Interview 2000.05 Jacquelyn Reid

Jackie Reid discusses how the school closings affected her life and disrupted her neighborhood and community. Additionally, Jackie also discussed her close relationship with Rev. Griffin and his family. Interview by Amy Rivenburg and Heather Willis. Audio includes instruments or band in the background

Quantitative skills in the first year science curriculum: Reflections on a collaborative journey

BACKGROUND An OLT Extension project: Acquiring and applying a shared meaning of quantitative skills (QS) across core first year science units with a focus on distance education, commenced this year. One of its aims was to establish an ongoing cross-disciplinary collaboration among scientists, mathematicians and statisticians at a regional university to enhance student learning of QS in interdisciplinary contexts, with a focus on distance education. The success of this project depends on academics from the various disciplines appreciating the need for a collaborative approach, and agreeing to join the facilitator(s) on the journey. AIMS This paper will present initial results from the collaborative processes taking place as part of the project but will also examine the complex web of interactions, and formal and informal collaborations that led to the development of this inter-disciplinary, cross-school project. DESIGN This is an observational study, which includes some qualitative evaluation of activities, and self-reflection by the authors. COLLABORATIVE PROCESSES The initial ideas for the QS mapping can be traced back to the formation of an institutional committee consisting of academic and professional staff from across the university who were interested in the first year (FY) experience. Membership included academic and professional staff and encouraged a holistic collaborative environment to break down the silos as outlined by Nelson, Kift, Humphreys and Harper (2006). With HEPPP funding the committee initiated the development of a FY Teaching and Learning Network (FYTLN). The FYTLN coordinators from the two Science schools could see that, after the science faculty was disbanded, communication between schools on holistic T&L matters had broken down. With a national increase in students enrolling in STEM degrees without the assumed knowledge, the FYTLN coordinators developed a First Year Experience Survey to determine if this was an issue at their university. At least a third of the respondents did not have the minimum level of assumed mathematics for a science degree. At a university-wide First Year Forum students’ lack of assumed knowledge was raised as an issue by numerous academics. After attending a FYiM National Forum on Assumed Mathematics in the STEM disciplines the two FYTLN coordinators felt empowered and designed a QS mapping project, extending the ALTC project of Matthews, Adams, Coady, Rylands, Belward, Tariq, Thompson, and Pelaez (2013). Academic representatives from STEM disciplines attended a seminar and forum to initiate cross-disciplinary conversations about QS; and subsequent workshops to define graduate QS for the various disciplines and map the QS across the FY curriculum in core STEM units. An evaluation was completed and 90% or more agreed that “the forum was useful in promoting interdisciplinary discussion about quantitative skills in the STEM disciplines”, and that “I would encourage my colleagues to attend a similar forum if it were held in the future.” CONCLUSIONS The conversation regarding assumed knowledge continues, and addressing how to best support students with diverse backgrounds to develop quantitative skills is now an ongoing collaborative process. This has developed through the cross-fertilisation of ideas, and the goodwill of academic staff reaching across discipline and school divides. REFERENCES Matthews, K., Adams,P., Coady, C., Rylands, L., Belward, S., Tariq, V., Thompson, K., & Pelaez, N. (2013). Quantitative Skills (QS) in Science: Curriculum models for the future. Final report (OLT) Nelson, K. J., Kift, S. M., Humphreys, J. K., & Harper, W. E. (2006). A blueprint for enhanced transition: Taking an holistic approach to managing student transition into a large university. In Proceedings First Year in Higher Education Conference, Gold Coast

Development and Application of a Distributed Leadership Framework to the Curriculum Mapping of Quantitative Skills in First-Year Undergraduate Agriculture Degrees

Quantitative skills (QS), the ability to use mathematical and statistical reasoning in context, are considered essential threshold learning outcomes in Australian university agricultural courses (degrees). Curriculum mapping can be used to determine how the existing curriculum fosters the development of QS, and identify where opportunities for skills development are missing in the curriculum. To address the challenges of curriculum mapping this paper describes the development and application of a modified distributed leadership model based on the merging of Kotter’s eight steps for structural change (2014) and Jones, Hadgraft, Harvey, Lefoe and Ryland’s framework for distributed leadership (2014). Distributed leadership is built on the foundations of change theory, moving beyond the traditional leadership boundaries and has been increasingly used in higher education. This case study demonstrates how distributed leadership has been used successfully in determining the graduate level QS and driving the mapping process for the first-year curriculum. Curriculum maps showed when the QS were taught, practiced and assessed across 10 science degrees, including three agriculture degrees, at a regional Australian university. As a result, holistic curriculum changes were flagged with the aim of enhancing QS development for both on campus and distance learning students

Using Curriculum Mapping to Articulate Transferable Skill Development in Science Courses: A Pilot Study

Work Integrated Learning (WIL) activities are designed to provide students with a range of opportunities to develop employability capabilities. Many of these capabilities are transferable skills. Embedding contextualized and scaffolded WIL activities throughout undergraduate science programs allows students to integrate disciplinary knowledge with industry practices and to develop non-discipline specific transferable skills without requiring industry placements. Integrating the development of core discipline knowledge with transferable skills in this contextualized setting will enhance the student experience and learning outcomes. Universities cannot teach all of the applications that exist, so the ultimate goal is to equip students with a stronger understanding and ability in the core discipline concepts and skills that, in conjunction with transferable skills, will enable graduates to ‘learn on the job’, and adapt to a wide range of employment opportunities. This paper reports on a process that maps the development of transferable WIL skills in a Chemistry major and identifies gaps in the curriculum where opportunities for skills development are missing. Suggested enhancements to the process include cataloguing relevant learning activities. This will provide academics with a useful resource that will facilitate the embedding of WIL into the curriculum

That’s not how I interpret it! Supporting stem academics as they develop and apply a shared meaning of quantitative skills

Background This research project was designed to map quantitative skills (QS) across first-year STEM units, while addressing issues that impact on the development of students’ QS. Two key reasons why students have difficulties applying mathematics in other areas of the curriculum are the lack of cross-disciplinary communication and the lack of ‘shared meaning’ of QS among academics (Matthews, Belward, Coady, Rylands & Simbag, 2012). One of the project aims was to support STEM academics as they developed and applied a shared meaning of QS to enhance student learning of QS in interdisciplinary contexts. Aims The aims of this presentation are to describe the components of the project that supported STEM academics as they developed a deeper understanding of QS and their importance in the STEM curriculum, and discuss the outcomes of this process. Interventions Initially, inter-disciplinary workshops were held to identify and develop a shared meaning of core QS. Mapping tools were developed to capture details of when, how and at what level QS were taught, practised and assessed across first year STEM-based courses. The resultant curriculum maps were used as the basis for ‘action plan’ workshops. Results The units that addressed QS and their trimester sequencing were identified, as well as gaps in the development of the QS. The mapping process provided further information about the development of individual QS including: the timing of a QS within units and across trimesters, the teaching, practice and assessment of each QS, the level of attainment, and differences in the way QS were developed due to the modes of study (on-campus, distance, part-time, full-time). Using this information, the facilitated ‘action plan’ workshops led to curriculum change. Conclusions Although curriculum mapping is standard practice, this project was innovative in that the maps provided an exceptional level of detail. Through the provision of these maps and the facilitation of cross-disciplinary discussions and ‘action plan’ workshops, this project provided comprehensive support to STEM academics as they focussed on how best to develop students’ QS. This resulted in a shared meaning of QS, a heightened awareness among academics of the importance of QS in STEM disciplines, and a more integrated approach to the development of students’ QS across courses

Towards a successful transition: Identifying the gap between the expectations of first year science students and teaching staff

It is well known that students in the sciences face many challenges when they first embark on their tertiary education; but issues also confront academics when developing teaching and learning activities for these students. Academics teaching pure and applied sciences at one Australian regional university face more challenges than most because of the large cohort of off-campus and mature age students, along with a higher than average proportion of students from lower socio-economic backgrounds. These factors, combined with an ever increasing reliance on online learning technologies, have led to a review of current approaches to the first year experience. This paper reports on a project that aims to identify the similarities and mismatches between expectations of first year students and teaching staff in the sciences, as well as the experiences and challenges of teaching these first year science students. The results from the analysis of responses to a series of questionnaires and interviews will be presented, with the view to identifying areas of the first year experience that could be improved for first year science students and the staff who teach them

Developing discipline standards for a foundation unit in chemistry

Students commencing tertiary studies in science based degrees often lack the necessary background knowledge in the core sciences. This gap in a student’s preparedness for tertiary study can be addressed through foundation units in Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics. These foundation units are provided to help students, who have recently completed their secondary studies or are returning from an extended break from study, to make a successful transition to tertiary studies. Ensuring that appropriate discipline standards are met in these units is, therefore, of vital importance. National Curriculum Standards at HSC level have been defined for Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics. At the other end of the continuum to tertiary qualifications, the Threshold Learning Outcomes (TLOs) for Science graduates have been developed as part of the Learning and Teaching Academic Standards project (ALTC, 2011). This paper reports on the first stage of a discipline standards project at one Australian regional university, which has very diverse cohorts of students that include distance education, mature age, low SES and special entry students. The first stage aims to identify discipline standards as they relate to the preparatory level of foundation units, linking them to the National Curriculum Standards and the Graduate TLOs in Science

2005 Fine Art Graduation Exhibition Catalogue

KEEP CLEAR Graduation Exhibition 2005 Fanshawe College Fine Art Program McIntosh GalleryUniversity of Western Ontario April 14th to May 2nd 2005 Guest Speaker: David Liss, Director-Curator, Museum of Contemporary Canadian Arthttps://first.fanshawec.ca/famd_design_fineart_gradcatalogues/1021/thumbnail.jp

Overstory and understory vegetation interact to alter soil community composition and activity

Aim: To test if there is an interactive effect between tree and understory species on the soil microbial community (SMC), community level physiological profiles (CLPP) and soil micro-fauna. Method: A replicate pot experiment with five sapling tree species (Betula pendula, Betula pubescens, Sorbus aucuparia, Quercus petraea and Pinus sylvestris) and a no-tree treatment with and without Calluna vulgaris was established. After 21 months samples were taken for phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analysis, CLPP and soil microfauna assessment. Results: There was an interactive effect of tree species and Calluna on the SMC, CLPP and nematode densities. Calluna addition changed the SMC composition (increase in fungal PLFAs) and the CLPP (lower utilisation of most carbon sources but greater utilisation of phenolic acids). A multivariate test for homogeneity of dispersion showed that while Calluna addition resulted in the presence of an altered microbial composition, it did not result in there being less variability among the samples with Calluna than among the samples without Calluna. Sapling trees with Calluna present grew less well than trees without Calluna. Structural equation modelling showed that it is possible that Calluna had an indirect effect on the SMC via below-ground tree biomass as well as a direct effect. Conclusion: Interactions between trees and understory vegetation can impact on the composition of soil biota and their activity

Reliability of grading using a rubric versus a traditional marking scheme in statistics

Assessment grading in statistics and mathematics has often been approached in an ad-hoc manner, using marking schemes that attach marks to specific steps of a model solution and often do not explicitly reference assessment criteria. Another approach for grading is to use rubrics. Rubrics are recognised to have several advantages for assessment, but research on the reliability of grading with rubrics is equivocal and mostly conducted in less quantitative disciplines. We present a direct comparison of the reliability of marking of a written statistics assignment using a rubric and using the traditional marking scheme approach. We use a Bayesian statistical analysis and find that both methods yield similar levels of inter-rater and intra-rater reliability