Xavier > CAT > Initiatives > Technology-Enhanced Curriculum Projects Initiative

Technology-Enhanced Curriculum Projects Initiative

Seventeen Xavier faculty successfully completed seven group projects through CAT's Technology Enhanced Curriculum Initiative between 2003 and 2005. Although the initiative is no longer active, we are maintaining this page for historical purposes.

This initiative, funded by a grant from the United Negro College Fund, supports Xavier faculty members who work together in developing new curricula that incorporate new technology or revising existing curricula to the same end. The goal of this initiative is to improve the curriculum and hence, student learning, at Xavier University by integrating information technologies in appropriate and effective ways.

To this end, the initiative promotes the formation of small (3-5 member) faculty teams or communities. These may be disciplinary or cross-disciplinary, and have been established through a competitive request for proposals issued by the Center for the Advancement of Teaching.

It is anticipated that each community will accomplish these phases over the course of two academic years. The Center will sponsor two overlapping cycles of development over the three-year course of the initiative, involving approximately 24-36 faculty members in total.

The Center's Instructional Design Specialist, Dr. Gayna Credle, was the primary coordinator for this initiative.

Phases

Communities will proceed through five distinct phases.

1. Planning and Research
2. Preliminary Curriculum Development
3. Summer Institute: Intensive Training and Curriculum Development
4. Curriculum Implementation
5. Evaluation and Reflection

In the first phase, faculty will collaborate in planning their curriculum development, setting specific goals for the group and doing the basic research necessary to determine what technological components they will integrate into the curriculum. Each community will focus particular attention on planning their own Summer Institute (see below). Each community will elect a leader during this phase who will be responsible for sundry management details. The community leader will be responsible for a short written report to the Center at the end of each phase.

In the second phase, faculty will prepare for their Summer Institute by doing all the necessary preliminary curriculum development. The Center will make necessary software and hardware purchases on behalf of the communities during this phase.

The Center will serve in an advisory capacity during the first two phases, meeting with the communities regularly, staying in touch with the community leaders, and making sure that things are "on track."

The Summer Institute will be the third phase for each community. This will be a one- or two-week period of intensive work with two goals: training and (re)design. During the first portion of the institute, the community will receive training necessary for the successful implementation of the planned curriculum. During the second portion, the community will do the actual work necessary to produce the new curriculum. It shall be the responsibility of the Center to arrange all necessary logistics for a successful Summer Institute according to the specifications of the community as developed in the initial phase.

In the fourth phase, the individual faculty members from each community will put the new curriculum into practice in the classroom.

In the fifth and final phase, the Center will work closely with the communities to evaluate the effectiveness of the project as a whole, with special attention to its impact on student learning.

Completed Projects