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Excellence in Undergraduate Education Program
2008 Awards

EUE Abstracts - FY 08

08-01
Bennett Larry, Department of Campus Recreation
Lox Curt, Department of Kinesiologyand Health Education
Use of the Student Development Task & Lifestyle Assessment for Student Employee Development
Award Amount - $5,500

We plan to assist in the individual growth and development of students utilizing the Student Developmental Task & Lifestyle Assessment (SDTLA) to measure their current maturation level and then develop interventions based on the data collected to facilitate the process.

The research method will be a pre-/post test design, with the SDTLA being administered to the student employees of Campus Recreation at the beginning of the Fall semester in 2007 and again at the conclusion of the spring semester in 2008. After analysis of the data gathered from the first assessment, orientations, workshops and training programs will be developed as interventions. Students will then be permitted to apply the skills and knowledge gained through the interventions over time. Each intervention will be designed with specific learning outcomes, as the objective is to assist in the facilitation of the growth and development of each individual student. Short term impact of each intervention will be evaluated by assessing changes in behavior based on the learning outcomes specifically developed for each task, subtask or scale of the SDTLA. Change over time will measured by comparing the data from the pre-test with that of the post test. A secondary goal is to develop an Employee Management Program that entails meaningful learning experiences for students which develop the skill sets necessary to be a successful and contributing employee within the collegiate recreation environment. We hope to repeat the administration of the SDTLA with the same students for several years to gain insight into the full measure of their growth and development over the course of their collegiate experience. We are in the process of receiving approval for human subject research from IRB.

08-02
Carstens-Wickham Belinda, Department of Foreign Languages and Literature
Edmonds Radcliffe, Department of Economics and Finance
Building Bridges: Linking International Business Students with Students of Foreign Languages
Award Amount - $6,250

Foreign Languages and Literature and the Director of the Office of International Programs in the School of Business ‘re requesting a third year of funding in order to continue to firmly establish and utilize an important, pre—existing international resource on campus, namely the international students in the School of Business. We hired International Students studying in the School of Business in the Department of Foreign Languages to conduct a variety of student centered activities directed specifically at enhancing foreign language students’ proficiency in the target language and to deepen their cultural understanding of the countries where the target language is spoken. This is a unique opportunity to utilize a pre—existing resource on campus. Other universities “import” students from foreign countries at significant expense to carry out such activities in their foreign language departments.

08-03
Chen Jen-Shiun, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Development of Computer Simulation Experiments for Communication Systems
Award Amount - $3,500

ECE 375 Introduction to Communication Systems is a required course in the undergraduate Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) programs and a prerequisite for advanced courses in communications. The purpose of the project is to develop suitable computer simulation experiments for selected important subjects in ECE 375. The main goal of the project is to help the students to better understand abstract and complicated concepts and theories in the course. The experiments will be specially designed to demonstrate system operations, the underlying principles and mathematical models and the interactions of the model variables. The project director will design and develop the computer simulation experiments based on the Matlab platform. Course materials for ECE 375 will be revised to incorporate the computer simulation experiments.

08-04
Comrie Rhonda, Yakimo Rick, Department of Primary Care and Health Systems Nursing
Teaching and assessment of safe medication administration
Award Amount - $12,787

This proposal seeks funding to analyze the current drug calculation testing format in the School of Nursing across all five semesters of the curriculum. To do so requires review of tests taken by over 400 nursing students during 2006. Each student will have taken at least four tests during that year. Tests will be analyzed for the level of test questions, areas of patient safety being assessed, the range of scores on the tests, and the types of questions that were passed and failed.
During a second part of this project, the PDs will identify best practices for integration of safety goals in theory and clinical courses. They will then create standardized test plans and teaching modules (or formats) for Safe Medication Administration.
The program will be presented to the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee (UGCC) and evaluated by faculty focus groups in the fall semester. Following revisions based on feedback, the program will be resubmitted to the UGCC for consideration as policy.

08-05
Fick Kathleen, VoepelTammy, Department of Mathematics and Statistics
MATH 112a & b Course Manual Development
Award Amount - $4,788

Elementary mathematics education has shifted from the ‘drill and kill’ of memorizing facts and algorithms to fully understanding the reasoning behind mathematical processes. Teachers are expected to be able to display facts, operations, and mathematical material at the concrete level. Many STUE students have been ‘raised’ under the traditional teaching of mathematics and have no exposure to the new methods, invented strategies, and mathematical manipulatives. MATH 112a and MATH 112b are the only two courses whose primary focus is the mathematical concepts and tools necessary to successfully teach elementary mathematics. This EUE proposal requests funds to help compensate for the time necessary to develop an extensive course manual for MATH 112a and MATH 112b. The manual will consist of detailed tutorials, lab/activity exercises, and content extensions that will expand upon the material discussed during course meetings and provide additional exposure to mathematical manipulatives. This manual will reinforce the strong connections between topics within MATH 1 12a and MATH I 12b. It will also serve as a resource for the department due to the increasing number of sections of MATH 112a & b. The manual will specifically address manipulatives currently accessible to students. Release time is necessary due to the project involving the writing of a comprehensive course manual. Therefore, we are requesting to each be granted release time from a 3 credit course.

08-06
Forbringer Linda, Department of Special Eduation & Communication Disorders
Clicking in the Classroom
Award Amount - $11,892

Interactive Response Systems represent a relatively new technology in the classroom. Students are given handheld remotes similar to those used in the TV show, “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.” The instructor presents a question to the class; students respond using their remotes, and the aggregated responses are displayed on a power point slide. These devices are increasingly being used in school districts across the nation. It is therefore imperative that our faculty and students become familiar with their use. The School of Education currently does not have this technology.
This proposal is for funds to purchase a classroom set of remotes and the accompanying software, which will enable SIUE students to experience this new technology first hand in undergraduate teacher education classrooms. Data will be systematically collected in order to evaluate the effects of using this technology on student interest, participation and learning. Findings will be used to improve instructional delivery, and will be shared with SHJE students to help prepare them to effectively use this new technology in their own future classrooms. Results will also be shared within the SRJE community, so that other professors can use the information in their classes.

08-08
Hanson Laura, Department of Theatre and Dance
The Dramatic Experience: Live Professional Theatre
Award Amount - $8,416

This project would supply professional theatre tickets to the members of five sections of “Nçw Freshman Seminar: The Dramatic Experience.” Each section has an enrollment of up to 20 students, so this project would benefit 100 students who are new to STUB. The course introduces students to the nature of live theatre, enabling them to become more astute and appreciative audience members, to increase aesthetic awareness of theatre as an art form, and appreciate the role of the arts in human history. Since theatre is a living art form, it is essential that those studying it experience theatre firsthand. Professional theatre is, of course, of an entirely different caliber than what students may have seen on the high school, or even college, level. Many of these freshmen come from small towns in southern Illinois without access to the arts and have never experienced theatre of any sort. Members of the class will discuss and write analytical critiques of the productions viewed. This program offers an opportunity to enrich their college experience and introduce them to the cultural resources of the area, which is one of the goals of the New Freshman Seminars. The funds requested would finance theatre-going trips for the five all-freshman sections of THEA 111.

08-10
Hershberger Edmund, Department of Management & Marketing
AMA Internatinal Collegiate Case Competition and Exhibit
Award Amount - $6,426

Spring 2008 semester will be the third year for the SIUE Marketing Association’s participation in a marketing case competition sponsored by the American Marketing Association, an internationally recognized organization of marketing practitioners, educators and students. The case competition tasks each participating university with the challenge of a solving the sponsoring firm’s marketing problem. Past clients have included high profile clients such as Krispy Kreme, Michelin, Kwik Trip and the City of New Orleans. At the International Collegiate Conference, the top eight case submissions present their marketing solution to the client as well as a panel of judges to be assessed and winners selected. In addition to the case competition, we will also be participating for the second year in the AMA Exhibit Session, a trade show featuring AMA collegiate chapters from around the world. Our representation at this exhibit session will provide immeasurable exposure for the school and the university.

08-12
Jarrell Calvin, Department of Theatre and Dance
Housing Cost for Language of Dance Certification Training
Award Amount – $1,440

This EUE proposal is simply to request the cost of housing for 20 nights at the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point while I attend the Stage I certification course in the Language of Dance (LOD) Fundamentals. The first stage of training for LOD meets July 2 -20, 2007 at the University of Stevens Point in Stevens Point, WI. Funding for the $875.00 tuition cost will be sought from other funding resources.
*I will be providing my own transportation at my own cost as an in-kind cost sharing.

08-13
Jarrell Calvin, Department of Theatre and Dance
Purchase of a Canon XL2 Digital Camcorder
Award Amount – $4,275

The purpose of this EUE Proposal is to purchase a Canon XL2 Digital Camcorder to be used in all of the dance program’s technique classes and (especially important) in the Introduction to Laban Movement Analysis class (DANC 230). This will provide a significant improvement in these already existing classes by providing increased student active and interactive learning. The importance of this type of a camera in dance technique and movement analysis is its ability to instantaneously freeze motion (without visual distortion) so that dance students can see the subtleties in their movement life relevant to Effort, Shape, Space, phrase initiation, and technical problems of alignment and body connectivity that need correcting. No other digital camera can do this with the specificity and clarity that the Canon XL2 Digital Camcorder can. The visual feedback and integrate&learning thatstudents gain from this kind of analysis is immeasurably significant.

08-15
Johnson Charlotte, Department of User Services
Verbais Chad, Department of Instructional Services
Campuswide License to RefWorks
Award Amount - $15,170

Addressing the issues of plagiarism and academic integrity in conducting and distributing research at SRJE is a major goal of both Lovejoy Library and Instructional Services. Using a bibliographic management tool, with the enhanced features provided by RefWorks (RefShare and Grab it), will make this process much easier. Use of the web-based software will also make collaboration with other students and faculty on campus and elsewhere around the globe possible.

Reduced pricing for the product, which is now being used at 20 Illinois academic institutions and over
1,000 worldwide, was negotiated by the Consortium of Academic and Research Libraries in Illinois.
Its compatibility with the Library’s online catalog and the majority of its databases, and its integration
with Blackboard, makes it particularly attractive.

08-16
Kerr Jessica, Department of Pharmacy Practice
Santanello Cathy, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Luer Mark, Department of Pharmacy Practice
Web-Based Assessment of Student Learning
Award Amount -$5,500

The purpose of this project is to pilot a program which would allow for an expansion of the current STUE SOP assessment plan to include meaningful assessment of individual student learning. The goal of this project is to close the gap that currently exists between the SOP master academic plan and its assessment process wherein individual student achievement of learning can be monitored across the curriculum on an on-going basis. This project depicts a proactive programmatic approach to the assessment of student learning for the purposes of improving the educational process rather than a reactive approach to student failure. The proposed pilot project seeks to implement a web-based program that would allow employment and tracking of software-driven assessment measures for the purposes of evaluating individual student performance relative to educational outcomes/competencies. The software program (TrueOutcomesTM) creates a relational database that data can be queried on an on-going basis to provide for both formative and summative feedback to the student.

 08-17
Kolling William, McPherson Timothy, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Vapor Pressure Osmometer for the Assessment of Student Prepared Solution Accuracy
Award Amount -$5,360

The requested funds will be used to purchase a Wescor Vapor Pressure Osmometer. The instrument will be used during the required course, PHPS 707: Pharmaceutical Skills and Techniques, and a new elective course in parenteral therapy (Fall 2008). This instrument measures the osmotic load of a solution, and this value is directly related to the concentration of dissolved material. The United States Pharmacopeia allows a maximum of 5% by weight variation in most prescription ingredients. The instrument will be used, in part, to assess the accuracy of solutions prepared and submitted by pharmacy students during laboratory sessions. The solutions represent model prescriptions that either represent current treatment modalities or demonstrations of basic principles. The instrument will allow the instructors to make an objective assessment of the accuracy of the submitted work by the student and give immediate feedback. The data collected through the use of the instrument will be analyzed in terms of the number of prescriptions filled, the number filled accurately, and the typical variation observed in the acceptable and non-acceptable groups. The SIUE SOP experience and information will be disseminated by, 1) the preparation and submission of a poster for presentation at the annual meeting of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy, 2) the preparation and submission of a paper describing the model and findings to the American Journal of Pharmacy Education, and 3) the preparation and submission of a paper describing the model and findings to the Illinois Pharmacist, a journal of the Illinois Pharmacists Association.

08-18
Koung Leem. Department of Mathematics and Statistics
Developing a Lab Maual with Work Sheet for Linear Algebra I
Award Amount - $2,400

Most students in Linear Algebra I experience difficulties in understanding the abstract concepts covered in class. Current lab manual is outdated and written in mathematical software, MATHEMATICA. MATHEMATICA is a well-known computational tool, but it is somewhat sensitive in syntax error and, the syntax is often complicated to type for students. Hence students end up do not spend time on understanding the abstract concepts through solving the problems using computer software, but on typing software syntax. In this project, PI is planning to develop a new lab manual written in MATLAB. MATLAB is easy, robust, and powerful software, which is used both in practice and classroom by many researchers, and teachers in upper-level sciences. The new MATLAB lab will provide students a chance to experience and develop a broad knowledge in computing. Each lab will be accompanied with worksheets, which contain a set of examples related to a topic. PI believes that solving this work sheet manually before doing computer-based problems will enhance student’s understanding and comprehension of the abstract concepts.

08-19
Lin Chiang, Vaughn Brent, Department of Civil Engineering
Online Interactive Assistant for Civil Engineering Undergraduate Laboratory Courses
Award Amount - $9,800

Students take required lab courses to learn about specific engineering properties of a variety of construction materials and to learn the importance of standardized testing. There are many opportunities for errors to occur during the experiments which can hamper student’s learning. To assist students in the lab, we propose to develop an online, interactive, web-based lab assistance system that can aid students with the experiment procedures, as well as train new teaching assistants, to help them (a) become familiar with the equipment being used, (b) understand the entire lab procedure, (c) properly perform the lab experiments and, (d) provide troubleshooting techniques they can use during the experiment. The proposed online interactive content of the lab assistant system would be stored on and distributed through the same central (or primary) web server that stores the database system. The students would access the new system via touch-screen monitors installed near the workstations in the lab. Computers acting as local (or secondary) servers to provide access to the tutorial and reference information would be located in or near the laboratory room. The two main purposes for providing these secondary servers are to prevent double usage of the workstation’s computer so that the time and performance sensitive data collection process would not be interrupted and to avoid the necessity for students to log in to the campus network to use the system. Content for the interactive system would be created using commonly available web-based technology such as standard web browsers and Flash® media production software so no custom software would need to be written to create or view the content. Some off-the-shelf multimedia editing software would be required to help produce the video and audio content. Initially, the content for one experiment will be developed for each of the three lab courses.

08-21
Moffett Kenneth, Department of Political Science
Advanced Methodology
Award Amount - $4,700

Other departments at SIUE have a required methods sequence that undergraduate students must complete as part of their graduation requirements. Yet, the Department of Political Science only has a single, optional course in political methodology that is in high demand among political science majors. After taking this course, students in political science want additional training that we currently do not provide. To make our offerings consistent with those of other departments and to satisfy student demand, I seek funds to develop a second course in political methodology that builds upon what is currently offered. To prepare the course, I will use the money to provide a month of my salary. Students will learn additional quantitative techniques that they can apply to their own research within and outside of the classroom. Such a course provides numerous benefits to the department, college, and the university. It gives the students an opportunity to learn and apply the techniques that political scientists employ in their own research to their own individual projects. In doing so, the course will encourage and strengthen critical thinking, teach students how to appropriately frame and solve problems, know and add to basic facts and concepts in political science, as well to integrate and apply knowledge. In doing these things, this course will significantly increase the quantitative literacy of those who complete it. Students who complete the course will possess the methodological tools that they can draw upon when they write papers in other courses at SIUE, complete their senior assignment, compete for and receive funding from the Undergraduate Research Academy for independent research, and begin developing a research program when they are in the initial stages of graduate school.

08-22
Dwight McLeod, Department of Applied Dental Medicine
Jamaica Dental Mission
Award Amount - $20,000

This proposal is requesting EUE funds to assist with the cost of travel/accommodations for dental students to participate in the eighth annual Jamaica Dental Mission Trip which is scheduled for the third week of July, 2007. The Jamaica Dental Mission was incepted in 2000 with a small group of 19 students and clinicians. Since then, the mission has grown in popularity. This past July, over 42 dental volunteers, including 15 dental students and 5 dental faculty members participated. The 2006 trip originally planned for 35 students; however a scheduling conflict with the Part I National Dental Exam caused new junior students to be unable to participate. No scheduling conflict affects the 2007 trip. The mission offers a great experience for the students. They get an opportunity to experience an exciting culture while providing well-needed dental care to many undeserved children and adults. Simultaneously working out of four field clinics and in small groups, the students are exposed to the prevalence of caries, periodontitis, and other oral diseases that are evident in a developing country. The students work under the supervision of the dental faculty/dental volunteers and perform various treatments, such as patient education/OHI, prophylaxes, fluoride treatment, dental sealants, scaling, fillings and extractions. In 2006, the following clinical procedures were performed on 412 children and 467 adults: 879 examinations, 452 prophylaxes, 370 fluoride applications, 376 quadrants of scaling and root planning, 894 extractions and 145 restorations. Because of the repetitious clinical procedures that are done during the one week visit, the student volunteers return equipped with greater clinical skills and more confidence in interacting and treating their dental school patients, when compared to their counterparts. Overall, the mission serves as a wonderful opportunity for the students and the patients; the students get excellent clinical training and the patients receive free dental treatment that they would otherwise not receive.

08-24
Pelekanos George, Department of Mathematics & Statistics
Development of a recitation manual for Calculus I
Award Amount - $2,400  

The focus of introductory mathematics courses, including Calculus has shifted from mere number crunching to mathematical thinking and reasoning. One way to achieve this is through computer laboratory sections as a supplement to the lectures. However lack of computer laboratory space resulted to some Calculus sections having to meet at regular classrooms for recitations with students pretty much dealing with pencil and paper problems. This proposal requests funds to help defray the costs involved in structuring these sections by developing a recitation manual for MATH 150 (Calculus I). The manual will contain tutorials and worksheets for virtually every topic covered in MATH 150 and it will be designed to reinforce mathematical concepts and improve computational skills. At the same time TAs will be greatly benefited by such supplement since it will contain a concise but systematic treatment of major topics encountered in MATH 150. This manual will be available at the bookstore.

08-26
Santanello Cathy, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Lynch Chris, Department of Pharmacy Practice
Siganga Walter , Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Project Jamaica
Award Amount- $8,820

“Project Jamaica” is being initiated in the School of Pharmacy (SOP) to serve as a pilot project that will:
1) Provide reproductive health seminars to underserved populations in Jamaica. A very high percentage of Jamaican adolescents are sexually experienced, leaving them at risk for unwanted pregnancies, maternal mortalities, and sexually transmitted infections. While both NGO’s and governmental agencies are providing some sexuality education to the country’s youth, there is still a great need for further programming so that better sexual health decisions can be made.
2) Provide pharmaceutical health care counseling to the patients being treated by dentists and dental students as a part of the SIUE School of Dental Medicine (SDM) Jamaica Dental Mission. This annual mission, started in 2000, provides dental care in underserved regions of Jamaica and serves as a voluntary externship program for dental students. It has grown in popularity from 19 student and clinical volunteers in 2000 to 65 volunteers in 2006. Faculty from the SOP and SDM who are dedicated to study abroad believe that immersing pharmacy students in this type of service experience would provide an international, interdisciplinary clinical training that would benefit students from both fields. It would also provide free dental treatment and pharmaceutical counseling to patients who would typically not get this type of care.
This proposal is requesting EUE funds that will assist in the cost of travel/accommodations for pharmacy students and faculty so that they can contribute to the Jamaica Dental Mission trip in July, 2007. The overall purpose of this trip for the SOP will be to provide the reproductive health seminars described in point 1 and participate in the program in point 2. In addition, the SOP will be establishing contacts in the pharmacy community who can aid in our continuing 2008 study abroad
effort.

08-27
Sawyer Sara, Kohn Luci, Department of Biological Sciences
Purchase of Pulse Oximeters for Animal Physiolohy and Anatomy and Physiology
Award Amount- $4,770

This proposal is a request for funds to purchase six pulse oximeter probes to expand the laboratory experience in Animal Physiology and Anatomy and Physiology. The equipment requested will support the addition of a new laboratory exercise in these courses on the measurement of blood oxygen levels. Currently, we do not have the means of measuring blood oxygen levels and the addition of this laboratory will aid student understanding of how blood-oxygen levels can change under different physiological situations. The equipment requested will aid in student learning by increasing their participation in the lab.

08-28
Schmitz Johanna , Department of Theater and Dance
Theater study adroad in London, UK, summer 2008
Award Amount- $21,500

This summer travel-study EUE application asks funds to reduce the cost of student and faculty participation. The program will send 10 students and one faculty member to London for four weeks of intensive theatre study in history, literature, criticism and performance. This new program will greatly enhance the education of theater and dance students by creating an experience of seeing diverse theatre performance and culture usually merely described in the classroom. Several of our 60 majors wish to pursue graduate study and/or professional careers in theater, but they have no experience outside Southern Illinois. Almost all of them have never seen the plays we study as performance texts or on video. This program would not only show them the best western theater and performance but also widen their academic growth by accessing the educationally invaluable resources London has to offer (i.e. museums, libraries, architectural sites, etc.) Students will be enrolled in THEA 11 4A or B, a core curriculum requirement for majors, THEA 111, the general education “intro” course, or THEA 299/499, an independent research project designed during the semester before the trip.

08-30
Stamps Brett, Haydin Rick, Thomas Reginald, Department of Music
SIUE Jazz Festival
Award Amount - $10,000

The SIUE Jazz Festival would honor our regional connection to jazz innovator Miles Davis by involving SIUE students, the university community and the metropolitan area in appreciating the aesthetic and diverse elements of jazz culture and art. SIUE students would perform with and/or attend clinics by guest artists and clinicians, organize artist itineraries, promote performances, and plan venues. This endeavor will help enhance the image of SIUE as a premier metropolitan university by showcasing our music students, faculty and campus and by reaffirming our commitment to supporting and recognizing this region.
The festival would preferably occur in March/April and involve three visiting clinicians and one guest artist. Artist fees and airfare would include $1500 per clinician and $5000 for the guest artist, plus an additional $500 for lodging ($125 per person). The artist would rehearse with SIUE students and faculty (to be selected from Concert Jazz Band, Graduate Jazz Combo, Undergraduate Jazz Combo, Faculty), perform a clinic for SIUE community (topics to relate to any facet of Miles Davis’ career, music, recordings, ensembles) and perform an evening concert highlighting Miles Davis’ music. Clinicians would critique participating high school and college ensembles on their performance of Miles Davis’ music and present clinics on performance of said material. Music students (including the student group International Association of Jazz Educators) would assist Director of Jazz Activities, Brett Stamps and his graduate assistant with contacting and hiring the artist and clinicians, promoting clinics and performances, arranging flights, hotel, transportation and itineraries, and arranging and managing performance/clinic venues. Additional expenses will be met by the Music Department (Jazz activities), Black Studies and a festival registration fee for participating groups (meals, venue fees, sound, event promo).

08-31
Sweezey Otis, Department of Theater and Dance
Elmo Portable Digital Visual Presenter
Award Amount - $670

The Department of Theater and Dance would like to purchase a Portable Digital Visual Presenter that will enhance the teaching in smart classrooms. Presently, smart classrooms do have computers, projectors, DVD players, and video players. The Digital Visual Presenter will allow teachers to present information more effectively, using this multi-media device.

08-33
Szabo Zsuzsanna, Department of Educational Leadership
Karacal Cem, Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering
Enhancing the learning experience for engineering freshmen students
Award Amount - $3,500

This project is concerned with enhancing the learning experience in a freshmen engineering course. There is a disconnect between the information conveyed in the class and the real life applications of the engineering concepts. Student learning could be enhanced significantly if the students are given a chance to make first-hand observations and then critically reflect on what they observed and learned. IME 106 course is highly content oriented, and even with the team projects and occasional class work in small groups, the students encounter abstract course content. Students will be provided through field trips with the opportunity to have first-hand observation of the applied engineering concepts they learn in the course. Required class tasks will involve observation logs, critical thinking, and reflections on the observed concepts and engineering productions. Students will produce a Newsletter that will be disseminated to students in High Schools from Edwardsville and Metro St. Louis area. Logs, reflections, and critical thinking are part of the real work in an engineer’s life. Through these activities, students will be offered real life experience of the career path they are considering and will experience an increased ability to make well informed decisions. These will enhance their learning experience and will help them to better understand the theory. Students from the high schools will also benefit by learning about SIUE courses and program opportunities, which hopefully will aid to increased student applications to the SIUE. We expect that students will perform at higher levels and will report a positive attitude about this experimental learning.

08-34
Tamari Steve, Department of Historical Studies
DeGarmo Denise, Depatment of Political Science
Peace Studies: "Growing an Interdisceplinary Minor"
Award Amount - $10,901

SIUE’s Peace and International Studies (PEAC) program was developed in the 1 970s at a time when the nation was at war and the study of war and peace figured prominently in the minds of students and faculty. Peace Studies focuses on the nature and roots of social and political conflicts and war and ways to resolve conflicts and war in the interests of peace and global security. It is interdisciplinary and, at SIUE, draws on the expertise of faculty in the Departments of Historical Studies, Philosophy, Political Science, Speech Communication, and Sociology and Criminal Justice as well as the staff at the Religious Center. Student and faculty interest in Peace and International Studies began to wane in the 1990s and when the current coordinator of PEAC, Denise DeGarmo, assumed her position in 2003, only two students had chosen this as their minor. Late in the spring of 2005, several affiliated faculty members—many of whom are new to the program—met to consider restructuring the curriculum and to widen exposure to the program. A new coordinator and many new faculty, increased interest among students (currently there are 18 declared Peace Studies minors) and faculty at a time of war, reorganization of the minor itself, and a series of public events—indicate that the time is ripe for Peace Studies to gain more exposure and to expand and for its faculty to take the opportunity to explore the meaning and purpose of the program as a whole. We need help, however, to make this happen. The program does not have a budget to produce a brochure to advertise its mission, its course offerings, its faculty, and its course requirements. Scheduling a year-long series of events culminating in a presentation by noted peace activist Cindy Sheehan will broaden interest in our offerings and widen the program’s exposure among SIUE undergraduates.

08-35
Taylor Ann, Department of Curriculum and Instruction
Puchner Laurie, Department of Educational Leadership
Scott Vicki, Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders
Teacher Inquiry Conference
Award Amount - $8,840

The proposed project is a Pilot STUE Teacher Inquiry Conference that would share undergraduate, graduate, and faculty research in education, and provide workshops for attendees on topics related to diversity. Conference participants will be 400 undergraduate students in five different teacher education programs in three different departments. The goals of the project are to further the School of Education’s goal of developing teachers who become life-long learners, researchers, and inquirers, and to enhance teacher education students’ understanding of diversity. The one-day pilot conference will take place in April 2008. The conference themes will be Inquiry and Diversity. There will be three types of events at the conference. The first will be a 45-minute keynote speech related to the theme of diversity. Participants will also participate in breakout Workshops on diversity, and in Student Project Sharing. The latter event will involve undergraduate and graduate students sharing research projects they have done and visiting and learning from the projects of others. We expect the Inquiry Conference to become an annual event that will gradually become self-sustaining through attendance fees paid by experienced teachers attending for professional development and using school districts funds.

08-37
Thomas Reginald, Department of Black Studies
Festival of Black Arts
Award Amount $5,000

Through the work of Professor Eugene Redmond, SIUE has presented a Festival of Black Arts for the past 2 years. These festivals have had a positive impact on the SIUE community, contributed to a mission of diversity programming, engaged students through creative writing and historical perspective and brought major figures to the campus, including Amiri Baraka, Quincy Troupe and Katherine Dunham.
The Black Studies program seeks to continue this event by bringing in guest artists/lecturers while expanding departmental participation. This festival will feature not only presentations by invited guests but also from the music department, theater department, English, Language and Literature and Black Studies Program.

08-39
Voss Eric, Wiediger Susan, Department of Chemistry
A Scanning Tunneling Microscope for Undergraduate Chemistry Courses
Award Amount - $11,865

In many fields of science, a detailed knowledge of the surface of materials is of great importance. One high-resolution technique used by biologists, chemists, engineers, geologists, and materials scientists is scanning probe microscopy (SPM). The Project Directors have just received a National Science Foundation grant to incorporate SPM experiments into chemistry laboratory courses. The NSF grant will be used to obtain a high resolution dynamic atomic force microscope (AFM), but SIUE funds are needed to add a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) scan head and platform to the system. Chemistry courses form the foundation of the science curriculum, and approximately 1100 science and engineering students each year will be introduced to scanning probe microscopy techniques as a result of this project. Student learning objectives include 1) excitement and enthusiasm for science, 2) awareness of applications of scientific thinking, 3) understanding of surface chemistry, and 4) improved quantitative reasoning, problem solving, analysis, and synthesis of concepts. To address these objectives, implemented experiments: 1) increase in sophistication as students progress through the curriculum, and 2) consist of typical types of scanning probe microscopy including STM, AFM, lateral force AFM, and dynamic mode AFM.

08-40
Wei Chin-Chuan, Dixon Robert, Department of Chemistry
Biotechnology Experiments for Undergraduate Chemistry and Biochemistry Courses
Award Amount - $10,468

The 2l century is the century of biotechnology, an area integrated with different scientific disciplines. A variety of novel biotechniques arises almost every month, but these “novel” techniques are mostly based on fundamental techniques. One of these essential techniques in biotechnology is recombinant DNAlprotein technology that is used to generate a large quantity of “recombinant” proteins from microbial living organisms. The desired proteins are screened and purified using high-throughput screening (I-ITS) and a variety of separation techniques respectively. The global recornbii?ant protein therapeutics market was valued at US$57 billion in 2005 and its importance is continuing to gr in the areas including R&D and industry. Under such circumstances, our undergraduate students majoring’in chemistry and biochemistry are facing these tremendous fast-pace challenges in the biotechnology field. If that was not enough, biotechnology also provides the best employment opportunities for our students since three of the worlds largest biotechnology companies have major research and production facilities in the metropolitan St. Louis area. In this proposal, we plan to implement this modem technique, recombinant protein purification and screening, into our biochemistry curriculum. The proposal here will benefit students taking the Biochemistry laboratory and will allow us to demonstrate these concepts in the biochemistry lecture courses as well as general courses like CHEM12On&b (General, Organic, and Biological Chemistry for Nurses) and CHEM 124n&b (laboratory).

08-41
Wiediger Susan, Department of Chemistry and Office of Science and Mathematics Education
Foster Tom, Department of Physics and Office of Science and Mathematics Education
Award Amount - $10,420

This project’s primary focus is the thorough evaluation and assessment of the new SCI 241a course, Foundations of Science. Offered for the first time this semester (Spring 2007), SCI 241 a is required for all pre-service elementary teachers. By Fall 2007 the course activities would have gone through one cycle of refinement. Thus, fall would be the opportune time to assess the course, particularly the new design projects, and ascertain if the goals of the course are being met.
K-8 teachers play a critical role in the attitude students take toward science; confidence in content knowledge and experience with engaging methods of presenting science encourage teachers to present science in a positive light. The careful curriculum development and assessment involved in this course helps SIUE produce highly qualified teachers. The activities and assessment methods supported by earlier EUE funds have resulted in publications and presentations that publicize SIUE’s leadership in the area of science education for pre-service elementary teachers.
SCI 241a, as the first course in a two-course sequence, focuses on the state and national chemistry and physics standards for science education and also general science skills. This proposal also includes the development of a motion tower that would serve to illustrate the interdisciplinary nature of technical design and provide a thread to link the content modules of the course. The particular focus of a semester long project is technical design. Future elementary teachers are perhaps the least prepared to teach design to their students given their general fear of science, but in fact they might be the best able to teach it since they are trained as generalists and thus can bring many ideas to bear on a problem. This project will directly impact more than 100 future elementary teachers every year and indirectly thousands of their students.

08-43
Zhou Bin, Department of Geography
Creating an online version of Geog321 Quantitative Techniques
Award Amount - $9,000

This proposal requests EUE funds to help create an online version of Geog32 1 Quantitative Techniques. Geog32l is a required course for geography majors and a prerequisite for Geog522 Research Techniques, a required course for graduate geography students. Due to limited departmental lab space, the course has a long waitlist. Graduate students taking Geog32l in preparation for Geog522 take additional seats from undergraduate students. An online version of the course would help solve the problem by enlarging enrollment in an online session of the course during the fall and spring semesters, and by opening the course during the summer, which has never been done before. An online course has additional advantages such as allowing flexible learning schedules and giving students ample time to work out example problems, which are made possible by the internet. Graduate students who take Geog32l in preparation of Geog522 can be required to take the online version, leaving seats in the regular session to undergraduate students. The online course may eventually be offered as regular sessions. The online course will be created during fall semester 2007. During spring semester 2008, the online course will be test-run and adjustments will be made according to student feedback. The online Geog32l will be formally offered in fall semester 2008.