Recipient Organization
PALAU COMMUNITY COLLEGE
ERNGUUL HIGHWAY
MEDALAII HAMLET,PW null
Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
The project aims to improve curriculum designs, implement instructional methodologies through distance education and create agriculture and natural science-focused websites. The project will provide faculty training for course design, technology and multimedia, assessment and learning outcomes., instructional methods, and inclusive teaching in hybrid and distance learning modalities.The main goals of this proposed project for Palau Community College are the continuation of improvement and strengthening of the Agriculture Science Associate of Science (As) and Associate Applied Science (AA) degrees system. After achieving initial goals of developing robust agriculture education, research, and empowerment goals in the Pacific for sustainable agriculture. We must follow past successes by (1) First enriching curriculum designs, implement effective instructional methodologies through recently developed distance education, and create an agricultural and natural science-focused interactive website that promotes a shared vision among faculty, students, and the whole community of Palau. (2) Secondly, continued and regular training modules are needed to retain and develop faculty on multiple technology skills and strengthen their teaching, in conjunction and collaboration with partner institutions, to facilitate quality and accountability on distance education practices through advanced educational resources and evolving technological trends that strengthen learning outcomes for agriculture and related sciences. To achieve this, the project ensures that faculty receive training and pedagogical support in core areas related to higher education instruction with an emphasis on course design, use of technology and multimedia, assessment and learning outcomes, instructional methods, and inclusive teaching in hybrid and distance learning modalities.The introduction of high-speed fiber-optic has significantly improved learning and communication in Palau through enhanced internet connectivity at PCC. The server facility and other resources will enable PCC to strengthen its curriculum and instructional delivery and experience collaborative technologies that provide quality student learning experiences from the agriculture and related science programs. PCC's internet connectivity provides the opportunity for faculty and students from agriculture and related science to access activities, programs, and resources that enhance their academic experiences in PCC. In addition, enhanced connectivity makes it easier for PCC to integrate different technological applications and tools that will improve instructional delivery and enable the institution to attain effective student learning outcomes.Although Palau has taken several preventive measures, including reducing the number of foreigners allowed into the nation, PCC continues to admit students into different programs and promote distance education courses. The institution has encouraged its faculty members to embrace online learning and utilize available technological features to enhance their instructional methods and delivery for students to attain excellent student learning outcomes. Given the opportunity and resources, and considering agriculture is a large part of the Micronesian economy and a priority area for economic development, PCC will offer agriculture and related science programs to Micronesian regions through distance education to address students and community needs as online learners and distance education expands and becomes more fluid.With support from PCC administrators, PCC, through the agriculture and related science faculty, will work with Oregon State University (OSU) to offer additional courses such as Agricultural Leadership, Sustainable Food Systems, Agroforestry, and Soil Systems and Plant Growth in the agriculture and related science program. The OSU faculty on this proposal has extensive experience developing and delivering learning materials in-person, remotely, and by hybrid and asynchronous modalities, have all received formal training in the development of remote and online courses. They have won awards for their work in Micronesian. Instructor's acceptance of distance education courses also increases, as does the need to train and support faculty on the technology, skills, and educational approaches critical to delivering high-quality distance instruction
Animal Health Component
(N/A)
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
(N/A)
Developmental
(N/A)
Goals / Objectives
The project aims (1) to improve curriculum designs, implement instructional methodologies through distance education and create agriculture and natural science-focused websites. (2) The project will provide faculty training for course design, use of technology and multimedia, assessment and learning outcomes., instructional methods, and ( 3) inclusive teaching in hybrid and distance learning modalities enhancing and maintain quality and accountability on distance education.Objectives for Goal #1:1. By August 2021, the agriculture and related science curriculum and instruction are reviewed, evaluated, aligned, modified, and approved by CPC2. By June 2022, design a website that promotes academic programs and services of agriculture and related science to students and other stakeholders;3. By December 2021, the creation of new agriculture and related science courses is established, and4. By January 2022, the creation of new courses is implemented.5. By November 2021, a website creation setup platform for agriculture and related science program and additional tutoring work stations will have been implemented6. By May 2022, library resources, including the additional repository bank, will be in place to store information for scholarly research and data recording purposesObjectives for Goal #2:By August 2021, to evaluate and develop faculty instructional capacity andcompetencies in the agriculture and related science program by adopting agricultural industry practices to curriculum and instruction;By August 2021, train, develop and maximize faculty potentials by adopting evolvingtechnological applications and tools to add value to student learning outcomes.By January 2022, increase quality instructional methodologies and delivery thatpromotes faculty technical, interpersonal, and critical skills within their capacity to strengthen student learning outcome;By the end of August 2021, the agriculture and related science faculty will have beentrained to enhance instructional methods and delivery.By July 2023, the implementation of best distance education practices would havebeen attained.Objectives for Goal #3:By December 2022, enhance and maintain monitoring of online/live tutoringlaboratory where faculty from agriculture and related science programs can mentor their students towards attaining academic excellence;By December 2022, enhance PCC library with repository bank with resources thatprovide access to scholarly research materials and maintain records of resource
Project Methods
For the need area on curriculum designs and enhancement, effective instructional methodologies, and delivery, the PD and CPD will work with the agriculture science department chair and faculty to review and create effective instructional methods based on the demands of the industry and the communities. After a thorough review of the course programs, the PD and CPD will meet stakeholders to identify gaps between the industry and the agriculture science program and realign its components to address student's needs and satisfy student learning outcomes. The entire process will consider approval from the committee on programs and curricula. The PD and CPD will work hand in hand with the Information Technology department chair and faculty to create and maintain an agriculture science website that will present all information related to student's knowledge and hands-on activities. Several components of the websites will attract more students to the agriculture science program and provide credible information about agriculture science. On the other hand, the PCC library will provide a repository bank accessible for faculty and students to research and maintain resources credibility.For the need area on faculty enhancement and optimizing teaching competencies, the agriculture science department chair and faculty will evaluate and develop instructional methodologies in the agriculture and related science program by adopting agricultural industry practices to curriculum and instruction. The CPD will work with the Information Technology department chair, and faculty will train agriculture science faculty on technological applications and tools that add value to students learning outcomes.For the need area on enhancing and maintaining quality and accountability on distance education, the PD and CPD will work with the Information Technology faculty to train agriculture science and related science faculty to utilize the existing Moodle moot platform of PCC to deliver creative delivery methodologies. The proposed project will evaluate the goals and activities of the following: curriculum designs, instructional methodologies, website creation, library repository resources, and acquiring technological tools for creative and innovative instructional delivery.