FLC I (Fall 2011 Implementation) Collaborative Learning
Dr. Brian Beavers College of Sciences and Mathematics Department of Mathematics
Name of Project: Investigating Issues in Higher Education
Project Idea: In the current economic downturn, colleges and universities have faced intense financial pressure. There is considerable pressure on institutions of higher education to reduce the cost of a college education dramatically while dealing with significant state budget cuts. In this climate of increasing need to justify the practices, costs, and value of college education, it is especially important that our students learn about these issues so that they can develop into clear-thinking, positively-contributing citizens. The groups will create a presentation in Google Docs to present to the class at the end of the semester. The document will be made publicly available.
Name of Project: Lie Cheat and Steal
Project Idea: The lack of personal ethics and integrity has led to the destruction of businesses and professional careers. Business/College students face situations that challenge their personal integrity. Character is developed or destroyed by the decisions made. How these decisions affect who we are and what we become in our personal and professional life may lay the foundation to success or failure. Groups will have the opportunity to develop a presentation related to this issue.
Dr. Dianne Dentice College of Liberal and Applied Arts Department of Social and Cultural Analysis
Name of Project: Coping with Stres
Project Idea: Many first time college students find themselves in stressful situations. They may have problems managing their time, money, and/or relationships as they navigate their way into adulthood and become acclimated to the college community. Being away from home for the first time may present challenges such as whether to drink alcohol in excess and to take drugs. College students are also at risk for stress related illnesses such as depression that is brought on by internal and external pressures to succeed. Freshmen students, both male and female, are a particularly vulnerable group and that is why they are the target for this SFA101 project. Groups will create a poster presenting information on how to cope with stress.
Dr. Chuck Lopez Assistant Dean of Student Affairs for Support Services
Name of Project: Emerging Issues - Being the Change
Project Idea: Students will discuss critical issues that related to our society. As college students these issue have an impact on them or their future. However, college students also have the ability and a responsibility to guide and shape their future society. Students will select a critical issue to research and develop a plan for being part of the change in our society. Each group with make a final presentation of their issue, what they did to be a part of the change and what they learned.
Dr. Heather Olson-Beal College of Education Department of Secondary Education
Name of Project: Understanding Diversity thru Personal Interviews
Project Idea: Students in this SFA section are preparing to become teachers in diverse middle and high school environments. It is critical for teachers to develop some skills for learning to appreciate and embrace (not just "tolerate") people who are different from them. One important way to accomplish this is by listening to or reading personal narratives/stories/interviews. The final project will be an interview that students will conduct with someone different from them (in any number of ways) in conjunction with the Story Corps' National Day of Listening (Nov. 26, 2011). After completing the interviews, students will post their name and interviewee on the Wall of Listening (http://nationaldayoflistening.org/share/wall-of-listening/).
Emily Payne College of Forestry and Agriculture Department of Agriculture
Name of Project: Academic Integrity
Project Idea: College students are faced with academic integrity decisions throughout their college career that they may not realize are "against the rules". If students do not realize what is considered academic dishonesty/cheating/plagiarism, then they are more likely to commit these "crimes". College freshman are particularly vulnerable because of academic strains while getting adjusted to college/campus life. Understanding "the rules" will hopefully cause them to think more clearly before making the wrong decision. Each group will prepare a presentation of their choice (PP, poster, website, etc.) to present to the class as well as the campus community. This will take place during Dead Week.
Dr. Hollie Gammel-Smith Assistant Dean Student Affairs for Programs
Name of Project: Service Learning Project
Project Idea: Students will have the opportunity to work with community members and classmates to understand a social issue in the Nacogdoches community. This service learning project will provide the students with opportunities to apply the leadership and SFA 101 curriculum they are learning in the classroom to a "real world" issue in the Nacogdoches community. It will be structured in the form of a collaborative, closed-ended project. The project will ensure a balance between student learning and the needs addressed by service sites.
Dr. Robert Stewart College of Sciences and Mathematics Department of Biology
Name of Project: SFA 101 Instructor Handbook Revision
Project Idea: SFA 101 is essential for new student retention and there is significant turnover of faculty year to year. Consequently, there is heavy reliance on the SFA 101 Faculty Handbook as a resource. While the Handbook is frequently updated it has had limited student input. The purpose of this project is to have SFA 101 students revise the Handbook based on their assessment of value to an entering freshman.
Dr. Janet Tareilo College of Education Department of Secondary Education
Name of Project: Understanding Social Justice
Project Idea: The concept of social justice impacts the lives of college students on a daily basis. However, many of them do not understand what it is or, how it occurs, or what they can do to prevent injustice. This project will focus on social justice issues that impact college life and the way in which the students can be advocates for equity, democracy, and the acceptance of diversity. Each group will present a poster collection detailing social justice issues found on the campus. Each group will also create advertising messages to be placed on the SFA message board.
FLC II (Spring 2012 Implementation) Mentored Undergraduate Scholarship
Dr. Leslie Cecil College of Liberal and Applied Arts Department of Social and Cultural Analysis
Course: ANT 251 Introduction to Archaeology
Name of Project: What makes an artifact?
Project Idea: In this section of laboratory exercises, students will learn what artifacts are, how archaeologists classify artifacts into different categories, and they will use experimental techniques to better understand how lithic artifacts are made. They will understand and practice the difference between emic (the way a culture classifies something) and etic (the way an archaeologist classifies something). Each group will present their findings about emic and etic classifications as well as the methodology for making lithic artifacts.
Name of Project: How do archaeologists date sites and artifacts?
Project Idea: In this section of laboratory exercises, students will experience the techniques that archaeologists use to date artifacts and sites. They will conduct two types of seriation (frequency and observed) using grave markers at Oak Grove Cemetery and bottle iconography, they will conduct stratigraphic analysis and dendrochronology, and will learn how to read those dates. Each group will present their findings about dating methodologies and which ones are more effective than others.
Name of Project: How do archaeologists survey and map archaeological sites?
Project Idea: In this section of laboratory exercises, students will learn how to conduct a ground survey, map buildings using the pace method, map artifacts in a three dimensional manner, and will learn the different sampling methodologies. Each group will present their findings from the cereal survey to the class. We will also make 1m X 1m maps in groups.
Dr. Mikhail Kouliavtsev Nelson Rusche College of Business Department of Economics and Finance
Course: ECO 339 Applied Statistical Analysis
Name of Project: Data Analysis Using Regression Techniques
Project Idea: Students (in groups) will determine a topic of interest to them, but one that has business and/or economics applications. They will gather original data or find reliable data sources to investigate the topic using regression analysis - a statistical technique which measures the effects of independent variables on a dependent variable (the variable of interest). Students will present findings to the class and create a formal report (a research manuscript).
Course: Internships and Independent Studies-Research Skills
Name of Project: Exploring Research
Project Idea: Our proposal is the result of the research we have been conducting for the last two years with SFA 101 students regarding students' basic research readiness when they arrive at SFA. A majority of students arrive without even a basic comprehension of the vocabulary that they need to understand a research assignment, and certainly without the skill to successfully complete one. While the library is creating online modules to enable faculty to help students address this deficiency without using class time, we believe that field specific information created from a student perspective will make the modules more valuable. This process will allow students to evaluate their own research abilities, while collaboration will allow students to understand similarities and differences in discipline specific research methods. Through the activities in this course, the student will create a product (paper, pamphlet, web page, PowerPoint, poster) that will help other students in their fields acquire the skills necessary for success.
Dr. Chris Sams College of Liberal and Applied Arts Department of English
Course: ENG 440 Advanced Linguistic Theory and ENG 495 Independent Studies
Name of Project: Linguistics Research for Conference Presentations, Posters, and Publications: From Beginning to End.
Project Idea: Students in the ENG 440 Advanced Linguistic Theory course have all had ENG 341 Introduction to Linguistics. The ENG 440 will focus on how words and sentences are formed in languages (morphosyntax) and semantics, and 3 students have elected to do Independent Studies to participate in this project as they want to focus on a different topic. The students will pick a topic on which to write a paper, do background reading, form a hypothesis, test the hypothesis, and report their results in a conference paper or poster. In class, we will cover writing an abstract (which they will be required to submit). Many of the students have already submitted their abstracts of ideas to conference for the spring and will be submitting for fall 2012 as well. Students will present their work to the class the last few weeks of the semester.
Dr. David Kulhavy Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture Department of Forestry
Course: FOR 313 Forest Insects and Diseases
Name of Project: Interactive Performances in Forest Insects and Diseases
Project Idea: In Forest Insects and Diseases, a junior level forestry course, students will combine knowledge into synthesis and creativity by creating a booklet of a forest insect or disease from either A Forest Insect Alphabet by David Kulhavy and Charles Jones or Edge of Life: Forest Pathology Art by Michelle Rozic and David Kulhavy into an interactive student guide with knowledge skills, reflection, activities and synthesis. Students will present a 20 x 20 PowerPoint (20 slides, 20 seconds per slide) and an interactive performance with their booklets. Students will use small group discussion, interactive questions and answers and reviews to complete their final products.
Dr. Ryan Phelps Nelson Rusche College of Business Department of Economics and Finance
Course: ECO 339 Applied Statistics Analysis
Name of Project: Applied Regression Analysis Group Project
Project Idea: The issue that the project is meant to mitigate is the conceptual difficulty of regression analysis as a data analysis tool. I have found that if students can apply the process to something that they are familiar and interested in, then they will walk away with a better understanding of the material. The student is assigned to come up with a dependent variable or a question that interests her. Eventually this question will lead to a model of the following format: Y= f(a,b,c,d). Where Y is the variable that they are attempting to explain and a-d are variables that can be used to explain Y. In the rare event that students fail to come up with a workable model, I will present them with data sets to choose from.
Course: BIO 470 Senior Seminar
Name of Project: Testing Hypotheses of Adaptive Function of Facial Patterns in Birds.
Project Idea: Facial stripes and bill coloration in birds may evolve due to different ecological and sexual selection pressures. Students will read and discuss primary literature on this topic and will then collect data on different lineages of birds to test hypotheses for the evolution of these traits. Students will be collecting and analyzing real scientific data and must be willing to bring serious effort to this endeavor.
Dr. Jessie Sams College of Liberal and Applied Arts Department of English
Course: ENG 344-002 Structures of English
Name of Project: Applying Linguistic Concepts across Disciplines
Project Idea: Students in the ENG 344-002 course will be divided into groups based on their majors and interests, including potential groups for speech therapists, English teachers, creative writers, and educators for the deaf. Each group will be responsible for leading a fishbowl discussion with a professional who is currently working in their field, focusing on how the concepts we are learning in class come into play in their professions. The end result is that the students will use this information to create an individual applied project in their field; for instance, a future English teacher might create a lesson plan for teaching their students grammatical concepts, and a future speech therapist might create a list of words to use to test a child's ability to produce specific phonemes of English in different phonological contexts. The groups will then synthesize the information from their individual projects and present how their field utilizes linguistic concepts in a group poster. At the end of the semester, all groups will present their work to their classmates in a poster session accompanied by an oral presentation. The posters will then be put on display in the Department of English.
Course: ELE 351 Learning, Planning, and Instruction
Name of Project: Curriculum and Instruction Research
Project Idea: In this project, students will do structured observations of various PK-6 classrooms, collecting data about effective pedagogy and instructional techniques and reflecting on these observations. They will work in small groups or pairs to compile the data and write a report and complete a poster.
FLC III (Fall 2012 Implementation) Collaborative Learning
Dr. Michelle Williams James I. Perkins College of Education Department of Elementary Education
Name of Project: Introduction to the University and Elementary Education
Project Idea: Students will collaborate to pose problems, research potential solutions, and evaluate those solutions as they learn about university life and the elementary education program.
Students will work together in groups to build community, solve problems, research relevant topics, and present information to the class.
Students will work together as a class to plan and implement at service learning project involving elementary aged students.
Sherry Williford College of Liberal and Applied Arts Department of Communication and Contemporary Culture/Global Media
Name of Project: SFA Student Survival Public Service Announcements (PSAs)
Project Idea: Provide survival tips for SFA students especially for first year students to help maintain student retention here at SFA through public service announcements to air on KSAU, the campus radio station.
Name of Project: Understanding Health Promotion through Service Learning (SL)
Project Idea: The concept of health promotion impacts college students on a daily basis. Many of the college students new to collegiate life, and added stressors tend not to seek healthier choices. This service learning project will focus on health promotion that impacts college life.
Name of Project: Freshman Orientation to SFA campus policies and activities which increase college success
Project Idea: Create an inviting home-like atmosphere that serves as a crucible for freshman success; students will understand their learning style and abilities along with the style and abilities of their peers; this knowledge embraces diversity, self-exploration, and coping strategies for strengths and weaknesses.
Name of Project: Freshman Success Handbook
Project Idea: The class will collaboratively develop a handbook with ideas on how freshmen can succeed in college. Groups will be assigned sub-sections. They will present these ideas to the class and they will accumulate them into a handbook.
Jeremy Higgins Director of Environment Health, Safety, and Risk Management
Name of Project: Freshman Success Manual
Project Idea: The students will engage in a semester long group project to develop a Freshmen Success Manual. Groups of 4-5 individuals will work together to research a topic relating to freshmen success. Topics may include: time management, testing strategies, sexual assault, alcohol and drugs, etc. Each group will present their topic to the class at the end of the semester and will be responsible for providing the instructor with a 1-2 page information sheet. The students will then put each group's information together into one document to complete the manual and present to future incoming freshmen.
Name of Project: W-Curve Mock Rock Project
Project Idea: The first year of college can be a whirlwind of emotions and shock for a student. For many, this is their first time away from home, first time to share a room and/or bathroom and the first time to even study. In 1993, Zeller and Mosier published the article "Culture Shock and the First-Year Experience" to describe the culture shock and highs and lows students experience during their first year of college. The W-Curve Mock Rock Project will be a collaborative effort among students to apply the 5 stages of culture shock and SFA curriculum they are learning in the classroom to a mock concert to be performed to their families, fellow SFA 101 students, faculty and staff. The project is twofold to help students understand the importance of collaborative learning and identify and gain an understanding of the emotions they could/are experience(ing) their first year of college.
Director: Academic Advising Center
Name of Project: The Quest
Project Idea: The "quest" theme reflects the course focus on exploration for students who have not chosen a major. Each student will seek a plan of study to fit his/her interests, abilities, personal goals and priorities. They will be assigned to collaborative teams for a number of activities that all will complete. These will include research about majors/career paths identified in assessments; crafting a personal plan to incorporate extracurricular activities and involvement to support their goals and learning; and researching/presenting components of course content for the entire class.
Name of Project: A Box of Devised Theater
Project Idea: Students in this section are preparing to become professionals in diverse areas of the arts and will need to learn to work together with many styles and types of artists. Students will write, design, direct and perform a theatre event. The script will include reflection on how their knowledge of Theatre and themselves has changed during their first semester experiences.