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Engaged Learning

Mission Statement

The COAS Engaged Learning Committee seeks to increase the number of students participating in engaged learning in classes throughout the college by:

  • promoting awareness of and understanding about engaged learning throughout the university community,
  • highlighting current uses of engaged learning at Â鶹ÊÓƵ that exemplify best practices, and
  • fostering a campus culture among faculty and administrators that encourages the adoption of engaged learning.

Engaged Learning Committee Events

Coming Soon!

Spring 2024 - Make it Stick: The Science of Successful Learning

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Date: March 26, 2024

Location: Galloway 101

Description: The COAS Engaged Learning Committee discusses the book Make it Stick: The Science of Successful Learning.

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Committee Members

Co-Chairs

Jim Armacost, Associate Professor, Biology
Lori Wright, Instructor, Social Work

Department of Biology
  Ashwini Kucknoor, Associate Professor

Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
  Zhifo Guo, Assistant Professor

Department of Computer Science
  Rakibul Islam, Assistant Professor

Department of English and Modern Languages
  Katie Hoerth, Assistant Professor

Department of History
  Yasuko Sato, Professor

Department of Mathematics
  Wen Liu, Associate Professor

JoAnne Gay Dishman School of Nursing
  Stacey Knight, Assistant Professor

Department of Physics
  Christian Bahrim, Professor

Department of Political Science
 
Bianca Easterly, Assistant Professor

Department of Psychology
  Jeremy Shelton, Associate Professor

Criminal Justice Program
  Karen Roebuck, Instructor
  Lucy Tsado, Assistant Professor

Anthropology
  Stefan Krause, Assistant Professor

Engaged Learning Initiatives

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College Initiatives

Spring 2024

The COAS Engaged Learning Committee hosts a discussion on the book Make it Stick: The Science of Successful Learning.

This panel discussion will be held on March 25, 2024 from 12:45 PM to 1:45 PM in the Galloway Business Building, room 101.

Panelists include Ms. Lori Wright (Instructor, Social Work), Dr. Jeremy Alm (Associate Dean and Professor, Mathematics), Ms. Karen Roebuck (Instructor, Criminal Justice), and Dr. Jeremy Shelton (Associate Professor, Psychology).

Fall 2023

The committee read Make it Stick: The Science of Successful Learning by Peter C. Brown, et.al. to discover and potentially disseminate knowledge on effective teaching through engaged learning.

The committee also prepared an inventory of engaged learning practices that are already in place in classes across the College of Arts and Sciences.

Department Initiatives

Strategic engagement initiative each department will pursue in the 2023 - 2024 academic year.

Biology

Initiative: Create a departmental calendar of events to be made electronically available to students.
When: Continuously updated
Who: Biology faculty and administration
Measurement: Creation and distribution

Chemistry & Biochemistry

Initiative: Initiating internship opportunities
When: Summer
Who: Exxon and/or other possible companies
Measurement: Number of students

Computer Science

Initiative: Organize interactive discussions that invite top students to share their learning styles, methods, and experiences with their peers, aiming to enhance the learning efficiency and engagement of other students. Faculty members can also integrate insights from students into their teaching strategies based on the shared factors and perspectives
When: Y23-24
Who: Department Chair and CS faculty
Measurement: Exit Survey and Interview for graduating students.

Earth and Space Sciences

Initiative: More field trips for classes and the Â鶹ÊÓƵGS student society.
When

Fall 23, Spring 24

Who: Chair, instructors, new T-T faculty.
Measurement:

Number of field trips per year.

1 – Low
2 – Moderate
3 or more – High

English and Modern Languages

Initiative: Unveiling events to promote upcoming advanced courses in English and Modern Languages; Dia de los Muertos Event (poster presentations by students in English and Spanish); Internship course (ENGL 4365), offering an advanced student experience with technical writing and professional communication; more extensive exit interviews with graduate students who are asked to reflect on the cohesiveness of their collection of course work as well as their future plans. The Introduction to the Profession course (ENGL 4335 and 5335) asks that all students investigate potential conferences suitable for presenting their work. End of semester social mixer event for undergraduate and graduate majors to collaborate on a craft or project.
When: Fall 2023/Spring 2024
Who:

Adam Nemmers, Amy Smith, Elia Hatfield, Lara Bernal Rios, Damian Robles, Gabriela Properzi, Sara Hillin, Sharon Joffe, Katherine Hoerth

Measurement: Student attendance, Post workshop/event discussions, assessment of poster presentations in Spanish), taking feedback from graduate students in their final semester seriously and applying it to future courses for the benefit of a new graduate cohort.

History

Initiative:
  1. Internships

  2. Sending students to conferences

When: Academic Year 2023-2024
Who: History Majors
Measurement: Increasing numbers of students engaged in these activities.

JoAnne Gay Dishman School of Nursing

Initiative: All pre-licensure face-to-face didactic nursing courses will create and present at least 5 unfolding case studies each semester   
When: All pre-licensure face-to-face didactic nursing courses will create and present at least 5 unfolding case studies each semester  
Who: Nursing faculty teaching in pre-licensure didactic courses
Measurement:

Evidence of 5 unfolding case studies in each didactic prelicensure course:

  • NURS 3540
  • NURS 3316
  • NURS 3330
  • NURS 3520
  • NURS 3320
  • NURS 4560
  • NURS 4340
  • NURS 4420
  • NURS 4350

Mathematics

Initiative: Adding project in 1st year courses
When: Fall 2023/Spring 2024
Who: Math 1324 instructors
Measurement: Transition to using projects as core curriculum assessment

Physics

Initiative:

Undergraduate Research Activities (supported by external/internal grants)

SURF/CMMS/CfR/OUR and

NSF/DOE/etc.

When: Now
Who: All Faculty
Measurement: Students employed as Lab TAs and as undergraduate researchers

Political Science

Initiative: Develop a legislative internship to go with our policy and legal internship.
When: Fall 2023
Who: Sara Gubala and Tom Sowers
Measurement: Did the course get created and submitted for approval.

Psychology

Initiative: Create department repository of Active/Engaged Learning assignments
When:

(ongoing)

Fall 2023 & Spring 2024

Who: All PSYC full-time faculty (and others who wish to contribute)
Measurement: Number of contributions to repository.

Sociology, Social Work and Criminal Justice

Initiative: Department will host one immersive activity (Poverty Simulation) for faculty to learn and incorporate into teaching
When: October 6, 2023
Who: Hosted by department – lead by Social Work faculty
Measurement: Successful completion of Poverty Simulation