibliographies of research that has applied the approach, etc.). The DVD will be organized by tradition or type of approach to discourse analysis. For example, one part of the menu will focus on ‘critical discourse analysis’ and will include videos with key leaders in this area, websites, articles, and so forth. Another option on the menu will be ‘multimodal discourse analysis’ and will include the videos, texts and associated resources. The website will mimic the look and feel of the DVD and be password protected to allow students from the course to use it. The interviewees have all given their permission to use the video for teaching and learning activities including presentations, course material and publications.
 
In prior courses, I have shared some of the expert videos with students. The students report that when they see and hear the experts in this area, it helps them to understand the field more clearly. However, we have only been able to watch clips of the interviews because they are not edited or available in a format that is easily accessible for teaching and learning purposes. This project is an important step to make the course content ‘come alive’ for students. It will support students to more fully understand the scope of the field as well as the overlaps between people and traditions. It will be used as a core part of the course.  

 


 

Using a Social Network to Increase Retention Among Fifth Semester
Undergraduate Nursing Students

Kimberly Allen & Douglas Hughey
Assistant Dean for Student and Faculty Affairs and Associate Teacher & Douglas Hughey, Software Support Analyst - Expert


Description of Project/Defined Outcome:

  1. Increase retention of fifth semester undergraduate nursing students by providing a peer supported learning environment using Facebook, a social networking tool.
  2. Students will elect to participate in a peer-moderated electronic community in Facebook to enhance academic progress by achieving a GPA of 2.0 or better and to ease the transition into the student nursing clinical community.  

By using collected data on discussion topics, faculty will be informed of content mastery deficiencies allowing them to adapt course curriculum and/or teaching strategies for the nursing.

 



 
The Intersections of Technology and Service-learning:  Enhancing Counseling Students’ Learning and Professional Identity.
Angela Coker
Assistant Professor

Description of Project/Defined Outcome:
Last year I received a small service-learning grant ($ 500.00) from UMSL’s Center for Teaching and Learning.  I used this grant to implement a service-learning component into CNS ED 6300: Foundations of Community Counseling (see Appendix).  The purpose of this course is to provide master’s level students with an understanding of the various roles, tasks, and responsibilities many community counselors face as they serve a diverse world. This course is offered every winter semester.
 
During last winter’s 2008 semester twenty-seven graduate students in the Division of Counseling and Family Therapy participated in service-learning activities. They developed a variety of service projects designed to meet the needs of two clients populations: Individuals receiving services at the Haven of Grace (a residential shelter for homeless pregnant women and their children) and Community Alternatives (a community-based mental health agency serving newly dealing with substance abuse, HIV/AIDS, depression, families in need, and newly arrived immigrants). The students’ service learning projects consisted of

  • the facilitation of several specialized workshops
  • work with refugee clients in need of English support (help with reading in English and sorting through regular mail)
  • providing social support to immigrants (from Somalia, Iraq, Afghanistan, and West Africa) who need assistance learning how to use public transportation
  • providing tutoring and social support to immigrant teens
  • conducted a fundraiser to increase funds for client assistance
  • facilitation of one personal growth group
  • individual counseling sessions
  • a household item drive

    As a result of their service learning activities, students reported that they learned a lot about community counseling and had developed a greater sense of professional identity as counselors, enhanced their commitment to client advocacy, and felt an increased level of multicultural competence.  These student reports are consistent with Waterman (1997) and Das (1995) who identified service-learning activities as a useful way to promote student learning and multicultural understanding.  
     
    Further, many of my students reported feeling good about their service-learning experiences and looked forward to more opportunities for growth. In fact, this past October 2008, three graduate students and I presented a poster session describing our experiences with service-learning (see Coker et al., 2008).

 



Interactive Video Case Studies for Industrial/Organizational Psychology

Stephanie Merritt
Assistant Professor


Description of Project/Defined Outcome:
Develop a set of video-based, interactive case studies on major topics in Industrial/Organizational Psychology (more detail provided under “Project Description”).
 
This proposed project is consistent with the following campus and department objectives:

  • Increase student engagement and retention (UMSL goal)
  • Increase the use of technology to facilitate learning (department goal)
  • Develop effective scientist-practitioners (department goal)
  • Increase application of course skills in the community for the economic and social benefit of the region (UMSL goal)

The video-based and interactive nature of the case studies is expected to increase both learning and engagement, as described below.
 

  • Video-based: using video-based as opposed to paper and pencil scenarios is expected to be effective in the following ways:
    • It has more fidelity for real-world situations, thus increasing the likelihood that information gained through these scenarios will be applied in the community.
    • Many of our students are accustomed to video games and video-based entertainment; thus the video-based format is expected to increase their engagement and attention to the scenarios.



 

iPod Touchs: Touching lives in the classroom and beyond
Michael Porterfield
Lecturer

 
Define the outcome:
Blogging through Wordpress, social networking through Facebook or MySpace, downloading podcasts, creating podcasts, web searches, Twitter, Google Apps (Google Mail, Earth, Docs, Talk, Reader, News, Notebook, Photos, YouTube and Translate), GPS, VNC and email required a laptop or desktop computer, but now you can do all these tasks from one device, the iPod Touch. Information and creation is in the palm of your hand. Equipping each student in EdTech 5340, Selection and Utilization of Multimedia, which will be offered in the Spring 2009 term, taught by Carl Hoagland and myself assisting, and the Summer 2009 term, taught by me, with their own iPod Touch, students do not have to be tethered to a computer to use all these applications, but can be mobile using this one device connected to a wireless network. The outcome is learning anywhere and anytime though using different applications on one device. Also with the students communicating and collaborating more, this will increase their sense of community and learning.

 



 
Use of Camatasia in the Development of a Review of Optics for
the New NBEO-National Board Examination (Part I).

Carl J Bassi, PhD
Associate Professor and Director of Research and Graduate Studies


Description of Project/Defined Outcome:
All of the students in the College of Optometry are required to take and pass National Board Examinations (administered by the National Board of Examiners in Optometry, NBEO) in order to be licensed.  In 2009 there will be a new exam “Applied Basic Science” that consists of a blend of Basic Science and Clinical science test items.  I have a list of ~90 formulas used on the different Optics subsections of the examination (Geometric, Physical, Visual, and Ophthalmic) that was compiled by Jerry Christensen (a former colleague in the College who is affiliated with the NBEO).  These formulas are considered the “core” formulas for the different optics subsections.  Many of the formulas have multiple steps/different sub-formulas associated with them.  All of the formulas were covered in the OD program coursework (Geometric Optics, Ocular Optics, Ophthalmic Optics, Physical Optics, Contact Lenses, and Low Vision).  Some of the coursework could have been taken as long as 2-2.5 years before the National Board examination.  Obviously some formulas are used often and therefore remembered, others however may only be utilized in specific cases with patients.   I will make podcast/movies using Audacity for just the audio review and Camtasia Studio to make a video review of the formulas.  These podcasts would be beneficial to the students in their preparation for the National Board Examination, as a review, to show each formula, define the terms used, and work through an example problem step by step.  It is anticipated that these podcasts and videos will be put on the Optometry Blackboard site for download and use by students on their personal computers.  Alternatively, the students may wish to review material on their personal devices (such as an iPod).  These step by step approaches could not only be used in review for the National Boards but could be included in teaching the formulas in the different courses as a way to review what was learned in class and to have an opportunity to hear an explanation of each step in solving the problems.   I teach two of the core optics courses (Geometric and Ocular Optics) and will include the videos in my course material.

 




Developing Interactive Online Media Modules to Enhance Student Proficiency in Grammatical Features of German
Kersten Horn
Lecturer


Define the outcome:
This project will develop interactive media modules focused on enhancing students’ proficiency in the grammatical features of the German language. The modules will consist of video clips of a German instructor (in this case, myself) providing explanations and examples of the German grammar features, paired with corresponding exercises that provide instant feedback and help students assess comprehension and identify areas for further practice.

The modules are primarily aimed at the three-semester introductory German sequence (German 1001, 1002 and 2101) and will supplement in-class instruction as well as the textbook and the ancillary materials provided by the textbook publisher. In addition, the modules can also serve as a tool to intermediate and advanced students, or those transferring from German programs at other institutions, for grammar review and practice, helping them meet more fully the requisite linguistic proficiency for their respective classes.

 



Interactive Graphical Simulation of Internet Concepts
Donald E. Gayou, Ph.D.
Associate Teaching Professor In Math & Computer Science

 
Define the outcome:
The expected outcome/deliverable will be interactive content available on MyGateway and (optionally) the World Wide Web. The content will consist of graphical simulations, which animate selected key technological concepts underlying the Internet and World Wide Web (e.g. client server computing, http protocol, packet switching, etc). Students will be able to interact with the simulation. In addition, assessments will be developed which allow the instructor to quantitatively assess student learning. All content will be created using Adobe Flash. After exposure to this content, students should have a better understanding of key Internet concepts.

 

Fall 2007

Developing online presentation, practice, and assessment modules to increase students’ vocabulary acquisition in a proficiency-based Spanish program
Kimberley Sallee
Associate Teaching Professor Foreign Languages and Literatures

Impact on student learning:
Recently, our department has made a shift from teaching within an achievement-based system toward proficiency-based one that emphasizes oral and written abilities equally.  As we review the outcomes of the redesign, now that we’ve completed the entire sequence, we’ve noticed a marked decrease in the breadth of student vocabulary knowledge.  We believe this is a result of the types of vocabulary practice we’ve provided students throughout the redesign, when we relied heavily on the publisher-provided materials of out-of-class homework.  I propose to develop a set of vocabulary presentations, practice exercises, homework, and assessments for each lesson that can be conducted electronically, through on-line tools such as Wimba Presentation, Respondus, StudyMate, etc, thus allowing us to focus our students’ homework efforts precisely where they’re most needed and most effective.

With a consistent pattern of exercises and scheduled assessments the students will enjoy a steady, predictable approach to learning and practicing new vocabulary, and the flexibility of on-line exercises will allow them to work at their own pace, within guidelines, to experience success. 

I propose implementing these modules, beginning with the summer semester 2008 in roughly half of the course sections, leaving the remaining sections as a control group.  All sections will complete a common vocabulary assessment as part of the final exam and the results of the two groups will be compared to determine if the students who completed these modules demonstrated an increase in vocabulary acquisition and retention.  I predict that the opportunities for guided study provided by the on-line modules will result in a measurable increase in student performance at the end of the course.  Depending on the preliminary results, either further study will be conducted in the fall, 2008 semester or, full implementation will occur in all.


Camtasia Software: Enhanced Learning Via Math Movies
Shahla Peterman, Teaching Professor, Department of Mathematics and Computer Science
Emily Ross, Assiatnt Teaching Professor, Department of Mathematics and Computer Science

This project is to use the software “Camtasia Studio (napzProX for Mac)” to create 20 mathematics movies to provide guided solutions to 20 difficult problems in Math 1030 (college algebra).  These examples have been chosen from among a few hundred examples that have been posted, in typed form, on gateway every semester for the last four years.  Using Camtasia, we will convert these typed solutions to short animated math movies, which will include voiced instructions explaining each step as it evolves.  Camtasia allows one to use a pen to point, to underline, and to write within the movie.  These math movies are put in Flash movie format ready for students to view via gateway, or to download to their personal computers or ipods.  The students can use them as needed when they are doing homework, or preparing for a quiz or a test.

We would like to validate this approach by employing 50 volunteers from among our recent college algebra graduates and from students who will be taking the course in the fall semester of 2008.  These movies, if deemed successful, will be used as a tool to enhance student learning in other lower level mathematics courses in the future.  Success will be determined by the response to questionnaires provided to the volunteers.


A Video Clip Library for Gerontology Education at UMSL
Thomas M. Meuser, PhD
Associate Professor, Director of Gerontology

Impact on Student Learning:

I envision this project as involving student participation from start to finish. My current plan is to offer an Advanced Seminar in Gerontology in Summer 2008 (Session 4) focusing on Interviewing Techniques & Life Review with Older Adults. In addition to lecture and readings, I will use the video material I’ve already shot to train students in conducting life review interviews. Students will then conduct a series of interviews, themselves, in the community and in various long-term care settings.

We would work with the videotaped material as a group, critiquing each other (constructively), choosing segments that highlight different aspects of aging, and creating edited clips that can be shown through PowerPoint and/or Flash video applications. In addition to learning about interviewing, students would gain experience in videography and basic editing using Adobe Premier Elements. I expect 5-8 students to register for this course, and each to conduct 4-6 full interviews.

Clarence Maise, an Instructional Designer with the UMSL Center for Teaching & Learning, has agreed to serve as an informal consultant and trainer for this project. Students enrolling in this course would be loaned a basic digital video camera (flash memory based) and trained in how to use it. My budget (below) includes the purchase of a higher end desktop computer with video editing software that students can access and use in small groups. My office computer is also equipped for video editing, so we would have two machines available to support this effort.

Students will learn about conducting a life review interview and get direct experience in actually doing it. They will also learn to work with video equipment and editing. I view this project as a win-win for Gerontology and our students, and our final product will influence education at UMSL for years to come.


Virtual Faculty and Student Resource Site (VFSRS)
Alina Slapac, Ed.D., Assistant Professor
Susan Catapano, Ed.D., Associate Professor
Division of Teaching and Learning, College of Education

The expected impact on student learning will be:

    • Students will have access to current, authentic, research-based resources for learning about teaching in a variety of settings.
    • Students will be able to make the connection between theory and practice as a result of being exposed to exemplary practices.
    • Students will learn to use critical analysis while reflecting on the materials that describe and show different classroom practices.
    • Students will learn about working with a diverse student population.

In addition, students will use technology as a learning tool to improve their own knowledge and understanding of the field of teacher education.

This project will have an ongoing evaluation component.  First, faculty will be surveyed to find out what materials they would like to have in the VFSRS for their courses.  Then materials will be made available and faculty and students will be surveyed at the end of the pilot semester to find out how the materials were used and if they were useful in meeting the expected outcomes listed above.   An evaluation survey will be collected each semester, by the faculty in charge of this project, in order to keep the VFSRS current, make modifications to materials, and add and delete materials based on the needs of faculty and students.


Applications of Computer Based Technologies (CBT) in Science Education: becoming reflective practitioners
José I. Pareja, Ph.D.
Research Associate
Institute for Mathematics & Science Education and Learning Technology (College of Education)

The following is what I consider the main impact on student learning:
As a result of participating in this course, participants will enhance their use of CBT in science classrooms, will analyze and discuss best uses of CBT in science classrooms, and will be able to apply these CBT in a variety of science related contexts (e.g. field trips, laboratory experiments, and short activities) and content areas (e.g., physics, physical-science, chemistry, biology, etc).

Even though, the immediate impact is on the course participants, it is evident that the potential of impact is exponential in nature. That is, it goes beyond the participant to the science students they teach every year, and the rest of the education community through the research, design, and multimedia portfolio ideas embedded in the course.

The project evaluation will include participants pre- and post-assessment of self-efficacy with regards to applications of computer-based technologies in science education environments. Additionally, information regarding the impact of the class will be collected using a variety of artifacts such as: surveys, classroom documents/assignments and presentations, video of teaching enactments, classroom discussions, student artifacts, and exit cards.


Microteaching in the Professional Development of Art Educators
Karen L. Cummings
Asst. Professor, Art & Art History/Teaching & Learning

Impact on student learning:
Video recordings provide an authentic feedback of classroom interaction, analysis of these tapes, and the acquisition of special teaching skills can result in improved teacher-classroom interaction for beginning teachers. Videotaping will allow the teacher candidate to view and listen to the class as their students do; they can also scrutinize the students' reactions and responses to the teaching. Through research and analysis of classroom talk and interactions, the pre-service educators will come to a deeper understanding of their teaching and their students’ learning. The educators will be offered insight into the kind of language and interactions that may enhance their students’ understanding and find ways to build on their teaching style and strengths.

After reviewing the videotape, student teachers will prepare a written reflective and critical analysis of the taped teaching performance. After each presentation of video lesson clips, student teachers will actively participate in supportive and collegial dialogue, sharing viewpoints and perspectives, and offering practical suggestions to improve their teaching performance.

At the end of the college experience, the pre-service educators will create videos to exemplify their teaching abilities. These videos become artifacts for their electronic portfolios illustrating their teaching practice, their work with students, and the use of technology in their professional development.


Using Podcasting to Facilitate Attainment of Advanced Physical Assessment Skills
Dawn Lee Garzon PhD, APRN, BC, CPNP
Assistant Professor and MSN Program Coordinator, College of Nursing
Douglas A. Hughey
Software Support Specialist, College of Nursing

Expected Impact on Student Learning:
Goal 1: Advanced practice nurses (nurse practitioners and clinical nurse specialists) are healthcare providers who routinely diagnose and treat acute and chronic health conditions. One of the most critical steps toward accurate diagnosis of health conditions is the ability to perform a focused physical examination that results in an accurate differential diagnosis (defined as a list of probable diagnoses). Conducting a physical examination for the purpose of establishing a differential diagnosis requires the ability to analyze gross and subtle assessment findings. This skill is difficult to attain for even the experienced nurse. As such, the primary goal of the advanced physical assessment course (N6524) is to correctly perform a timed, focused physical exam that concentrates on one of five body systems (head and neck, thorax, abdomen, musculoskeletal and neurologic). Repetition and confirmation of skill accuracy are key to the ability to successfully complete the focused physical examination. Students are only scheduled 1 ½ hours laboratory time each week, and by providing online access to the videos of the focused physical examination conducted by course faculty and access to the videos that are already loaded onto mp4 players that can be checked out, students will have the ability to integrate the cognitive and assessment skills obtained in the lab, and validate their knowledge outside of the scheduled class time.  The additional portability of the podcast video allows students unlimited access to the course video even when they are unable to access the Internet.

Goal 2: The use of podcasting as a teaching and learning strategy has not been widely implemented by nursing faculty. This may be due, in part, to individual faculty’s fears of adopting new technology and/or insecurity about the feasibility of using this modality in the classroom. Often, faculty are more willing to adopt teaching methods that have already been proven to be effective and easy to use by peers/coworkers. By mentoring nursing faculty, the applicants hope to encourage others to use podcasting and therefore indirectly impact nursing student learning in other courses.

Goal 3: It can safely be assumed that even though the course videos will be available online and on mp4 players, not all students enrolled in n6524 will use the technology. As such, analyses can be done at the end of the semester comparing course satisfaction and course outcomes between students who used the technology with those who do not.


Using Video as a Tool to Inform Health Policy Change
Shirley L. Porterfield, PhD
Associate Professor , School of Social Work

Impact on Student Learning:

Students would gain experience in all aspects of video construction, from storyboard design, to shooting the video, to basic editing using online software such as is available through motionbox (http://www.motionbox.com/) or youtube (http://www.youtube.com/). This course attracts an average of 20 students who would be divided into 5-6 groups for the video project component. 

Clarence Maise, an Instructional Designer with the UMSL Center for Teaching & Learning, has agreed to serve as an informal consultant and trainer for this project. Each group of students would be loaned a basic digital video camera and trained how to use it. My budget (below) includes the purchase of tripods and microphones as well, for groups who choose to do voice-over narration of their videos projects.  I have chosen Fiip Video Camcorders as they come with their own software, and video download with Flip Video is through a USB port rather than a Firewire port.  These features will greatly simplify the technological aspects of this project for the students.


Turn-Key Course-Computer Applications of Finance
Donald Kummer
Associate Professor of Finance, Finance/College of Business

In the mid-80’s I developed a “spreadsheet” course in our Finance Area entitled Computer Applications of Finance.   The course was inaugurated when campus computer labs first became available to students.  The course was created to give business students an opportunity to develop hands-on spreadsheet skills that would increase their marketability for job placement.

The reason for applying for this grant is to “institutionalize” this course. Recently the Finance coordinator, Edward Lawrence,  remarked:  “Don, I don’t know how we’ll offer this course when you leave.”   What Ed is referring to is my interest in retiring at the end of 2008.  I am more than happy to turn over the “copyrights” to the “project files” and “project spreadsheets” that were developed for the course.

Given the advancement of video and audio recording software, I can script/record all of my classroom sessions that occur during the semester.  Furthermore, due to the shift from Excel 2003 to Excel 2007 all of the course materials would be updated to reflect the spreadsheet revisions. Presently, I am using the “Camtasia Studio 4.0” recording package to script technical presentations for my courses in finance.   These sessions can also carry a “closed caption” session.   None of these presentations require a “talking head”.  Consequently, there are minimal storage requirements when capturing spreadsheet video using the software.  The Camtasia software also allows “output” in multiple “video/audio” formats.  UMSL’s winmedia.umsl.edu website serves at the host for those presentations.


Fall 2006

Human Patient Simulation in the College of Nursing -
Mock Resuscitation Scenarios

Diane Saleska
Assistant Clinical Professor of Nursing

This project will allow for the development of simulation code blue or resuscitation scenarios (utilizing the high fidelity human patient simulator) that undergraduate nursing students can participate in prior to graduation.  By allowing student nurses to participate in a realistic simulated emergency code/ patient resuscitation scenario, the graduate nurse will be better prepared (increased confidence enhances competence) to respond in an actual patient code situation.  Simulated patient scenarios allow students  to integrate the cognitive skills obtained in coursework with the psychomotor skills necessary for competent nursing practice.


Using PDAs and Classroom Observational Software
to Improve the Training of School Psychologists
Michael W. Bahr, PhD
Division of Educational Psychology, Research, and Evaluation
College of Education

This project focuses on integrating the use of personal digital assistants (PDAs) and observational software program into the training of school psychologists. Research (Volpe, DiPerna, Hintze, & Shapiro, 2005) indicates that the Behavioral Observation of Students in Schools (BOSS; Shapiro, 2004) is among the best classroom-based observation systems used to code academic engagement and problematic off-task behavior displayed by pupils in kindergarten through high school settings. In Psychotherapeutic Interventions in School Psychology (ED PSY 6542), 12-15 graduate students will use the BOSS when making clinical observations on pupils with low levels of academic engagement and high levels of off-task behavior. The BOSS data will then be used in developing treatment plans for pupils. The primary learning outcomes for this project are:

    • graduate clinicians will learn how to use technology to collect systematic data on classroom behavior displayed by pupils in public schools;
    • graduate clinicians will learn how to understand aggregated observation data on pupil performance;
    • graduate clinicians will become competent with the interpretation of observational data, which can be used to plan interventions for problematic classroom behaviors.

Project evaluation includes graduate students’ pre- and post-assessments of self-efficacy with PDAs and the BOSS, tracking data on the use of PDAs and the BOSS, and quality of clinician reports that integrate BOSS data into treatment planning.


Digital Image Delivery:
A New Approach to Teaching Art History Classes

Anu Vedagiri
Museum Curator – Art and Art History

Impact on Student Learning:
The slide library in the Department of Art and Art History at UMSL, whose primary mission has been to provide visual materials to support the departmental curriculum, as well as providing resources for departmental research, currently consists of a collection of over 100,000 slides, with the continual addition of new slides every week.  Students normally do not have access to the slides shown in class after the lectures.  To enhance student learning through the use of digital images in classrooms, the department of Art and Art History selected MDID (Madison Digital Imaging Database) as the appropriate tool for managing digital image collections and for integrating digital images into the teaching and learning process.  Using MDID, faculty can generate online slide shows, present them in classroom, annotate them for student review on My Gateway, and archive them for future use.  At the same time, students are able to access instructor slideshows online, review for classes, build slideshows and create class presentations.

Further, the methodologies and techniques developed for this new digital image delivery system promises to have wide applicability to art historical methods in general. Each digital image on the database is always accompanied by data relevant to the image.   Student assistants by and large, do the archiving and databasing of images.  Cataloguing and classifying each image often requires considerable research.  Assistants working in the slide library gain valuable experience in the areas of research techniques, databasing and image digitization and correction—expertise that will enhance their professional development.


Use of a Video Library for Teaching Techniques
in Organic Chemistry
Valerian T. D’Souza (PI) and James Chickos (co-PI)
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry

Chemistry is an experimental science and students in this discipline learn numerous techniques for conducting experiments in a laboratory setting. Currently, the techniques are explained to them in a lecture setting and then they are expected use this information in the laboratory. However, the information given to them volatilizes out on the way to the lab and students tend make mistakes that range from hilarious to dangerous.

The main goal of this project is to create a library of video clips showing the proper technique for performing experiments in the laboratory. These video clips will be available to students through a link on Mygateway as well as a podcast server. This will allow the students to watch these videos before coming to the lab as well as look at them on an ipod in the lab as they are getting ready to perform the experiment. It is believed that if a picture is worth a thousand words, a video clip in this setting is worth more than a million words.

Initially, this new method of teaching will be attempted in Organic Chemistry Laboratory, (Chem 2633), which is considered to be a rite of passage course for chemists. It will then be expanded to other laboratory courses in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry.


Web Based Optometric Procedure Video Instruction
Timothy A. Wingert, O.D.
W. Gary Bachman, O.D., M.S.

We will create a website for the three-semester clinical optometry course that is required for all students in the first and second
professional year. The course instructs students in performing and interpreting clinical procedures used in the examination of optometric patients. We plan to create web-based videos demonstrating patient examination techniques for students and incorporate them into the website for student use.

Our plan is to create a website cataloguing all the procedures the student will learn in the three-semester course sequence. This would
let the student browse the contents of the site and select the areas they wish to review. The link would take them to the section for the
procedure they have selected where there would be a short explanation of the procedure and a list of required pieces of equipment. After reading the instructions, the student could then view a video demonstrating the procedure. Another aspect of the website would discuss how to properly record the results and interpret them. This format follows what is done in the classroom at present. However, it allows for different learning styles to have access to the material again in multiple presentation formats. One of the difficulties students traditionally have in this course sequence is gaining enough familiarity with the material to take it from understanding it in written form to actually applying it in the patient examination. Allowing the student unlimited review of the performance of the procedures will assist in their integration of the material and incorporation of the routines into their competent skill set. This will facilitate fine-tuning of the performance on their own without the only feedback coming from an instructor critiquing their practice in the laboratory session.

The website would provide supplementary information and review material for students enrolled in the class and throughout their tenure in the Optometry program. Students could go back and analyze segments to hone skills that may not have been used for a period of time in preparation for taking their National Board of Examiners in Optometry clinical skills test that is required for licensure to practice Optometry.


Nihongo On-Line: Course Supplements for Teaching Japanese
Reading Skills On-line
   
Elizabeth Eckelkamp
Lecturer, Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures

The Japanese reading and writing system presents a significant challenge to students of the language.  Acquisition of reading skills requires a baseline of memorization and drill which lends itself to independent on-line exercises.  By developing a set of exercises, homework and assessments for each lesson that can be conducted on-line, class time can be reserved for applications of the basic reading skills.  With a consistent pattern of exercises and scheduled assessments the students will enjoy a steady, predictable approach to learning new characters, and the flexibility of on-line exercises will allow them to work at their own pace to experience success.  This on-line curriculum development project will result in 16 on-line learning modules designed to be implemented over the first 3 semesters of the Japanese language sequence.

Reading proficiency as measured by mid-term and final reading comprehension assessments will be documented and compared to current data collected on students learning without the on-line modules.  The opportunities for guided study provided by the on-line modules promise to result in a measurable increase in Japanese reading proficiency. 


Fall 2005

Lab@Home:Physics Lab Experiments On- Line
Mary Jane Kernan, Affiliate Assistant Professor
Wayne Garner, Research Scientist

Impact on student learning:
Science education needs options for making both theoretical and practical experience available to a broad range of students. Mastery of new technologies is important, and practice with equipment prepares students for a world of accelerating electronic complexity. A web lab could have a profound impact on the number and type of courses that could be offered on-line.

This project has many benefits. Students performing the lab at home progress at their own pace and without the usual time constraints or competition from other students in the traditional lab. It addresses the needs of students who need extra time for the lab, such as those with a disability. The non-traditional student also benefits because a lab that is missed due to illness, work schedule, or travel can be made up by using Lab@Home either at home or on the road. Help via the web is always available with the click of the mouse. In addition, because of its lower equipment cost, it is expected that more students would actually have a “hands-on” experience. In traditional labs, several students use each set of hardware but typically only one actually performs the lab, so this also furthers the goal of individualized instruction.


Self- governance 101: Online Tutorial on Parliamentary Procedure
Nancy T. Kinney, Assistant Professor - Political Science/Arts and Sciences

Impact on student learning:
Students who successfully complete the self-paced instruction would increase existing or add new skills of group participation and leadership, specifically: how to organize and run a meeting; how to consider ideas and suggestions as a group in orderly and respectful ways; how to delegate responsibility; how to handle dissent; how to bring closure to deliberation in satisfying and thorough ways.

Determining the Impact of Video- Oriented Grading
on Student Skill Development
Eric Love, Assistant Professor of Acting and Directing

Impact on student learning:
A common student complaint in Acting courses is that student assessment is based on written reviews provided a short time after the performance. Furthermore, exact positive and negative examples are hard to pinpoint after the fact with no video record. I believe that if every acting class were video recorded, particularly class dates containing graded performances, then students could refer professorial and peer criticism directly to a video record of the performance.

Video recording would also allow the professor the ability to revisit and review performance aspects after the fact for grading and student development purposes. Furthermore, it should allow for a metacognitive approach to learning acting in that students will be tackling issues of craft with specific visual/aural examples and then addressing those issues mindfully in future workshops and performances. I would be surprised if student skill development did not increase measurably in value and speed.


Online Linguistics Course Development
Tivoli Majors, Assistant Professor English/Arts and Sciences

Impact on student learning:
I anticipate that creating courses that are strictly online will help transition my courses to even greater student-focused learning. I hope to incorporate much that I have learned as an on-going participant in the New Faculty Teaching Scholars program with an emphasis on peer-assisted learning through the formation of small groups for collaborative projects and discussions sessions.


Wiki and Blogging Software: Enhancing IS Classes
Vicki Sauter, Professor of Information Systems

Impact on student learning:
This will provide an enhancement to the assignment I had already provided in the class. In turn, it will give IS students exposure to a technology that is more like the environment they will view in the real world, and thus improve their marketability. Further, it will increase the amount of real discussion about topics of importance in the class (see below). With this greater discussion about the topic of modeling, the students will better understand what models are, how they are used to solve problems, and what difficulties they introduce thereby making them better able to understand the issues associated with building such systems.


On-Line Discussion and Democracy Lab in a History Course
Laura Westhoff, Assistant Professor History Department and Teaching and Learning

Impact on student learning:
I am seeking funds to support a significant overhaul of the course Modernizing America (History 3005). This course will use a problem-based learning strategy to explore key questions in American history during the years 1877-1940. These years witnessed the rise of industrialization, massive immigration, the growth of the middle class and the labor movement, the reconfiguration of gender and racial relations, a transformation in the role of the state, a new international role for the United States. During the period, Americans wrestled with significant issues such as racial and ethnic tension and America’s role in the world.


Music Education Streaming Audio Library Development
Fred Willman, Curators’ Teaching Professor of Music and Education

Impact on student learning:
Students will be able to readily utilize a wide variety of genres and styles of music, which would otherwise be inaccessible to them without considerable cost. Markers pointing to appropriate musical examples will be inserted in a variety of My Gateway documents that include assignments and on-line exams thus customizing the library to the needs of an individual class, student or group of students. The full library will be available to instructors in both the Music Technology Classroom/Lab (Rm 105 MB) and the Music Education Classroom (Rm 113 MB). It will be available to students worldwide via My Gateway. The library would also be an integral tool for the development of future on-line Music Education Courses at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.


Information Technology Services
For questions regarding this page:
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Last updated: October 28, 2010

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