Project Description

Portier-Young applied to the CIT for funding to adapt a publicly available 3D model of the ancient Israelite Tabernacle and Temple for for viewing in the Duke Immersive Virtual Environment (DiVE), by students in her course “Introduction to Old Testament Interpretation.” Portier-Young wanted students to better understand the design of the site and its use in worship activities by seeing the site on a full scale “virtual” tour.

The Virtual Tabernacle is a model of a key worship site used by the ancient Israelites; the model allows the user to see the layout of the site and explore it as a “walkthrough.” Since there is only minimal evidence in original texts about the site’s layout and construction, the model provided a starting point for discussions about interpretation of Old Testament texts.

Student assistants working with the DiVE director adapted the existing 3D model for the display equipment in the facility. In addition, funding was provided for a student assistant to handle the logistics of testing the model and taking the 170 students in the course on the tour in small groups.

All of the students in Portier-Young’s class viewed the tour and several faculty from the Divinity School examined the model to consider using it in their own courses. Portier-Young developed a survey instrument for individuals who viewed the model. The survey results indicated that the students felt the model increased their comprehension of the ancient site and how it was used; viewing the model in an immersive environment allowed the students to see the actual scale of the site and gain a deeper understanding of the site’s components and explore open questions about how worship would have been conducted, based on evidence in the Old Testament texts.

Project start date: 1/25/2007
Funding awarded: $3,325

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Project Description

For the course “Introduction to Old Testament Interpretation,” Portier-Young proposed technology based activities to enhance student learning in this core course (enrollment 170), required for all incoming Divinity students. She wished to create a Blackboard-based group activity for students to collaboratively write about course topics, and to digitize a set of images for use in course materials and lectures. In addition, she wished to explore use of a personal response system in class lectures and use the DiVE visualization facility to view Old Testament-related locations.

Portier-Young sucessfully arranged the installation of a PRS in her classroom with coordination between the CIT, A&SIST and her local support staff. Her teaching assistants, with training from the CIT, successfully managed a group activity in which student groups collaboratively authored wiki pages about course topics that could be shared with and expanded by future classes.

Due to time constraints, image digitization was postponed, but the CIT researched several possible 3D models that could be viewed in the DiVE and Portier-Young learned about the facility and the process for converting models for viewing in the DiVE.

Portier-Young reported that the use of the PRS and wiki activity as successful. Encouraged by the potential of viewing 3D models in the DiVE, she submitted a follow-up Jump Start grant request to fully fund conversion of a model for the DiVE and its use in her class.
Project start date: 5/24/2006
Funding awarded: $0

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Project description

Teaching a Freshman Focus course for the first time, Amy Laura Hall received a CIT Course Design Grant to design class activities that would introduce the students to collaboratively researching and analyzing images and would allow her to integrate her research with teaching.

Students in the course investigate the development of views about ethics and science and how they are reflected in popular culture. Hall wanted students to learn how to research and analyze images from magazines, advertisements and other sources and wanted students to share images for class discussions and use in papers and other projects. Hall explored how she could best organize and present the student images and projects using blog, wiki and discussion board tools in Blackboard, and located resources students could use through the Library to find and scan images.

Hall had mixed results in using Blackboard for the activities, since the software is not designed for easily sharing and sorting images for student use. She continued refining the syllabus and activities, eliminating aspects of the course where the students assembled metadata concerning the images and the redesigned course was taught in Fall 2007.

Project start date: 4/2006
Funding awarded: $5,000

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Project Description

Anathea Portier-Young enrolled in the CIT’s Spring 2006 Fellows program designed for faculty teaching large classes. In Fall 2006, Portier-Young was teaching the course “Old Testament Interpretation,” a core requirement of all incoming Divinity students, and she wanted to explore ways to approach learning activities and manage course logistics in a class expected to have close to 200 students.

During the Fellows program, participants were introduced to methods that could be used to enhance student learning, including approaches to lectures, group activities and grading with large courses. Portier-Young explored class activities including guided note taking to give her students a clearer picture of important topics in the course. She also tried use of a class wiki for communication and collaborative writing, and developed grading rubrics for essay assignments. In addition, Portier-Young looked at methods to improve her lectures for better student understanding and engagement.

Outcomes reported from this Fellowship included that students demonstrated better comprehension of material and more confidence in assignments with the grading rubric, and the wiki received participation from most students in the class. Portier-Young plans to streamline and improve the activities in the future.

Project start date: 1/2006
Funding awarded: $1,250

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Project Description

As part of the CIT’s Spring 2006 Fellows program designed for faculty teaching large classes, J. Carter wished to find ways to increase student engagement in his “Christology” course and discover methods for improving basic understanding of concepts in his class.

In the program, Carter and the other Fellows were introduced to a wide range of methods to enhance student learning and engagement in large courses including new approaches to lectures and effective use of student feedback and groups. Carter tried using polls to get feedback from students on class sessions and lectures so he might adapt his materials and lecture approaches for better student understanding. In addition, he developed a concept map for use in his lectures to give students a broad overview of complex historical trends they explored in the class.

Carter reported that the methods he explored were successful in engaging his students and giving them a deeper understanding of the subject matter. He hopes to continue using these techniques and expand their use in future classes.

Project start date: 1/2006
Funding awarded: $1,250

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