Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Commons^™

Centering Diversity & Inclusion Resources And Dialogues In Self-Reflection Practices, Oscar Fernandez

University Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

In this presentation, attendance members learn how cross-cultural communication is one way to self-reflect on diversity and inclusion matters

Sustainability Of Our Planet And All Species As The Organizing Principle For Slce, Kevin Kecskes, Jennifer Joyalle, Erin Elliott, Jacob D. B. Sherman

Public Administration Faculty Publications and Presentations

We may define and prioritize them differently, but few would deny that our human community is facing intractable problems at local, national, and global scales. We call on higher education institutions (HEIs) around the world to work collectively and with strategic intent and action to use sustainability as an organizing principle to focus service-learning and community engagement (SLCE) activities on the flourishing of our planet and its diverse species.

In the United Nations report, Our Common Future, sustainable development (the future-oriented view of “sustainability”) was defined by World Commission on the Environment and Development members as “the kind of development …

Graduate-Level Civil Engineering Transportation Course Development – Oregon Tech, Roger Lindgren, David Thaemert, Charles Riley

TREC Final Reports

Three civil engineering professors at the Oregon Institute of Technology (Oregon Tech) undertook a project during the 2014-15 academic year to develop a series of transportation-related graduate courses and to modernize Oregon Tech’s Traffic Engineering Laboratory. Courses were developed in the areas of transportation water resources, transportation structures and traffic engineering. At the completion of this project, Oregon Tech is now capable of increasing the number of students educated in three key civil engineering sub-disciplines that are directly related to transportation. This project, therefore, contributes to all three U.S. Department of Transportation University Transportation Center (UTC) purpose statements: Advance transportation …

Curriculum Impact On Educational Philosophy Identification, Rebecca Tuttle

Student Research Symposium

An educator’s teaching philosophy represents their personal beliefs regarding the purpose of classroom instruction and the methods used to facilitate learning. While an individual’s educational philosophy often transforms over time, more research is needed to characterize influences on evolving theory and practice. This survey-based study was conducted to determine if the curricular content has an impact on teaching methodology despite a teacher’s philosophical identification. The study population comprised of adult learner-educators enrolled in a graduate educational philosophy class. The subjects were surveyed after completing a term examining the main tenets of five main educational philosophies (Liberal, Behavioral, Progressive, Humanist, Radical). …

Advanced Gis: Smart Transportation, Christopher Bone, Ken Kato, Jacob Bartruff, Marc Schlossberg

TREC Final Reports

As sensors have become cheaper and more common, they have found an increasingly important role in transportation. However, curriculum to prepare students who will be working with these technologies as developers and planners has not developed at the same rate. The goal of this project was to develop a college course focused around sensors and smart transportation to be offered to undergrad and graduate students at the University of Oregon. The class focused on the practical application and the theoretical consequences of these developments. The class was offered in the spring term of 2015 to a group of undergraduate and …

Multimodal Transportation Planning Curriculum For Urban Planning Programs, Kristine M. Williams, Tia Claridge, Alexandria Carroll

TREC Final Reports

Integrated multimodal transportation and land use planning is critical to advancing mode choice, public health and safety, and livability objectives. Communities across the U.S. are seeking to redefine their planning process accordingly. In response, university graduate urban planning and engineering programs are beginning to address multimodal planning and sustainable transportation, but most do not yet offer a robust curriculum on these topics. To help address this need, the University of South Florida (USF), Center for Urban Transportation Research (CUTR) developed a curriculum for a course on multimodal transportation planning and its role in advancing livability and related objectives. The course …

Table Discussion Final Summary - Balancing Wellness With Productivity, Portland State University

Winter Symposium

Final summary of the table discussion on the topic of balancing wellness with productivity.

With the exception of some discussion about wellness in the curriculum, the topics that emerged from this set of table notes do not fall within the purview of the Faculty Senate. For example, there are ideas related to (1) resources to support student retention and success, which intersect with initiatives in the Strategic Plan, and also (2) issues of faculty work/life balance.

Table Discussion Notes - Balancing Wellness With Productivity, Portland State University

Winter Symposium

Notes from table discussion on the topic of balancing wellness with productivity.

With the exception of some discussion about wellness in the curriculum, the topics that emerged from this set of table notes do not fall within the purview of the Faculty Senate. For example, there are ideas related to (1) resources to support student retention and success, which intersect with initiatives in the Strategic Plan, and also (2) issues of faculty work/life balance.

Table Discussion Notes - The Significance Of Equity And Inclusion In Education, Portland State University

Winter Symposium

Notes from table discussion on the topic of the significance of equity and inclusion in education.

The majority of discussion focused on the need for cultural competence training, and how to ensure equity and inclusion in the curriculum and classroom. Three leitmotifs run through the comments: this is important; this will be time and labor intensive; significant support will be required from the administration to address these issues and implement any initiatives. The topics and suggestions that emerged from the discussion align better with the charge of the Diversity Action Council than that of a future Senate Task Force on …

Table Discussion Final Summary - The Significance Of Equity And Inclusion In Education, Portland State University

Winter Symposium

Final summary of the table discussion on the topic of the significance of equity and inclusion in education.

The majority of discussion focused on the need for cultural competence training, and how to ensure equity and inclusion in the curriculum and classroom. Three leitmotifs run through the comments: this is important; this will be time and labor intensive; significant support will be required from the administration to address these issues and implement any initiatives. The topics and suggestions that emerged from the discussion align better with the charge of the Diversity Action Council than that of a future Senate Task …

Table Discussion Notes - Harmonizing Education For Local Concerns With Global Issues, Portland State University

Winter Symposium

Notes from table discussion on the topic of harmonizing education for local concerns with global issues.

The scope of discussion included curriculum, pedagogy, extracurricular opportunities for students, and faculty development. After exploring the varied connections between local and global, the majority of comments focused on ensuring a global/ international perspective in the curriculum, recognizing the value of language learning for a broad spectrum of life and career pathways, and supporting faculty development of pedagogical techniques that foster intercultural/ global competencies. Participants highlighted the rich cultural diversity on campus, and proposed that we find more ways to foster multicultural interactions outside …

Table Discussion Final Summary - Harmonizing Education For Local Concerns With Global Issues, Portland State University

Winter Symposium

Final summary of the table discussion on the topic of harmonizing education for local concerns with global issues.

The scope of discussion included curriculum, pedagogy, extracurricular opportunities for students, and faculty development. After exploring the varied connections between local and global, the majority of comments focused on ensuring a global/ international perspective in the curriculum, recognizing the value of language learning for a broad spectrum of life and career pathways, and supporting faculty development of pedagogical techniques that foster intercultural/ global competencies. Participants highlighted the rich cultural diversity on campus, and proposed that we find more ways to foster multicultural …

Table Discussion Notes - Balancing Academic Depth And Breadth, Portland State University

Winter Symposium

Notes from the table discussion on the topic of balancing academic depth and breadth.

A large part of discussion focused on how we should define breadth for our student body, the financial and societal contexts that can make breadth a difficult sell to students, and the importance of making the curriculum relevant to our students’ needs and experiences. In terms of academic content, discussion was fairly general, noting the value of balancing knowledge with skills, and providing content related to life, citizenship and career. Quite a bit of discussion explored ways to structure the curriculum and design pedagogy to meet …

Table Discussion Final Summary - Balancing Academic Depth And Breadth, Portland State University

Winter Symposium

Final Summary from the table discussion on the topic of balancing academic depth and breadth.

A large part of discussion focused on how we should define breadth for our student body, the financial and societal contexts that can make breadth a difficult sell to students, and the importance of making the curriculum relevant to our students’ needs and experiences. In terms of academic content, discussion was fairly general, noting the value of balancing knowledge with skills, and providing content related to life, citizenship and career. Quite a bit of discussion explored ways to structure the curriculum and design pedagogy to …

Welcome & Keynote Address By Dr. Kevin P. Reilly, Wim Wiewel, Sona K. Andrews, Brad Hansen, Kevin P. Reilly

Winter Symposium

Our keynote speaker for the event is Dr. Kevin P. Reilly, President Emeritus and Regent Professor with the 26-campus University of Wisconsin System, having served as President from 2004-2013.

Dr. Reilly will address what society is asking of higher education in the 21st century, and will stimulate a discussion on global issues, evolving higher education delivery formats, and the ongoing conversations on utility and utopia as Provost Andrews published in her blog. His experience leading the Wisconsin University System and perspective on current issues in Wisconsin higher education, work on the Higher Education Working Group on Global Issues for the …

Learning Sustainability Leadership: An Action Research Study Of A Graduate Leadership Course, Heather L. Burns

Educational Leadership and Policy Faculty Publications and Presentations

This study used action research methodology to examine the development of sustainability leadership in a graduate leadership course. The research investigated the impact of this leadership course, which was designed using transformative learning theory with attention to integrating thematic content, multiple and non-dominant perspectives, a participatory process, and a contextual place-based approach. Grounded theory was used to explore if and how students’ understanding of sustainability leadership changed, and the pedagogical strategies that were most influential to their learning. Results revealed that students came to understand sustainability leadership as: the facilitation of a shared process, a process of emergence, and a …

Literary Texts In The Undergraduate Russian Curriculum: Leveraging Language Learning And Literary Discussion Through Scaffolding, William J. Comer

World Languages and Literatures Faculty Publications and Presentations

In this article, I want to summarize the broader discussion about literary texts in the undergraduate curriculum for the more commonly taught languages, consider the nature of Russian undergraduate programs in light of that discussion, and then suggest a way that upper-division Russian classes can work with literary texts through the effective deployment of scaffolding in classroom tasks.

Going Deep: Reflections On Teaching Deep Ecology In Costa Rica, Heather L. Burns, Jeffrey Briley

Educational Leadership and Policy Faculty Publications and Presentations

Sustainability education aims to help learners understand their interconnectedness with all life, to become creative problem solvers and active citizens, and to engage personally and intellectually in shaping our common future. Experiential learning and critical pedagogy are central to providing opportunities for learners to engage in transformative sustainability learning. The short-term study abroad course, Theory and Practice of Sustainability in Costa Rica, provides one example of sustainability learning through the lens of deep ecology. This short term study abroad course was designed to create sustainability learning that is transformational, thematic and co-created, focuses on multiple perspectives and questions dominant paradigms, …

Development And Uses Of Iterative Systematic Literature Reviews In Electrical Engineering Education, Branimir Pejcinovic

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

It is expected that most, if not all, graduate students will posses skills necessary for doing literature reviews. It is less clear how to teach these skills most effectively especially to students who are area novices and unfamiliar with review process. Systematic literature reviews offer a solid instructional framework which can be implemented across curriculum and offer an opportunity to teach course material differently so that student learn not just the literature review technique itself but also some segment of the course material. Our pilot study investigated issues related to practical implementation of systematic literature reviews in two classes, with …

Enhancing Freshman Engineering Instruction With In-Class Interaction Systems And E-Books, Branimir Pejcinovic, Phillip K. Wong

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Electrical engineering students in our department take a year-long series of courses which introduces electrical engineering as a discipline and provides good grounding in engineering problem solving and programing. We have recently attempted to make the second course in the sequence more engaging by applying active learning techniques, including assigned reading and exercises prior to lectures, in-class exercises using a classroom interaction system, and programming exercises during lectures. Our results are mixed: while we think that students have learned more than if we had not used these techniques, we have not completely won over our students. While using an e-book …

From Capstones To Strategic Partnerships: The Evolution Of Portland State University’S Community Engagement And Partnership Agenda, Erin Flynn

University Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

Portland State University’s (PSU) reputation as an engaged, urban-serving university continues to distinguish it both nationally and locally. Key partnerships with local, public, and private partners provide students, faculty, and staff with remarkable opportunities to contribute to the physical, social, and economic development of the Portland metropolitan region. This article traces the evolution of PSU’s engagement and partnership agenda and shares lessons learned by PSU as it seeks to better coordinate and centralize key components of its vast engagement and partnership portfolio. This reflection describes why and how PSU created an Office of Strategic Partnerships and the role of the …

Sustaining Change: Successes, Challenges, And Lessons Learned From Twenty Years Of Empowering Students Through Community-Based Learning Capstones, Seanna M. Kerrigan

University Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

More than four thousand students engage in the community-based learning capstone program every year by enrolling in one of 240 senior-level courses that culminate their undergraduate education. In this article, the author shares the context and history of the program, its foundational principles and processes, and the nuts-and-bolts details of the ongoing operation of the largest community-based learning capstone program in the United States.

Final Dissertation Paper Rubric: 5-Part Dissertation, Dannelle D. Stevens

Education Faculty Publications and Presentations

This is a rubric developed by Dannelle D. Stevens, Doctoral Program Coordinator in the Graduate School of Education, designed to help guide evaluations for doctoral dissertations in Educational Leadership at Portland State University.

Dissertation Proposal Rubric: 5-Chapter Dissertation, Dannelle D. Stevens, Gayle Yvonne Thieman

Education Faculty Publications and Presentations

This is a rubric developed by Dannelle D. Stevens, Doctoral Program Coordinator in the Graduate School of Education, and Gayle Thieman, Doctoral Program Committee Member, designed to help guide evaluations for doctoral dissertation proposals in Educational Leadership at Portland State University.

Developing And Assessing Curriculum On The Physics Of Medical Instruments, Warren Christensen, James K. Johnson, Grace R. Van Ness, Elliot E. Mylott, Justin C. Dunlap, Elizabeth A. Anderson, Ralf Widenhorn

Physics Faculty Publications and Presentations

Undergraduate educational settings often struggle to provide students with authentic biologically or medically relevant situations and problems that simultaneously improve their understanding of physics. Through exercises and laboratory activities developed in an elective Physics in Biomedicine course for upper-level biology or pre–health majors at Portland State University, we aim to teach fundamental physical concepts, such as light absorption and emission and atomic energy levels, through analysis of biological systems and medical devices. The activities address the properties of electromagnetic waves as they relate to the interaction with biological tissue and make links between physics and biomedical applications such as microscopy …

Japanese International Graduate Students In U.S. Higher Education Classrooms: An Investigation Of Their Pedagogical And Epistemological Challenges And Supports, Miki Yamashita

Dissertations and Theses

International students have long been an important part of the U.S. higher education community, but generally they have received inadequate attention in the classroom. Also, American teaching and learning strategies have not taken full advantage of international diversity. The purpose of this narrative study was to qualitatively understand the experiences of Japanese graduate students in U.S. higher education classrooms. The study highlights the challenges that Japanese graduate students faced due to cultural differences, pedagogical differences, and language problems and provides a number of suggestions for faculty, domestic students, and institutions to help create a more welcoming environment for Japanese graduate …

Why Do We Engage In Engagement?, Judith A. Ramaley

Public Administration Faculty Publications and Presentations

Universities have many reasons for seeking closer alliances and partnerships with the communities they serve. These partnerships constitute a set of mutually beneficial relationships that can challenge the traditional values of the academy. Direct involvement with community and societal issues is often considered less than scholarly by faculty and the changes necessary to promote meaningful community-campus interactions may be viewed with suspicion or anxiety by members of both the campus community and the broader community. There are many benefits associated with engagement that make the challenge of building the capacity for partnership worthwhile.

Transforming Technology Management Courses For Web Delivery, Wayne Wakeland

Complex Systems Faculty Publications and Presentations

This paper explores the ramifications of using web technology in teaching technology management courses, computer-based modeling and simulation courses in particular. The emphasis is on what works, but disappointments are also mentioned. Web technology is being used to supplant lectures with self-paced materials and lab exercises that enable students to take courses remotely and asynchronously. Web-based exams are also discussed.

Portland Dialect Study - High Rising Terminal Contours (Hrts) In Portland Speech, Rebecca A. Wolff

Dissertations and Theses

This study reports on the use of an intonation contour used in declarative clauses that is referred to in at least some of the literature as a "High Rising Terminal Contour" (HRTs). The intonation pattern is characterized by a final rise, which is similar to the pitch change used in yes-no questions. The purpose of this study is to document the use of this intonation pattern by residents of Portland, Oregon, in order to see what light it can shed on the HRT's status and function, especially among the young to see if it can be implicated in language change. …