Progress 09/01/05 to 08/31/07
Outputs
This project began with six objectives that we hoped to accomplish during the duration of the project. We were able to meet the expectations of all six objectives as well as achieve a number of other supplementary goals. During the summer of 2006 we offered an Introduction to Sustainable Development class that relied heavily on IPOD use. This type of technology usage was a first for our institution and we had 30 students sign up for the class. Student evaluations and attendance statistics showed that the students were thrilled to have the chance of using this technology as a tool in the classroom. They were excited about participating in something new and innovative. Throughout the Summer Session there was a 96% attendance record. This percent of student attendance is statistically much higher than other classes offered at the college. Much of this success can be attributed to the students being excited about the opportunity to participate in this pilot course. The
implementation of this class required cooperation between the instructor, students, staff and administration. We had excellent cooperation between the academic, technical and student service side of the project. Two technicians actually participated in the course and video-taped all the classes. One of the student interns that helped set up the system was actually hired by the college on a permanent basis after demonstrating his technological prowess in assisting the instructor in tutoring the students with the technology. This team of technicians was then able to help other instructors who became fascinated with the new technology and wanted to integrate it into their courses. It has now been incorporated into 3 general education classes at the college. Our student enrollment at the college has continued to grow. The enrollment of our current academic year is the largest in our 15 year history. It may be hard to attribute this enrollment directly to our IPOD usage, but I do believe
that our willingness and capability to incorporate new technologies into the classroom has not gone unnoticed by the broader community and certainly does not hurt our recruitment activities. Another key objective of the project was to develop statewide agreements with the University of Wisconsin system schools for the transfer of the accrued credits from the Introduction to Sustainable Development course. This objective was accomplished and was a major achievement of the grant. This success was helped considerably by the support of the vice chancellor of the UW system who wrote a letter of support to all the public universities in the state encouraging them to accept these course credits. Additionally, the College of Menominee Nation decided to adopt this course as a General Education requirement. Therefore, every graduate of our institution is now required to take the course before graduating. This has indeed raised the visibility and prestige of the course.
PRODUCTS: Currently there are 3 faculty members who have incorporated this course delivery system into their curricula. This has obviously required them to rethink the methodology by which they have traditionally delivered their course. Therefore, the project has produced new innovative course outlines, syllabuses, learning outcomes and student assessment methods. Students now are not assessed on indicators such as attendance, oral participation or behavioral compliance. Rather, the indicators we now may use are such things as, how often they make posts to the course blog, or reactions to videos that they downloaded, or content of written interactions with the instructor. This has prompted faculty to think more outside of their normal teaching paradigms.
OUTCOMES: The learning outcomes of the modified course did not change noticeably from what was expected from previous Introduction to Sustainable Development courses. Upon completion of this course, the students were expected to be able to a)Explain how the Menominee land ethic has led to the development of their own model of sustainable development that can be utilized for problem-solving at the local and global level; b) Identify and summarize current research literature on sustainable development; c)Blend technology into their research, critical thinking, problem-solving and analytical practices; d)Identify the interfaces between the social and physical sciences and to apply this knowledge to problem-based learning; e)Professionally apply interpersonal and inter-disciplinary skills in their social interactions. It was the components and structure of the class that differed between the traditional and modified course offering. Portable video IPODS became an important component of
the class. Past surveys have indicated that a minority of our students has access to a home computer and a smaller minority still has internet access. This is the main reason why IPODS were introduced so that students could watch class lectures, videos, power-point presentations and video streaming on the internet at their homes. Students were able to download all assignments, lectures, special presentations and power points from the computer lab on campus on to their IPODS to watch at their convenience. Many of the assignments then required them to post a response on the course blog. These were 2 very different components from how the traditional course is delivered. Structurally the class was also different in that less class time was spent actually sitting in class and more requirements of the class involved students watching pre-recorded speeches posted on selected internet sites and posting blogs on the course internet site. The structure of the course required students to become
more technologically savvy as well as be able to work independently. A major change in the modified course as compared to the traditional course was that students did not have to do a final class research paper for the blended course. Instead, they were assessed on how often they posted a blog on the class website and the content of the blog as it related to class discussions. The outcome of the course was a well-engaged class of students who were excited about new learning opportunities. Generally speaking, they felt more comfortable listening and participating in class knowing that they did not have to concentrate on taking notes, because the entire class time was captured on video. They were eager to talk to their peers and other intstructors about the project and this has led to a groundswell of interest within the institution for conducting more modified technology courses.
DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES: The project provided unequivocal evidence that the modified course delivery system could be easily transferred and utilized by another course or subject matter. The course would mesh especially well with subject matter that does not require lab work or extensive small group discussion. Faculty is currently working on adapting other courses to fit this new delivery system. One course currently being targeted is an introductory chemistry course where the course lectures would be recorded and subsequently downloaded by students to be listened to at their own convenience. The CMN instructor for the Early Childhood Education Program is also very interested in utilizing this alternative course delivery technique in one of the classes that she teaches. The course gave birth to an expanded website that is administered by the Sustainable Development Institute. The website includes many of the lectures and presentations that occurred during the class as well as
internet resources that the students derived their assignments from. This information is available to the general public by logging unto the institutes' website. During the Fall semester of 2006 the instructor and technical people that were involved in the project led a half-day in-service for the entire faculty at the college. Information was shared on the content of pilot project, its' success and difficulties as well as student opinions. A demonstration of the technical equipment was given regarding how it could be incorporated into many other courses. The faculty were impressed with the results of the project and excited about its' applicability to their own teaching.
FUTURE INITIATIVES: As a result of this grant we were able to leverage for additional funding to expand the distance education capabilities of our college to a broader population. By demonstrating the positive results of this project we were able to acquire funds to set up another computer lab that will specialize in internet and web publishing as well as computer graphics. Additionally, we were awarded the unique distinction of being an Apple University. This designation will provide us with a myriad of distance education tools and resources from the Apple Computer Company. Having the recommended infrastructure in place presents opportunities that are otherwise inconceivable with the college's existing systems. For instance, it makes offering instructor-led classes in a Mac lab a feasible option for CMN. An additional investment in an all Mac computer lab would enable the college to expand its course offerings in a number of disciplines. The College of Menominee Nation could become
Wisconsin's only Apple Authorized Training center which would act as a magnet for professionals seeking certification as well as increase general student enrollment. We are also now in the process of including the cost of an IPOD in each student's tuition fees. Most of our students receive some sort of financial aid, so the cost of the IPOD would then be covered as part of their aid package. This would go a long way to assuring the sustainability of future courses at our college that require ancillary supplies.
Impacts
The largest impact that the project has had on our institution is that of on our faculty and our knowledge of diverse course delivery systems. The project demonstrated to faculty that there are many new and exciting forms of course delivery other than the traditional one of instructors lecturing to students in a physical classroom. This has had rippling effects on our institution as we explore further delivery systems such as webinars, class blogs, virtual classrooms and video conferencing. Faculty as diverse as chemistry and history has already incorporated IPOD instruction into their course instruction. Another significant impact that the project had was the increased status and importance that it put on the Introduction to Sustainable Development course. The project elevated the status of this course both externally and internally within the College of Menominee Nation. Currently, with all the media buzz surrounding sustainability issues, we feel very affirmed that
this project was indeed cutting edge.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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