Conference on Excellence in Teaching and Learning

March 7, 2003, 1:30 PM - 5:30 PM
University Business Center
California State University, Fresno

Abstracts


Supporting Mathematics Educators Throughout the California Sate University System through a Comprehensive Electronic Resource Center

Rajee Amarasinghe*, Department of Mathematics, M/S PB108

Carol Fry Bohlin*, Kremen School of Education and Human Development, M/S ED2

ramarasi@csufresno.edu, 278-4136; carolb@csufresno.edu, 278-0237

12 minute web-based presentation

This presentation will provide an overview of the CSU Mathematics Education Resource Center (MERC), designed to be an online clearinghouse of resources useful to mathematics educators throughout the CSU system. MERC is a component of the "Face to Face and Cyberspace" project funded by the CSU Chancellor's Office through the Institute for Teaching and Learning in 2002. MERC consists of a web site, a forum, and a listserv that serve differing needs of the CSU mathematics education community. The web site (http://csufresno.edu/mathed) contains direct links to mathematics and education departments at all CSU campuses, as well as to descriptions of credential and master's programs on the campuses, state and national credentialing agencies, useful web sites for mathematics educators, conferences designed for mathematics educators, and much more. The Mathematics Educator Forum (MEF) is a password-protected Blackboard-based site where CSU instructors can post sample syllabi, assignments, interesting problems, reports, and manuscripts, and is an important component of MERC. A listserv, CSUME (CSU Math Educators), has also been developed in order to facilitate collegial interaction and information sharing among CSU faculty. The presentation will include a demonstration of the Web site and the Forum.


So We Talk About Technology Integration... Shouldn't We Teach Skills First??

Otto Benavides*, NASA Regional Teacher Resource Center, Kremen School of Education & Human Development, M/S ED1

ottob@csufresno.edu, 278-0379

60 minute workshop

Students in the fifth year credential program have been required to take a technology class to enable them to use technology in the teaching profession. Although there has been much talk about the seamless use of technology in the curriculum, the reality is that candidates are prepared to use computers and other technologies as an end of instruction. Students in teacher preparation programs are required to submit individual projects using specific software applications. Students must also write a lesson plan during the semester. Technology classes at KSOEHD required that students develop a Unit of Practice (UOP) following the ACOT model. Students had to use several applications including but not limited to: Inspiration, PowerPoint, iMovie, word processing, a database program, a spreadsheet a grade book and any other program the group agreed to. Each individual assignment needed to be accompanied by a lesson plan. The purpose of the UOP was to demonstrate how technology was integrated in the curriculum. Students were asked to use various software applications as a model to technology integration in the K-12 curriculum and to demonstrate how K-12 students would use the applications. The instructor did not provide direct instruction on the use of software. He provided on-line tutorials so that students could learn the relevant applications on their own or with the group of peers. Students who had experience with particular software applications served as mentors for those who had little or no experience with the technology. According to Alan November: "We need to focus much less on teaching students to be computer literate and much more on teaching students to be information literate and communications literate." Therefore, during this credential class while students are required to use specific technological applications; they do not receive direct instruction on any of them, but are given tools so they can explore, analyze and apply solutions. Some of the best projects were selected for web publication in a Kremen School of Education web server http://bogota.soehd.csufresno.edu/ctet100.htm. The computer classroom was conducive to the creation of exemplary projects. The Kremen School of Education and Human Development have three computer classrooms that allow interactivity among peers and serves as a model for the changing role of the teacher. The Kremen School of Education responded to this need with a modular computer classroom design. The design permits traditional and non-traditional instruction. Faculty are encouraged to act as facilitators of learning, to plan for technology use, student interaction and technology integration models. This session will provide a forum for discussion of the method and strategies used in this credential class. Examples of credential student projects and projects created by K-12 children will be exhibited.


Attitudes toward Mathematics of Prospective Elementary Teachers

Zaur Berkaliev*, Department of Mathematics, M/S PB 381

zberkaliev@csufresno.edu, 278-4909

45 minute workshop

This presentation addresses research on dynamics and development of college student attitudes toward mathematics (SATM). The empirical component of this research is based on a survey administered in one of the Indiana University's classes "Mathematics for Elementary Teachers via Problem Solving" each day during the entire semester. The theoretical component is built on mathematical ideas of strange attractors and chaos and on a large number of their applications to the hard and social sciences including sociology, psychology and education. The results of the study demonstrate that dynamics of SATM provide irregular nonlinear patterns related to variation in some well-known educational parameters like SAT/ACT scores and to the order and character of specific themes and activities.


The Promise of Distance Learning: Different Delivery = Different Instructional Strategy = Satisfying Cultural Diversity and Learning Styles

Kathryn Biacindo*, Department of Educational Research, Administration & Foundations, M/S ED303

kathrynb@csufresno.edu, 278-0321

Poster

Distance learning can satisfy a number of needs predicated by fiscal and political realities in the new millenium. Congruent with CSU's mission to serve our state's diverse population, distance learning provides outreach to remote sites which represent the more culturally diverse. This presentation addresses another facet of this mission; namely, that the instructional strategies promulgated for distance learning are compatible with cultural and learning style differences (as contrasted to traditional face-to-face instruction modalities). Examples of some key instructional innovations and research documenting their efficacy in promoting culturally diverse learning will be discussed. Accompanying handouts will also be provided.


Student Cheating and Plagiarism: Response and Prevention

Karen Bowerman*, Craig School of Business, M/S PB8

karen_bowerman@csufresno.edu, 278-2482

12 minute presentation

Course syllabi, coupled with university policy, equip professors to respond to incidents of cheating and plagiarism. But what are actual common responses to the problem? And what does the research say can be done to create a climate of academic integrity? A Craig Business Scholar involved in the writing of a Craig School Honor Code will join Dr. Bowerman for this presentation.


Integrating Community Tool Box, an Internet-based Community Development Resource, into Health and Human Service Professional Preparation Curriculum"

Jerry Davoli*, Department of Health Science, M/S MH30

geraldd@csufresno.edu, 278-7915

12 minute web-based presentation

The Community Tool Box provides practical information--"how-to" tools and links--needed for the work of building healthy communities. It is a unique Internet-based service to assist people who want to promote community health and development. These tools are built from many years of experience in developing and supporting community collaborations and community-based interventions. Several applications to undergraduate and graduate training case studies will be presented. Participants will explore how to integrate various sections of the Community Tool Box into their respective professional preparation curriculum.


Web Accessibility From the User's Perspective: How students with disabilities use the Web

Candace Egan*, Academic Innovation Center, M/S TA49

candaceegan@cvip.net, 278-5070

12 minute presentation

Understanding what Web accessibility means from the user's perspective is key to creating Web pages that work for students with disabilities. This session will introduce faculty to Web accessibility, demonstrate how users access the Web, and discuss Web design problems and solutions. A main feature of the session will be the viewing of the Web Accessibility: Access For All video produced at Fresno State and distributed throughout the CSU.


Using Electronic Communication Tools to Increase Office Hour Effectiveness

Mike Fisher*, Department of Mathematics, M/S PB108

Michelle Fisher*; Dawn Truelsen*, Digital Campus, M/S MF121

michael_fisher@csufresno.edu, 278-4009; mifisher@csufresno.edu, dtruelsen@csufresno.edu, 278-6857

12 minute presentation

At many institutions, such as CSU Fresno, students have many demands on their time. Many of our students work full-time and raise children while attempting to maintain full-time student status. As a result it is often difficult or impossible for many students to attend daytime or on campus evening office hours.

To accommodate these students we have utilized a Blackboard course site and implemented synchronous and asynchronous "Virtual Office Hours" for all of our classes. Students with questions or concerns in our classes now have several options for obtaining help outside of class and normal working hours. In this talk we will compare the effectiveness of traditional office hours to online synchronous and asynchronous office hours in our classes and briefly demonstrate the tools that we are using. We will also present student opinion and reaction to the alternative office hours gathered from end of semester surveys.


The Homework Pilot: An Integrated Multiple Choice and Essay Engine with Peer Review Capabilities

Dave Frank*, Department of Chemistry, M/S SB70

david_frank@csufersno.edu, 278-2273

12 minute presentation

I am currently developing a homework system that integrates multiple-choice questions with essay capabilities, using a calibrated peer review process to grade the essay assignments. Historical experience suggests such a system would be very sustainable and very portable, and would encourage faculty users to focus more on conceptual essay questions on their exams.


Going Abroad: Opportunities for Faculty

Berta Gonzalez*, Interim Director of International Programs, M/S ED1; Thomas Ellis*, Department of Theatre Arts, M/S SA46; Sari Dworkin*, Department of Counseling, Special Education and Rehabilitation, M/S ED3; Miguel Perez*, Department of Health Science, M/S MH30

bertag@csufresno.edu, 278-0209; thomee@csufresno.edu, 278-2646; sarid@csufresno.edu, 278- 0328; mperez@csufresno.edu, 278-4014

60 minute workshop

This workshop will provide faculty with ideas on specific programs they can apply for including USAC, Fullbright, and CSU Resident Directorships. In addition, information will be provided for those faculty interested in leading short-term study groups abroad.


"Cybergroups": Using Technology to Encourage Student Collaboration and Critical Analysis in Web-Based and Web-Enhanced Classrooms

Ida M. Jones*, Finance and Business Law Department, M/S PB7

idaj@csufresno.edu, 278-2151

45 minute workshop

Group collaboration is frequently used in the traditional classroom to encourage students to critically evaluate information through independent reading, research on different perspectives and group discussion to develop skills to critical evaluate the legal environment. The same technique may be used in online classrooms, however faculty must make adjustments to this medium. The traditional verbal, visual and auditory tools are not regularly available in the on-line classroom, thus faculty and students must learn a new language and use new tools of communication in order to successfully collaborate.. Faculty must make a conscious effort to encourage students to develop their "electronic" identities. Individuals must become acquainted through written comments (and perhaps pictures or graphics). Next, in order to create this learning community, faculty must develop exercises and other methods of encouraging students to analyze the information that they receive. Part of this process involves encouraging individual preparation by the student, informing students of the criteria for evaluation and permitting students to practice using the criteria so that effective analysis occurs. In this presentation, I will present an example of one exercise that encourages critical thinking through requiring individual research and group collaboration.


Class Room Techniques to Increase Attendance and Deepen Learning

Al Mcleod*, Department of Sociology , M/S SS107

al_mcleod@csufresno.edu, 278-5145

12 minute presentation

In this presentation I will share ideas regarding writing assignments, the use of small groups, and other modalities I've successfully used for many years on our campus. The processes and techniques I've used have eliminated "bad" classes and deepened both the learning and the joy of being in class.


Using MERLOT to Enhance Learning: A Hands-on Workshop

Thomas Nolan*, Director of the Center for Teaching and Professional Development

California State University, Sonoma

thomas.nolan@sonoma.edu

60 minute workshop

Participants will get an introductory taste of MERLOT. We will examine several examples of how MERLOT can be used to enhance learning. Users will explore ways to use MERLOT in their own courses.


Managing Difficult Students

Elizabeth Shields*, Department of Finance and Business Law, M/S PB7

elizabeth_shields@csufresno.edu, 278-4050

12 minute presentation

From disengaged to downright disruptive, we've had our share of these students from time to time. Is it getting worse? Is the sense of community in the classroom deteriorating? How do we deal with the few "bad apples" that can taint the entire learning environment? Find out what current research says about the problem and effective ways to reduce it.


Engaging Students in Research and Learning through Geographic Information Systems

Michael Spiess*, Department of Plant Science, M/S AS72

Kathleen Moffitt*, Department of Information Systems and Decision Sciences and ISIS, M/S PB7

mspiess@csufresno.edu, 278-8824; kathym@csufresno.edu, 278-2415

30 minute presentation

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are the marriage of mapping and database technologies. GIS provides methods of viewing and analyzing data in a spatial context and has applications to many different disciplines. The focus of this presentation is to highlight how this technology is being used in different ways from Agriculture to Zoology.

GIS technology has been in existence for more than 20 years. Recent development of GIS software for personal computers, lower cost / higher powered personal computers, and improved user interfaces have made GIS available to a much wider audience. GIS is easy enough for everyone to use and is being applied in almost every discipline.

This presentation will discuss GIS, the technology requirements for using this tool, and available data sets for teaching. Demonstration of GIS applications to several disciplines will be presented.


Paradise Lost and Paradise Rediscovered: Taking Milton Out of the GE Classroom

Toni Wein*, Department of English, M/S PB98

twein@csufresno.edu

Poster Presentation

This presentation demonstrates student responsiveness, creativity, and appreciation when called upon to extend their learning beyond the classroom into their daily lives. Having just finished reading the 17th-century epic masterpiece Paradise Lost by John Milton in its entirety, students in English 102, a General Education breadth course, were asked to find instances of imagery, ideals, or discourse from the poem still alive in the 21st century. They had to present and interpret the material for the class, and to write a reflection on what they had seen and/or experienced. The poster will show the range of references they produced, coupled with samples of their penetrating written assessments.


Effectiveness of Service Learning on Students' Pro-environmentalism

Lynnette Zelezny*, Department of Psychology, M/S PH11

lynnette_zelezny@csufresno.edu, 278-5135

12 minute presentation

The aim of this research was to design, develop, and implement service learning in a general education course, Environmental Psychology, and to measure the effectiveness of this experience on students' environmental attitudes and behavior.


Teaching with Wireless in Smart Classrooms

David Zellmer*, Department of Chemistry, M/S SB70

david_zellmer@csufresno.edu, 278-2113

12 minute presentation

The beauty of having wireless computer networking in the classroom, in student study areas, and at home is that you are on-line all the time without worrying about cables or network protocols. Information can be sent between faculty and students via e-mail or Blackboard or extracted from the Internet at any time. When using a smart classroom for both student and faculty presentations, the wireless network keeps the information flowing. Examples will be given of on-campus access, classroom use and home DSL-Wireless router configurations.

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