2005 Learner-Centered Initiatives

Arizona State University

The Learning Strategies Toolbox Mary Niemczyk and Jenefer Husman, Asst Professors, Div of Psychology in Education, ASUE Supporting students' career identity development Nationwide both teachers and pilots are in short supply. A motivated, student-centered learning environment will support both recruiting and retaining students. The primary goal of the Learning Strategies Toolbox is to assist faculty in creating a motivated, learner-centered classroom environment. The Learning Strategies Toolbox will do this by 1) to better understand the individual learning needs and strengths of students in Aeronautics and Education, 2) to use that understanding t o develop targeted learning and motivational strategy instruction tailored to the needs f students in each program, 3) to assist faculty in both Colleges in providing strategy and motivational instruction as part of content coursework. Learner-Centered Assessment Tools Vicki Harmon, Cons., Univ Eval Ctr for Learning & Teaching Excellence To develop and disseminate a web-based toolbox of assessment materials and instruments for faculty. The Software Enterprise: Preparing Industry-Ready Software Engineers Kevin Gary, Asst Prof, Div of Computing Studies This proposal requests support for curriculum development and assessment of a practice-oriented, multi-semester sequence dubbed the "Software Enterprise". The primary goal of the work described in this proposal is to develop the materials and the environment to implement an instructor-facilitated, learner-centric model for the Software Enterprise. Graduates should exhibit a higher degree of applied competencies in industry-relevant areas, and as an indirect measure, should have more success in career placement and advancement. Learner-Centered Task-Oriented Language Instruction: Converging Technology and Immersion Danko Sipka, Acting Dir, CLI/Res, Assoc Prof, REESC/CLI, DLL The ASU Critical Languages Institute (CLI) and Department of Language and Literatures (DLL) Slavic Section are proposing to design, build, implement and test a suite of learner-centered and task-oriented course units for Bosnian/Croatian/Serbia, Polish, and Russian. These three languages will constitute a test case with envisaged migration of the objects to other languages taught at the CLI and DLL. The deliverables include software, including templates transferable to other languages, other courseware (fact sheets, tables, compendia of links), unit lesson plans, instructions, as well as statistical data and assessment from in-class testing.

Northern Arizona University

History Learning Lab Cynthia Kosso, Chair, History This project is designed to develop a Lab to provide learner-centered activities and graduate assistant mentors to help undergraduate students to improve their research and writing skills within the discipline of history. Transforming the Freshman Year: A University-Wide Program to Promote Pedagogies of Engagement Karen Pugliesi, Vice Provost for Undergraduate Studies  Twenty faculty who teach freshman courses will be a part of a year-long professional development program leading to incorporation and learner-centered pedagogy in their classes. A "Focus on the Freshman Year" speaker and seminar series will involve cohort faculty in examining freshman learning, freshman year, and LCE principles. Students will be impacted through course and curricular innovations. On-Line Homework to Improve Student Quantitative Reasoning Janet M. McShane, Assoc Prof, Math & Stat The project proposes to improve student mathematical learning in the Liberal Studies Mathematics course MAT 114 - Quantitative Reasoning by using the WeBWork online homework system. Problems applicable to the material in MAT 114 will be written during the Summer of 2005 and then used in MAT 114 during the 2005-2006 academic year. The Virtual Environmental Learning Space: Phase III Dr. Eck Doerry, Assoc Prof, Computer Science We propose to build a Virtual Electronic Learning Space (VELS) that will move ecological science education at NAU into the 21st century by greatly enhancing learning experiences, exploring a novel integration f the research and learning communities, and promoting the development of interdisciplinary course content.

University of Arizona

Online Mathematics Training Modules for the Biology Project Dr. Thomas O. Baldwin, Head, Biochem & Molec Biophysics Collaborative effort between the Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biophysics, and the Interdisciplinary Program in Applied Mathematics to develop online mathematics training modules to complement the Biology Project website; and also to develop a more general learner-centered on-line mathematics curriculum for biologists. The program will be developed by teams of faculty and students from both academic units with specific timelines and outcome objectives. Personal Response Devices in General Chemistry Discussions Dr. Wayne E. Wesolowski, Lecturer, Chemistry Introduce personal response systems (clickers", Classroom Performance System - CPS) in the General Chemistry Lecture discussion sections by developing a question bank specifically designed for discussion sections on the major topics of freshman chemistry with the aim of increasing student participation, as well as providing the instructor with immediate feedback about the students' understanding. Funds are requested for time during the summer to construct these question banks. The Writing Network Thomas Miller, Dir of Writing Program, English Expanding the learner-centered paradigm to create partnerships of university recruitment and academic programs with local high schools, the Writing network will enable undergraduate English education majors, Writing Center tutors, and composition students to collaborate with high school students on the skills they need to pass the AIMS test and attend the university. Enhanced Student Learning with Internet GIS Enrichment and Participatory GIS Collaboration Sara A. Elwood, Asst Prof, Geog/Regnl Devel & Ctr for Applied Spatial Anal This project uses interactive web-based technologies to enhance student learning with new curricular content in six geographic information systems (GIS) courses offered by multiple units at UA. We seek to develop interactive course project web sites to enhance the collaboration of student teams with community partners as they complete applied GIS projects for these partners.

Collaborative Initiatives

Tri-University

Mediated Geographies: Critical Pedagogy and Geography Education Christina Kennedy, NAU; Christopher Lukinbeal, ASU; John Paul Jones, II, UA The aim of the program is to create an integrated series of innovative undergraduate courses in each of the Geography departments in Arizona's three universities using the learner-centered strategy of "critical pedagogy". Students will be encouraged to examine critically mediated materials (advertisements, television shows, films), as it specifically relates to geographic processes and theories. Students will engage in group work and conduct peer reviews at an end-of-semester conference. The PIs will evaluate this feedback and use it to modify the pedagogical approach for future courses within the departments and, potentially, to the broader university. Tri-University Collaboration on Learner-Centered Practice: Creating Learning Communities Among Faculty and Students Judy Grace, ASU; Jeane Spada-Allgood, NAU; Terri Riffe, UA The intent of the project is two-fold: (1) to develop a critical mass of faculty who will engage collaboratively in the study of learner-centered instructional practice, apply what they learn, assess the impact of what they learn, and share their learning with other faculty and graduate teaching assistants, and (2) for those faculty to develop and implement an LCE advocacy plan for each of their campuses that will ultimately bring faculty and institutional culture to actively embrace more learner-centered approaches to college education.

rev. 07/2005

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