Teaching is perhaps the most privatized of all the public professions. Though we teach in front of students, we almost always teach solo, out of collegial sight - behind closed doors

The purpose of Spotlight on Learning is to provide a large-scale venue for faculty to "show and tell" about innovative learning-centered pedagogies that they have successfully implemente

students, we almost always teach solo, out of collegial sight - behind closed doors."

-Parker Palmer, The Courage to Teach

The diversity in today’s student body is unprecedented and technology is rapidly changing ways of work and life How can curricula, pedagogies, and programs change to better satisfy the needs of present and future generations? How do students interact with their teachers in meaningful ways? How is Ohio University positively influencing student engagement? How do we know when

instructional technology effectively fosters student learning? This two-day event will explore the ongoing quest for effective ways to assess learning outcomes, academic quality and institutional effectiveness

The purpose of Spotlight on Learning is to provide a large-scale venue for faculty to "show and tell" about innovative learning-centered pedagogies that they have successfully implemented in the classroom

It will present a unique opportunity to explore transformations in instructional practices, which havethe potential to advance learning productivity, knowledge retention and higher order thinking

Through poster sessions, roundtables, demos and presentations, faculty will share how they

cultivate learning experiences that are truly learner-centered and customized to the way individual students learn best This is a way to promote and recognize the great work that faculty members have been doing to engage students in active thinking, inquiry and the discovery of different ways

of knowing

Presenters come from all ranks of the faculty and from diverse disciplines, and their presentation topics are equally wide-ranging We will have the opportunity to learn about classroom research projects in all stages of development from outstanding Ohio University scholars Involving all ranks and disciplines, Spotlight on Learning seeks to bridge the gap between disciplinary scholarship and instruction and foster collegiality across disciplines based on the common pursuit of teaching

Time Ballroom Room 304 Room 327 Room 329 Room 332 Room 334 Alumni Lounge

8:15 a.m. Keynote Session

Kickoff

Dr Stephen Kopp

Student LearningThrough Reflection,Transformation, andEvaluation

Matthew Ziff David Matthews

Trends in First-yearEducation atResearchUniversities

Marc Cutright

Team Teaching:

Modeling Synthesisand Collaboration forPreservice Teachers

Joan Safran Diane Gut 10:00 a.m. Two Heads Are

Better Than One:

The Promise ofCollaborativeTeaching

Albert Rouzie Mara Holt

InformationCompetency: ActiveLearning, ResearchSkills and theLibrary

Sherrie Saines Lorraine Wochna

History Repeats Itself:Revitalizing the Past inthe Classroom

Ame Wilson

Learning: How Can

I Engage Students in

My Course?

Peter Dane Judith Edinger Nancy Stevens

Research andCreative Activity:

What Can theLibraries Offer?

Andrew Stuart Sharon Huge

Teachers andPrincipals asPartners: AnIntegrative Approach

to PreparingEducational Leaders

Rosalie Romano Catherine Glascock12:00 Noon Roundtable Discussions and Drawing - Ballroom

R1: College is in the Palm of My Hand! Colleen Sexton and Teresa Franklin

R2: Catch-22s in Utilizing Feminist Pedagogy in the Classrrom Michaela Meyer

Schedule At-A-Glance Thursday, March 6

1:00 p.m. Rampant Plagiarism

and the Hunt for theWicked: Is the WitchReacl or Are WeBurning Learners atthe Stake?

Sherrie Gradin Ann Kovalchick Candace Stewart

Using Multimedia toEnhance Identity,Content andInteractivity in aWeb Tutorial

Dan Johnson

Institutional ResearchSupport of AcademicDepartment-BasedAssessment

Michael Williford

Practicalities ofTeaching

CommunicationRoadshow: EnhancingTeaching withBroadcastingTechnology

Carolyn Bailey Lewis Joe Richie Michael Real 3:00 p.m. Residential Learning

Communities at OhioUniversity

Joseph Burke Wendy Merb-Brown

From Classroom toCommunity UsingWeb-basedDiscussion Tools

Susan Sarnoff Ann Kovalchick

Development on theRegional Campuses

Bill Willan

Blackboard Demo

Doug Mann

Time Ballroom Room 304 Room 327 Room 329 Room 332 Room 334 Alumni Lounge

8:30 a.m. Keynote

Some CandidatePrinciples forDesigning Tools forLearning

Alan Lesgold 10:00 a.m. A Conversation on

Writing in a ComputerScience Course

Sherrie Gradin Rachel Brooks- Rather Lonnie Welch

Folknography:

TeachingUndergraduateStudents Techniques

of Research

David Lucas

The Use of Technology

in Project BasedLearning Environments

David Matthews

11:00 a.m. Facilitating Student

Engagement withWeb-BasedPlatforms

Brian Hoyt

AssessmentMethods, Types, andTechniques

Michael Williford

Advanced Technologyand InstructionalTechnology

Alan Lesgold12:00 Noon Poster Sessions and Drawing - Ballroom

P1: CATVision and the Campus Community Channel Jean Radcliff and Brian Thompson

P2: CITL Information Booth Paul O’Donnell and Andy Kranyik

P3: Ohio University Degrees at a Distance Jane Penwell

P4: Collaborative Action Research in the OPIE Classroom Dawn Rogier, Pedro Lopez, and Ayako Deguchi

P5: Encouraging Student Engagement in General Chemistry Martha Kline

Schedule At-A-Glance Friday, March 7

1:00 p.m. Active Learning in

Ohio University'sGlobal LearningCommunity

Dawn Bikowski Greg Emery Brian Manhire

The DigitalClassroom - Todayand Tomorrow

Alastair Thorne John Cook

Portable ContentDelivery for the MobileNursing Student

Deborah Henderson Vicki Sharrer

Information andCommunicationTechnology forTeaching andLearning at OhioUniversity

Erica Butcher Hsin-Ho Tsao Ziad Akir

Nursing StudentsUtilize ServiceLearning to Deliver

an Injury Prevention

to SchoolageChildren

Vicki Sharrer Pamela Sealover

Welcome and Kick-Of

Dr Stephen Kopp, ProvostThursday, March 6

8:00 a.m

Location: Baker Center Ballroom

The kick-off program will begin with opening remarks by Provost Dr Stephen Kopp, followed by a video that will highlight some of the best practices of teaching that are occurring in Ohio University’s classrooms

Some Candidate Principles for Designing Tools for Learning

Alan Lesgold, University of Pittsburgh Friday, March 7

8:30 a.m

Location: Baker Center Ballroom After more than two decades of work related to applications of information technologies for learning, some very basic principles have become quite evident to me The first is that we learn primarily by doing and reflecting Accordingly, anything that facilitates doing hard cognitive work, getting help when impasses are reached, and reflecting afterwards on what has been done will be productive

Technologies that do not handle well are three components – simulation or other ways of presenting

realistic hard tasks, coaching to resolve impasses, and reflection opportunities – will be relatively

ineffective A second principle is that cultural knowledge is needed to make it easy to use a technology If the training course in how to use a technology is long and complex, it will not get used well and probably won’t be used much at all I will discuss these principles, some evidence for them, and some things that follow from them, using as sources of experience my work with colleagues on intelligent training systems for complex troubleshooting tasks, work on an argument environment for science education, and work on professional development environments on networks

Alan Lesgold received his Ph.D in psychology from Stanford University in 1971 and joined Learning

Research and Development Center and the Department of Psychology of the University of Pittsburgh that same year He is a fellow of the Divisions of Experimental, Applied, and Educational Psychology of the American Psychological Association, a fellow of the American Psychological Society, and a past president ofthe Society for Computers in Psychology In 1995, he was awarded the Educom Medal by Educom and the American Psychological Association for contributions to educational technology Lesgold served on two Congressional Office of Technology Assessment advisory panels and was the chair of the Visiting Panel on Research of Educational Testing Service Lesgold and colleagues developed a technology of intelligently coached learning by doing over the period from 1986 to the present, in partnerships with the U.S Air Force, US WEST, and Intel Corporation This work is now being applied to professional development as part

of LRDC’s Institute for Learning, a partnership with urban school systems for standards-based school

Spotlight on Learning Event Guide

Thursday, March 6

8 a.m

Keynote: Welcome and Kick-Of

Dr Stephen Kopp, Provost

Location: Baker Center Ballroom

Opening remarks by Provost Dr Stephen Kopp, followed by a video that will highlight some of the best practices of teaching that are occurring in Ohio University’s classrooms

9 a.m

Team Teaching: Modeling Synthesis and Collaboration for Preservice Teachers

Joan Safran and Diane Gut, Education

Location: Baker 332

The College of Education Sophomore Core Block, consisting of EDCI 200 Human Development and

Learning; EDCI 201 Characteristics of Learners with Exceptionalities, and EDCI 202 Field Experience, was

created to allow all future educators to engage in innovative, Learning-centered Pedagogies and collaborative Learning and is built upon the premise that we must promote Critical Thinking and Reflective Practices in the Classroom

Active-Cohort student groups, taught by collaborative pairs of instructors, are immersed in integrated learning experiences in both classroom and field, designed to maximize deep understandings related to the full range of student ages and abilities Instructors for the development and learning and exceptional

development classes (including all sections, with professors meeting regularly as the Core Team) jointly

determine content and sequence of material and develop integrated activities and team teach varied synthesis topics Study of cognitive development is paired, for example, with cognitive disabilities and classroom issues related to varied cognitive styles and strengths Classroom simulation assignments, graded by both instructors, require that students with disabilities be effectively integrated Assignments in the field (taught jointly by the EDCI 200 and 201 professors) emphasize observing classroom constructs – atheory to practice approach

The purpose of this presentation is to 1) explain the collaborative process and types of integrated

assignments; and 2) share information related to formative assessment of its effectiveness, ongoing evolution and the benefits accruing to both students and team

At the conclusion of the session, participants will be able to understand, explain and apply:

 the framework, logistics and topical organization of the interdisciplinary sophomore core courses and field experiences

 the ways in which section, or cohort partners closely coordinate syllabus and assignments leading toward a Final Synthesis Project indicating mastery of the overall goals of the CORE

 the value of collaborative modeling for pre-service teachers

at hand, the state of the world as it exists today Designing can be described as a sequence:

 Identifying Needs and Desires

 Thinking about making (constructing) something/some place

 Making (constructing) it

 Using what has been made

 Revising and replacing

 Identifying New/Changed Needs and Desires

Designing is the exploration of ideas that are responses to needs or desires in a physical context Design education is structured to move students toward increasingly independent thought, action, and capability Learning to figure things out, and being required to make a substantial effort to do so, leads students to discover information, processes, and techniques that yield learning pathways that are individual and meaningful Good design is about exploring ideas that lead to making things very well

Student learning in this program is the result of making things Making things requires the active

exploration of ideas, and the active use of processes of transformation, reflection, and evaluation

This program makes operational the idea that making things, (defined as the active, engaged, physical andintellectual process of making drawings, models, statements, and objects):

 defines who a student is, (as a designing person, having ideas, knowledge, beliefs, desires, points

Spotlight on Learning

Thursday, March 6

9 a.m

Trends in First-Year Education at Research Universities

Marc Cutright, Counseling and Higher Education

Location: Baker 329

In late 2001, under foundation sponsorship, I began to collect narrative information about programs and strategies supporting positive learning outcomes for first-year students at Carnegie Doctoral/Research-Extensive Universities While only 4% of the nation’s universities are so classified, they award 36% of all American bachelor’s degrees Ohio University is in this classification Nearly 80 universities (of 149) have submitted about 140 narratives Emergent “themes” include the following:

Theme: New and Expanded Programs are Proliferating Many, perhaps most, programs were established inthe late 1990s, or were substantially expanded at that time This suggests that first-year focus is of

relatively recent, increasing importance to research universities

Theme: Initiatives are often tied to colleges or disciplines Many programs highlight first-year initiatives within the context of colleges within universities, or even within disciplines

Theme: High integration of multiple strategies is extensive The modern, large university can be described

as fragmented, a “loose coupling” of units and individual pursuits But should it choose to do so, the university also has rich resources for coordinated address of issues and priorities

Theme: Learning Communities are central to new efforts Both residential and nonresidential universities are making learning communities—cohort enrollment in a few or all classes, perhaps supported by

residence life—central to efforts to improve the first-year experience

Theme: Teaching and learning are being fundamentally reexamined The large lecture class common to many first-year students’ experience makes particular assumptions about the natures of teaching and learning Several prominent efforts are explicitly or operationally questioning these assumptions

Theme: Strong academic and student affairs partnerships are prominent Many of the programs in the project database, particularly those of most recent origin, demonstrate clear partnerships between studentand academic affairs, with particular leadership coming from the latter

And a lagging theme: Assessment Retention and grades are closely monitored and assessed within these strategies Often, however, assessment stops at comparing strategy-participant vs non-participant

outcomes Many universities clearly indicate their intention to more fully assess their efforts, intentions that should be particular informative within the culture of evidence that is the university

10 a.m

Two Heads are Better than One: The Promise of Collaborative Teaching

Albert Rouzie and Mara Holt, English

Location: Baker 304

We would like to share our experience with collaboration between two first-year writing and rhetoric

classes The focus of our presentation is on the version of co-teaching that we have adopted for this course Although we don’t meet our classes in the same room, we teach them in adjacent computer classrooms Our syllabi and course schedules are identical; we create activities for our students to work with each other across classes We will discuss our methods for working together by taking the audience step-by-step through our first writing assignment, an analysis of a popular song of the student’s choice Because of the proximity to 9/11, we most recently began with a class interpretation of a Bruce

Springsteen song from his 9/11-themed CD, The Rising We played the song, distributed the lyrics and a

sheet of literary and musical terms, and led a discussion on what the words and music say and how they say it Students then wrote interpretations of songs they chose, and we exchanged drafts between the twoclasses for peer criticism We worked together on all aspects of this unit—the assignments, the peer

critique training, interpretation of the Springsteen song, and the grading In addition to regular meetings,

we moved back and forth between the two classrooms to coordinate and consult with each other and to become familiar with each other’s students

Problems with this kind of teaching include scheduling constraints, more conflict, and less individual

freedom However, we have found that the rewards outweigh the problems It is community building for both students and faculty, encouraging a playful learning environment For example, we discovered a healthy sense of competition emerging between our two classes Teaching together is more stimulating and creative than the lone wolf model of teaching, in short, more fun The inevitable conflicts can be constructive, depending on how you deal with them Probably the most important rationale for co-teaching

in this way is the quality of the course that results from the creative interplay of two minds

10 a.m

History Repeats Itself: Revitalizing the Past in the Classroom

Ame Wilson, Theater

Location: Alumni Lounge

When studying the effectiveness of particular methods of pedagogy, certain academic courses are oftenconsidered problematic for the professor who is truly concerned with positive student interest,engagement, and retention of information How, for example, does one keep an American history coursefrom becoming a dry and uninteresting list of statistics from which a student easily distances him orherself? In the course American Cultural Movements, I employed various teaching methods designed toengage students of diverse backgrounds One of the most significant discoveries I made, however, is thatevents of historical significance need to be redrawn in a contemporary context for the post- Generation Xera student and younger, those whose experiences include exposure to computer role-playing games,technological advances to the exchange of information, and the creation of entire cyber-realities that werepreviously impossible In teaching the course and closely observing the class, I learned that each student

is most excited about historical material when it actually involves her/him applying critical thought whilesimultaneously encountering and conquering a dangerous physical opponent This study will explore the

explanation for this phenomenon, determine the commonality of and the need to address this (perhaps)new learning style and the possible practical application in university pedagogy

Spotlight on Learning

Thursday, March 6

10 a.m

You say, “Find 5 sources;” we say, “Information competency”:

Active learning, Research Skills, and the Library

Sherri Saines and Lorraine Wochna, Alden Library

Location: Baker 334

Librarians use the term ‘Information Competency’ when speaking about what they want patrons to learn about library skills We want patrons to know how to determine what information they need, how to access that information efficiently, how to critically evaluate the information, how to synthesize the information, and how to use it to accomplish their goal

In this session, the focus is on student learning and how the student, librarian, and faculty can work

together in achieving this goal Our best results come from instruction classes that are centered around specific results, i.e., a research paper, annotated bibliography, position paper, etc The librarians at OU teach a variety of instruction classes, and are always seeking new ways of reaching the students We will use creative methods to present and discuss the following:

 why Information Competency is foundational to real education

 how research skills can be taught effectively

 logistics of teaching these skills in collaboration with librarians

 creative assignments combining research and writing

 what students do and do not understand about information

 evaluation: the critical component

 the role of the university libraries

11 a.m

Teachers and Principals as Partners: An Integrative approach to Preparing Educational Leaders

Rosalie Romano, Education

Catherine Glascock, Education

Traditionally, school principals and teachers viewed their roles as parallel and frequently adversarial In ourcourse, we structure collaborative work that meets a common goal with the pre-service teacher and pre-principal sharing their effort to support the K-12 students Collaboration within the structure of action-research creates new identities for the new teacher and new principal, while forging in each the

commitment to act in the best interests of their students

11 a.m

Problem-based Learning: How Can I Use It to Engage Students in MY Course?

Peter Dane, Family Medicine

Judith Edinger, Social Medicine

Nancy Stevens, Biomedical Sciences

Location: Baker 327

Since the time of Socrates, instructors have facilitated learning by posing questions to students A

variation of this method is experiencing a popular resurgence in higher education today Known as

problem-based learning (PBL), it is an effective strategy for engaging students in the learning process by transferring the focus of education from the lecture podium to the student

Problem-based approaches employ carefully designed problems to enhance the student learning process

In order to solve problems, students must acquire critical knowledge, develop problem-solving proficiency, utilize self-directed learning strategies, and master team participation skills This educational method embodies most of the principles known to improve adult learning It is active and cooperative It promotesstudent engagement and cultivates collaboration throughout the learning process Moreover, it provides prompt feedback to students and holds them accountable for their own learning

Problem-based approaches focus on the student, yet the facilitator (instructor) is an integral part of the process and the key to its success A facilitator must establish a positive learning environment, observe, challenge, monitor, and encourage student learning

The authors are convinced that problem-based approaches can be incorporated into courses in every discipline The purpose of this presentation is to explore the use of problem-based learning in different classroom settings at Ohio University

This presentation will review:

 the purpose and advantages of problem-based learning

 different components of problem-based approaches

 the role of students in solving problems

 the role of a facilitator in problem-based settings

 the evaluation process

 selected experiences in problem-based approaches

 research on problem-based approaches

Spotlight on Learning

Thursday, March 6

11 a.m

Research and Creative Activity – What can the Libraries Ofer?

Andrew Stuart and Sharon Huge

What techniques, resources and assistance can faculty teaching upper division undergraduate courses expect from the Libraries to help bring their students up to speed to do research or explore creative

expression in their major field of study? Whether you are considering creating a dedicated course or

enriching an existing course, this session will introduce you to ideas, technology, and people that can assist you in course creation or course adaptation Ohio University librarians are uniquely equipped to assist faculty in meeting the Research and Creative Activities component of the General Education

Requirements Library bibliographers already select books and databases that meet the research needs of faculty, graduate and undergraduate students and are well acquainted with using these sources for

research Teaching students to become information competent has been a core part of the mission of the University Libraries And in its third round of awards, the Libraries have supported faculty and librarians to partner to enhance courses with the FLIC (Faculty/Librarian Information Competency) Grant Awards

Attendees of this session will walk away with tips and techniques for introducing research to

undergraduates, as well as the name and contact information of a librarian who can assist them in

designing a research portion of a course

12 p.m

Roundtable #1: College is in the Palm of My Hand!

Colleen Sexton, Educational Studies and Teresa Franklin, Teacher Education

The classroom computer is no longer confined to a box on the desk Handheld and portable computing devices have evolved into powerful and affordable learning tools Handheld technologies are changing the way people access and work with information These devices are becoming smaller, cheaper, better, and more connected Educators and students need to take advantage of these emerging technologies to enhance lifelong learning The small size and versatility of personal digital assistants such as the Palm and Handspring begs the question: Can this small device provide the technological support in the classroom for research and teaching in similar or better ways than desktop computers in higher education and K-12 education? The research agenda for this project will provide the researchers with answers to questions that provide support to future teachers wishing to implement the use of technology in their classroom

To examine this question, Drs Franklin and Sexton from the College of Education are examining the use of the PDAs (personal digital assistants) by faculty in the College of Education and preservice teachers in Science

Education and preservice teachers in EDCI 203 – Technology Applications in Education

This research has implemented the use of the Palm130 as the PDA in the classrooms listed above Software which comes standard on the Palm will be used as well as ImagiMath and ImagiProbe software for use in the typical K-12 math and/or science classroom The software will be modeled in higher education methods courses for preservice teachers and in K-12 classrooms with OU Student Teachers and a partnering high school An examination of the following pedagogical themes has been made to determine if the Palm is “value added” to the curriculum due to its portability and versatility:

 Organizing and Planning: Can the Palm help students better organize and plan their schoolwork and

time?

 Reference Information: What sites do the students download to the Palm and the application of the site

to their education?

 Gathering and Analyzing: What tools and other software do students’ use with the Palm to gather and

analyze information for school work

 Learning and Self-improvement: Does the Palm provide opportunities to students for self-improvement

and continued learning outside the classroom?

 Communicating: What types of communications do students use…social versus educational

communication?

 Teaming and Collaborating: Does the use of the Palm promote teamwork and collaboration?

The Palms are provided to students in these courses and various assignments have been developed to

implement the Palms Students are developing grade and content appropriate lesson plans for use of the Palms

in their own future K-12 classroom as well as use in the classes in which they are presently taking at OU It is expected that the students will be able to create the lesson plans and model the lesson plans in the classroom during school visitations

Interviews with the students at the conclusion of the course have provided information concerning the six themes presented earlier in this document ISTE* standards for both the student and teacher have been

modeled and practiced In the EDCT 203, students work in their content areas to integrate technology into their

lesson plans Students have developed electronic portfolios that show the ISTE standards met and addressed

Science content standards are addressed in the Science Methods course Pre and Post surveys of student

attitudes toward technology, and student and teacher suggestions for improvement are being consulted for future courses and to make needed changes to the present research

With any new technology, there is a period of time needed to develop a level of comfort with the technology andits pedagogy It is expected that there will be changes as the higher education faculty, K-12 faculty and all College of Education students become more familiar with emerging technologies and their use

*ISTE –International Society for Technology in Education Teachers in Ohio must meet the ISTE national

standards technology for licensure in this state Every student graduating from the College of Education must demonstrate their use of technology in the K-12 classroom

12 p.m

Roundtable #2: Catch-22s in Utilizing Feminist Pedagogy in the College

Classroom

Michaela Meyer, Interpersonal Communication

Feminist pedagogy addresses the methodological approaches educators use in transmitting knowledge Feminist pedagogical practices epistemologically assume that knowledge is socially constructed and that there is always a tendency to create knowledge in one's own image; it further assumes ontologically that human beings learn from each other by exposure to diverse and mutually illuminating perspectives Thus,

it shifts the locus of attention from professors to students so that the students become members of a community of learners

In practice, feminist pedagogy encourages students to interpret material in a way that allows them to relate it to their every day experiences Discussion of reading material is preferred over traditional lecture methods, allowing students the opportunity to participate in collaborative, connective learning Students who have been exposed to feminist pedagogy as a teaching style often learn to reject monolithic solutions

to complex problems, learn to contextualize discourse and language, and fundamentally enable them to utilize critical thinking in every day practice

Utilizing feminist pedagogy in college classrooms often produces a series of Catch-22s, the discussion of which is the focus of this roundtable The session will discuss three specific problematics of incorporating feminist pedagogy into the classroom including:

 If classrooms practicing feminist pedagogy privilege lived experience, how do you assess (grade)

“experience”?

 Given that many students severely dislike being assessed for group activities, how do you constructassignments from a feminist pedagogical perspective that are NOT group oriented in nature (i.e cooperative learning, service learning, etc.)?

 How do you create a learning environment that encourages students to take responsibility for their own learning without being dominating or authoritative?

Spotlight on Learning

Thursday, March 6

12 p.m

Roundtable #3: Metacognition and Student-centered Learning

Hongyan Ma, Instructional Technology

One instructional model to promote student-centered learning is metacognition The term of

“metacognition” is sometimes simply defined as “thinking about thinking” and “cognition of cognition” (Flavell, 1979, p 906) It refers to awareness and control over one’s own and other people’s cognitive processes Learners are active storers and retrievers of information (Flavell, 1977) They can use their priorknowledge to plan, monitor and regulate their own thinking (Kluwe, 1982)

To help students become effective thinkers, teachers need to help them develop metacognitive skills Effective learning requires effective thinking, particularly higher order thinking skills such as checking, goal-setting, reassessing, and evaluation of the thinking process Learners need to know how to learn, and they need to think about thinking itself, not merely the objects of thinking Good thinkers can recognize when they have problems, and they can sense inconsistencies and incompatible assumptions in their own thinking and that of others Evidence shows that those who perform well on complex cognitive tasks are those who possess well-developed metacognitive abilities

In the metacognition model, teachers are facilitators that help the students to build their own thinking models To provide metacognitive environment, teachers need to follow certain strategies, such as having students ask themselves questions, helping them to know when to ask for help, and help them transfer knowledge to other situations or tasks

Metacognition can be applied in all kinds of content areas, such as reading, English as a second language (ESL), and mathematics In this study, I will address in detail the application of metacognition in ESL Teachers can provide metacognitive environment through computer technology in their classrooms,

including simulation software and Internet

12 p.m

Roundtable #4: Computer Technology and Constructivist Instruction

Yong Lu, Instructional Technology

Constructivism's central idea is that human learning is constructed, that learners build new knowledge upon the foundation of previous learning Two important notions orbit around the simple idea of

constructed knowledge The first is that learners construct new understandings using what they already know The second notion is that learning is active rather than passive

Fosnot concluded four major principles about the learning process derived from the constructivist theory:

1 Knowledge consists of past constructions

2 Constructions come about through assimilation and accommodation

3 Learning is an organic process of invention, rather than a mechanical process of accumulation

4 Meaningful learning occurs through reflection and resolution of cognitive conflict

Instructional technology can be very useful in facilitating a learner-centered environment in the classroom

if the teachers apply constructivism in technology use Computer technology itself has potentials for student-centered learning and can provide a good chance for educators to apply constructivism in the classroom, where teachers can be facilitators who provide active learning environment in the classroom.First, computer technology can be flexible in time and space Second, computer technology can allow different forms of representation Next, computer technology can provide a safe environment for students

to discover for themselves Failure is a friend Let students learn by mistakes Computer technology can promote constructivism also in the sense that individual personalities and emotions can be provoked Computer technology also engages students and lets them learn by doing, and learn by reflection

Though computer technology has the potential for constructivist learning, it does not naturally promote a learner-centered environment without the teachers knowing how to integrate it in the classroom In their book, Rallis and Rossman say, "Being a good teacher now requires taking on new roles." Their book

suggests that dynamic teachers adopt no less than seven roles:

 The Moral Steward

Renee Geary, Alden Library

This roundtable will provide a discussion of what happens to an assignment once it’s in a student’s hands and how technology has changed the way students complete research assignments using library

resources Many traditional print sources are now only offered online and developing an effective

database search strategy takes skill In addition, electronic versions of traditional print sources, including journals, confuse some students who are told, “No Internet sources.” The roundtable will be made up of graduate teaching assistants, student library assistants, librarians, and other tutors dedicated to students academic success Students who work at the reference desk will speak about their experiences in helping students with research assignments and how that has affected their strategies for completing research assignments A reference librarian will speak of his/her experiences with in-person, telephone, email, and online chat reference services in interpreting assignments Finally, a graduate teaching assistant will also talk of his/her experience as a new teacher working with library resources

Tutors and library desk assistants often find themselves dealing with frustrated late-night attempts to complete complex assignments Many factors contribute to students’ frustration, including outdated assignments, incorrect assumptions about quality of sources, lack of knowledge about electronic

databases versus the web, and procrastination Faculty, students, librarians, and tutors can all help

smooth the process with communication and training

Participants will leave this roundtable discussion with a new understanding of how ‘the rubber meets the road’ for their students working on assignments Faculty will get a glimpse of how assignments are fielded

in the library and in cyberspace and how the use of subscription databases aids in research

12 p.m

Roundtable #6: Interconnections: Creating Learning Portfolios for the

Assessment of Integrated Student Achievement in Modern Languages

Lois Vines, Fred Toner, and Mary Jane Kelley, Modern Languages

Learning to interact effectively in a foreign language takes years of consistent effort In the process of becoming linguistically proficient, the learner must also acquire proficiency in the analysis of literature and

a sensitivity to and appreciation of cultural differences In our traditional curriculum, these various aspects

of learning are divided into separate courses, each of which students complete and then move on At the end of their four years, students leave OU with a transcript listing courses and grades The purpose of our portfolio project is to provide students with concrete documentation of their skills and knowledge, which will serve at least two purposes: it will provide an opportunity for the student to reflect on and articulate what he or she has learned from our program, and it will help students connect this learning to their

professional plans for the future

Our project will serve as a pilot for a portfolio requirement we would eventually like to institute for all our majors We plan to experiment with learning portfolios while benefiting from student input into the