The CASTL Advisory Committee Announces the 2008-2009 CASTL Fellowship Recipients

Dr. Jill Norvilitis, Associate Professor of Psychology has been awarded the Enriching Student Learning Experiences Faculty Fellowship. The goal of her study is to examine the efficacy of the Undergraduate Summer Research Fellowship (USRF) program through a multimodal assessment of students and mentors in the program. The results of these measures will be contrasted with those from two comparison groups of students with differing levels of involvement in scholarly activity.  A secondary focus is identifying factors most associated with successful research experiences among the students in the USRF. 

Dr. Lisa Hunter, Assistant Professor of Music Education has been awarded the Active and Collaborative Learning Faculty Fellowship. Her study will assess the intellectual development of first year learning community students and traditional first year students. The Measure of Intellectual Development based on the William Perry's (1970) Model of Intellectual and Ethical Development will be administered to a control and comparison group. The study will also investigate differences in the intellectual development of students involved in intradisciplinary and interdisciplinary learning communities.

Dr. Pixita del Prado Hill, Assistant Professor, Elementary Education and Reading has been awarded the Pedagogical Research Faculty Fellowship. This study will identify factors that provide barriers and contribute to the success of African-American teacher candidates in a crucial gateway course that enables them to proceed in the teacher preparation program. This project incorporates undergraduate research by enlisting African-American students who have successfully completed this course in the design and implementation of the study. A recursive research design will enable the primary investigator to use themes that emerge from data analysis to collect additional data necessary to answer the study’s central question.


The Advisory Committee of Buffalo State's Carnegie Academy for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (CASTL) and Academic Affairs announce three one-year, $3,000 faculty development fellowships to promote the scholarship of teaching and learning on campus. All tenured and tenure-track Buffalo State faculty members are eligible to apply. Research funded by these fellowships can be empirical (qualitative or quantitative studies, measurement of student learning or teaching effectiveness, etc.) or conceptual (design of educational innovations, curriculum development, pedagogical problem analysis, etc.). All proposals that represent the scholarship of teaching and learning are welcomed; however, the Committee will give priority to projects that focus on the following areas:


1.  ACTIVE AND COLLABORATIVE LEARNING: Investigations of how collaboration among students and/or level of involvement with course material facilitate student learning.
2.  PROMOTING ACADEMIC CHALLENGE: Documentation of classroom strategies that successfully promote high student effort and performance that meets or exceeds course objectives.
3.   ENRICHING EDUCATIONAL EXPERINCES: Studies that illustrate how enrichment programs such as Intellectual Foundations, Service Learning, and Undergraduate Research, or interdisciplinary and international activities enable students to integrate and apply knowledge.
4.   PEDAGOGICAL RESEARCH: Studies that improve our understanding of educational factors that foster student creativity and achievement. 


Fellows will conduct studies related to their specialty areas during the 2008–2009 academic year. They also will work closely with Dr. Cheryl Albers, coordinator for the campus programs for CASTL, and Dr. Janet Ramsey, associate vice president for undergraduate education and dean of University College, to promote faculty development efforts related to their fellowship. In addition, fellows are required to serve as members of the CASTL Advisory Committee and present their finding at a public forum. Fellows are responsible for compliance with any applicable research approval conditions as set out by the Research Foundation. http://www.rf.buffalostate.edu/rf/research_compliance/index.htm.

Full application guidelines are available at: Application%202008.doc.

Proposal Writing Workshop Dates
(All workshops will be held in Grover Cleveland 418)

Wednesday February 6,   3-4 p.m.    Translating a Pedagogical Interest or Issue into a SOTL Study
Wednesday February 13, 3-4 p.m.    Designing a SOTL Study that meets the Fellowship Criteria

Thursday February 7,   12:15-1:15    Translating a Pedagogical Interest or Issue into a SOTL Study
Thursday February 14, 12:15-1:15    Designing a SOTL Study that meets the Fellowship Criteria

 

To register for a workshop, contact Susan Labiak at the CASTL office in University College.
Call 878-3093 or email labiaksm@buffalostate.edu.

Submissions must be received by 3 p.m. Tuesday April 1, 2008. Send electronic submissions to: labiaksm@buffalostate.edu.

Hard Copy will be accepted, but is not necessary with electronic submisson. Mail hard copy to Susan Labiak, Buffalo State, University College, 510 SOuth Wing, Buffalo, NY 14222.