Project

In my differential equations class, students ran an experiment on the accuracy of a nondigital thermometer.  Most directions for use of nondigital thermometers say to leave under the tongue for 2 minutes, so students tested the accuracy of this.   Three groups performed different activities for two minutes (cheweing gum (placebo group), jumping jacks, and drinking a cold refreshing beverage).  Students collected temperature readings every 30 seconds for 4 minutes.  Data was run through Logger Pro, and students analyzed data using best fit lines.

As a semester research project for BIO 160, I have students research a disease and write a paper and present with a group their research. In past semesters I have simply posted the grading rubric on the LMS. This semester I decided to present the rubric and have students practice using the rubric in efforst to increase student awareness of thier contribution to their grade. I find that students are not fully aware of thier contribution to thier grade. I am hoping that taking the time to teach students how the project will be evaluated will result in higher quality projects.

In fall 2013, Dwain Desbien and I taught MAT221/PHY121 learning community (LC).  In spring 2014, 8 of these students went on to take MAT230 with me (calculus II).  Here is some info on the LC students as compared to the non LC students.  

Challenge: Create a menu driven script that aids in adminisdtering a Linux network or server.

Science faculty are constantly hearing from their students, "This isn't math! I didn't learn this in my math class". Many students are not able to transfer what they learned in math into their science courses.  Most of the concepts in MAT091 are crucial to success in science.  Throughout the semester, I met with 6 science faculty to discuss HOW students see these topics in science classes.

The general public has numerous misconceptions about science. My PHY101 students explored this intersection of science with society by researching a topic, performing a survey, and creating an educational website. The students chose a topic from a list to research. After researching the student came up with a question to test the misconception and three follow up questions to challenge it. The students presented their results in a non-traditional format, an informative website. This educational website was evaluated based on the attached assessment sheet.

As a way of studying design principles related to composition I have my students complete an exercise that evaluates the compositional strategy employed in a great work of painting from art history.  The students create two diagrams that chart the way the artist uses design principles like scale, line, color, rhythm, unity, emphasis and balance to control the way the eye moves, additionally they map they way the artist uses value (light and dark) to create emphasis and illusions of depth.

In my ESL Informal Conversation class, students were introduced to 12 new slang phrases regarding "taking a vacation." I tested students on their ability to use those words by providing a "fill-in the blank activity."  I was not happy with the results.

To assess students understanding of major theories and content elements I have students present concepts with teammates, or Iearning teams . Students work with a team of 3 to 4 students and present once a week on a topic covered in the chapter we are discussing for that week.

I find that it keeps students connected, helps them manage nervousness they may experience when speaking in front of large groups. They have to check audience understanding by creating a way to involve all classmates.

I assign a Career Exploration Project (attached) for my engineering students to learn about engineering disciplines, careers, and professional societies. They do research, write a report, and present their findings to the class.  They capture the basics of the field and information about the professional societies, but I feel there is room for improvement, especially with professional societies and their benefits.

This assignment is for the online version of STO/HUM292 that has not been launched yet.

This is a performance-based class, so students are required to perform a story for their final exam. Students will record themsevles and then upload for grading. There is a set rubric students are to follow in order to demonstrate effective storytelling techniques and best practices. 

This assignment is for the online version of HUM108 that has not been launched yet. 

After learning about murals, the students are to demonstrate what they learned by creating their own mural. The mural must mimic the murals we learned about in the unit; it should be aesthetically pleasing, colorful, crowded and have a political, religious and/or personal message to impart. This assignment will allow students to demonstrate and solidify what they have learned by doing a kinesthetic and personally meaningful activity. 

In Spring 2013 I taught a 5-week MAT142 class as the second half of a linked MAT121-MAT142.  In order to alleviate some of the students’ math anxiety associated with exams and to demonstrate practical applications, I switched from exam-based assessments to project-based assessments with promising results. 

CIS263AA is an advanced Java programming class. It includes a review of concepts from the prerequisite course, covers many topics in much more depth, and introduces advanced topics. In lieu of a final exam, I wanted students to apply the program development process and create a substantial application. Since this is also the final course in the sequence, I wanted to squeeze in as much content as possible, especially in areas that apply to a student's major or interests--security, networking, simulation/modeling, business, etc.

After reading chapter 4, Introduction to Active Directory and Account Management, students will install Active Directory and Delegate controls through web-based labs.  The labs will walk them through multiple steps including installation, configuration and the administration of elements within Active Directory.