Source: UNIVERSITY OF PUERTO RICO AT MAYAGUEZ submitted to NRP
DISTANCE EDUCATION AS A TOOL FOR SHORTENING THE GAP BETWEEN TWO CAMPUSES OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PUERTO RICO
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
COMPLETE
Funding Source
OTHER GRANTS
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
1008167
Grant No.
2015-70004-24171
Cumulative Award Amt.
$136,000.00
Proposal No.
2015-07894
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Sep 1, 2015
Project End Date
Aug 31, 2019
Grant Year
2015
Program Code
[DEG]- Distance Education Grants for Insular Areas
Recipient Organization
UNIVERSITY OF PUERTO RICO AT MAYAGUEZ
P. O. BOX 9000
MAYAGUEZ,PR 00681
Performing Department
Agricultural Economics
Non Technical Summary
21st Century students expect faculty to be knowledgeable in both their discipline and also ininformation technology and to use it in the teaching-learning process. Faculty development occupiesa priority in College of Agricultural Sciences and Department of Natural Sciences but limited fiscalresources keep us short from making it a reality, especially in the case of DE topics. The projectfunds will allow buying equipment that will provide professors technological tools necessary tomodify their instruction delivery methodology and enhance students experiential learningopportunities by making possible the participation of additional faculty as mentors in theundergraduate research program that will be strengthened with Resident Instruction for InsularAreas funding. The latter is very important for the development of UPR-Aguadilla because theycurrently do not have any videoconference system for distance education. This project then willtarget the following education need areas: (c) Instruction Delivery Systems, (e) Student ExperientialLearning and (f) Student Recruitment, Retention, and Educational Equity. The three educationalneed areas selected fit the project's objectives that will be achieved by providing faculty membersalready trained in distance education to switch their current instruction delivery techniques intodistance education modality by offering their redesigned courses into hybrid mode, and to broadentheir scope by using distance education technology with participants in the undergraduate researchprogram proposed in the Resident Instruction for Insular Areas project. The ultimate goals of thisproject are to increase student recruitment and retention and improve education by using appropiatetechnology for distance education.
Animal Health Component
(N/A)
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
(N/A)
Developmental
(N/A)
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
90374103020100%
Knowledge Area
903 - Communication, Education, and Information Delivery;

Subject Of Investigation
7410 - General technology;

Field Of Science
3020 - Education;
Goals / Objectives
To enhance instruction delivery systems by incorporating the various alternativesavailable for the traditional students from two campuses of UPR and to use theavailable DE technology with non-traditional students who otherwise may not considerapplying and enrolling in our campus. The end objectives are: to increase enrollmentand retention of students by offering DE courses and to improve instruction deliversystems by training faculty in DE technologies and improving technical capacity.
Project Methods
We want to improve instruction delivery system for undergraduate courses between academicprograms of UPR-M and UPR-Aguadilla. The College of Agricultural Sciences of UPR-M hastwo classrooms that are be equipped with DE technology. A mobile system will be acquired forthe Department of Natural Resources in UPR-Aguadilla. This project will promote distanceeducation in course lectures and in laboratory courses and trainings between both campuses. Forthat purpose, funds are requested in this proposal for the UPR-Aguadilla videoconferencesystems. The videoconference system will be installed in a mobile cart to make its use possibleas needed (not just in a single classroom). The latter setting, DE equipment in both campuses,will impact approximately 300 and 35 undergraduate and graduate students, respectively, persemester. In addition, training high school teachers in DE delivery systems will impactapproximately 200, 9-12th grade students during the two years of this project.The equipment acquired with this project will enhance the research experience of studentsparticipating in an undergraduate research program being proposed for RIIAG. Off campusfaculty will be able to participate via the DE technology. Eight students per semesterparticipating in the Undergraduate Research Program may opt to do research with any of thefaculty (mentors) in the main campuses (Mayaguez or Aguadilla; western of the Island) or withfaculty in remote sites located in agricultural experiment stations facilities with VTC capabilities(San Juan, Center of the Island and Southern Puerto Rico). Opportunities for undergraduateresearch are available in agriculture biotechnology (animal or plant science), agriculturaleconomics, plant pathology (virology-acarology, fungi, bacteria), entomology (various areas),nematology, organic agriculture, food science (dairy products, meat products, plant products,new products), animal and plant nutrition, water management, coffee processing, hydroponicproduction and soil science.We will partner with the Puerto Rican Department of Education to provide distance educationtrainings to 20 teachers from high schools in western Puerto Rico (ten per school district;Aguadilla and Mayaguez). In addition, these teachers will be instructed in academic programsrelated to agricultural and natural sciences. Dr. Esbal Jimenez and Dr. Yadira Malavez will trainteachers in the Mayaguez and Aguadilla school districts, respectively. Through these teacherswe will impact 200 students during the two-year duration of the project.

Progress 09/01/15 to 08/31/19

Outputs
Target Audience:Faculty members Food, Agriculture and Related Science from UPR-M Faculty members Natural Science from UPR-Ag Changes/Problems:The project was interrupted by a natural disaster that impacted Puerto Rico in September 2017. Both campuses had no internet and reliable electric power for a period of months. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Acquisition of Distance Education technology and training delivered to faculty members from both UPR-M (Food, Agriculture and related science) and UPR-Ag (natural science) will better prepare them for teaching. In the case of UPR-M, there is a spillover effect to the graduate programs. Faculty members from universities located in US, Brasil and Uruguay, share seminars discussing their research projects to undergraduate and graduate students of UPR-M. The portable video-conference system was used to offer a workshop titled "How Craft an Effective Resume for Federal Government" offered by Ms. Judy Craney and Ms. Geerie Lewis from USDA located in Maryland. Twenty seven (27) students from UPR-Ag attended. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Poster presentation at the 2016 NACTA conference. Bulletin Board locates in the Agricultural Science Building at UPR-M keeps information about opportunities and accomplishments. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? 2016-2017 Eight (8) faculty member from UPR-M were trained in an online Learning Management System in Summer-Fall 2016. Ten faculty members from UPR-Ag in Summer-Fall 2016 were trained in Fall 2016. Eighteen laptops were acquired (eight for UPR-M and ten for UPR-Ag) A videoconference system was acquired and installed in a mobile cart for the UPR-Ag A fluorescent microscope with digital camera was acquired for UPR-Ag Faculty from two Agricultural Experiment Station field substations (Isabela and Lajas) were able to participate in our Resident instruction in insular Areas project to mentor students in the undergraduate research program. Consequently, two students had opportunities to be trained in other research areas. 2017-2018 Ten (10) faculty members from UPR-Ag in Summer-Fall 2017 were trained in DE modalities. Eleven (11) laptops were acquired for UPR-Ag faculty for their training in DE modalities. 2018-19 UPR-M Eight (8) faculty members from UPR-M were trained in DE modalities. Eight (8) laptop computers were acquired for UPR-M project participants. Nine (9) courses were developed for on-line r hybrid modalities: ECAG 4026- Rural Sociology; INPE 3011- Animal Science TMAG 5995- Machine Vision and Image Processing with Mathlab; TMAG 4015- Agricultural Machinery I PROC 4993- Introduction to Phitovirology; AGRO 3005- General Soils AGRO 4005- Soil Conservation; ECAG 3005- Introduction to Agricultural Economics CITA 5998/6998 Select Topics in Food Science and Technology II UPR-Ag Ten (10) faculty members from UPR-Ag were trained in Moodle. One (1) on-line courses were developed: CIBI 3002-Biological Science II, QUIM 4026-History Chemistry Thirty-nine (39) courses were converted into hybrid modality: QUIM 3031: Organic Chemistry I QUIM 3032: Organic Chemistry II QUIM 3033: Organic Chemistry Laboratory I QUIM 4050: General Biochemistry QUIM 4999: Undergraduate Investigation in Chemistry QUIM 3033: Organic Chemistry Laboratory I QUIM 3034: Organic Chemistry Laboratory II QUIM 3002: General Chemistry II QUIM 3004: General Chemistry Laboratory IIBIOL 3113: General Ecology BIOL 3116: Ecology Laboratory BIOL 3305: Genetics BIOL 3306: Genetics Laboratory BIOL 3791: Human Biology III BIOL 3793: Human Biology Laboratory III BIOL 3113: General Biology I Laboratory BIOL 3108: Undergraduate Investigation in Biology CIBI 3001: Biological Sciences I (on line) BIOL 3417: Vegetal Organism Biology BIOL 3418: Vegetal Organism Biology Laboratory QUIM 3033: Organic Chemistry I Laboratory BIOL 4008: Immunology BIOL 4009: Immunology Laboratory BIOL 3793: Human Biology I Laboratory BIOL 3005: Introduction to Biomedical Science BIOL 3306: Genetics Laboratory QUIM 4606: Introduction to Toxicology QUIM 3141: Principles of General Chemistry, Organic and Biological I BIOL 3011: General Biology I BIOL 3745: Introduction to Medical Mycology BIOL 3746: Introduction to Medical Mycology Laboratory Student Christian Perez, graduated in 2017. Accepted in Universidad Central del Caribe, Medicine. Marysabel Mendez graduated in 2018, are currently enrolled in a Master program at UPRM in Food Science And Technology. Lourdes Quintana, graduated on June, 2019. Pending the apply to the Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara, School of Medicine. Coral Perez, graduated in 2017, got accepted in NOVA, PharmD. Keishla Rodriguez, graduated in 2017, enrolled in a Ph.D. program in Molecular Biology. Paola Badillo, graduated in 2018, enrolled in a Master's program in Crop Protection

Publications

  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2016 Citation: Jimenez, Esbal and Gonzalez, Gladys. Learning Management Systems to Improve Online Access for Students of the Collage of Agricultural Sciences- University of Puerto Rico- Mayaguez. 2016 NACTA Meeting. June 2016, Oahu, Hawaii.


Progress 09/01/17 to 08/31/18

Outputs
Target Audience:Faculty members College of Food, Agriculture and Related Sciences from UPR-M. Faculty members Department of Natural Sciences from UPR-Ag. Changes/Problems:The project was interrupted by a natural disaster that impacted Puerto Rico in September 2018. Both campuses had no internet and reliable electric power for a period of months. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The portable video-conference system was used to offer a workshop tittled "How Craft an Effective Resume for Federal Government" offered by Ms. Judy Craney and Ms. Geeriee Lewis from USDA located in Maryland. Twenty seven (27) students from UPR-Ag attended. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Nothing Reported What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Meetings with UPR-Ag faculty to continue networking opportunities. Two graduate students will continue research projects towards MS in Agricultural related sciences.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? UPR-M Eight (8) faculty members from UPR-M were trained in DE modalities. Eight (8) laptop computers were acquired for UPR-M project participants. Eight courses were developed for on-line (Introduction to Animal Sciences, Machine Vision and Image Processing with Matlab, General Soils, Soil Conservation, Introduction to Agricultural Economics, Special topics in Food Science and Technology) UPR-Ag. Ten (10) faculty members from UPR-Ag were trained in Moodle. Two (2) on-line courses were developed: CIBI 3002-Biological Science II, QUIM4026-History of Chemistry. Eight (8) courses were converted into hybrid modality: BIOL 3011-General Biology I; BIOL 3305-Genetics QUIM 3001-General Chemistry I; QUIM 3002-General Chemistry II QUIM 3031-Organic Chemistry I; QUIM 3033-Organic Chemistry I, Laboratory QUIM 3034-Organic Chemistry II, Laboratory; QUIM 4999-Undergraduate Research in Chemistry

Publications


    Progress 09/01/16 to 08/31/17

    Outputs
    Target Audience: 1. Faculty members Food, Agriculture and Related Science from UPRM 2. Faculty members Natural Science from UPR-Ag Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?1. Acquisition of Distance Education technology and training delivered to faculty members from both UPRM (Food, Agriculture and related science) and UPR-Ag (natural science) will better prepare them for teaching. In the case of UPRM, there is a spillover effect to the graduate programs. 2. Faculty members from universities located in the US, Brasil and Uruguay, share seminars discusing their research projects to undergraduate and graduate students of UPRM. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Nothing Reported What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?1. Meetings with UPR-Ag faculty and students will continue periodically to continue networking and mentoring opportunities. 2. Faculty from both UPR-Campuses will be encouraged to use the Distance Education equipment.

    Impacts
    What was accomplished under these goals? 1. Ten faculty members from UPR-Ag in Summer-Fall 2017 were trained in DE modalities 2. Eleven laptops were acquired for UPR-Ag faculty for their training in DE modalities

    Publications


      Progress 09/01/15 to 08/31/16

      Outputs
      Target Audience:Faculty members Food, Agriculture and Related Science from UPRM. Faculty members Natural Science from UPR-Ag. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Acquisition of Distance Education technology and training delivered to faculty members from both UPRM (Food, Agriculture and related science) and UPR-Ag (natural science) will better prepare them for teaching. In the case of UPRM, there is a spillover effect to the graduate programs. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Poster presentation at the 2016 NACTA conference. Bulletin Board locates in the Agricultural Science Building at UPRM keeps information about opportunities ans accomplishments. A web page is under construction/being updated. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?UPRM faculty will be completing their participation by presenting the application of lessons learned in at least one undergraduate course. Meetings with UPR-Ag faculty and students will continue periodically to continue networking and mentoring opportunities.

      Impacts
      What was accomplished under these goals? - Eight faculty member from UPR-Mayaguez were trained in an online Learning Management System in Summer-Fall 2016. - Ten faculty members from UPR-Ag in Summer-Fall 2016 were trained in Fall 2016. - Eighteen laptops were acquired (eight for UPR-M and ten for UPR-Ag faculty). - A videoconference system was acquired and installed in a mobile cart for the UPR-Ag. - A fluorescent microscope with digital camera was acquired for UPR-Ag. - Faculty from two Agricultural Experiment Station field substations (Isabela and Lajas) were able to participate in our Resident Instruction in Insular Areas project to mentor students in the undergraduate research program. Consequently, two students had opportunities to be trained in other research areas.

      Publications

      • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2016 Citation: Poster: Jimenez, Esbal and Gladys Gonzalez. Learning Management Systems to Improve Online Access for Students of the Collage of Agricultural Sciences- University of Puerto Rico- Mayaguez accepted for presentation at 2016 NACTA Meeting, June 2016, Oahu, Hawaii.