UW-Stout Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Proposal for 2006-2007
Funded by UW-System OPID
Sections I and II are the cover page and abstract. Section III is the beginning of the document.
Active Learning in the Digital Environment
III. Project Narrative
Project Description
Overview. The project has two-tiers: a cohort of scholars and mentors, and two "invested scholars." Participants in each tier will focus their efforts either on active learning or learning in the digital environment or both. Participants will be selected in May 2006, will attend a half-day workshop in August 2006, and will work on their investigations and meet regularly throughout 2006-2007. All results will be reported at a half-day conference to be held in May 2007. All participants will be chosen through applications reviewed by the Teaching and Learning Center Board.
Mentors will be drawn from participants who have previously completed an SOTL project; scholars will include people who have never participated in Stout's three-year SOTL project or people who have previously participated and wish to pursue their investigations at the course level. Invested Scholars, drawn from people who have previously completed an SOTL project, will receive a one-course release to give them time to investigate an issue in depth. Invested Scholars will make a keynote-type speech at the spring SOTL conference, and will be expected to present at a national convention and publish their work within a year.
Context. It is important to understand the context of the focus of this project. Both Active Learning and Learning in the Digital Environment are priorities at UW-Stout. Active Learning has long been one of seven university goals which guide institutional practice and resource allocation. The 'Digital Environment' is a UW-Stout term for the sophisticated campus combination of wireless connectivity, course management system, and student possession of laptop computers. All students at Stout have laptops; all buildings and classrooms have wireless access; all course sections have a course management system available to them. One of the University priorities is to "leverage technology infrastructure in academic (teaching and learning) activities to enhance learning." This project, then, will provide research-based strategies and benchmarks that will facilitate other teachers' work in these two areas. Of course the two areas blend rather easily, so many of the projects will investigate both areas.
Conference. The conference will occur May 24 or 25, 2007. Information about the conference will be disseminated via email to all UW-System colleges and universities and also to area universities in Iowa, Minnesota, Michigan and Illinois. This conference will include panel sessions and open forum sessions.
Goals. The goals of this project are
- Develop research data on active learning strategies
- Develop research data on strategies of learning in the digital environment
- Enlarge the current community of practice of committed reflective practitioners on campus
- Present data from UW-Stout SOTL to area and national audiences
Engaging instructors in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning.
This project incorporates at its core the principles of SOTL. The focus is on systematically investigating questions of student learning, and disseminating the results. The initial half-day workshop will introduce participants to strategies for phrasing questions of learning and to methods of collecting evidence about those questions. Meetings throughout the year will facilitate ongoing peer review and self-reflection. These meetings will include regular large-group meetings, and mentor-led small-group meetings. Participants will create two final reports, one reporting the results of their work and the other reflecting on the significance of their work. The conference at the end of the year will provide a forum for dissemination of work; in addition results of all projects will be posted on the UW-Stout SOTL website. Scholars will be encouraged to present their work nationally or regionally; Invested Scholars will be required to present their work in a national forum.
Intended Outcomes of the Project
This project has these intended outcomes:
- Research-based data on strategies and practices of learning in active and/or digital environments.
- Local conference for presenting results of scholars' work.
- An investigation of a learning question by each of 12 scholars in a course
- A reflective essay and a final report by each scholar on the investigation of the learning question
- A set of student reflective essays on their reaction to the investigation of the learning question
- The development of communities of practice related to SOTL
- A commitment to pursue SOTL activities, in pedagogy and in obtaining grants
- An understanding of effective phrasing of a learning question
- An understanding of effective methods for investigating questions of learning
Assessment
Short term assessment. The goals of this project will be assessed by the Director of the Teaching and Learning Center.
Develop research data on active learning strategies and Develop research data on strategies of learning in the digital environment. Both of these goals will be evaluated by the production of the final reports of the participants. Essential to these reports will be clear descriptions of methods and conclusions.
Enlarge the current community of practice of committed reflective practitioners on campus. Participants will evaluate the workshop and each large group meeting with a Critical Incident Questionnaire. Mentors will supply semesterly reports on the activities of their small group. Participants will write reflective essays about their projects, as will their students. This data will be summarized in a report from the Director to be delivered at the May 2007 conference and posted on the UW-Stout SOTL website.
Present data from UW-Stout SOTL to area and national audiences. This data will be evaluated by number of presentations given and by attendance at these events.
Long term assessment. After one year, in May 2008, participants will be asked to report on how they are using the results of their work in their instructional practices and whether they have formed any alliances with other faculty interested in active/digital learning questions. The Director of the TLC will also survey participants to determine the number of grants applied for and the number of presentations given.
Dissemination
Results of this project will be disseminated by
- Posting progress and final reports to the UW-Stout SOTL website
- Delivering papers to the UW-Stout SOTL conference in May 2007
- Encouraging participants to make national, regional, or local presentations (departments, colleges, or brown bags)
- Having the director of the TLC present at either the ISOTL conference in Washington DC (November 2006) or the 2007 CASTL Colloquium on Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
Schedule
April 20 Call for participants sent to campus community
May 1 Deadline for receiving applications
May 8 Participants announced
May 20 Introductory meeting
August 31 Half day workshop
September-December. Monthly large group and small group meetings
January –April Monthly large group small group meetings
March 1 Announcement of Conference to UW-System and area universities
May 10 Final reports due
May 24 Conference presentations
Personnel
This project will be directed by Dr. Daniel Riordan, Director of the Teaching and Learning Center at the University of Wisconsin-Stout. The project will be overseen by the members of the Teaching and Learning Center Board and by Ms. Jane Henderson, Director of the Title III grant project. Mentors and Invested Scholars will be selected from previous participants of the UW-Stout SOTL project. Scholars will be selected from applications from teaching personnel at UW-Stout. This project proposal has been reviewed by the members of the Teaching and Learning Center Board, and has received critical input from the previous participants of UW-Stout's SOTL program.
IV. Budget Narrative
Budget is $38,184. $30,000 requested from UW-OPID.
Replacement cost for release time. $18,000. Each of the Invested Scholars will receive a one-course release from regular teaching duties. The amount budgeted here will cover the cost of the salary and fringe benefits of the two replacements ($9,000 each). Previous participants have indicated that this is a very desirable option.
Supplies/services/travel/stipends. $13,600. Each mentor (4) will receive $400; scholars (12) $1000.00; potential fringe benefits for up to 16 stipends ($5750). Participants may use this money for services/supplies/travel related to this project, or they may take it as a stipend. The money, which will be released in April, or earlier if an acceptably documented need arises, provides enough to cover a trip to a national conference for scholars and to assist mentors in support of investigations they are pursuing. Former participants in the program have indicated that the stipend option would provide a compelling incentive to join.
Books. $764.00. Purchase 12 copies of Opening Lines ed. Pat Hutchings (Carnegie Foundation, @28.00), and Action Research, Arhar, Holly and Kasten (Merrill,@ 34.00). Since mentors already have the books, only 12 need be purchased. These books, which contain seminal articles and concepts, are used in the small group meetings.
Supplies. $70.00 will cover all necessary photocopying, and programs and signage for the May 2007 conference.