2007-2008 IF Enhancement Grant Recipients
Grant Recipient(s):
Allison, Lori
Title: "Fun" Interactive Online IF Self-test
Contact Information:
Center for Distributed Learning
Description of Grant:
To create a small self-test of one's knowledge re: IF. The self-test would be similar to "Is Online Learning Right for Me?" (a part of UCF's Learning Online student support Web site), but with very different questions. It primarily would be designed for students (however could be used by faculty as well), asking about their perception of skill/knowledge related to various IF factors. It will complement, not duplicate, the ETS/ICT assessment. The intent is to enlighten students about IF, where they fall on the scale of information fluency (so to speak), and generate more discussion and interest in the initiative.
Grant Recipient(s):
Andrews, Edwanna
Title: The transfer research experience
Contact Information:
Student Leadership Programs
Description of Grant:
Establish a faculty mentor program for transfer students focusing on the Undergraduate Research experience. This experience will afford students the opportunity to utilize various modes of data collection and research reporting requiring students to use a range of technology.
Grant Recipient(s):
Applen, J.D.
Title:
Contact Information:
Department of English
Description of Grant:
In ENC 6938, Texts & Technology in History, the course trajectory is one where we examine how texts and technologies have changed over four major epochs. This project involves the incorporation of information fluency into this course, including having students reflect on their own levels of this skill.
Grant Recipient(s):
Cook, Ida
Title:Enhancing political sociology experiences through information fluency
Contact Information:
Department of Sociology
Description of Grant:
To encourage students to develop the skills and techniques to better utilize sociological concepts, to research information sources beyond sociology, and to understand and apply this knowledge of political behavior by encouraging their explorations into the wide range of resources relating to social and political behavior.
Grant Recipient(s):
Hara, Tadayuki
Title: Exploring effective methods to reduce variances of students' information literacy levels regarding knowledge and skills in personal finance
Contact Information:
Rosen College of Hospitality Management
Description of Grant:
The project addresses the issues of students' variance of information fluency regarding personal financial knowledge, which, if left unattended, could potentially undermine the competitiveness of our students. Since students' level of information fluency, particularly in the basic business-related information skills vary greatly, we will seek for better technology-based teaching methods (including utilizing WebCT, incorporating streaming videos and interactive media) which could cater to students' different needs effectively.
Grant Recipient(s):
Joines, Judyth Piazza
Title: Worldwide Information Dissemination: a focus on fundamentals
Contact Information:
Department of Communication
Description of Grant:
The Student Operated Press (SOP) proposes to engage University of Central Florida (UCF) radio, television and Journalism and Communications students and community in the exciting aspects of worldwide dissemination of information. This project proposes to develop, with the supervision of UCF, the WGKN Student Operated Press and Newsblaze Broadcast Network as part of a two-semester, six-hour-credit course and class project, “Information Fluency and the Making of an American President.”
Grant Recipient(s):
Macaulay Leon-Barth, Sandra
Title: Integrating information fluency into the Summer Bridge experience
Contact Information:
Student Academic Resource Center
Description of Grant:
This project will focus on the Pegasus Essay, which is a mandatory reflective writing component of the Pegasus Success Program. The IF principles of gather, evaluate, and use will be applied to the Pegasus essay, encouraging students to have a more comprehensive approach to this assignment, and enhancing the program.
Grant Recipient(s):
Martin, Jason
Title: Information seeking behaviors of UCF undergraduate students
Contact Information:
UCF Libraries - Information Literacy & Outreach Department
Description of Grant:
This project involves the creation of a 20 question online survey measuring the information seeking behaviors of UCF students. This survey is one way to gather baseline data which can then be used to assess certain campus programs, specifically library instruction.
Grant Recipient(s):
Mauer, Barry; Pugh, Tison
Title: New media/new assessment strategies in English
Contact Information:
Department of English
Description of Grant:
We plan to link our departmental assessment model to curricular changes in regard to new media. Technological innovations have drastically altered the ways in which lessons are taught, and they have also affected the ways in which learning is produced. We would like to examine how the Department of English is modifying its courses in relation to this paradigm shift, and we will analyze the changes by linking our measurements to the current assessment model.
Grant Recipient(s):
McDaniel, Rudy; Telep, Peter; Vick, Erik; Friskics, Jon; Wirth, Jeff; Moshell, Mike; Morton, Bill; Kenny, Robert
Title: Investigating the role of interactivity in information fluency
Contact Information:
Department of Digital Media, Department of English
Description of Grant:
This project is an interdisciplinary joint venture between the Division of Digital Medial and the Department of English to evaluate the impact of interactivity on information fluency. By discussing several types of interactive media and processes (interactive performance, interactive video games, interactive video assemblies, and dynamic examples from the Internet) we will devise new course modules (lecture topics with opportunities for student reflection) and assignments for use in both the digital media and English classroom.
Grant Recipient(s):
Snow, Robert
Title: Making it real: Understanding how to effectively research major and career plans
Contact Information:
Sophomore & Second Year Center
Description of Grant:
This project will connect students to current information about majors and careers through an enhanced use of technology-based information resources. Through a series of web-based and interactive workshop sessions, students will learn about the connection of majors to potential careers. Students will be given a scenario to work from in which students will be gauged in their ability to increase their information fluency and research skills concerning the information they found in each of the scenarios. This project represents a collaborative effort between SSYC, Career Services & Experiential Learning, and the Office of Operational Excellence & Assessment Support (OEAS).
Grant Recipient(s):
Teter, Ken
Title: Undergraduate research as a means to promote information fluency
Contact Information:
Molecular Biology and Microbiology
Description of Grant:
The creation of the PURE program is designed to provide students with the opportunity to conduct biomedical research under the guidance of a faculty member. The class will focus on the communication and comprehension of hypothesis-driven science, with the aim of creating a sense of community among undergraduate research students. Students will present their research in both oral and written formats, and will be encouraged to apply for grant/scholarship support and to present their work at local and national conferences.
Grant Recipient(s):
Viggiano, Rachel
Title: Embedded librarians - IF outreach to online and distant students
Contact Information:
UCF Libraries - Information Literacy & Outreach Department
Description of Grant:
This plan will target students enrolled in online courses, potentially distance learners who might not visit the library for traditional Library Instruction or Information Literacy instruction. The goal will be to implement a program whereby a librarian is assigned to each WebCT course identified as having a research component and that librarian will participate in the class throughout the semester to incorporate information literacy into the existing curriculum.
Grant Recipient(s):
Whitten, Shannon; Fiore, Stephen; Sims, Valerie
Title: Exploring the use of computational tools to grade student essays in web-based courses
Contact Information:
Psychology
Description of Grant:
The aim of this grant is to explore available software options for computational grading of essay examinations and to implement one of these tools in a course with at least 30 students, with the aim of testing the effectiveness of the tool and the impact on the student's learning. This research could be the first step toward resolving a difficult problem for instructors of web-based courses and toward creating a distance learning environment at UCF that encourages information fluency in addition to the mastery of basic concepts.
Grant Recipient(s):
Whitten, Shannon; Mottarella, Karen; Bedwell, Jeff
Title: Critical thinking about sources of news information
Contact Information:
Psychology
Description of Grant:
The purpose of this study is to address three questions: 1) What news media sources are students at UCF relying on for their information about world events? 2) Is there a relationship between personality and choice of news source? And 3) Is choice of news media related to the ability to reason about news items, particularly the ability to construct a balanced argument?
Grant Recipient(s):
Zhang, Ning Jackie; Chen, Baiyun
Title: Enhancement of information fluency in research methodology courses for social and health science disciplines
Contact Information:
Doctoral Program of Public Affairs
Description of Grant:
Development of a set of video clips to support the instruction in research methodology across a wide range of graduate courses at UCF, featuring real-life events to illustrate diverse aspects of how research methodology and statistics are applied to solve complex and realistic problems.
2006-2007 IF Enhancement Grant Recipients
Name: Bendriss, Rachid
Department or Unit: International Services Center
Title of Project: The Ethical Use of Information: Improving Ways International Students Gather, Evaluate, and Use
Summary of Project:
Plans to develop a series of online training modules on learning styles and research strategies through the implementation of
IF skills for international students. Workshops will also be held on the ethical use of information.
Name: Blank, William
Department or Unit: Career Services and Experiential Learning
Title of Project: Student Employability Skills Preparedness Program (PRO)
Summary of Project:
PRO plans to increase staff's awareness and knowledge of newest resources to better assist students with IF; improve the
quality of students' cover letters and resumes submitted to employer prospects; increase quality of interviewing skills.
Name: Boote, David
Department or Unit: Communication Sciences and Disorders
Title of Project: International Centre for Research Synthesis and Policy
Summary of Project:
Establish an International Center for Research Synthesis and Policy that can serve to identify, organize, analyze, and
summarize information on the efficacy of interventions, treatments, programs, and instruction in several health related
sciences.
Co-Authors
Schwartz and Nye
Name: Boote, David
Department or Unit: Educational Studies
Title of Project: Analysis and Synthesis of Educational Research and Scholarship
Summary of Project:
Focus on making IF a key comoponent of Doctoral programs in the College of Ed., focusing on enabling doctoral graduates to
effectively find, select, critically analyze, and synthesize educational research and scholarship.
Name: Bruekner, Thomas
Department or Unit: Physics
Title of Project: Social Bookmarking Enrichment of GEP Science Writing
Summary of Project:
In online physical science, develop one capstone writing assignment that social bookmarking could support and enrich. Social
bookmarking can be defined as a public aggregation of hyperlinks that a group builds to organize information of importance.
Name: Cassanello, Robert
Department or Unit: History
Title of Project: Enhancing Information Fluency for the History Methods Course
Summary of Project:
Enhance the course "History and Historians" by adding a Library Database Project, a citations project, peer review groups and
encourage students to publish their research.
Co-Authors
Downing
Name: Chen, Baiyun
Department or Unit: Educational Research, Technology and Leadership
Title of Project: Effects of Advance Organizers on Learning in a Fully Web-based Distance Course
Summary of Project:
Investigate both short-term and long-term effects of the presentation of two kinds of advance organizers in a fully web-based
undergraduate course in the College of Health and Public Affairs. Course will be delivered via the internet.
Name: Cobbs, Karen
Department or Unit: Information Technologies and Resources
Title of Project: Online in Your UCF Future
Summary of Project:
Identify existing resources and restructure and enhance online learning tools and guidelines into one comprehensive resource.
Name: Downing, Spencer J.
Department or Unit: History
Title of Project: Enhancing Information Fluency for the History Methods Course
Summary of Project:
Enhance the course "History and Historians" by adding a Library Database Project, a citations project, peer review groups and
encourage students to publish their research.
Co-Authors
Cassanello
Name: Fiore, Stephen
Department or Unit: Philosophy and Institute for Simulation and Training
Title of Project: Applying Cognitive Science to Improve Critical Thinking: Developing a University-wide Resource for Research and Practice in
Information Fluency
Summary of Project:
Plans for the creation of a UCF web-resource to support the understanding and principled application of theory and methods
on improving critical thinking. Accessible to the entire university community.
Name: Hara, Tadayuki
Department or Unit: Rosen College of Hospitality Management
Title of Project: Exploring Alternative Methods to Reduce Variances of Students
Summary of Project:
Address the issues of students' variance of information fluency, which, if left unatended, could potentially undermine the
competitiveness of our school in terms of placement. Will look for better technology-based teaching methods.
Name: Helm, Dannie
Department or Unit: Department of Special Collections and University Archives
Title of Project: Laboratory of Critical Thinking: Using Primary Sources in the Undergraduate Classroom
Summary of Project:
Show students how to find and use primary and secondary source materials available on campus.
Co-Authors
Summers
Name: Holt, Larry
Department or Unit: Educational Studies
Title of Project: Critical Thinking Analysis of On-Line Student Selected Resources in a Graduate Level General Methods Course
Summary of Project:
Assess student's critical thinking by analyzing and evaluating their selection of on-line web sites, journal articles, and
curriculum resources.
Name: Juge, Frank
Department or Unit: Hospitality Operations, Rosen College
Title of Project: Enhancement of Information Fluency in HFT 3868, The History and Culture of Wine
Summary of Project:
Find ways to enhance the ability of students in HFT 3868 to be able to research historical topics w/out simply resorting to
Google to understand the issues of proper citation of references and plagiarism.
Name: Kaplan, Jeffrey
Department or Unit: Teaching and Learning Principles
Title of Project: National Writing Project Advisory Board: Articulating Information Fluency Goals to Enhance Undergraduate Transition
Programs
Summary of Project:
Establish advisory board for the National Writing Project to articulate the goals of the NWP and its replationship to the
fostering and developing information fluency skills among perspective college students as they transition to UCF.
Name: Kent-Walsh, Jennifer
Department or Unit: Communicative Disorders
Title of Project: The Effects of Case Studies and Clinical Experiences on Student Learning and Information Fluency in Augmentative and
Alternative Communication
Summary of Project:
Collect data to evaluate hypotheses that students reach an advanced mastery level with respect to clinical knowledge and
skills, and that they develop more functional information fluency skills when they participate in live clinical/service-learning act.
Name: Krise, Tom
Department or Unit: English and Undergraduate Studies
Title of Project: Composition II as Inquiry: Gathering, Evaluating, and Using Evidence
Summary of Project:
Request three English composition teachers to work toward establishing Comp. II as an Inquiry-Based course. The course will
maintain its research objectives as well as its current objectives of the instruction and practice of gather-evaluate-use.
Co-Authors
Schell
Name: Ku, Michelle
Department or Unit: SDES and the Office of Student Financial Assistance
Title of Project: Financial Literacy Campaign
Summary of Project:
Launch a financial literacy campagin to educate students about better management of their personal finances.
Co-Authors
Powell and Welch
Name: Liberman, Aaron
Department or Unit: Health Professions
Title of Project: Enhancement of Critical Thinking Skills by Constructive Engagement
Summary of Project:
The Constructive Engagement Method (CEM) will be used to enhance student learning by promoting active student
participation in solving real-life scenarios through online simulated "Grand Rounds" discourse forums.
Co-Authors
Segal
Name: Love, Marc
Department or Unit: Student
Title of Project: Student Presentations
Summary of Project:
To enhance student perceptibility by encouraging information assessment, and the evaluation of preesnter
choices/techniques/effectiveness. Students will further develop their personal responses to information and presentation skills.
Name: Massiah, Carolyn
Department or Unit: Marketing Department, College of Business
Title of Project: Who wants to be a student?: Utilizing Classroom Response Systems (or clickers) in order to Reach and Retain Students in
Mass Classroom Sections
Summary of Project:
Implement and Evaluate wireless clicker technology in the Principles of Marketing course in Fall 2006.
Name: Mauer, Barry
Department or Unit: English
Title of Project: Class Design of Learning Outcomes and Assessment
Summary of Project:
Intended to enhance students' learning spaces by involving students in the top-to-bottom design of research projects.
Name: Nye, Chad
Department or Unit: Communication Sciences and Disorders
Title of Project: International Centre for Research Synthesis and Policy
Summary of Project:
Establish an International Center for Research Synthesis and Policy that can serve to identify, organize, analyze, and
summarize information on the efficacy of interventions, treatments, programs, and instruction in several health related
sciences.
Co-Authors
Boote and Schwartz
Name: Powell, Fritzlaine
Department or Unit: SDES and the Office of Student Financial Assistance
Title of Project: Financial Literacy Campaign
Summary of Project:
Launch a financial literacy campaign to educate students about better management of their personal finances.
Co-Authors
Ku and Welch
Name: Powell, Fritzlaine
Department or Unit: Campus Life, Division of SDES
Title of Project: Protecting Academic Integrity
Summary of Project:
Protecting Academic Integrity is a UCF initiative to educate the campus community about the implications of downloading
illegal files and sharing copyrighted information.
Name: Priest, DeLaine
Department or Unit: Student Success Center: Student Development and Enrollment Services
Title of Project: Information Fluency: Navigating Academic Success
Summary of Project:
Two part plan to facilitate workshops, led by peer mentors and targeted to freshmen and transfer students, that will encourage
the acquisition and use of information fluency.
Name: Sadri, Houman
Department or Unit: Political Science
Title of Project: Media, Power, and Information Fluency: Internet Research Assignment
Summary of Project:
Use of a series of brief written internet research projects replacing the traditional 20-page student term paper.
Name: Schell, Rick
Department or Unit: English and Undergraduate Studies
Title of Project: Composition II as Inquiry: Gathering, Evaluating, and Using Evidence
Summary of Project:
Request three English composition teachers to work toward establishing Comp. II as an Inquiry-Based course. The course will
maintain its research objectives as well as its current objectives of the instruction and practice of gather-evaluate-use.
Co-Authors
Krise
Name: Schwartz, Jamie
Department or Unit: Communication Sciences and Disorders
Title of Project: International Centre for Research Synthesis and Policy
Summary of Project:
Establish an International Center for Research Synthesis and Policy that can serve to identify, organize, analyze, and
summarize information on the efficacy of interventions, treatments, programs, and instruction in several health related
sciences.
Co-Authors
Boote and Nye
Name: Segal, David
Department or Unit: Health Professions
Title of Project: Enhancement of Critical Thinking Skills by Constructive Engagement
Summary of Project:
The Constructive Engagement Method (CEM) will be used to enhance student learning by promoting active student
participation in solving real-life scenarios through online simulated "Grand Rounds" discourse forums.
Co-Authors
Liberman
Name: Shetlar, Robert
Department or Unit: Biology
Title of Project: Developing Information Fluency in Biological Sciences at the Freshmen Level
Summary of Project:
Develop strategies to increase IF for freshman biology majors.
Co-Authors
Thomas and Walters
Name: Stinard, Charlene
Department or Unit: Transfer & Transition Services
Title of Project: Peers Promote "IF"
Summary of Project:
Transfer and Transition Services Peer Mentors will be trained in the significance and use of information fluency in order to
provide a solid foundation for transfer students.
Name: Summers, Carla
Department or Unit: Department of Special Collections and University Archives
Title of Project: Laboratory of Critical Thinking: Using Primary Sources in the Undergraduate Classroom
Summary of Project:
Show students how to find and use primary and secondary source materials available on campus.
Co-Authors
Helm
Name: Thomas, Pamela
Department or Unit: Biology
Title of Project: Developing Information Fluency in Biological Sciences at the Freshmen Level
Summary of Project:
Develop strategies to increase IF for freshman biology majors.
Co-Authors
Shetlar and Walters
Name: Walters, Linda
Department or Unit: Biology
Title of Project: Developing Information Fluency in Biological Sciences at the Freshmen Level
Summary of Project:
Develop strategies to increase IF for freshman biology majors.
Co-Authors
Shetlar and Thomas
Name: Welch, Kerry
Department or Unit: SDES and the Office of Student Financial Assistance
Title of Project: Financial Literacy Campaign
Summary of Project:
Launch a financial literacy campagin to educate students about better management of their personal finances.
Co-Authors
Ku and Powell
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