1. The 2004-05 project will focus on two goals: investigating questions of learning and building a community of practice centered on the scholarship of teaching and learning.

To achieve the first goal participants will read and discuss articles about the concept of "problematizing" learning, then implement the concept in course work. Participants will also reflect on their work in discussions and reports.

To achieve the second goal, the project will include mentors and advisees who meet regularly during the year. Participants will develop a sense of belonging to a larger "critical mass" of teachers committed to this kind of activity. In addition each advisee will present the results of his or her project in one of several types of campus forums.

The project will use the mentor/advisee relationship and the large-group/small group strategy mentioned above. Mentors will be selected from the 2003-04 project members, a number of whom have indicated an interest in this role. Mentors help advisees conceptualize the issues involved in building on the work of others, phrasing a learning question, collecting and evaluating data, and negotiating the student-teacher dynamic engaged when a new method is implemented. Advisees will construct a learning question and implement its investigation.. In the fall the groups will focus on readings and planning; in the spring on implementing and reporting.

2. This project repeats the goals of the 2003-04 SOTL project. Extending the project in the same form will create a "critical mass of awareness" in the faculty. The larger number of participants and corresponding presentations will deepen the awareness of the university community to issues related to problematizing learning and to conducting an investigation based on principles of scholarship of teaching and learning.

3. This project changes the structure of the 03-04 version. Participants need a period of study to familiarize themselves with the relatively radical shift in thinking required by focusing on questions of learning. We will devote one semester to study and discussion, and the other to implementation. The project also will specifically encourage, but not require, projects that investigate learning questions in the laptop environment.

4. The anticipated faculty outcomes are an understanding of the concept of problematizing learning as part of teaching, practice in such problematizing, and willingness to share that new knowledge with other members of the campus community, and, for those faculty who focus on the laptop, understanding of effective ways to interject this technology into the teaching/learning dynamic. The anticipated student outcomes are increased participation in active learning and an increased deep understanding of their course material.

5. This project links to work done by the Teaching and Learning Center (TLC), by the e-Scholar Associates program, and by the Provost's office. The TLC has taken an active role in disseminating the concepts of problematizing learning and effectively using the laptop environment, having sponsored,for instance, regular brown bag sessions, focus sessions of faculty on the changes in teaching and learning caused by Stout's laptop/digital environment, and focus sessions of students dealing with practices that best affect learning. The e-Scholar Associates Program leads efforts to assess Stout's laptop initiative and facilitates implementation of laptops into the teaching process. The Provost has actively supported TLC initiatives; for instance, he invited the Director of the TLC to present to Deans and Chairs an introduction to the concept of problematizing learning.

6. This project will result in on-campus presentations, regional and national presentations, and reports posted on the TLC web site. Mentors will assist advisees in finding appropriate venues. Participants will be encouraged to publish articles on their projects. The Director of the TLC will present the results of the project to a national convention (e.g. Educause, AAHE) during 2005-06.

Assessment.

The Director of the Teaching and Learning Center will conduct the assessment of the project.This assessment will have the following elements:

1. Students in every class in the project will fill out a questionnaire based on the educational strategies questions found in the Teaching and Learning Technology Roundtable Flashlight Evaluation Handbook.

2. Students will indicate their degree of learning in a method chosen by the faculty member--a survey, pre- and post-tests, self-assessments, or some combination.

3. Students will create a reflective essay on experiencing deep learning in the course and which practices, both on their part and on the teacher's, aided that experience.

1. Each advisee will answer create a reflective portfolio in order to demonstrate an understanding of the concept and implementation of problematizing learning.

The portfolio will contain written reflections on these questions: a. Which practices did I employ to encourage deeper learning? b. What is the difference between a teaching and a learning question? c. What does it mean for a student to have learned deeply in the course? d. What will I do to continue my investigations?

The portfolio will also contain any supporting artifacts (e.g. handouts, student work, syllabuses, other written material), and be posted on the TLC web site.

2. All participants will write and post a final report of the project.

3.. Willingness to share with the community will be demonstrated by the on-campus presentations, and by "spin off" effects of the project--encouraging other faculty members in their departments to begin discussions of teaching and learning issues.

The community building will be assessed by the evaluations of attendees at the SOTL presentations and by the willingness of the participants to continue this type of work in 05-06, whether or not there is a stipend.

April--call for mentors, call for participants;

May--mentors and participants chosen by TLC Board, initial meeting

Summer--books and urls distributed

September--initial large group meeting, small groups meet

October/November--small groups meet;

December/January--large group meeting

February/March--small groups meet, projects underway

April--small groups meet, projects underway, presentations; call for 05-06 participants

May--large group meeting; reports, portfolios written; 05-06 participants chosen

This proposal has been developed by a committee of the Advisory Board of the TLC: Dr. Daniel Riordan, TLC Director; Ms. Kari Dahl, Chair, of People/Process/Culture Program; Ms. Jane Henderson, Director, Laptop Program; Dr. Jerry Kapus, University Scholar of Teaching, with input from the 03-04 SOTL project participants.

Budget is $12,500.00, $10,000 from UW-System and $2500.00 from the UW-Stout Provost office (see appended letter).

Supplies/services/travel. Each mentor will receive 250.00; advisees 400.00. Participants may use this money for services/supplies/travel related to this project. The money will be released 50% in January and 50% in mid-May.

Books. The Course Portfolio, ed. Pat Hutchings (AAHE, @34.00); Opening Lines ed. Pat Hutchings (Carnegie Foundation, @28.00); and Action Research, Asher, Holly and Kasten (Merrill,@ 34.00). The 2003-04 group recommended these books. Mentors already have the books, thus only 20 of each need be purchased.

Supplies. Eighty dollars will cover all necessary photocopying.