2006-2007ACADEMIC YEAR

PROJECT PROPOSAL FORMAT

 

DEADLINE:  Monday, October 9, 2006

Please submit proposals electronically to:

Dr. Andrea Hardin, Director of Institutional Research and

Title III Activities

 

 

Name Matt Martin, Darlene Mettler

 

Division/Dept.  Humanities/English

 

Phone 5246; 5231

 

Date Proposal Submitted 10/9/06

 

Course Name(s) and Number(s) to be impacted

ENG 111

ENG 211

ENG 212

ENG 217

ENG 335S

ENG 337S

ENG 347S

ENG 361

ENG 396

ENG 401S

HUM/WST 260

In addition other Humanities courses (such as COM 103, 202S, 215, 242, 310S, 320S, 331, 402S, ENG 202, 210, 270; PHI 371, 396; REL 310, 340, 396) would be affected as the equipment is shared with the division.

 

 

 

Specify if this is an application for:             ________STIPEND (Up to $1,500)             OR

                                                            ________1 COURSE REDUCTION

                                                            (subject to approval by Department Chair)      OR

                       

____X____EQUIPMENT GRANT (hardware and/or software including computers and educational software)

(for equipment grants, please detail needs in item 3 below)

 

 

 

 

 

Narrative:  Please answer these questions

 

I.               Specify how the class would differ from how you have traditionally taught it, describing innovative strategies to be employed.

Humanities classes at Wesleyan typically feature student presentations.  In the classrooms that English, religion, philosophy, and communication faculty most commonly teach in (Tate 223, 214, and 224), however, we have limited capacity for students to use technology in these presentations.  With the addition of a laptop computer and a portable projector we could share, at least one of these classrooms per period taught could offer students tools such as power point to enhance these presentations. 

 

To give a specific example from a course Dr. Martin is currently teaching, in ENG 211 Survey of American Literature I, each student must preview for the class two of the authors whose work we are reading.  Part of that preview is showing the class a cultural object related to the author and explaining how that object helps us understand the author.  A student this week chose the German darkwave band Sopor Aeternus to help us understand Edgar Allan Poe (the group has set some of his poetry to music).  The student passed around black and white photocopies of a picture of the band and played a song on a walkman, but certainly the presentation and the learning experience for students would have been improved by using more advanced technology to see Sopor Aeternus in action.  Dr. Martin has students do similar individual or small-group presentations in ENG 111, ENG 212, ENG 217, HUM 260, ENG 337S, ENG 396, and ENG 401S.  Dr. Mettler has students do presentations that would benefit from this equipment in HUM 260, ENG 335S, and ENG 396.  In addition, Dr. Mettler and Dr. Martin would make this equipment available to other members of the Humanities division.  Dr.  Oost, Dr. Schilbrack, and Dr. Donmoyer each expressed interest in using this technology in their classes (see above for a list of these classes).

 

Enabling students to do better presentations will expand their role and influence in the classroom, making the classes less hierarchical and more student centered.  Having this equipment available to Humanities faculty will encourage faculty members to think creatively about how they can bring in more forms of electronic media into the classroom and how those media can be used to enhance student learning.

 

II.             Discuss how your project would have benefits extending over time beyond this particular class or semester and how many students would be impacted.

This equipment would certainly be useful to the division for the next several years.

 

Humanities general education classes typically have between ten and twenty students in them.  The general education classes taught by Dr. Mettler and Dr. Martin specifically related to this proposal would be ENG 111, 217, and HUM 260.  The survey of American literature class (now divided into two classes, one of which is taught every semester) typically has between ten and fifteen students.  Upper-level English classes (ENG 335, 337, 396, and 401) typically have between five and fifteen students in them.  When you factor in the other members of the division to whom the equipment will be available, the number of students potentially impacted increases from tens a year to hundreds.

 

III.           Indicate software/equipment needed to accomplish the project and itemized cost estimate.

Dell E1505 Dual Core laptop, $1862 (see attached PDF file for specifics)

 

NEC LT35 portable projector (the worldÕs first automatic projector, with 3000 ANSI lumens and XGA 1024 x 768 native resolution, weight 4.4 lbs.), $1599

 

IV.       Detail special training you will require in order to accomplish the project.

Dr. Mettler and Dr. Martin will need to be trained as to how to use the requested equipment.  Such training should require minimal effort.

            Will this involve consultation with the Instructional Technologist?  

YES__X____  NO______

 

V.            Describe your assessment plans or how you will know that students are learning more effectively.

If Dr. Mettler and Dr. Martin receive this grant, they will survey students in classes that currently have student presentations in them about their satisfaction with doing and watching the presentations.  Then we would have students in future classes using the new equipment take the same surveys for comparative purposes.

 

Guidelines for Applications

Title III Faculty Instructional Technology Development Grants

Support for Faculty to Incorporate Technology into Their Teaching

 

The Wesleyan College Title III grant, a five-year grant from the U.S. Department of Education, includes support to faculty in the form of stipends and equipment, including hardware and/or software, to help faculty enhance student learning.  Joint proposals are encouraged.  All full-time faculty members are eligible.  Faculty whose positions are funded by Title III may not be eligible for stipends or equipment grants.

 

Applications for Title III equipment grants and stipends will be processed twice annually.  Dates for submitting applications are:

For Fall 2006:  Monday, October 9, 2006 (For Fall 2006 stipend or equipment grant or Spring 2007 course release*)

For Spring 2007:  Monday, February 26, 2007 (For spring and/or summer stipend or equipment grant or Fall 2007 course release*)

 *Course release is subject to approval by the Department Chair & Dean

 

All applications will be reviewed by the Title III Task Force Committee. Criteria for distributing stipends and equipment grants include:

 

1.     The potential of the project to enhance student learning.

2.     The number of students who will be impacted by the proposal.

3.     The necessity of any equipment (hardware/software) to accomplish the goals of the proposal and the ability to integrate and support the equipment within current resources.

4.     The plan for assessing improvements in student learning as a result of the proposal.

5.     Participation in Title III Activities through workshops, technology-related conferences, or similar activities.

6.     The cost of the proposed equipment should be within the limits of the Title III budget (up to $1,800).

 

 

Each stipend/grant may include individualized consultation with the Instructional Technologist (IT).  The need for assistance from the IT should be outlined in the application proposal.

 

Preference will be given to faculty members who have not previously received a stipend or equipment grant.

 

Faculty receiving grants and stipends will be expected to submit a brief follow-up report, including assessment information, at the end of the semester and may be asked to report to faculty regarding their activities.