The MIL is a fellowship for Maricopa faculty who are committed to investigating and documenting significant issues in teaching and learning in their fields. The Fellowship is modeled after the Pew National Fellowship Program for Carnegie Scholars. The main purpose of the MIL is to create a diverse community of scholars who will design and carry out a research project aimed at deepening understanding of how students learn. Fellows are also expected to document and share their results with their peers.
MIL candidates are nominated by their college President, Dean of Instruction, or Faculty Developer. Nominations for 2002-2003 fellowships are due on December 3, 2001. For additional information on the MIL program and process for application, visit our web site.
2001 MIL Projects
Scott Adamson
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Scott Adamson, Mathematics (Chandler-Gilbert Community College)
The focus of my project is to measure a change in student attitude (feeling or state of mind) toward mathematics, a change in beliefs (what students think is true) about mathematics, and a change in views (the way students see) about mathematics. These changes will come as a result of the students' experiences in a contextual, projects-based mathematics course.
In this course, students are required to work together in teams, technology is readily available, and there is a focus on both the conceptual understanding of the mathematics and the applications of the mathematics. In addition, students are engaged in contextual writing projects throughout the semester. Through these innovative writing projects, student understanding of mathematical concepts will be enhanced by active engagement in critical mathematical thought through problem-solving in context, working as a team toward a common goal, communicating mathematically using current software packages, and connecting the multiple representations of the mathematical concepts.
Debbie Anderson
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Debbie Anderson, Library and Information Science
(Estrella Mountain Community College)
In today's society, becoming information literate is the key to creating lifelong, independent learners. Information literacy- the ability to determine your information needs, find valid information, evaluate the information, and cite the information- is the literacy of the digital age. Digital literacy is the ability to understand information and–more important–to evaluate and integrate information in the multiple formats the computer can deliver. Teaching information and digital literacy in the digital age also brings new challenges and new opportunities.
My project will seek to research, investigate, and experiment with, in collaboration with subject specialists, innovative approaches that infuse information and digital literacy into the classroom experience. In particular, it will research new teaching methods and strategies to teach information and digital literacy using such tools as web-based learning, online instruction, and multimedia delivery. My second goal is to incorporate these strategies into an online learning module in a specific discipline to test the theories.
John Gibson
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John Gibson, Computer Information Systems
(Glendale Community College)
My project will explore the use of diverse learning preferences to customize student instruction in new learning environments. In particular, the research will focus on a group of 250 students taking a beginning self-paced Open Entry/Open Exit computer course delivered both on-campus (Glendale Community College) and through the Internet.
The initial phase of the project will involve gathering information on the successful use of learning methodologies and technologies to create personal knowledge. This information will then be used to enhance the course, and primary research data will be gathered from students as they encounter new opportunities to customize their learning experience.
My research questions include: could this new approach help our students (help themselves) succeed, given their great diversity of backgrounds? And what types of inventories, learning activities, and technologies are most appropriate? I hope this work will eventually serve as a model to help us create exciting new learning environments that more actively engage our students and increase retention.
Sian Proctor
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Sian Proctor, Geology
(South Mountain Community College)
Geology is a visual science that requires a high degree of spatial ability. Because 99% of my students are non-science majors, the visual/spatial aspects of geology can be difficult to grasp. Computers are becoming an integral part of the learning process and provide a unique opportunity to present visual/spatial information to students. As a result, it is important that we understand how students learn from this form of visual imagery.
The purpose of my study is threefold: to have better insight into how students obtain meaning about geologic concepts that are visual and/or spatial, to try to understand how technology can be used as a tool for visual/spatial learning, and to try to increase students visual/spatial abilities.
My research questions include: what is the role of visual imagery in negotiating meaning in a community of learners? And how does technology affect the understanding created through visual imagery?
Nancy Siefer
Elizabeth Skinner
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Dr. Nancy Siefer, English
(Glendale Community College) and
Dr. Elizabeth Skinner, Reading
(GateWay Community College)
The goal of our project is to promote more meaningful communication about learning and instruction among students and their instructors. Meaningful communication is a prerequisite to the establishment of a "community of learners" in which instructors learn to see their classrooms from the viewpoints of their students and students better understand the perspectives of their teachers. Only in such a community can effective instruction and valid assessment occur.
One of us will serve an insider role as a "master learner." Master learners are faculty who attend courses outside their own disciplines as students, completing all the activities and assignments required of students, and leading seminar sessions with other students about their course experiences. The other team member will serve a complementary outsider role and will conduct in-depth interviews with students in the chosen course and their instructor, as well as with the master learner. By comparing and integrating the information gained through these insider-outsider roles, we will begin to define a common framework within which meaningful dialogue about learning can occur.
2001-2002 MIL Fellows Sian Proctor (South Mountain Community College) and Elizabeth Skinner (GateWay Community College) laugh with 2000-2001 MIL Fellow Maria Chavira (Mesa Community College) at the MIL Fall Interim Meeting (October 19-20, 2001 at the Summerfield Suites).
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 Maria Harper-Marinick, Ph.D.mcli
Maricopa Institute for Learning (MIL)
http://www.mcli.dist.maricopa.edu/mil/
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