CLIF Abstracts 2014-15

The purpose of this project is to develop a repository of comprehensive resources in the area of data visualization and analytics. While such resources will be used primarily in information systems courses for the business program, other faculty can also benefit from them. This project will also collect public data for the Windsor-Essex region which will then be used in data visualization exercises. The expected outcome from this project are that: the students will develop strong data visualization and analysis skills using R language;Upon graduation, the students will be able to get jobs more easily; and a journal or conference paper will be written describing the pedagogical implications of these resources. This project is expected to foster collaboration among computer science, statistics, psychology and Leddy Library's Academic Data Centre.

For years the Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Criminology has fielded inquiries from prospective students about experiential learning opportunities in our undergraduate Criminology Program. Until recently, we did not have any such opportunities available, which no doubt caused at least some students to enrol in Criminology programs elsewhere. I therefore developed, in consultation with my colleagues, a Professional Development Practicum course. This course will be offered for the first time next year and I will be teaching it. Although I conducted research on the structure of Practicum courses while developing this new course, time constraints prohibited delving into the best practices for delivering such courses. A CLIF grant would provide me with the resources to hire a graduate student to review the literature on the delivery of experiential learning courses and identify the best practices, conduct a survey of the students completing the course and their placement locations to assess their experiences, and design metrics to evaluate success in the course and how it fits with the future employment of student participants. My goal is to create a top-notch Practicum course that: (1) provides students in our program with the opportunity to apply the knowledge they have accrued in our courses to the work they will do in their placements, (2) provides students with an opportunity to network and gain experience in a working environment related to their criminological interests, and (3) serves as an additional tool for recruiting students into our program.

In recent decades, kinesiology, as an academic discipline and professional practice, has undergone tremendous growth within Canada and abroad. Accompanying this growth has been increased concern for what constitutes a credible kinesiology program and what core competencies practicing kinesiologists must demonstrate in order to best serve the broader community. This project is intended to develop a working database of text derived from the syllabi of undergraduate Movement Science and Sport Management courses offered through the Department of Kinesiology over the past five academic years. With the assistance of NVivo software and in cooperation with two graduate assistants, the research team will inductively analyze the contents of the current curricula to identify potential areas of content redundancies, while also exposing potential content and/or knowledge gaps within these existing programs. This database and the information derived from it will enable the research team, in consultation with educational developers within the Centre for Teaching & Learning, to identify the core competencies of UWindsor Kinesiology graduates in both the Movement Science and Sport Management majors, and determine how well aligned these may (or may not) be with those identified by the College of Kinesiologists of Ontario (CKO) and the Commission on Sport Management Accreditation (COSMA), respectively. Based on these insights, the Kinesiology Undergraduate Committee will commence an informed process of curriculum renewal that will further enhance the effectiveness, efficiency, and richness of these academic programs, thereby enabling more graduates to be successful in obtaining CKO certification and position the Department to seek COSMA accreditation.

Students who are currently enrolled in one of the ‘Laboratory Experiences in Kinesiology’ courses complete summative paper based peer- and self- reflective assessments only once at the end of the semester. Since there is not ongoing effective, integrated reflective assessment of student learning throughout the course of the semester, the timing of the group evaluation does not currently allow for feedback, self-reflection and improvement to occur prior to the final grade being assigned for these assessments. The CLIF Grant will allow students to complete a bi-weekly online assessment using a ‘Laboratory Experiences Peer- and Self- Reflective Assessment and Learning System’ within the new Blackboard Learning Management System to assesses availability, reliability, punctuality, communication, enthusiasm during the labs and group meetings, organizational skills, time management skills, and each group member’s contribution toward the collaborative learning environment. This project would foster student engagement because once provided with bi-weekly formative feedback through peer- and self- reflective assessments, students will be empowered to reflect on their strengths and weaknesses (as assessed by their group) to improve their performance and contribution throughout the semester, thus enhancing the collaborative learning environment.

Peer learning, which is supported by learning theories such as Behaviourism, Cognitivism, Social Constructivism, and Connectivism, is increasingly gaining the attention of researchers and practitioners with an emphasis on student-centered learning in educational settings. A review of relevant literature indicates that higher education institutions employ a variety of peer learning programs that potentially benefit both those who receive help and those who provide help among peers.

We are interested in finding out what peer learning programs are available on campus, how they are operated, and how undergraduate students from different academic programs at the University of Windsor perceive such programs. Based on the findings, recommendations will be made for faculty members as well as student service units at the University of Windsor to implement various types of peer learning so as to provide students with the best possible learning experience. It is our belief that the significance of the project lies in a better learning experience for students at the University of Windsor.

The researchers and a Research Assistant (RA) will be working as a team to make the research process efficient and to train the RA as a future researcher. The RA will be involved in all stages of the project, including research design, data collection and analysis, report writhing, and dissemination. The project will be carried out from May 2015 to April 2016.