Title III/Activity I:  Fall 2007 Mini-grant Project Proposal

Submit proposals electronically to Andrea Hardin, Title III Activity Director

 

DEADLINE:  October 1, 2007

 

 

Name: Deidra Donmoyer

Date: 9.26.07

Division/Dept.: Humanities/Communication & Women's Studies

Phone: 478.757.5208

 

Specify if this is an application for:

 

Stipend, up to $1,500.

 

One Course Reduction subject to Department Chair & DeanŐs approval.

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Equipment, up to $1,800 per person listed on the application.

 

Narrative:  Please answer these questions:

 

  1. List all courses and/or other student-centered learning activities which you anticipate will be impacted if your proposal is accepted.

 

  1. Describe how the project will impact your teaching and explain any innovative strategies you have developed.

 

  1. Discuss how your project might have benefits extending beyond the proposed project period and scope.

 

  1. List all items needed for this project proposal and include the estimated cost of each.

 

  1. Will you require special training?  If yes, describe.

 

  1. Describe plans to assess impact on students.

 

In submitting this proposal you acknowledge that you understand that if your proposal is funded, you must provide an initial and a final report on your project.  Your initial report is due at the beginning of the semester immediately following the first full semester for which your equipment was available.  A final report is due one year from that date.

 

If you receive a stipend, you must submit a report at the beginning of the first semester after the work for which you received the stipend has been implemented.  A final report is due one year from that date.

 

If you need assistance, please contact Cathy Locks, 757-3772, clocks@wesleyancollege.edu

 

 

 

Title III Grant Proposal, Fall 2007

Deidra Donmoyer

 

1.         Course Name(s) and Number(s) to be impacted:

COM 103—Introduction to Communication Theory

WST 200—Women, Culture, & Society

COM 202S—Public Speaking

COM 216S—Intercultural Communication

COM/WST 300—Gender & Communication

COM 310—Rhetorical Criticism

COM 313—Small Group Communication

COM 340—Persuasion

            COM/WST396/397—Special Topics

COM 402S—Senior Seminar

COMWST 451—Directed Independent Studies

Findlay Fellowships & Honor's Theses

Annual Women's Studies Symposium

 

2.         Described how the project will impact your teaching and explain any innovative strategies you have developed.

 

The Gateway computer that has been provided by the school is an outdated, slow machine which does not  satisfactorily meet my teaching & research needs. To be able to integrate more creative pedagogical strategies, I will need a computer with greater graphic, editing, downloading, & production capabilities.

 

A main area of use would be in presentational assignments (e.g., Public Speaking, Argumentation & Debate, & various "S" courses). Research in Communication Apprehension shows that students are better prepared & more successful when they can break down & continually practice the different components of a speech. Used in conjunction with a video camera & iPods (both of which are available on campus), students are able to record, watch, & analyze their own speeches. Watching their speeches will enable students to see themselves speak before the "big day;" this will allow them to analyze & work on their strategies & hone their delivery. And, after I have gathered samples of speeches, I will be able to edit & showcase exemplars (with student permission) for future class training. These types of practices can be extended to various presentational situations, such as Findlay Fellowships, Honor's Theses, Women's Studies Symposium, & National/Regional Conferences, where students present in campus/public forums. Making sure that we teach the women of Wesleyan to present themselves in confident, professional ways will not only prepare them to be effective in their careers, but it will also help to showcase Wesleyan College's representatives & future leaders.

 

Another focused use of the technology will be in-class activities. Due to the nature of Communication courses (& most Women's Studies courses), the integration of video clip & on-line graphics/representations helps to illustrate theories for students' understanding. Often times for a student to grasp a relational process, to show how a theory "happens," it is best to demonstrate in a film or tv example; past experience proves that students light up with recognition when they can see the situation. Often times, it is necessary to edit materials to show the progression of a strategy. This pedagogical technique can also be used by students in their assignments. In most COM/WST courses, I ask students to analyze & demonstrate theories in a presentational format; I could help them access, download, &/or edit materials for their projects to most effectively demonstrate the theories in action. Additionally, I will be able to burn materials (e.g., presentations or clips) for students to analyze for homework, projects, & tests.

 

Also for the classroom, I will be able to use the computer to deconstruct media techniques; this would primarily be used in method & media courses (Rhetorical Criticism, Media & Society, Film Criticism, & Future Film Criticism classes). To be able to manipulate the film & music clips (through editing, enlarging, slowing the speed, breaking down tracks, etc.) students can gain greater insight into how the technological techniques are used to create the "magic" of the media; this will help students better comprehend the theory & practice that encompasses media production & consumption. Using the iMovie program, which is automatically put on the computer, I will be able to created examples that will help students comprehend & apply class content.

 

Finally, as the Chair of the Women's Studies program, I will be able to use the computer to produce presentations & websites for the program & the Annual Symposium. Currently, we are searching for ways to create a greater awareness & activity of the Women's Studies program on Wesleyan's campus & in the greater Macon/regional area.

 

The computer in my office is obsolete & even with a great deal of upgrades would not come close to functioning effectively in the ways explained above. The new equipment will be more effective in its speed & memory & will have the applications required to incorporate more innovative teaching & outreach practices. It would be better suited for the computer to be a laptop since I will be able to take the machine into the classroom to display via the projectors or work with students on the spot.

 

 

3.         Discuss how your project would have benefits extending over time beyond the proposed project period and scope.

 

In additional to the continued class use & expansion in, probably, every class I will teach, the potential for this equipment to help students become more prepared for their presentations is wide open. This could be a gateway for Wesleyan College to open a speech lab, providing the students invaluable opportunities to hone their skills & become stronger speakers & leaders. This type of lab situation (similar to the writing lab or academic center) could provide all Wesleyan students (not just those currently in my classes) out-of-class support. For the Communication Department, it is vital our program is current in its technological use. If we are to drawn in students, we must be able to show our use & analysis of the most recent new media.

 

 

4.         List all items needed for this project proposal and include the estimated cost of each.

MacBook. 13-inch: White, 2.16GHz —>$1,762.00

See attached for details.

 

The use of the Apple/Mac product is specific to this grant request; please, DO  NOT change this request to a PC product.

 

           

5.         Will you require special training?  If yes, describe.

 

I will need to spend some time learning how to implement the recording & editing programs; I think this can be easily accomplished through on-line & manual support & with on campus interactions (like Instructional Technology & various Mac users). But since I have used Apple-Macintosh equipment for over 20 years & the easy-operating/user-friendly accessibility of Mac systems, I will not require a great deal of training.

 

 

6.         Describe plans to assess impact on students.

I will do an interview/survey that will evaluate students' development & improvement in the Spring COM 202S (Public Speaking) course. I will ask questions about their ability to improve their speaking skills based on their own analyses from the recorded speeches.  Also, through an informal observation, I will be able ascertain any differences in the students abilities by comparing Fall '07 & Spring '08's COM 202S classes.