Designing, Developing and

Assessing Online Intra-Collegiate

Earth Charter Projects: Focus

on Diversity

Mark Simpson & Sheila Bolduc-SimpsonNov. 6, 2013

AAACE Conference

Outline

• Purpose

• Description

• Results

• Lessons Learned

• Strategies

Purpose of the Project

To introduce undergraduate students to

conducting research related to the principles

of the Earth Charter which focus on diversity

and presenting that research to an academic

community

Description of the Project (1)

• Online Courses:• College of Education – Introduction to Diversity for

Educators• College of Arts & Sciences – Composition II• Spring, 2012 – 2 COE classes, 1 CAS class. 95 students• Spring, 2013 – 1 COE class, 1 CAS class. 60 students

• Assignment = 25% of final grade

• Earth Charter principles:• 1, 2, (under Pillar 1: Respect and Care for the Community

of Life)• 9 10, 11, 12 (under Pillar 3: Social and Economic Justice)• 14, 15, and 16 (under Pillar 4:Democracy, Nonviolence, and

Peace)

Description of the Project (2)

• Project began in Week 4. Stages:• Stage 1: Individual or Team Selection & Major Area of

Preference (Week 5)• Stage 2: Roles and Project Topic Selection (Week 6)• Stage 3: Statement of Problem/Research Question &

Annotated Bibliography (Week 7)• Stage 4: Focus Group or Case Study & Findings /

Poster Registration (Weeks 8, 9, 10, and 11)• Stage 5: Research Paper Draft (Week 12)• Stage 6: Research Paper Peer Review (Week 13)• Stage 7: Research Paper Final Draft & Poster File

Submission (Week 14)• Stage 8: Poster Presentation for Non-Research Day

Participants/Poster Presentation Research Day Participants at Alico Arena on April 19 (Week 15)

• Stage 9: Reflection Assignment (Week 16)

Results of the Project

• Research Day participation

• Video

• Non-Research Day participants

• GoAnimate

• Assessment

• Student Reflections

• Article & presentations

Lessons Learned

• Hybrid course to increase retention• Team formation partnering undergraduate lower

level students with undergraduate upper level students

• Mandatory attendance at Research Day• Rework curricula with focus on learning outcomes

and assignment worth 50% of final course grade• Work with/assist students who have done

exemplary research projects to produce manuscripts and seek their publication.

Strategies

• Prompt & frequent instructor-student communication

• Student use of a variety of communication and collaboration tools

• Instructor modeling

• Structured research process

• Project management methodology