Ithaca
(IC)
2
College
Demonstration
Projects
Periodic Update Report
Date of Submission:
January 8, 2010
Project Title:
Representing South Asia
Principal Investigator: Jason Freitag
Department:
History
School/Division:
Humanities and Sciences
Project Co-Principal Investigators (if any):
Reporting Period:
I.
Anjali Nerlekar (English), Denise Nuttall (Anthropology)
Fall 2009
X
Spring 2010
________
Fall 2010
__________
Spring 2011
________
Executive Summary of State of the Project:
The proposed 1-credit Block II integrative course was designed and run in the Fall 2009 semester. Eight students participated in the
course, which involved seminar-style classes in which all three professors participated; two experiential components, a trip to a Hindu
temple outside Rochester and a trip to New York City; reflective writing throughout the semester and final, interdisciplinary group
projects. A unique student statement was designed and administered, and will be analyzed and assessed, along with the instructors’
assessments and reflection, as the next step in the project.
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II.
Key Accomplishments to Date (or Since Last Report):
The proposed Block II course and trips were fully implemented.
III.
Key Challenges to Date:
Due to the short time-line from approval of the project to the actual running of the course, the process of scheduling the class and
registering the students for it was difficult. Some minor roster issues remain, though we believe, in consultation with the H&S Dean’s
office, we have found the appropriate solutions.
IV.
How were these Challenge(s) addressed:
We worked closely with the H&S Dean’s office, in particular David Garcia and Stacia Zabusky. They were invaluable in carrying out
the administrative end of the project, locating the course within the IISP category in H&S, and providing continuing support
throughout the semester.
V.
Expenditures to Date:
We spent just over $900 of the $1,000 proposed for the trip to New York City. A complete breakdown of the expenses for vehicle
rental, parking, fuel, museum admission, subway rides, and food will follow on the next update. None of the $1,200 proposed for
faculty compensation has yet been spent. We expect the contracts for that money to be drawn up and issued in the Spring 2010
semester.
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VI.
Project Assessment:
The project is only now moving into the assessment phase. Since the timeline to get the project up and running was so short, we ask
that we be allowed to present the full assessment plan and results in the Spring 2010 report. The following table, therefore, is
preliminary and subject to revision.
Project Goal
Actions
Measure(s)
Outcome(s)
Next Steps
Explore a creative model
of interdisciplinary
teaching that would serve
as a blueprint for
multiple, easily deployed,
inexpensive and flexible
small-scale integrative
learning projects across
the curriculum.
Identify and resolve
administrative hurdles to
interdisciplinary
teaching.
Create a space for
experiential learning,
defined here as learning
which is student-led and
in which the outcome has
an element of
unpredictability that is
both the result of, and is
enhanced by the
integrative,
interdisciplinary nature
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1. Observation
and/or
participation in
regular weekly
puja (worship)
service at Hindu
temple.
Student reflective journal
writing.
2. Visit
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of the course and the
material.
Metropolitan
Museum of Art
South Asian
Collections
3. Visit “Little
India” in Jackson
Heights, Queens
for dinner and
neighborhood
visit.
Identify ways to support
and streamline learning
experiences that happen
off the campus.
Create learning
communities for people
who have developed a
disciplinary or area
interest.
Open course only to
those students already
enrolled in South Asia
related courses.
Explore connections and
disjunctions between
disciplines in a structured
and intentional way.
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Student Learning Assessment:
The project is only now moving into the assessment phase. Since the timeline to get the project up and running was so short, we ask that we be
allowed to present the full assessment plan and results in the Spring 2010 report.
Student Learning
Objective (SLO)
2
Method of Instruction
(How was this SLO
taught)
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Type of Measure (Direct
and Indirect)
Outcome
Possible Reason for
Outcome
(interpretation)
Revision
(if any)
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