Notre Dame SoTL Projects

Faculty were invited to propose a one-to two-year project through which they would investigate and document a significant issue or challenge in teaching in their discipline. Support for projects selected in 2000 included $5,000 per team for student time, equipment, supplies and faculty time; consultation with methodology experts; group meetings two times per semester for mutual support; and help in dissemination of results. Additional projects received the same support with the exception of the $5000. In 2002 the Office of the Provost provided $20,000 to support three new projects and the continued efforts of Stuart Greene's study of writing across the curriculum.

The projects are listed below with their pricipal invesitgators. Follow the links for details and updates on project outcomes.

Studies funded in 2002

1. Cognitive and Moral Learning Through a Community-Based Ethics Initiative in the Mendoza College of Business: An Analysis of Pedagogy and Curricular Innovation. Anne M. Cahill and Jessica McManus Warnell
2. Evaluation of the Community Based Learning Program of the First Year Composition Program. Christine Venter, April Lidinsky, Ed Kelly, and Shannon Gayk
3. Anti-lecture: Testing a Strategy for Creating Discussion-Based Courses. David Yamane

Studies funded in 2000

1. Improved Student Assessment Mechanisms and an Evaluation of Faculty Participation in a New First Year Engineering Sequence. Stephen Batill, Jay Brockman, Patrick Dunn, Patrick Fay, Thomas Fuja, David Leighton, Steven Silliman, and John Uhran
2. A Two-Year Study of the Effect of Course-Based Library Instruction on the Acquisition of Research Skills and the Development of Lifelong Learning Habits in the University. Cyraina Johnson-Rouillier and Linda Sharp
3. Impact of the Laboratory on General Chemistry. Seth N. Brown, Marya Lieberman and James F. Johnson
4. Evaluation of Three Methods for Enabling Experience in Developing Countries Within the Undergraduate Engineering Curriculum. Stephen E. Silliman
5. Developing Integrated Web Based Principle Economics Courses and Template for Survey Design to Measure the Differential Impact on Learning. Kajal Mukhopadhyay
6. A Four-Year Study of Students Writing Across the Curriculum at Notre Dame. Stuart Greene, Christine Venter, and Amy Orr
7. Applying Interactive Learning in a Process Innovations Course. Rajiv Kohli

Additional projects

1. Students' Perceptions of What Stimulates Analytic and Creative Thinking. Mark Gunty, Sandra Gustafson, and Cecilia Lucero
2. Student Learning:  Distance Learning versus Traditional Delivery. Margot O'Brien