Davis Educational Foundation grant funds redesign of large lecture classes

$460,000 to be used for revamping five courses

By Daniel J. Fitzgibbons, Chronicle staff

he campus has been awarded a $460,000 grant by the Davis Educational Foundation to support the redesign of five large lecture courses.

     The grant proposal was developed by Norman Aitken, vice provost for Instructional Technology and professor of Economics, who will redesign a large lecture section of his own course, "Introduction to Microeconomics." In addition, four other courses will be selected from proposals to be submitted by other academic departments on campus.
According to Aitken, the goal of the project is to use a combination of instructional technology and modern pedagogy to improve the learning experience and academic performance of students enrolled in large lecture courses. Aitken said that he was excited about receiving the grant because it fulfilled both of his wishes for the new year.

     "In a time of declining state resources, I am pleased that we have been able to bring in funding from the Davis Educational Foundation to support faculty in undertaking major course redesign projects," he said.. "Personally, I am also excited about the opportunity to return to the classroom and use both instructional technology and modern pedagogy in redesigning 'Introduction to Microeconomics.' I have been away from teaching for a long time now and I miss it. This grant will provide me with an opportunity to return to the classroom under exciting circumstances."

     Aitken plans on using the 18-month period of the grant as a time of transition from his administrative post back to his faculty duties in the Economics Department. Aitken will continue to serve as vice provost for Instructional Technology through the current academic year. During this time the proposals from the campus will be selected, redesign course plans and technology support will be developed and faculty redesign of the courses will be completed. The redesigned courses will then be taught during the 2002-03 academic year. Aitken looks forward to collaborating with faculty from other disciplines and to providing opportunities for the campus as a whole to observe and learn from the overall redesign project.

     Interim Provost Charlena Seymour, called the grant is a major achievement for the campus. "The grant creates an exceptional opportunity for the campus to improve undergraduate education and it brings significant recognition to the University for the work that it has done in recent years to improve the learning experience of undergraduates."

     Noting that Davis Educational Foundation trustees visited the campus in late October, Seymour said, "I was pleased that the Davis Foundation trustees took the time to visit the campus and to learn first-hand about our prior success in redesigning courses in such departments as Physics, Resource Economics, Chemistry and Biology."

     Aitken said that a request for proposals will be issued to academic departments by the end of the semester, with proposals due in his office by Feb. 1. Recipients will be announced by the end of February. Information sessions on the grant will be held in the Whitmore Board Room on Jan. 9 from 10 a.m.-noon and Jan. 17 from 1-3 p.m.

     The Davis Educational Foundation was established by Stanton and Elisabeth Davis after his retirement as chairman of Shaw's Supermarkets, Inc. The foundation seeks to strengthen public and private, regionally accredited, baccalaureate degree-granting institutions in New England.