KSU Institute
Learning Communities

Please contact Mandy Brooks about any additions or corrections.

Technology Learning Circles

Bluffton College

Technological Literacy for Graduate Scholar-Teachers

Bowling Green State University

F-Cubed (Faculty & Future Faculty)

Kent State University

First Year Experience

Kent State University

E-Portfolios

Lorain County Community College

Scope Ohio

Ohio University

Best Practices for Development of Web Courses

Owens Community College

 


 

Technology Learning Circles

Bluffton College

The Bluffton College sponsored Learning Community will work collaboratively to create online learning modules to enrich existing curricula with more diverse ethnic, cross-cultural and geographic perspectives on common topics. Specifically, the team will develop learning modules or "meta-courses" that can be incorporated into existing curricula at participating institutions and that will engage diverse student populations (one predominately white, one predominately black, and one Vietnamese) in the guided exploration of common resources and discovery projects through threaded discussions and other online activities. The team will develop modules that will "fit" with and enrich existing curricula at participating institutions and therefore benefit more students in more courses. This project will have immediate benefits for participating institutions, their students and faculty, and for all teaching faculty interested in web-based strategies for enhancing campus-based instruction, online inter-institutional collaboration and using information technology to build cross-cultural competency.

 

The Learning Community's primary goals for this project include: 1) enrich and improve undergraduate learning through web-based interactive applications that build cross-cultural competence; 2) experiment with the development of structured learning modules or "meta courses" that can be used effectively and simultaneously at several institutions; 3) extend the learning of the Bluffton College Learning Community by working collaboratively with faculty and students from diverse institutions; 4) contribute to the creative integration of information technology in higher education.

 

 

Jeff Gingerich

 

Assistant, Professor of Sociology

Dan Fultz

Technology Center Director

Hans Houshower

Director of Learning Technology

George Metz

Assistant, Professor of Education

Carrie Phillips

Library Information Resource Specialist

Cortland Schoenherr

Technology Learning Circles, Student

Dan Wessner

 

Assistant Professor, History and International Studies

Technological Literacy for Graduate Scholar-Teachers

 

Bowling Green State University

The purpose of this project will be to explore a new approach to the development and delivery of online learning materials through the creation and presentation of a series of online teaching modules that focus on the integration of technology into teaching and research. Each module will be an independent piece of a "whole"; that is, an entire online seminar will be developed based on a modular design perspective, with individual pieces or modules of the seminar developed as independent entities. This completed project will serve as a model or prototype of an online course that is developed in a modular design format. This type of design is applicable to any topic; however, for the purposes of this grant, a model will be created with the intent to develop a technology proficiency or competency for graduate students. In addition to designing the seminar, participants in the Learning Community will implement and deliver the course modules and will document the modular design process from conception to delivery.

Learning community members, which consist of a diverse group of faculty and staff will work with the Graduate College at BGSU to develop a series of free learning modules that graduate students can take over a period of time so that they can gain a "Proficiency" in technology applications and skills that will allow them to become technology literate faculty of the future. In addition to the goal of developing and delivering the modules, this project will be used as a model for future development of online materials at BGSU.

 

 

Connie Molnar

 

Assistant Director, Center for Teaching, Learning & Technology

Savilla Banister

Assistant Professor, Division Teaching & Learning

Kristine Blair

Associate Professor, English

Cathi Cardwell

Coordinator of Library Ed/Prof

Gwen Evans

Library Associate

Terry L. Herman

Director, Distance Learning

Dan Madigan

Director, Center for Teaching, Learning & Technology

Barb Peck

 

 

Michael Thompson

 

Instructional Course Designer

F-Cubed (Faculty & Future Faculty)

 

Kent State University

The goals and objectives for F-cubed are grounded in the scholarship of teaching and learning, specifically the increasing emphasis on active learning, collaborative learning strategies, and community building. Learning and applying these principles will require that they be experienced, not just discussed. Therefore, the overarching goal is to have people improve their teaching through practice, reflection, and discussion.

 

 

Chip Ingram

 

Associate Professor, Instructional Technology

Mandy Brooks

Doctoral Student, Instructional Technology

Jerry Feezel

Professor, Communication Studies

Betsy Justice

Doctoral Student, Instructional Technology

Kristie Petti-Frontczak

Assistant Professor, Special Education

Raynette Smith

Associate Professor, Theatre

John Stalvey

 

Professor, Biological Sciences

First Year Experience

 

Kent State University

Goals of the First Year Learning Community

· Positively affect students' academic performance in the 1st semester and first year.
· Promote a strong student attachment to the University.
· Increase the level of personal development in areas such as tolerance of different opinions, ethnocentrism, and emotional maturity.
· Facilitate positive student-student and student-professor interaction.


Program Opportunities

The faculty learning community will provide new pathways for faculty to interact with each other, students, and to examine Kent State University's first year experience. The focus and mission of this community is to enrich both the education and life of first year undergraduates. With active participation, faculty will become more knowledgeable about their colleagues' work from other disciplines, nonacademic campus resources that support student learning, the broad mission of Enrollment Management and Student Affairs, and powerful collaborations that enable us to experiment with new teaching and learning models.

 

 

Denzel Bensen

 

Professor of Sociology

Terri Capellman

Assistant Director for First Year Experience

Donald Hassler

Professor of English

Ben Newberry

Professor of Psychology

Olaf Stackelberg

Professor of Mathematics

Carol Steiner

 

Lecturer of Mathematics

E-Portfolios

Lorain County Community College

 This learning community will be to create electronic portfolios for classroom, institutional, and student use.  Preliminary investigations show that an electronic portfolio is an organized collection of works in various digital media formats that demonstrates progress over time.  The LCCC development of portfolios will be used for formative classroom assessment, summative to assess general education outcomes, and marketing for students to demonstrate competencies. 

 

 

Christine Sheetz

 

Instructor

Robert Kaiden

Professor

Sue Leiken

Assistant Professor

Dennis Ryan

Instructor

Pat Schrull

Assistant Professor

Dorinda Smith

Instructor

Mike Substelny

Technical Applications Specialist

Jen Xu

Instructor

Mike Zellers

 

Instructor

Scope Ohio

Ohio University

The focus of our project - which we are calling SCOPE-OHIO (Scholarly Communities of Practice in Education) - is capacity-building . Nine conveners worked over the summer and fall to conceptualize a model for building Learning Community momentum that we hope will be sustainable. In late October we distributed a Request for Proposals to identify faculty and administrators who were interested in being Community-Leaders-in-Residence from Jan 03 - June 03. We plan to select 8 individuals to work with over that period. During that time, we will examine the literature on Learning Communities, assist them in developing strategies, outcomes, projects, and events. We will also work with this group to produce an online case study on Learning Communities. We will then ask them to initiate and implement their learning communities over the 03-04 academic year.


 

 

Ann Kovalchick

 

Director, Center for Innovations in Technology for Learning

David Descutner

Dean, University College

Sherrie Gradin

Director, Center for Writing Excellence

Merle Graybill

Director, Center for Community Service

Rymie McKerrow

Interim Associate Provost for Graduate Studies

Paul O'Donnell

Web/Interactive Multimedia Designer, CITL

Karin Sandell

Director, Center for Teaching Excellence

Susan Sarnoff

Assistant Professor, Department of Social Work, College of Arts & Sciences

Lonnie Welch

Professor, School of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, College of Engineering

Bill Willan

 

Coordinator of Academic Program Development, Regional Higher Education

Best Practices for Development
of Web Courses

Owens Community College

 Best practices of web-based instruction across the curriculum are the focus of this learning community.  Best practices Web Course Module may include development issues related to the various disciplines involved, institutional restraints, and technology requirements.  The team will use Blackboard and will reflect on their actual experiences of using this tool. 

 

 

 

Mark Karamol

 

Manager of Alternative Learning and Audiovisual Services

Dorothy Bonser

Professor, Arts and Sciences

Lorry Cology

Professor, Arts and Sciences

Amanda Dominique

Instructional Designer

Bruce A. Gamble

Professor, Arts and Sciences

Mary Kaczinski

Instructor, Industrial and Engineering Technologies

John Klocinski

 

Rose Kuceyeski

Professor, Business and Public Services Technology

Deb Richey

Professor, Arts and Sciences