Integrate Learning – Page 6 – L4: Living Lab Learning Library

February 12, 2016

Field Visit, SIMS Municipal Recycling Facility

Sean MacDonald,https://openlab.citytech.cuny.edu/groups/econ2505-env-econ-fa2015/

Department of Social Science, School of Arts and Sciences

ECON 2505 Environmental Economics, https://openlab.citytech.cuny.edu/macdonald-mincyteecon2505fall2015/welcome-to-environmental-economics/

Activity Description: Provide a brief description of the activity

Students visited the facility, located on the Brooklyn waterfront in Sunset Park, to get a sense of how to make connections between conducting a research project and observing a site related to research in practice. They were encouraged to think of questions before the visit about the workings of the recycling process, as well as the site’s renewable energy system and artificial reef projects.

Learning Goals: What do you aim to achieve with this activity?

1. Have students document their impressions, thoughts and photographs and to post and share these on Open Lab.
2. Facilitate development of a framework for how to relate place-based research to the semester research project.
3. Make connections between local sustainable environmental practices and their relationship to the economic choices of individuals and businesses.

Timing: At what point in the lesson or semester do you use this activity? How much classroom time do you devote to it? How much out-of-class time is expected?

This activity is usually conducted during the 5th or 6th week of classes after students have obtained a grounding in the concept of place-based research, its purposes and its relevance to the overall research project. The visit is scheduled during class time (typically 1 and ½ hours for the tour and time for students to travel to the site and then back to campus.

Once students have experienced the tour, they are expected to 1) post their informal reflections of new information learned and photographs on the course Open Lab site.
Students are also required to submit a short summary in which they reflect on how the experience could inform their own place-based research

Logistics: What preparation is needed for this activity? What instructions do you give students? Is the activity low-stakes, high-stakes, or something else?

The site visit is scheduled two to three weeks prior to the start of the semester.

Students are prepared for the visit through a brief session on informal interviewing techniques. They are also asked to do some prior research on recycling in New York and other cities, and to familiarize themselves with the SIMS website in particular to get an idea of the scope of their operations. This preparation is designed to get students thinking about questions they may have before they even arrive, while providing a context for how they will conduct place-based research on their own projects.

The activity is high-stakes, as it offers a valuable perspective on what it means to conduct place-based research and how that activity fits with the goal of grounding research in the real world. At the same time, it encourages the process of making a valuable connection to the interdisciplinary focus of the class.

High-Impact Educational Practices: Which of these practices based on George Kuh’s High Impact Educational Practices (and other innovative approaches) does this activity incorporate? Choose all that apply.

Collaborative assignments and projects, Open Digital Pedagogy (the OpenLab), Inter/Multidisciplinary Projects, Undergraduate research, Place-Based Learning, Brooklyn Waterfront

Assessment: How do you assess this activity? What assessment measures do you use? Do you use a VALUE rubric? If not, how did you develop your rubric? Is your course part of the college-wide general education assessment initiative?

A formal rubric is not used for this activity; however, the preliminary process of familiarizing students with the concept of place-based research prior to the trip provides a meaningful framework for students to think critically about their own projects.

The course requirements, research and written assignments stress critical thinking, integration of knowledge across disciplines, and the importance of applying diverse perspectives to the understanding of sustainability as it relates to environmental economics.

Reflection: How well did this activity work in your classroom? Would you repeat it? Why or why not? What challenges did you encounter, and how did you address them? What, if anything, would you change? What did students seem to enjoy about the activity?

The first time I conducted this activity, I was impressed by how much students said they both enjoyed the experience and the extent to which they described something they learned about the recycling process itself. …“As people are becoming aware of their environment recycling programs are becoming popular. Earth cannot sustain current human population at the rate we are extracting resources from it… It’s pretty amazing and fascinating exactly how a bottle on a store shelf can be … recycled into another product… I have always seen recycle[d] garbage placed in various places near supermarkets but I never knew what happens after that.”

Students even make new discoveries about their own communities. One remarked that “Growing up living in Brooklyn along the neighborhoods of Sunset Park and Bay Ridge I never knew the 30th Street Pier in the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal even existed.”

Each semester, the site chosen for the class place-based field visit is changed. The assignment prior to the visit – requiring students to research the site and to think about questions they have – is similar. This process has been valuable in helping students gain some familiarity with the site and in challenging students to think about what more they want to explore and learn.

Overall, the place-based activity has proven to be a valuable means of actively engaging students in the learning process. They are curious, ask thoughtful questions and often come away from the experience with a clearer idea of the value of place-based research for their own projects.

Additional Information: Please share any additional comments and further documentation of the activity – e.g. assignment instructions, rubrics, examples of student work, etc. These could be in the form of PDF or Word files, links to posts or files on the OpenLab, etc.

https://openlab.citytech.cuny.edu/macdonald-mincyteecon2505fall2015/2015/11/18/sims-municipal-recycling-centeron/
https://openlab.citytech.cuny.edu/macdonald-mincyteecon2505fall2015/2015/11/17/sims-municipal-recycling-trip-2/
https://openlab.citytech.cuny.edu/macdonald-mincyteecon2505fall2015/policies/#comment-138

October 12, 2015January 4, 2018

Court Observation and Report

Kerin E. Coughlin

Law and Paralegal Sudies/ SPS

LAW 1103

Activity Description: Provide a brief description of the activity

Students will attend and observe a civil trial or hearing in a New York civil trial court (such as New York Supreme Court) for at least two hours, alone or in small groups. After the observation, each student shall:
1. post a short reaction on our course OpenLab site (to be constructed), as a preview of what they learned and to provide guidance and encouragement to fellow students who have not yet completed their observations, e.g., to note positive responses they received from court staff, or days/times when many trials and hearings occur, or future proceedings students may want to attend; etc.; and
2. draft a letter to a client of the (imaginary) law firm for which the student works, who will soon participate in the New York civil court system for the first time as a party to a litigation. The purpose of the letter is to prepare the client for her/his experience by explaining how our civil court system works and what the client should expect, based on the student’s knowledge obtained in our course and her/his observation of the proceeding; and
3. give a 3-5 minute oral presentation about her/his observation to the class.

Learning Goals: What do you aim to achieve with this activity?

Students will conduct independent research to identify and locate a court proceeding to observe, and to learn individual courts’ and judges’ rules (e.g., if cell phones are permitted, etc.).
1. Students’ thinking about their academic and career goals will be informed, including by:
o witnessing first-hand what one type of legal practice in which they will probably work at some point – civil litigation – is really like; and
o interacting with legal practitioners and court employees.
2. Students will be able to relate what they learned in the classroom (e.g., rules of civil court procedure) to actual practice. Hopefully, this will enable them to recognize/appreciate the reasons behind such rules and other concepts we have learned.
3. Students will be able to communicate what they have observed and learned to others, orally and in writing.
4. Students will come to appreciate the value of teamwork in learning, including by encouraging other students and benefiting from others’ encouragement.
5. Students will achieve an understanding and appreciation of what it means that courts are a “public entity,” through the experience of being fully entitled to enter a courthouse and attend proceedings freely.

Timing: At what point in the lesson or semester do you use this activity? How much classroom time do you devote to it? How much out-of-class time is expected?

I will reference this activity at the beginning of the semester, as a preview. I will introduce it in detail at the start of the second half of the semester, after we have covered a significant amount of the curriculum. Students must complete the assignment by a few weeks before the end of the semester.
I will devote about one total class session (1.25 hours) to assigning and providing guidance on the activity: about half a class when I first assign it, and occasional discussions thereafter as needed (e.g., if students bring issues to my attention that warrant addressing with the whole class.). I will also spend as much time as needed outside class working with individual students on the assignment. At the end of the semester, we will devote 2-3 class sessions to students’ oral presentations on their observations. Students are expected to devote 5 to 8 hours of out-of-class time, including researching and identifying proceedings to observe; observing proceedings for at least two hours; drafting OpenLab posts and letters; and preparing oral presentations.

Logistics: What preparation is needed for this activity? What instructions do you give students? Is the activity low-stakes, high-stakes, or something else?

Preparation includes general instruction throughout the semester on civil court procedural rules (the topic of the course) and specific instruction on the activity (described above, under “Timing”). Instructions include a detailed handout (letter to students) and oral discussions with the class and with individual students (also described under “Timing”).

First-year seminars and experiences, Service- or community-based learning, Place-Based Learning, Collaborative assignments and projects, Diversity and global learning (“difficult differences”)

I will assess this activity by evaluating students’ OpenLab posts, letters, and oral presentations, according to rubrics to be established. Evaluation will be included in grade calculation.

These issues will be addressed after I have used the assignment with my students.

September 25, 2015January 5, 2018

Tell Me About Infinity

Jonas Reitz https://openlab.citytech.cuny.edu/members/jreitz/

Mathematics/ School of Arts and Sciences

MAT 2675 Calculus II https://openlab.citytech.cuny.edu/2012spr-mat1575-reitz/

Activity Description: Provide a brief description of the activity

In this low-stakes writing assignment, students create a blog post exploring the concept of infinity. The post must respond to one of several prompts focusing on personal experiences of infinity, and must include a photo that illustrates infinity in some way. Extra credit is offered for providing a thoughtful comment on another student’s post.

Learning Goals: What do you aim to achieve with this activity?

This activity is introduced in the course MAT 2675 Calculus II as we prepare to embark on the study of infinite sequences and series, the first rigorous introduction of infinity in a mathematical context. Before students begin to wrestle with the (challenging!) technical details of the subject, I want them to reflect on their preconceptions about this pervasive and slippery notion of “infinity”. I want to give them the opportunity to make connections between infinity as it appears in other areas of life – philosophy, art, religion – and as it appears in the curriculum. In addition, I use this activity to build or reinforce technical skills – how to create a blog post, upload images, and add tags. I want to get students writing in a low-stakes environment, where their focus is on the content. Finally, I want to give students a chance to respond to one another, building community and trust in my class.

Timing: At what point in the lesson or semester do you use this activity? How much classroom time do you devote to it? How much out-of-class time is expected?

This activity is tied to a particular topic in Calculus II, infinite sequences and series, which traditionally makes up the last third of the course. The assignment is given just before we begin this topic, around week 9 or 10, and it is due two weeks after it is assigned. I spend 5-10 minutes discussing the project in class when it is assigned, and in subsequent classes I will provide a little time for students to ask questions or raise concerns. I expect students to devote 2-4 hours to this activity, over the course of 2 weeks.

Logistics: What preparation is needed for this activity? What instructions do you give students? Is the activity low-stakes, high-stakes, or something else?

I post the assignment, including detailed instructions, on the course OpenLab site (see below). I will spend a very short time in class discussing the assignment and answering questions – but I will NOT go over every detail (they are expected to carefully read the assignment and follow all instructions). I try to make the assignment stand-alone, with links to appropriate resources (including, for example, how to create a blog post, how to upload an image, and so on).

Open Digital Pedagogy (the OpenLab), Wrriting-intensive projects/assignments

The assignment includes a list of 5 specific expectations (“You should create a new blog post including the following”), and I use this as a checklist. The assignment is worth a certain number of points, and a student’s score is based solely on the checklist. I want this to be low-stakes in terms of writing — grammar and spelling are not evaluated, and the structure and content of the written work need only loosely fit the instructions. I write a response to each student’s post, and while I don’t share their point score at that time, I will point out if there are significant problems or missing items and encourage the student to make revisions.

This has been one of my most successful writing prompts – I was excited and impressed with the variety of creative and thoughtful responses. Asking them to write about their personal experience provided freedom to talk about the subject without fear of “being wrong,” and gave a rich source of material from which they could draw. Many posts spurred great comments, and I noticed in several cases the comments developed into real conversations (although the extra credit offered for commenting on another post did not extend to multiple comments).
I think this assignment could adapt quite easily to many disciplines. It is often the case that certain words, familiar from our daily lives, take on a specific and technical formal meaning in an academic context which gives students trouble – especially as the “formal” and “informal” definitions may be at odds with one another. I can imagine this activity applying to many such cases – by asking students to explore their existing experience of a word or concept, they begin to focus on the meaning of it in an intentional way, which prepares them to compare and contrast their informal definition with the formal usage.

Link to Assignment: https://openlab.citytech.cuny.edu/2012spr-mat1575-reitz/2012/04/04/openlab-assignment-7-tell-me-about-infinity/

Link to Student Work Examples: https://openlab.citytech.cuny.edu/2012spr-mat1575-reitz/?s=infinity

Category: Integrate Learning

Court Observation and Report

Tell Me About Infinity

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The OpenLab at City Tech:A place to learn, work, and share

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