Team Membership
Goals, Objectives and Activities
Community of Scholarship
Mini Grants for Assessment / Research

I. General Team Objectives

A. To enhance the role of assessment in the teaching and learning environment at Kutztown University.
B. To provide information through assessment and research to assist other efforts sponsored by the Center for the Enhancement of Teaching.

II. PROPOSED TEAM ACTIVITIES

A. Collect and organize information regarding instructional assessment activities within the Kutztown University community.

1. Identification of faculty involved in various assessment activities
2. Identification of various forms of assessment
3. Organize information for assessment within the Center

B. Disseminate information regarding instructional assessment activities within the Kutztown University community.

1. Conferences
2. Panel Discussions
3. Newsletters
4. Announcements in University Daily Brief

C. Conduct professional development programs on instructional assessment.

1. Speakers
2. Conferences

D. Sponsor programs in which faculty and staff explore alternative methods and/or programs of instructional assessment

1. Showcase Presentations
2. Mini-grants (see additional information/application below)
3. Workshops

E. Review literature and other sources for information related to instructional assessment, in general, and to instructional assessment and research in higher education, in particular:

1. Article reports
2. Teleconferences
3. Recommend printed materials for library access
4. Recommend non-print materials for AV Center access

F. Provide assessment support for CET events/ activities

1. Learning Community Program
2. Technology Showcase/Workshop/Peer Mentoring Program

Community of Scholarship

Initiative based on models by Ernest Boyer, Eugene Rice, Lee Shulman
(Carnegie Foundation for Advancement of Teaching and Learning)

Scholarship of Teaching and Learning References

Articles available at Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching:

"Approaching the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning" by Pat Hutchings
"Inventing the Future" by Lee S. Shulman
"Taking Learning Seriously" by Lee S. Shulman
"The Scholarship of Teaching: New Elaborations, New Developments" by Pat Hutchings and Lee S. Shulman
"Disciplinary Styles in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning" by Mary Taylor Huber
"Visions of the Possible: Models for Campus support of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning" by Lee S. Shulman
"An Annotated Bibliography of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education" compiled by Pat Hutchings and Chris Bjork
"A Fantasy in Teaching and Learning: Imagining a Future for Online Teaching Portfolios" by Thomas Hatch

Articles available at National Teaching and Learning Forum (Kutztown University ?does subscribe? starting with Volume 9):

Vol.10 #2 "Why Should YOU Publish Your Best Teaching Ideas?"
Vol.10 #1 "What is the First Step We Should Take to Become Great Teachers?"
Vol. 9 #6 "Must Faculty Teach in Ways That Then Make Them Easily Dispensable?"
Vol. 9 #5 "How Can Students Who Are Reasonably Bright and Who Are Trying Hard to Do the Work Still Flunk?"

The Mini Grant Program

The center is continuing a program initiated five years ago to fund small scale assessment projects designed to improve student learning. Mini grants to a maximum of $200.00 will be awarded for individual or group projects. 

The main purpose of these mini-grants is to enhance student learning. Assessment efforts can provide information useful in defining and/or redesigning curriculum or teaching strategies within academic programs. There are multiple and alternative ways of gathering such information. Assessment efforts need not be large scale. Focus groups, surveys, or interviews, for example, can provide important information about the effectiveness of academic programs. Within the classroom, individual or group projects, role-playing activities, and other non-traditional strategies can provide important information about student learning not available through multiple choice test. The literature on alternative assessment strategies is increasingly including references to higher education settings. 

Funds might be used to cover the cost of student employment, refreshments, materials and supplies, postage, printing costs, among other possible items. 

1999-2000 Grants were made in collaboration with a joint project with Indiana U. of Penna. and California U. of Penna. Kutztown participants included Carol Mapes, Biology; Carol Teske and Judy Smith of Health and Physical Education; and Vera Brancato, Nursing. 

Successful grant recipients include Jo Cohen Hamilton, Dept. of Counseling and Human Services, Duane Crider, Dept. of Health, Physical Education and Dance and Margaret Herrick, Dept. of Counseling and Human Services. 

Proposal Guidelines - Mini Grant Format

Mini grant proposals should be no more than two (2) pages and should include the following information:

A. Applicant’s name and department
B. Title of project
C. Calendar of activities
D. Description of Project

1. Purpose
2. Project design
3. Anticipated results
4. Key personnel

E. Itemized budget - Note: grants involving student secretarial or research assistants should compute wages at current rate for both undergraduate and graduate students; requests for hourly wage rated above those stated must be justified.

F. Projected date for submission of final report.

Questions can be answered by contacting any of the team members listed at the top of this page.

Submit proposal to: Center for the Enhancement of Teaching, Old Main 121