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Excellence in Undergraduate Education Program
2005 Awards

EUE Abstracts - FY 05

Coordinator's Note: Abstracts of proposals funded in the FY 05 EUE Program are presented below. At total of 49 proposals were submitted; total requests were $445,746. Thirty-five proposals were funded, or partially funded, for a total of about $258,378
Cem Karacal

05-01

Seran Dogancay Aktuna , Department of English Lang. & Literature
Steve Tamari, Department of Historical Studies
Language & History Travel Stdudy in Turkey
Award Amount - $29,550

This summer travel study project requests funds to support 20 students and 2 faculty at Bogazici University in Turkey. It offers field study courses from the Departments of English and History. These Courses will provide students with a unique opportunity to learn first hand about the language, history and culture of the modern Middle East. It will enhance what is learned in the classroom through visits to museums, markets we well as historic and religious sites. It will also offer students the opportunity to engage their Turkish counterparts through the experience of living in a modern city that bridges East West, and Europe and Asia and modernity and tradition.

05-02
Paul Anthony, User Service, Library
Electronic Books for Information technology
Award Amount - $7,500

Subscription to an Electronic Reference Library of Information Technology (IT) books to benefit undergraduate students, primarily in the CMIS program in the School of Business and in the Computer Science program in the School of Engineering. This Electronic or E-Book collection will encompass the broad spectrum of IT topics, including Databases, Desktop Applications, E-Commerce, Graphics, Hardware, Human-Computer Interaction, Internet, IT Management, Markup Languages, Multimedia, Networking, Operating Systems, Programming, and Software Engineering. The collection will provide some of the latest information on these topics, ;will provide extensive, online availability for many students, and will be cross-searchable by topic. Such a service will provide a useful experiment in the applicability of E-Books for undergraduate education in the rapidly-changing environment of IT.

05-04
Peter Cocuzza, Department of Theater & Dance
Rehearsal Platforms & Stage Boxes for Acting Classes
Award Amount - $4,382

Rehearsal platforms and stage boxes need for all acting and directing classes in the Department of Theater and Dance. With these items, students will have the flexibility to create simple scenic locations for class projects. These platforms and boxes are versatile and heavily constructed, so will be very usable and last many years.

05-05
James R. Dorethy, Department of Theater & Dance
Digital Sound Editing Stations
Award Amount - $4,290

The Purpose of this project is to make available digital audio mixing to our students. Sound design for theater, film and TV has moved into the digital realm and our students must continue to learn that technology to be competitive. While reel to reel tape and cassette splicing is still used in many small venues, practically all professional sound is done digitally. This proposal would give the students in Theater and Dance exposure to digital editing, utilizing equipment and applications typical of what they will find in the profession. Artistic sound design opportunities are expanding rapidly with the availability of low priced digital recording on CD-ROM, not only in theater but also in the computer and industrial fields with software and advertising packages utilizing quality sound. It is important to be able to offer these opportunities to our current and future students. It will broaden their creative abilities and capabilities in utilizing sound as a design element.

We had two Digital sound editing stations for the theater. Each of these machines is many years outdated and is non¬functional at this time. We require that they be replaced to continue these courses. After a good deal of research these systems were chosen for their future upgrade-ability as well as current capabilities. They should keep our students competitive for years to come.

We will see direct evidence of the impact that this equipment will have in our editing capabilities, the quality of sound our audiences hear, an in t opportunities our students have to fully realize their capabilities in both performance and in our THEA375 and THEA370 courses (40 students yearly enrolment) and for our 2 Dance Concerts (120 affected students)

05-06
Allison Fahsl, Barbara O'Donnell, Ann Taylor, Departments of Special Education & Elementary Math Education
Enhancing Preservice Teachers' Understanding & Use of Educ. Technology
Award Amount - $3,260

Undergraduates in Special and Elementary Education lack instruction in and exposure to educational software for use in the classroom. With the increased technological advances and dependency on computers, it is imperative that preservice teachers learn to utilize educational software to maximize student learning opportunities and assist with managerial tasks. Currently, there are no mathematical or special education software programs available for undergraduate instructional use. This grant would provide the necessary funds to purchase software for use in the College of Education computer lab. This will provide students with the opportunity to familiarize themselves with current educational software and learn how to effectively utilize the software in an educational setting. Through instruction on software use in the mathematics methods courses, students will enter field experiences with a more thorough understanding of how to effectively utilize educational software, which will ultimately enhance their teaching ability. The impact will also extend beyond the students to their field placement sites, cooperating teachers and students in the community.

05-09
Kenneth D. Grcich, University Housing, Student Affairs
Becoming a Stsrategic Learner
Award Amount - $4,000

University Housing would like to expand the existing intervention with those students who have been placed on academic probation. Currently, students complete the Learning and Study Strategies Inventory (LASSJ) a 10-scale, 80-item on line assessment and review the results with a professional staff member.

With additional financial support, University Housing will be equipped and able to facilitate seminars on, “Becoming a Strategic Learner.” Each seminar will begin with the LAS SI assessment to interpret their own strengths and weaknesses on each of the scales. The students will be divided into groups to rotate between three consecutive academic support workshops. Each workshop will address a series of academic interventions:
• Skills: using cognitive learning strategies, identifying important information for further study and preparing for tests. This program will address information processing, selecting main ideas, and test strategies.
• Will: wanting to use these skills and processes. This program will address attitude, motivation, and anxiety.
• Self-Regulation: taking responsibility for one’s own studying and learning. This program will address concentration, time management, self-testing, and study aids.

Following the workshops, everyone will participate in the newest component to LASSI, Becoming a Strategic Learner, LASSI Instructional Modules. These modules address areas where instructional interventions are most likely to bring about significant student improvement. Each module is associated with a scale on the LASSI and provides instruction, activities and feedback to the students. The students will again print the results of this on line activity.

The seminar concludes with every student scheduling an individual academic conference with a professional staff member to take place after Midterms. Throughout the semester, the students will be contacted via email to additional academic intervention programs sponsored by University Housing and/or other departments.

University Housing is confident in the success of this program and excited at the possibility for expansion to incorporate a greater success and more meaningful experience to our students.

05-12
Shunfu Hu, Deptment of Geography
Enhancing Undergaraduate Education in Geospatial Techniques
Award Amount - $8,540

This project is to enhance undergraduate education of existing geospatial technique curriculum at the Department of Geography by developing a new course titled Airphoto Interpretation. Remote sensing is recognizcd as a core component in geographic information science (GIS) because remotely sensed data have been extensively used as data sources for GIS database development. Current geospatial technique curriculum does not provide undergraduate students at the Department of Geography the opportunity to learn the basic principles of aerial photographs’ and airphoto interpretation.

The objective of this course is to provide a thorough and understandable treatment of established and new technologies in aerial photography and the practical applications of remote sensing as a problem-solving tool in the natural and cultural sciences. The instructor will develop lectures to cover the technical aspects of remote sensing such as properties of electromagnetic spectrum, photographic sensor systems and data processing procedures. In conjunction with the lectures, this course ~~‘i1l also provide students hands-on lab exercises. These exercises emphasize the practical applications of aerial photographs and images to specific disciplines and projects ranging from land use and land cover, archaeology, agriculture and soils. forestry, geology, engineering. and urban¬industrial patterns.

05-15
Robert W. LeAnder, Deptment of Electrical & Computer Engineering
Bioinstrumentation, An Introductory Course in Bioengineering
Award Amount - $12,402

Motivation For Course Offering:: A fundamental, core course leading to a concentration in bioengineering is proposed. The course would serve both junior- and senior-level engineering and non-engineering students. Students from various disciplines will compose interdisciplinary teams and engage in interdisciplinary activities as might be required in bioengineering industries such as those in the local developing “Biobelt” (St.-Louis-regional plant and life science industries).

Course Description:: ECE 492 —Special Topics: Biomedical Instrumentation (Bioinstrumentation) (3 hrs)
Examines the array of instrumentation and techniques used to monitor human physiological systems. Focus is on the acquisition, processing and graphic visualization of biomedical signals. Topics include physiological- signal sensors, transducers, the electrocardiographic signal, blood flow measurement and medical imaging. Labs cover the operation of circuits that measure physical parameters such as temperature, pressure, strain and other electrophysiologically-generated signals.

03-16
Felix Lee, Terry Yan, Mechanical & Industrail Engineering
Developing an Interdisciplinary Engineering Teaching Tool wit a 3-D Enginee Model
Award Amount - $9,813

The objective of this proposed project is to develop an interdisciplinary teaching tool that utilizes a smart 3-D engine model that captures knowledge of different engineering disciplines. This tool can be used by four different undergraduate engineering disciplines including Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, and Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE). The specific results from this EUE project will include (1) a smart 3-D engine assembly model that allows design change/update in real-time, (2) real-time engineering analysis methods that are imbedded into the engine model and derive key engine performances such as horse power or fuel efficiency, (3) real-time optimization methods that are imbedded into the engine model to seek the best design parameters subject to engine performance constraints, (4) room-size virtual models of the engine that are derived from the 3-D engine model and will be manipulated in the ECE virtual-reality lab for design evaluation, and (5) teaching manuals describing how to use and how to build the tool that can be used in various courses of those undergraduate engineering program. This interdisciplinary teaching tool will contribute to strengthening our undergraduate engineering education curricula as a whole and aligning them with the cpncurrept engineering practice of the twenty-first century business environment.

05-17
Chiang Lin, Brent Vaughn, Department of Civil Engineering
Wireless Connection for Civil Engineering Labs.
Award Amount - $3,900

This project is to ask funding support to install wireless connections in Civil Engineering Laboratory area, which is located in the lower level of the Engineering Building. Currently, a joint system that combines the use of computer data acquisition and web database is employed in teaching CE2O7L, CE33OL, CE354L and CE415L. It is estimated that about 200 students can be benefitted from this project annually. The web connectivity is a very relevant component in teaching these lab courses. The use of wired connections creates a safety hazard as well as inconvenience in operating lab equipment during each lab. Therefore, a system of wireless connections is proposed herein to improve the condition. The added benefit for this project is that in the future either laptop computers or a PDA (personal data assistant) devices with wireless connectivity could be used in the lab environment. Based on the investigating result from the Office of Information Technology (OIT), three sets of devices are needed for establishing the necessary wireless connections. The funding requested from this project will be used to purchase these devices. A student and faculty survey will be conducted at the end of this project to provide information regarding the successful implementation of this project. A positive survey result would show the need for more wireless environments on the campus.

05-18
Urszula Ledzewicz, Department of Mathematics
Improving Retention in Introductory Math Courses
Award Amount – $3,528

One of the important issues which needs to be addressed to foster the excellence of undergraduate education is the retention - of knowledge gained by students. This issue is most pronounced in disciplines like mathematics where the success in one course strongly depends on the retention of the knowledge from previous courses. With a growing number of transfer students and students coming back to college after significant interruptions in their education, the retention of knowledge has become a problem hurting our program and the quality of education we could offer our students. The purpose of this - project is to develop and introduce a system of retention/readiness/skills exams along with the proper tutorial material for some of the introductory level courses in mathematics which are the most essential for the curriculum. In this proposal we request funds which would enable us to prepare a system of these exams for three crucial courses/benchmarks in our curriculum: Math 120, College Algebra; Math 125, Precalculus, and Math 150, Calculus I. Various versions of these exams will be placed on the web and students will be given multiple opportunities to take and pass the exam. In case of failure the outcome of the exam will be analyzed by the program and they will be sent to the proper modulus of the review material prepared for them on the website. The purpose is not to put another obstacle for the students going through the program, but to create a classroom where everyone has an equal chance to pass the course and is not held back by the lack of the proper background and where the instructors can do their best teaching the students. These exams, once developed can be used by students as self-placement tests in choosing courses or aid in the advisement.

05-19
Rebeca Lindell, Eric Malina, Denise Plunk, Departments of Physics, Chemistry, Biology
Development of SCI 341 Curric. to Meet State and National Science Teaching Standards
Award Amount - $15,000

Foundations of Science (SCI 341) is a hands-on interdisciplinary course (currently biology, chemistry and physics) required for students seeking a degree and certification for elementary education. Objectives of the course include understanding and using the process skills of science, learning basic concepts, and appreciating science as an integrated whole. SCI 341 is one of only three required science courses for elementary education majors and oftentimes the only science course these students will take that specifically addresses state and national education standards. Therefore, it is imperative that the course meet these standards.

This proposal seeks $21, 501.00 dollars to revise Sd 341 to meet the
following goals: Goal 1: Enhance the current content curriculum (biology, chemistry, physics) to include Earth, Environmental and Space Sciences . Goal 2: Revise current curricular modules and develop new modules to be inquiry-based in accordance with state standards. Goal 3: Improve and expand the use of technology by incorporating Calculator —based Laboratory (real-world data collecting devices) equipment into existing and newly developed modules. Goal 4: To further articulate the interrelatedness of the sciences.

By revising SCl 341 to encompass state and national education and science learning standards, it is anticipated that our students will gain the skills necessary to be exemplary elementary educators.

05-20
Linda Lovata, Dep[artment of Accounting
Intermediate Accounting Tutoring Program
Award Amount - $6,705

The Writing Center has begun to develop its Internet presence, but we still have much to do before we can effectively assist students with online assistance with writing. We request (1) a graduate assistant to help us develop procedures that will allow students to submit papers for evaluation via the Internet as well as improve our use of the Internet, (2) software to help us create user-friendly Web pages, and (3) the services of a consultant to provide direction as we endeavor to expand Writing Center services to students who might find it difficult to come in person for assistance. The Internet provides new opportunities to share knowledge and information, but we need to develop materials and procedures to take advantage of this medium. This project will help us take an important step in the right direction.

05-22
John Peecher, Arts & Issues, CAS
Arts & Issues 04-05 Educational Workshops and Classes
Award Amount - $6,000

Three skillful and singular performing groups, who offer professional seminars, workshops, master classes and classes as part of their touring schedules, have been booked for the Arts & Issues 2004-2005 season. This proposal is a request to provide funding to keep the groups on campus for one additional day to conduct classes for SIUE students. The Dallas Brass, composed of six professionals, would offer a master class for students in the SJUE brass program and a general workshop for music students. The Acting Company will be on campus performing their touring production of Shakespeare’s Two Gentlemen of Verona. They will offer three educational workshops for theater students. Ladysmith Black Mambazo, scheduled for March 2005, the well¬known African American acappella singing group (known for performing with Paul Simon on his Graceland album) will offer a voice class for voice students and a workshop/demonstration of ethnic music for students from the Leadership program. All classes and workshops will be tailored to the student’s level of expertise and ability. The cultural and educational, along with the theater and music exchanges provided by these workshops will offer valuable learning experiences to undergraduate students at a modest cost by having the groups spend just one additional day on campus.

05-23
George Pelekanos, Deptment of Mathematics.
Integrating Technology into Calculus
Award Amount -$4,000

Since technology is now readily available, the focus of introductory mathematics courses, including Calculus has shifted from mere number crunching to mathematical thinking and reasoning. This proposal requests funds to help defray the costs involved in developing a computer laboratory manual for MATH 152 (Calculus II) and MATH 250 (Calculus III). Each manual will consist of computer simulation activities that are meant to reinforce mathematical concepts. Each activity will be accompanied by a detailed tutorial on MATHEMATICA, the mathematical software that is currently being used for these courses. These manuals will be made available online and hence they will not add an extra cost to the students

05-24
Brian Pfaltzgraff, Deptment of Music
Recording of Applied Voice Lessons
Award Amount -$2,121

I propose the purchase of a recording system for Studio 0155, Dunham Hall. The benefits of recording music lessons cannot be overstated. When objectively reviewed, lesson recordings are a valuable toot for self-assessment. Students who record lessons document their own musical progress, as well as the teacher’s helpful comments. In addition, accompaniments recorded at lessons provide indispensable rehearsal aids for young singers.

SIUE Voice Students informally surveyed unanimously preferred CDs to cassettes as a storage medium. A studio CD recorder with direct microphone input would enable students to conveniently record lessons on their preferred medium, greatly enhancing the student’s ability to review lessons, internalize data, and recognize long-term progress.

A direct-input CD recorder offers other practical benefits. The CD recorder can be connected directly to the Disklavier to make transposable accompaniment recordings. The Voice Department uses a portable Digital/Analog recorder to archive off-campus recitals; the CD recorder can be interfaced with it to render CD copies. Out-of-print, historical recordings can be transferred from LP to CD formats for use in the classroom. The entire system can be mounted in a wheeled cabinet, effectively making it a portable recording studio available for use in any room within Dunham Hall.

05-25
Mark Rossow, Deptment of Civil Engineering
Web Based Instruction Designed According to Cognative Load Theory
Award Amount - $9,960

Web-based instructional materials will be developed to help students in a required engineering course learn problem-solving skills. The instructional materials will be designed according to “cognitive load theory” (CLT), a recently developed learning theory aimed particularly at instruction in technical subjects. CLT holds that poorly designed instructional materials put an unnecessary burden on the learner’s working memory—an extraneous cognitive load. CLT researchers have found that requiring students in technical disciplines to solve large numbers of problems is often not the best way for them to learn problem-solving skills. Learning by studying worked examples is a superior approach under many circumstances. An additional finding from cognitive science is that working-memory capacity can be enlarged by presenting information simultaneously in visual and auditory form (the modality effect). In the current project, worked examples will be constructed according to CLT principles and will be displayed through a web browser. Each example will contain circled numbers labeling important steps. Clicking on a circled number will play a verbal explanation of that step through the computer’s loudspeaker. CLT predicts that this implementation of the modality effect will result in a highly effective learning tool. Approximately 170 students per year will benefit from this project.

05-26
Sara Sawyer, Department of Biological Sciences
Improving Laboratory Excersizes in Animal Physiology
Award Amount - $2,683

This proposal is a request for funds to purchase some additional equipment to expand the laboratory experience in Animal Physiology. The equipment requested will support the addition of new laboratory exercises. One new exercise will investigate metabolic rate and another exercise will investigate aspects of neurobiology. Both exercises will increase student participation in the lab and complement lecture. In addition funding is sought to improve current lab exercises in muscle physiology by improving data acquisition to allow students to focus on the biology of the exercise not on the technical details. The equipment requested will aid in student learning by increasing their participation in the lab..

05-27
Jake Scaefer, Department of Biological Sciences
Improving the Hands on Experience for Students in Physiology Teaching Laboratories
Award Amount- $3,990

This request is to fund the purchase of one additional iWorx (iWorx, Dover, NH ) Teaching Kits to enhance the two primary physiology courses in the biology department (Biol 240a,b and Biol 340). The kits allow students to easily perform a number of fairly advanced physiological measurements on the nervous, muscular, cardiovascular and respiratory systems. Specifically, this equipment will allow students to look at electrical activity of the brain (EEG), reflex times, respiratory rates, respiratory volumes, electrical activity of the heart (ECG). blood pressure, pulse rates, volume pulse, electrical activity of muscle tissue (EMG), and many other physiological measures. Along with understanding the basic concepts involved, there are parallel lessons learned in how these data are collected. The purchase of an additional kit will allow for more hands-on work by students in lab.

05-28
Victoria Groves Scott, Melisa Thomeczek, Dept. of Educational Leadership
Creating Virtual Experince for Teacher Education
Award Amount- $11,060

Due to the difficulty of providing undergraduate students, in the special education program, with appropriate and meaningful exposure to assistive technology, the high cost of purchasing assistive technology equipment, and the quickly developing obsolescence of published works and videos, the co¬directors of this project propose to create a virtual field trip as a means of preparing the students to meet program and certification standards and outcomes. The co-directors will research new forms of assistive technology, travel to schools where the technology is being used, photograph and take video of assistive technology in use, and create a virtual field trip that will be incorporated into required special education coursework. Co-directors will develop a self-confidence survey relating to the use of assistive technology and administer the survey before and after implementation of the virtual field. The data from those surveys will be analyzed to determine if differences exist in undergraduate students’ self- confidence with, and without, the use of the virtual field trip. Additionally, the co-directors will disseminate information on assistive technology and the use of the virtual field trip, in a workshop format, for all SOE faculty.

05-29
Masangu Shabangi, Eric Voss, Department of Chemistry
Filmed Chemical Procedures for an Online Video Lab Manual
Award Amount - $9,803

One of the most interesting applications of the rapidly developing digital and electronic technology is its incorporation in education. The laboratory components of chemistry courses are indispensable in that they provide practical learning and hands-on experiences to supplement concepts covered in lectures. One way to improve laboratory experiments is to have filmed examples of each chemical procedure available online for viewing prior to the laboratory period. A Nanoscale Video Lab Manual has been successfully utilized at several institutions to deliver value-added content to students in chemistry and engineering courses. This proposal seeks funds to purchase high-quality video equipment to film chemical laboratory procedures and post them to the web for use by chemistry laboratory students at SJUE. This project will enhance the experience of more than 1000 students during 2004-05, and many more students in future years.

05-30
Nahid Shabestary, Leah O'Brien, Department of Chemistry
Integrating Raman Spectroscopy into Undergraduate Curriculum
Award Amount - $13,188

This project offers an enhancement to our existing Chemistry Department curriculum through the introduction of important technology and innovative experiments in various chemistry laboratories using Raman Spectroscopy. Despite the fact that theoretical Raman spectroscopy is covered quite extensively in different chemistry lecture courses, our present chemistry laboratory courses are unable to demonstrate the application of crucial aspects of the theory since the department lacks the necessary equipment. Raman spectroscopy will play an important role in our laboratories for demonstrating and teaching activities, as an analytical tool it help students to experience many applications in industrial laboratories for product characterization and quality control. As a research tool it offers a great opportunity for our students to carry out their undergraduate research projects using this technology. Thus, the proposed program will significantly improve our existing laboratory activities and teaching quality. The courses that are involved in this proposal are: Laboratory courses, Chem 365a, b, Chem 245, Chem 335, Chem 345, Chem 415, 455, and Chem 435, Senior Assignment (SRA), Chem 499, and undergraduate research, Chem 396, and Chem 496.

05-31
Kerry Shaul, Department of  Theater & Dance
American College Dance Festival 2005
Award Amount - $3,740

The objective of this proposal is to acquire funding for 12 students and 3 faculty members to attend the American College Dance Festival during the academic year of 2004-2005. Attending the American College Dance Festival is a significant educational and motivational experience for our dance students. It substantially contributes to the excellence in their undergraduate education.

05-33
Luke Snell, Department of Construction
Globalization Through Collaborative Research
Award Amount - $4,875

Mongolia is one of the newest democracies and has recently turned to the West to help them develop a basic infrastructure. The author has worked with the Mongolian University of Science and Technology (M.U.S.T.) to help improve concrete technology and help M.U.S.T. assume leadership in the engineering and construction development.

This proposal will pair our undergraduate students with M.U.S.T. students to work together on a major problem of cold weather concreting in Mongolia. Last year, a building collapsed due to inadequate protection (they have temperatures below —40F). SIUE students in two classes (Cnst 461 and 463) will work by e-mail with M.U.S.T. to work on a real world problem, plus learn how a third world country is coping with their hopes for development.

The cost sharing that is shown above is being provided by two private USA companies, several Mongolian companies and the Mongolian University of Science and Technology.

05-35
Roger Speidel, Jim Dorethy, Department of Theater & Dance
Tool Kits for the Scene Shop
Award Amount - $4,972

The Department of Theatre and Dance is requesting 22 tool kits for the scene shop. These kits will help solve a shortage in the scene shop of adequate tools needed for student projects. Currently, there are shortages of tools needed for student use in classroom projects and also in working on theatrical productions. Tool kits that would be checked out from the scene shop would supply students with all the basic tools essential for work on classroom projects and practical application on theatre productions.

05-36
Otis Sweezey, Rick Haydon, Dept. of Theater & Dance
Digital Camcorders for IS 386 Cyber Arts Class
Award Amount $2,375

This proposal is for the purchase of digital camcorders to be used in the IS 386 CyberArts class. CyberArts is an Interdisciplinary Studies class that explores the way computer technology can be used in different art applications. In this class, students will be performing projects that use these camcorders. They will then input their video into a computer and edit the video using the computer. IS 386 is offered once a year and has an enrollment around 75 students.

05-41
Michael Thomas, Department of Theater & Dance
Audio/Visual Foundation for Dance
Award Amount - $4,739

For the 18-25 dance courses taught in any given year within our department, none have resources for presenting even the most basic principals of the curriculum. All of these courses and related performance activities require the daily use of audio-visual resources as basic teaching tools. Such items include recorded music, documentaries and histories on DVD or VHS, video equipment, writable discs, and, in some cases, live musical accompaniment.

Currently, this department has no formal collection of resources for use in the classroom, but instead relies upon individual instructors to use his I her own private materials. The dance area is in need of support to acquire a basic collection of audio-visual resources and equipment. The intention of this proposal is to justify the acquisition of these items as fundamental teaching tools. This proposal will also explain how such resources will fill this need for many years, and across the entire variety of courses offered within the program.

05-42
Michael Thomas, Department of Theater & Dance
Visitng Scholar/Guest Artist, Dance: David Covey
Award Amount - $2,800

The department of theater and dance relies upon direct interaction with professionals in the field to complete the training and education of students pursuing an emphasis in dance. As often as possible students are encouraged to attend dance and theater productions in St. Louis and, although these are vital experiences, they do not match the impact of direct mentorship. Experiencing a direct relationship with persons with successful careers in the field is a needed addition to quickly developing program.

The object of this proposal is to bring David Covey to SIUE in the fall semester of 2004. He will be present for two weeks to teach master classes, reconstruct a dance work from his repertory and to lecture. This residency will expose our students to the extremely rich background this internationally renowned scholar and artist is prepared to share.

05-43
Eric Voss, Masangu Shabangi, Department of Chemistry
Video Production for Online Video Lab Manual
Award Amount - $11,083

Often when students are working in the laboratory, one student takes the lead and does the procedure first while others wait, watch, and then attempt the experiment. If that first student has done something wrong, the whole class may be headed in the wrong direction. One way to improve the educational experience is to have a filmed example of the correct procedure available online. A Nanoscale Video Lab Manual has been successfully utilized at several institutions to deliver value¬added content to students in chemistry and engineering courses. This proposal seeks funds to purchase a high-performance computer and software to edit and compress filmed laboratory procedures and post them to the web for use by chemistry laboratory students at SIUE. This project will enhance the experience of more than 1000 students during 2004-05, and many more students in future years.

05-44
Kimberly Wilmot Voss, Elza Ibroscheva, Department of Mass Communications
The Student Web Guide to Reporting
Award Amount - $3,375

This proposal advocates the creation of an online writing lab for journalism students. It will serve as a resource for students in the “Writing for the Media” class, a requirement for a mass communication major. It will also meet the needs of students in upper-level mass communication writing courses. This service will also assist transfer students, who make up half of mass communication graduates. A surprising number of mass communication students have weak writing skills. The English Department’s writing lab offers wonderful help for students who have grammatical and term paper issues yet journalism students have different reporting and writing needs that aren’t met by this service. An informal poll of students found that those who visited the campus writing center received advice that goes against the principles ofjournalistic writing style. The mass communication online writing lab will offer several writing resources including interactive Associated Press style quizzes (the writing style used by journalists), guidelines for writing news and feature stories, journalistic citation and source rules, answers to commonly asked questions, and links to other specialized online writing resources. This service will improve undergraduate education by giving mass corn nication students resources that will allow them to improve their writing skills.

05-45
Paul Edward Wanda, Deptment of Biological Sciences
Introduction to Biophysics, Course Development
Award Amount - $3,000

Biophysics is a discipline that bridges and includes both the biological sciences and the physical sciences. Biophysics is concerned with the physical and chemical explanations of living processes, especially at the cellular and molecular levels. The past 20 years have witnessed a revolution in biological sciences (biotechnology) , and biophysics has played an important role in that revolution. Detailed molecular descriptions are emerging for genetic elements and for the mechanisms that control their propagation and expression. Biological applications of nanotechnology are at the forefront of the bioengineering discipline. The proposed course (Introduction to Biophysics) will introduce biophysical approaches (lecture and laboratory) ,in an interdisciplinary manner, to the understanding of the basic life processes and mechanisms within a single cell from the prospective of the physical/engineering sciences.

05-46
Jerry Weinberg, William White, Department of Computer Science
The Development of Multidisciplinary Teamwork Assessment Techniques
Award Amount - $3,000

The Robotics MPAG has received a grant from the Division of Undergraduate Education of the National Science Foundation (DUE) for the development of a multidisciplinary robotics course that emphasizes the integrated system development nature of robotics and cross-functional teamwork (Grant ~O3 1143). The pedagogical goals of the course include providing a hands-on experience in practical robotics, learning about integrated system design, learning to interact with people in different disciplines in a cross-functional team, learning about group dynamics and teamwork. The course is cross-listed in CS, ECE, IME, and ME Departments. This project proposes to supplement the assessment methods of the grant. The DUE has funded the grant as a proof-of-concept. A thorough assessment showing the success of the multidisciplinary course would provide the basis for full development grant. Further, the project proposes to use the information gained from the assessment of the course to develop a new tool for assessment of learning in multidisciplinary course work. The anticipated contributions of this project to the area of multidisciplinary collaborative education include the assessment of the current semester’s course in meeting its pedagogical goals and the design of new assessment techniques that are uniquely applicable to these types of cross-disciplinary efforts. The dissemination of the results of this project could prove quite encouraging to educators who are considering expanding their academic offerings to include a multidisciplinary educational experience.

05-47
Susan Wiediger, Department of Chemistry
Exploring the Concept of Pressure with Barometers
Award Amount - $2,894

Understanding the properties and behaviors of gases is important to everyone because of the important roles gases play in our lives. Pressure, a crucial concept in understanding gases, tends to be very difficult concept for students. A barometer activity developed during the Fall 2003 semester of Chemistry 121 a shows promise as a hands-on activity that helps students connect the textbook material to their everyday world, deepening their understanding of pressure. This proposal seeks funding to improve and expand this activity as a regular component of the Peer Led Team Learning Workshops used in the General Chemistry sequence. This project will have an impact on approximately 400 students a year.

05-48
Laura Wolff, Mark Hildebrandt, Catherina Santanello, Elizabeth Fonseca, Departments of Economics & Finance, Geography, Biology, Foreign Languages
The Rainforest Project: Deforestation, Climate Change, and Coastal Wetlands
Award Amount - $9,900

This proposal requests a third and final year of funding to aid SIUE in fonning a multi-faceted relationship for undergraduate education with the Ministry for the Environment in Costa Rica. Our base remains Carara National Park, and we will continue offering interdisciplinary service learning courses and other courses there without EUE funding. In our final year of establishing this relationship, we will expand our project to include other protected areas on the Central Pacific Coast. Costa Rica is experiencing considerable deforestation, yet the effects of deforestation on the local climate are unknown. Until now, climatological data has not been collected at any location within Carara National Park or the other protected areas of the Central Pacific region. In fiscal 2004, we are establishing two stations to collect climate data at the park. In 2005, this proposal will allow students to participate in projects to monitor the climate of the region around Carara National Park and to study the interconnectcdncss of various types of coastal water systems with deforestation. Climate change may directly impact some aquatic species, such as the Olive Ridley sea turtle protected at Playa tlermosa. and water fowl. Other species and birds, such as Cararas scarlet macaws, depend on mangrove regions for shelter and food each night. Students will get a first hand introduction to the interconnectedness of these various natural systems. These students research and study will become the base for future groups of students to continue the long term monitoring of climate change as a result of deforestation. ‘Ibis research could have direct implications on the measures to mitigate change, which could have long lasting affects on the survival of these endangered species.

05-49
Bin Zhou, Thomas Lavelle, Departments of Geography and Foreign Languages
International Interdisciplinary Culture, Language, and Geography Filed School in Beijing
Award Amount - $25,940

This proposal requests EUE funds to reduce the cost of students and faculty participating in an international interdisciplinary Culture, Language, and Geography Field School in Beijing, People’s Republic of China. The field school is set for the five weeks in summer, 2005. Students participating in the field school are required to register in one of the following geography courses Geog30l, Geog333, or Geog400 as well as one of the following Chinese language courses CHIN101,102, 201, or 202. The field school focuses on the spatial evolution of Beijing as a traditional as well as contemporary cosmopolitan center, the social space of migratory workers in Beijing, the living conditions of peasants in a rural village of suburban Beijing, and an intensive study of survival Chinese language as well as focused acquisition of Chinese vocabulary related to the field of Cultural Geography. Students will be assessed through two reports, an annotated social space map, a reflective essay, and the course alignment technique to tie their field school experience to the CAS ‘Desired Characteristics and Capabilities of Graduates’. The field school will lay the groundwork for future culture, language, and geography field schools in a cultural exchange with the People’s Republic of China.