The Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning has awarded a total of $16,758 to faculty and staff members to fund innovative teaching and learning project. Grants typically range from $1,000 to $5,000 and generally support start-up and one-time expenses rather than paying for ongoing operational costs.
Grants were made to the following faculty and staff members for fall 2006:
- Amy Stringer, assistant professor of health and human performance, will use her grant to buy heart rate monitors to help pre-service teachers better understand the intensity and duration of class-based exercises. Her class will use them in ways that offer meaningful application and engagement with fitness concepts, and the devices will enhance student teaching experiences.
- Crista Arangala, associate professor of mathematics, was awarded funds for Elon students to create science exhibits they will then share with students in Sri Lanka, an engaging learning experience that also has far-reaching impacts.
- Eleanor Cowen, lecturer in the School of Communications, received funds to support a new course on the “Fundamentals of Animation.” The grant will allow students the opportunity to gain hands-on experience of the film medium.
- Eric Hall, associate professor of health and human performance, and Angela Passarelli, director of leadership, will use their funds to pay for training in the principles of strength-based education, a system that helps students to “identify their greatest talents, and to then develop and apply strengths based on those talents in the process of learning, intellectual development, and academic achievement to levels of personal excellence” (Anderson, What is strengths-based education?, 2004).
- Joel Hollingsworth, lecturer in computing sciences, received funds to purchase Lego Mindstorm NXT robotic systems and Nokai 770 Internet tablets. These devices will allow his students to have hands-on experience with the use of embedded systems in software development.
- Terry Tomasek, instructor in elementary education, will use the grant to purchase HOBO data loggers, which will allow her students to measure temperature, relative humidity, and light intensity. This project will help her elementary education students develop scientific habits of mind and will engage them in authentic scientific practices.
These faculty served on the Fall 2006 Teaching and Learning Grant selection committee: Brooke Barnett, associate professor of communications; Stephen Byrd, assistant professor of education; Larry Garber, associate professor of business administration; Barbara Gordon, associate professor of English; Barbara Miller, assistant professor of communications; Paul Miller, associate professor of sports medicine; Ellen Mir, assistant professor of mathematics; Yuko Miyamoto, assistant professor of biology; Thomas Tiemann, professor of economics.
The CATL Teaching and Learning Grants program supports innovative teaching and learning projects. Grants typically range from $1,000 to $5,000, although smaller and larger proposals will be considered. Grants generally support start-up and one-time expenses rather than paying for ongoing operational costs. These grants will not fund a course release. Applications for Spring 2007 Teaching and Learning Grants will be due March 16.
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