2001 - 2002 FACULTY MENTOR ABSTRACTS

Frank Shipper, fmshipper@salisbury.edu
Project: Enhancing the Richness and Interactivity of Your Web Site

One of the hallmarks of good teaching is the degree of interactivity. The Web provides ways to both introduce new forms as well as increase the effectiveness of traditional forms of interactivity.  In this session you will be given the opportunity to see and experience ways that the Web can enhance interactivity with students.

Ruth Carroll, rmcarroll@salisbury.edu
Project:
Developing a Web Enhanced Course for Graduate Nurses – Family Nursing 1

Family Nursing, a 5 credit required graduate course including a clinical component, was piloted during the spring 2002 semester as a WebCT enhanced course.  Study guides and PowerPoint lectures were created for thirteen classes.   This presentation will focus on results of the pilot course including the development of the study guides, the use of the assignment feature of WebCT for students’ submission of clinical journals, and the students’ evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses of the Web based format.

Denise Rotondo, dmrotondo@salisbury.edu
Project:
A Matrix Model of Competency-Based Development

This project explored the use of portfolio-based assessment to document evidence of both content acquisition and personal skill development.  Students were asked to evaluate their strengths and weaknesses in several key competency areas (e.g., written and oral communication, leadership, listening, analytical thinking, and time management).  After setting a personal development objective, students made efforts over the course of a semester to improve their skills.  The intent was to motivate improvement in skills that transcend course content through awareness and self-reflection.  The model used in this course could easily be adapted to any course or to a program level for the purpose of building and assessing skills in our students. 

Michael Lewis, mllewis@salisbury.edu
Project:
Enhancing Student Writing and Research Through Computer Based Work-shopping and Publishing

In this project (implemented in my class “Local Environmental History”) I attempted to improve students’ research and writing skills through the use of WebCT and computer-publishing options.  I used WebCT as the forum for small-group work-shopping, and also as a site for sharing student concerns, research tips, and resources. I used the possibility of desktop publishing (via the Web, or CD-ROM) as an incentive for the students to produce work worthy of being read by a larger community. Although there were some bugs, this class has produced the most consistently outstanding undergraduate writing that I have encountered in any of my courses.

Kimberly Hunter, kxhunter@salisbury.edu
Project:
Moving From Faculty-Centered to Student-Centered Research:  A Group Approach

The goal of this project was to document a new way of conducting independent research projects.  In most departments on campus, there are independent study/research courses.   Such faculty members mentor 1-6 students working on projects that the faculty member designs.  I have increased the number of students to 20, and have students work on common projects as a team.  Each project involved most of the following: field collection of plant samples, modern genetic analysis, intensive literature research, grant writing, lab work, data analysis, and presentation of the research.  There were biweekly meetings with each group and the faculty mentor.  Progress of the projects depended upon the effort each group. This method was evaluated in four ways: 1) number of presentations, 2) students continuing beyond the first semester, 3) monitoring students going on to graduate or professional school, and 4) each student filled out a survey about their research experience.