Jean Marie Magnier
Background
Jean Marie Magnier is a Professor of Mathematics at STCC. Jean-Marie received a B.S. in Mathematics from Colgate University and a Masters in Mathematics from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Jean-Marie has been teaching Math at STCC for 12 years and served as department chair for the past 4 years. She previously taught for 2 years in the Peace Corps in South Africa. Jean-Marie teaches the full range of math courses offered at STCC from developmental Algebra through Calculus III, Business Math courses and Statistics.
Interest in the Project
"I have always been particularly interested in the developmental math students, which comprise 90% of our entering students. These students are very diverse in their background, goals, ages, family situations and personal needs. This grant ostensibly is designed to meet a specific set of physical needs. However, any improvements and auxiliary changes we make to our courses can only benefit all of our students."
Project Activities
Jean's course for this grant is Algebra 1. She has created a set of on-line lessons which are meant to supplement the materials presented in class. The same topics are covered, but the interactive format allows students to control the pace of the lesson. The fact that the lessons are available on-line enables anyone who misses a class to make up the material, or to view it again at their convenience. Students with visual impairments have the capability to enlarge the lessons. There will also be an audio file created for these lessons. For students with hearing impairments, the lessons are complete with graphics, text explanations and animations to clarify topics. Through this grant, Jean has also become more aware of her lecture style and she is constantly working on methods like not facing the board, speaking out everything that she writes (as opposed to pointing and saying "this term"), and speaking and writing more slowly and carefully. Slowing down has been a definite improvement for ALL her students! Jean remarks "I have never had a student ask me to "write a little faster please!" or "could you erase that section already?"". Jean has prepared a series of handouts for the class, and created enlarged font copies for students with low vision. She plans to compile a set of these large font copies for other faculty in her department to use as well.
Linda Meccouri
Background
Linda Meccouri, Ph.D. is a professor of Computer Information Systems/Programming at STCC. Linda received her M.Ed. in Organizational Development/Adult Learning from Antioch University, and her Ph.D. in Instructional Technology/Multicultural Teacher Education from the University of New Mexico. Linda has been teaching Computer Information Systems courses for 20 years in our State Community College System, the past three, at STCC.
Interest in the Project
"I am deeply committed to accessibility for all students who have the desire and capacity to learn technology. My interest is always to expand the repertoire of teaching/learning methods and opportunities. I will continue to employ a flexible approach to a variety of teaching methods. The 21st century is one that requires people to network and work in groups that use the unique attributes of each of its members. I bring a well-developed ability to help students work in diverse groups that enhance the learning/teaching exchange."
Project Activities
- Creation of an audio set of CDs for the PROG 109 Textbook. This set of CDs was created by a research team of students from the previous PROG 109 class. The student team researched available technology for students with low-vision and found the text book one of the major barriers. Since there was no audio available, we undertook the project of obtaining the text files of every chapter, re-formatting for accessibility and creating a set of CDs. Copies of the CD set are available from the Office for Students with Disabilities.
- Set up Blackboard, a 508 accessible course delivery system for the PROG 109 class with course materials such as outlines, syllabus, scheduling, discussion board and "lecture notes" for every chapter.
- Teaching procedures include much group work with each student contributing to the learning of other students. This methodology although not as "gimmicky" holds the most potential for educational equity since it allows for every student's talents to be valued and incorporated into the class learning outcomes. For example, when studying a new concept, I might break students into small groups for discussion, review and case studies. Each small group must check for comprehension of all of its members because a group grade as well as an individual grade is assigned in the assessment.
- Based upon first day of class surveys, the in-class lecture format was changed to include overhead projector, large print PowerPoint presentations. The presentations have been incorporated into the Blackboard site and may be downloaded in outline, graphic or text format. Large versions of every textbook graphic are also included in the PPT presentation.
Bill Mullet
Background
Bill Mullet is a Professor of Physics at STCC. Bill received his B.A. in Physics from American International College and his M.Ed. in Educational Research at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.Bill has 34 years of teaching experience in the Physics Department at STCC and has been department chair twice. He has been an adjunct Professor at the Elms College and at Westfield State College. Bill also has industrial teaching experience at Package Machinery and Digital Equipment Company.
Other Special Programs that Bill has been involved in include:
- Coordinator, Hampden Collaborative, Title II Grant
- Curriculum Coordinator, School-to-Work Grant
- NE/NY Physics Curriculum Coordinator, Verizon Next-Step Program
- Co-PI CCLI NSF Grant
Interest in the Project
"What I find particularly intriguing about UD (Universal Design) is that while trying to design curriculum to help students with specific physical needs, all students benefit from these different teaching strategies…"
Project Activities
A strategy that was under investigation was to provide students with transcripts of lab procedures and activities beyond those found in the lab manual. These transcripts will ultimately be in a CD multi-media format. A possible scenario of activities leading to a finished CD and its distribution is as follows:
- Video tape w/audio
- CD Video
- CD Video w/ Closed Caption
- Classroom sharing
- "File Sharing" from PC to students
This sharing could take the form of:
- CD's
- Files downloaded from Internet site
- Files made available at "Student Success Center"
Gordon F. Snyder, Jr.
Background
Gordon F. Snyder, Jr. is currently the Principal Investigator for the National Center for Telecommunications Technologies (NCTT), a Division of Springfield Technical Community College (STCC). He also serves as project director the Microsoft Working Connections grant program and manages curriculum development for networking. Gordon received dual Bachelor of Science degrees in microbiology and medical technology from University of Massachusetts at Amherst, and the Masters of Science in electrical engineering from Western New England College.
Gordon has taught in the telecommunications, electronics systems, computer systems and laser electro-optics departments at STCC since 1984, and co-chaired those departments from 1990-1999. He helped develop the Verizon Next Step program and now serves as telecommunications curriculum coordinator for the Verizon Next Step program. He was an adjunct instructor in the bioengineering department at Western New England College and is the author of two engineering textbooks. Gordon has extensive consulting experience in the field of communications and LAN/WAN design.
Interest in the Project
"To investigate ways to better deliver accessible online course content combining the Blackboard (www.blackboard.com) delivery system, Mimio (www.mimio.com) and RealNetworks (www.realnetworks.com) products."
Project Activities
The STCC course currently under development is GN-210 - Introduction to Telecommunications. The course is an introduction to the basic concepts of telecommunications and is delivered in the spring semester using a blended format with both in-class and web components. The course includes a brief history of the telecommunications industry followed by a description of present public and private telecommunications networks. Concepts of analog and digital signals, frequency spectra, filters, bandwidth, modulation and multiplexing techniques are explored. In addition, the hardware of a telecommunications system is introduced with coverage including transmission and reception technology, switching systems and transmission media.
As part of the project, work currently being done includes:
- Using Mimio to capture audio and handwritten lecture material and homework solutions from a whiteboard in Mimio Ink file format.
- Using Mimio BoardCast (http://www.mimio.com/meet/boardcast/) to combine Mimio ink files and audio together in a RealNetworks format that can then be streamed over the Internet or archived for on demand viewing.
- Integrating the lecture notes and materials with the Blackboard and RealNetworks videos allowing students to point, click, see and hear the videos reviewing in class examples and homework solutions.
- Determining procedures to effectively deliver large file format/high bandwidth video content (CDs, streaming, etc) to students in an effective and time efficient way.
Portions of the course have been used as a model and were presented at two NCTT faculty workshops in June and July of 2002. Content development and use of the developed course as a model at NCTT workshops and other functions will continue, including the annual NSF ATE Conference in October 2002.
Dawn A. Tamarkin
Background
Dawn A. Tamarkin, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor of Biology at STCC. Dawn received her B.S. in Biology from Union College in 1987 and her Ph.D. in Neuroscience with a minor in Physiology in 1993 from the University of Arizona. Dawn was the first doctoral graduate of the newly formed neuroscience program, begun in 1988, at the University of Arizona. She did 2 years of post-doctoral research at the University of Pittsburgh (from 1993 - 1995) and also taught at Chatham College in Pittsburgh, PA for 1 year (where she taught Human Neuroscience to Master's students in physical and occupational therapy programs).
Dawn has been teaching in the Biology Department for the past nine years. The courses she teaches include: Principles of Biology I for non-science majors, Anatomy & Physiology I and II, Basic Anatomy & Physiology, and Cell Biology.
Interest in the Project
"This project interests me because creating new ways to teach biology is important no matter whom one's students are. Biology is a difficult topic for many non-science majors, and I am always looking for new and innovative ways to make it more hands-on, applied, and fun. In trying to create new methods for students with physical disabilities to learn biology, I will not only be helping them, but also all of my other students."
Project Activities
- Created clay models of cell organelles so that visually-impaired students can experience the cell. Each of the clay organelles is shaped as much as possible to reflect the actual shape of the organelle. Students can take the models, feel them, and put them into a re-shapeable membrane outline to create specific cell types; the cell types that they create are the same ones that students without disabilities are viewing in the microscopes.
- Utilized the Mimio system for recording lectures and lecture notes while giving the lectures. The overall goals for using this system are:
- to provide images of the lecture-room blackboard on the computer monitor for visually-impaired students to view in large format and in print-outs
- to enable visually-impaired students to link what they hear in class with what was being written on the board during class
- to provide the audio for students with hearing-disabilities to listen to later at any desired volume
- to provide extra studying tools for all of the students in class
- Developed creative ways to partner students in lab so that students with physical disabilities have a non-disabled buddy. This can help motor-impaired students to get their microscopes, make slides, etc.
- Currently, maintains a website for her classes (modified to be Bobby-approved), which also helps those students with extra needs.
Mark Wells
Background
Mark Wells, Ph.D. is an instructor of Chemistry at STCC. Mark received his B.S. in Chemistry from the University of Arkansas, Little Rock, and his Masters and Ph.D. in Physical/Analytical Chemistry from the University of Texas, Dallas. Prior to joining at STCC in 2001, Mark worked for 10 years in a variety of technical and marketing positions for a large chemical and pharmaceutical company. One position included teaching applied statistics and quality improvement to scientists, engineers and technical staff throughout the company.
Interest in the Project
"I am interested in using the web and the Internet to both supplement and enhance the student's educational experience. Science, especially the physical sciences, is usually presented in a derived, often uninspiring manner. Interactive presentation aids can dramatically enhance the understanding of concepts, especially by those with limited background in the subject as well as those with certain disabilities. Such universal design concepts in presenting course materials will benefit all students, and hopefully, make science a more exciting learning experience and subject."
Project Activities
- A website is being developed to supplement the traditional lecture-based Introductory Chemistry course. Notes, pictures, video clips, solutions to assigned problems, a discussion forum, and links to other websites are among the resources that will be available to students. Incorporating the concepts of universal design into the website allows students with or without disabilities to benefit from the materials and resources available.
- To improve the classroom lecture presentation, a mobile multimedia station has been developed that facilitates presentation of course concepts. Since each classroom is equipped with network access, content directly from the web can be displayed during class as well as other presentation clips stored on CD-ROM.
- A web-based introductory chemistry course is being developed which includes a lab component that can be conducted in the student's home. Some lab exercises will involve materials that are common in most homes or are readily available from a hardware or department store. Other lab exercises are virtual experiments to be simulated on a computer. The availability of web-based distance learning helps to enable those students with certain disabilities to participate in study that might otherwise be difficult if not impossible.