Twenty-two UGA faculty projects designed to improve teaching were recently funded through grants provided by the Office of the Vice President for Instruction, in collaboration with the Office of the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost.
Each of the Summer 2012 Innovative Instruction Faculty Grants provides $5,000 for faculty to improve teaching and learning through innovative instructional projects, such as redesign of course curricula and materials, integration of new techniques or pedagogical strategies for a course, or exploration of a new instructional technique.
The projects also focus on faculty improving instruction in high-demand courses (large lecture classes, courses involving multiple sections, general education courses, etc.), as well as those that integrate instructional technology.
“The selection process was extremely difficult, due in large part to the overwhelming number of submissions and the overall quality of the proposals,” said Laura Jolly, vice president for instruction. “This is strong evidence of the faculty’s commitment to improving teaching and learning.”
A faculty panel carefully reviewed each of the 98 project proposals, and a total of 22 proposals were funded. Grant recipients, their department and project titles are:
• Jim Affolter, horticulture: “Using QR Code Technology to Unlock the Secrets of the Latin American Ethnobotanical Garden”;
• Norris Armstrong, biological sciences and genetics: “Introducing a Supplemental Instruction Program to a Large Lecture Class to Support Student Learning”;
• Jeff Berejikian, international affairs: “Back to Reality? Simulation, Virtual Worlds and the Modern Classroom”;
• Robert Bringolf, fish biology and ecotoxicology: “Aquaponics: Sustainable Fish and Vegetable Production at UGA”;
• Karen Cornell and Kate Creevy, small animal medicine and surgery; Ajay Sharma, anatomy and radiology; Flint Buchanan and James Moore, large animal medicine; and Brad Gilleland, the Educational Resources Center in the College of Veterinary Medicine: “Computer Aided Radiographic Diagnosis of Canine Abdominal Diseases”;
• Mark Ebell, epidemiology and biostatistics: “Development of an Online Textbook for Evidence-Based Practice”;
• Paul-Henri Gurian, political science: “Developing Simulations, Activities and Technology to Engage Student Interest in Large-Section Introductory Courses”;
• David Hall, genetics, and Norris Armstrong, biological sciences and genetics: “Restructuring Introductory Genetics to Focus on Student-Centered Learning”;
• Jim Hilliard, risk management and insurance: “Leo’s Surf Shop and Extreme Sports Paradise: Issues in Liability Risk Management”;
• Mary Ann Johnson, foods and nutrition Jen Ketterly, Athletic Association, and Ellen Evans kinesiology: “Developing a New Course in Sports Nutrition Needs of Recreational, Collegiate and Professional Athletes”;
• Anandam Kavoori, telecommunications: “Visual Storytelling: The Digital Generation”;
• John Knox, geography: “Development of a Hands-On Computer Laboratory Component for a New Geography/
Atmospheric Science Course, Introduction to Data Assimilation”;
• Paula Lemons, biological sciences and plant biology: “SOLVE-IT! An Online, Self-directed Tutorial to Teach Problem-solving Skills in Biology”;
• Steven Lewis and Craig Wiegert, physics and astronomy: “Development of an Active-Learning-Based Introductory Physics Sequence for Undergraduate Engineering Majors”;
• Kevin McCully, kinesiology: “Introduction to Preventative Health in People with Disabilities”;
• Diann Moorman, housing and consumer economics: “Teaching Consumer Economics—Meeting the Needs of Our Visual, Auditory and Kinesthetic Learners”;
• Brigitte Rossbacher, Germanic and Slavic studies: “Articulating the German Language Course Sequence: Materials and Teaching Models for a New Second Year”;
• Kristin Sayeski, communications sciences and special education, College of Education: “Enhancing the Preparation of General Educators to Teach Students with Disabilities”;
• T.N. Sriram, statistics, “Statistical Analysis for Business—An Online Course”;
• Gretchen Thomas, educational psychology and instructional technology: “Individualized Learning Contracts in a Course on Technology and Innovation in the Workplace”;
• Catherine White, pharmaceutical and biomedical sciences: “Application of Team-Based Learning Concepts in Large Classroom Settings’; and
• Ron Sawhill, landscape architecture: “A Web-Based Collaboration: Conducting an Athens/Monteverde Tandem Design Studio.”
