Curricular Redesign Grant Proposals

Intercampus Communities of Practice (ICoP Project)

Amount Awarded:
$80,000
Primary Investigator(s):
Leslie Wilson, UW-Stevens Point
Involved Campus(es):
UW-Stevens Point,
UW Superior,
UW-Eau Claire,
UW-La Crosse,
UW-Green Bay  
Abstract:
Today many teaching academics have become increasingly frustrated with their inability to understand and reach a new generation of students (Millennials/GenY). Part of this frustration stems from their lack of knowledge and comfort with newer communication technologies, especially as newer generations are not only adept at learning with technology, but are also able to multi-task through a complexity of information and communication modes in order to remain continually connected with peers. In essence, today’s students’ learning needs, learning styles, and communication methods have changed dramatically from those of past students, and many instructors are finding they are ill-prepared to meet the challenges imposed by these changes in today’s students.

This program has been developed to help academics bridge this disconnect by enabling them to reach today’s students more effectively in ways more relevant to the Millennial culture. This initiative will bring together twelve faculty members from three different UW campuses, for two, all day informational seminars in order to form an Intercampus Community of Practice (ICoP). Through presentations, books, activities, and focused discussions, participants will explore the uses of new technologies in teaching and learning, plus examine ways to integrate this knowledge with the foundations of backwards course design in order to better address the learning and communication needs of today’s students.  In the second half of the program, participants will take this new knowledge and update and redesign existing courses so that they incorporate new technologies – into their classes.
As part of a long-term sharing and dissemination process, the intercampus community will be sustained through the development of a dedicated website where participants will share personal and professional reflections and samples of their projects and efforts with the larger academic community, thus inviting peer review, comment, suggestions, and observations. As part of the local efforts of a community of practice, campus facilitators will conduct an interim on-campus meeting(s) where participants will share their redesigns, findings, students’ reactions, and activities with peers and others.

Podcasting for Teaching and Learning – Exploring Potential and Assessing Impact

Amount Awarded:
$54,000
Primary Investigator(s):
Bob Kaleta, UW-Milwaukee
Involved Campus(es):
UW-Milwaukee,
UW-Colleges,
UW-Whitewater
Abstract:
The extensive use of course management systems throughout UW-System institutions has made content — video, audio, voice lectures with PowerPoint — available to students outside the classroom on D2L course web sites.  As a result, opportunities for learning have expanded and are more flexible.

However, outside the classroom students are still tethered to a computer which is needed to access course information.  The use of MP3 files and podcasting is a way to make course materials even more portable and to take the meaning of anywhere and anytime to a new level.  Students can synchronize these files containing course material to their MP3 or iPod players, which are extremely portable, and listen to or review course material.  Furthermore, Podcasting offers many new and exciting opportunities for the development of new types of learning materials produced by both students and instructors.
This Podcasting Project, which would involve faculty and staff from four UW institutions, is a faculty development and course redesign project that would guide and support 19 instructors from 15 disciplines in their efforts to use podcasting to actively engage students and facilitate student learning.  This project will work with faculty teaching Biology, Business, Chinese, Communications, Communication Disorders, French, German, Health Sciences, History, Information Science, Japanese, Journalism and Mass Communication, Music, Speech, and Spanish.

This project will examine the impact of podcasting activities on teaching and learning to identify “best practices” that will be shared with other UW faculty.   One of the outcomes of the project will be a Podcasting Web site for faculty, LTC staff, and faculty developers, which will include the best practices, resources on podcasting, and the faculty development program for integrating podcasting into courses.

Enhancing Teaching and Learning Using GIS Technology Throughout UW System Campuses

Amount Awarded:
$39,000
Primary Investigator(s):
William Bajjali, UW-Superior
Involved Campus(es):
UW-Stevens Point,
UW-Platteville,
UW-Superior 
Abstract:
Three broad-based activities will be implemented in order to improve the abilities of UW instructors to teach and provide relevant instructional activities using GIS technology.  At least 48 faculty/staff from twelve disciplines of UW System will be involved in this project, with a potential of improving dozens of different classes that will affect over a thousand students. The objectives are to provide general and intermediate-level GIS knowledge and skills to UW instructors so that they can create exercises or laboratories in their own class environments. Create a user group of UW instructors as well as Wisconsin-based GIS professionals that can aid UW personnel in their GIS instructional problems and objectives. Provide curricula assistance to novice and intermediate GIS users within the UW-System who are developing new courses and programs

Improving Student Oral Proficiency in Critical Languages

Amount Awarded:
$47,650
Primary Investigator(s):
Lauren Rosen, UW-Oshkosh
Involved Campus(es):
UW-La Crosse,
UW-Oshkosh,
UW-Whitewater,
UW-Platteville,
UW-Stevens Point
Abstract:
The UW System CLP delivers language courses critical to economic and national security using videoconferencing and Desire2Learn. CLP proposes to increase language and cultural proficiency beginning with 250 students through the redesign of Japanese and Russian curriculum integrating VoIP tools and multi-directional text support. Later expansion of a successful model will reach students of other language courses and potentially other disciplines throughout UW System. This curricular redesign will serve to meet three primary needs:

  1. Students need more situations for SPEAKING the target language in order to achieve appropriate levels of oral proficiency as defined by the ACTFL proficiency guidelines.
  2. Students need interaction with a variety of native speakers to prepare them to understand target language use and diverse cultures in real life situations.
  3. 3. Students at receiving locations need access to materials they miss due to differences in academic calendars across the UW System.

This project offers distance students more opportunities to speak and develop oral skills with oral instructor guidance and feedback currently not available to distance students. Native speakers from outside the UW will interact with Wisconsin students providing a richer cultural connection for all students. Adding additional oral practice opportunities outside of class and additional time in the target language will increase the level of oral proficiency achieved by students and better prepare them for class sessions missed due to calendar differences. These effects are assessed through formative and summative graded performances, traditional testing and surveys. Results will be compared to years prior to this redesign. Effective integration of interactive voice tools may prove valuable in other disciplines as well. Furthermore, redesigning our current nationally recognized model for distance learning of languages may impact students outside the state as partner institutions and collaborators benefit from our experiences and research in this area.