Jonathan Goodall, Assistant Professor of the Practice of Geospatial Analysis, Environmental Sciences and Policy, Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences

Project description

In Advanced Geospatial Analysis (ENVIRON 359), students used Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to understand environmental processes and how to protect and manage environmental resources. Students were required to work with large, complex databases and satellite images.

In support of these goals, students used iPods as portable storage to complete labs and projects with datasets too large for the classroom server. They also subscribed to podcasts from commercial GIS companies (e.g. Environmental Systems Research Institute) and from GIS practitioners to add these perspectives on cutting edge GIS technologies not yet documented in their textbooks.

Project start date: August 1,  2006

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Satendra Khanna, Associate Professor of the Practice
Asian and African Languages and Literature, Arts & Sciences

Project description

In this advanced Hindi language course, Professor Satendra Khanna includes a wide variety of film and literature examples to increase student engagement with authentic language and culture. With the addition of iPods to the course, students in the course expanded their contact with authentic language even further by using their iPods to record weekly samples of actual Hindi in use at various South Asian diaspora sites in the Triangle. The language samples were analyzed in class to allow the incorporation of important locutions and vocabulary in student coursework. The introduction of iPod assignments allowed students to encounter the real language in real use, which required them to adapt to this Hindi-using environment rather than using language that is pre-filtered and simplified. Such exposure to Hindi in current use in the diaspora has dynamic consequences for Hindi instruction in the classroom.

Project start date: August 1, 2005

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Joan Clifford, Visiting Assistant Professor
Romance Studies, Arts & Sciences

Project Description

In this ongoing Service-learning project, students explore issues of cultural assimilation, literacy, and access to educational opportunities for the growing Latino community in the United States. They used iPods with microphone attachments to record observations from their service learning experiences. Students in this course will also be asked to listen to archived interviews with Spanish-speakers in the community, which will facilitate listening comprehension practice, provide exposure to authentic speech patterns and accents, and also disseminate content to the students outside of class.

In the Fall 2006 semester, the project involved Duke students interviewing Latino/a students and parents at Jordan High School about their experiences within Durham Public Schools. These testimonials provided additional information to further the insights gained last year with a written survey. The video and audio components of the iPods were used in the production and editing of the interviews. Duke students also continued to use their iPods to record their own audio journals reflecting on their service at the high school.

Project start date: August 1, 2005

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JoAnne Van Tuyl, Associate Professor of the Practics
Slavic and Eurasian Studies, Arts & Sciences

Project description

Russian isn’t more difficult to study than French or Spanish, it just takes longer. Beginning Russian students face the challenge of learning about 1,000 words, most of which do not resemble any word they have heard before. These realities form the background of Prof. Van Tuyl’s project to create “Audio flash cards” to speed up and significantly strengthen students’ mastery of basic Russian vocabulary. In this project, each vocabulary word or phrase is recorded in its own audio file which students can include in their own playlists for parts of speech, words from the same chapter, or according to the student’s personal “rating” of difficulty level. Vocabulary files can also be accompanied by a relevant video file, or photo.

With their exposure to Russian no longer limited to classroom time and textbook reading, students have the ability to hear and practice the language while riding the bus, lying in bed or doing their laundry. Prof. Van Tuyl has found that, by increasing their exposure to spoken Russian with iPods and audio flashcards, students gain basic Russian lexical proficiency more quickly and with less stress than was possible before.

Project start date: August 1, 2005

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