Date Started: Jul 1, 2008
Status:In Progress
Project Description
The Curriculum Development Initiative (CDI) supports departments in their use of technology to enhance faculty teaching and student learning. Many of the CDI projects focus on Large Course Redesign, the redesign of courses with large enrollment to effectively leverage technology to support teaching and support student learning. During the 2008-09 academic year five new CDI projects were launched; (1) Research Literacy, (2) Service Learning, (3) US History Large Course Redesign, (4) Managing Museums in the Twenty-First Century, and (5) Outcomes Assessment.
Research Literacy (formerly Research Methods) CDI 11:
Research literacy skills, such as the critical analysis of scholarly research articles and the evaluation of design, methodology, and implementation of the studies within these articles, develop best when teaching and learning activities are slow-paced and gradually increase in complexity and sophistication. The goal of this project is to develop interactive online modules that will foster research literacy skills through the use of prompt feedback and interactive activities. The module will include tutorials on basic research literacy skills (see learning objectives below). The modules will be used by undergraduates, as well as by graduate students who need a primer or review of important research concepts.
After identifying module topics for this project, the CDI team is currently investigating various design options for creating this resource. One goal of the project is to construct modules that can stand alone but are also cohesive. This would allow the user can begin at the first module and move through the others seamlessly until they have completed all of the modules. Once a design has been chosen activities and content will be developed.
Service Learning CDI 11:
The CDI team has begun researching best practices in Service Learning and has an upcoming trip planned to the University of Pennsylvania to meet with experts in the field. Saul Petersen is working with Marie Somers to redesign and update the CCRE website. A Moveable Type Blog has been created for Service Learning and the team has received training on how to maintain it. The goal is to incorporate the Blog into the CCRE website and use the Blog to communicate between CCRE and the community service sites that students will be working at. Additionally a Google calendar has been created and will be used house community service schedules for students.
US History - History CDI 11:
The US History CDI goal is to develop a broad database of materials, including images, sound clips, video clips, model lesson plans, and sample PowerPoint and Lecture123 presentations to enhance the US History I and II course sequence.
The aim of the CDI will also encompass how to integrate these materials effectively (beyond previously mentioned model lesson plans) into the curriculum and provide professional development opportunities for the faculty teaching these courses.
The kickoff meeting for this project was held in December 2007, and regular meetings have been conducted since that time. A Blackboard template course has been created with all topic folders covered in the course. In addition, faculty have populated the course with information related to the three core proficiencies (numeracy, reading/writing, and critical thinking) planned to be infused within the course. These documents include a worksheet on primary source documents, sample numeracy assignments, and book review strategies.
Accounts have also been created for all faculty to access the Gallery Tool, where images and other forms of multimedia will be stored according to topic and keyword. Faculty plan to add metadata and annotations to all multimedia to facilitate its usage in the classroom.
Managing Museums in the Twenty-First Century: Software and Technologies in Contemporary Museum Practice CDI 11:
Further research to determine licensing and usage of museum software is currently being done by the TLT Center. A meeting with the PI, Petra Chu, is scheduled to determine next steps and to further develop the project goals for the upcoming year.
Outcomes Assessment CDI 11:
Outcomes Assessment is both an important initiative academically but is also ingrained in many accrediting bodies' requirements for accreditation. A team of representatives from several colleges, the TLT Center and Academic Affairs had planned a call for proposals to the faculty to outline how they can infuse outcomes assessment using technology into their courses or programs for the start of the Spring semester but this was postponed until April 2008. The call for proposals has not gone out but it forthcoming. This project will also be supported by a day long event in the Summer of 2008 focused on Outcomes Assessment.
Related Projects & Initiatives:
Curriculum Development Initiative (CDI)
CDI is a granting program geared at academic departments that undertake technology-enabled curriculum development.
