TO:
CALS Deans and Department Chairs
FROM:
Thomas F. Patterson, Jr.
CALS F-Y Program Director
AGRI 196 Instructor
RE;
New Beginnings
DATE:
10 June 2003
Jonathan G. Leonard
AGRI 196 Instructor
The 2002-3 marked the first academic year that all First-Year students entering CALS
were required to take two semesters of New Beginnings. The Fall 2002 semester New
Beginnings (AGRI 195) focused on information technology skills and the Spring 2003
semester New Beginnings (AGRI 196) covered oral communication skills.
Students completing these two foundational skills courses have now met the CALS Core
Curriculum course requirements for information technology and oral communication.
At the end of each semester students were asked to evaluate their learning according to
the objectives of the class. Below are two stacked bar graphs showing the percentage of
students who agreed or strongly agreed with the objective statements.
New Beginnings F 2002: Information Technology
Student Evaluations
100.0%
90.0%
70.0%
60.0%
50.0%
Strongly Agree
40.0%
Agree
30.0%
20.0%
10.0%
0.0%
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Percent Responding
80.0%
Information Technology Objectives
Word Proc:
Graphic Form:
Demonstrate proficiency in word processing applications.
Understand and demonstrate how to present and interpret data in
graphic form.
Demonstrate proficiency in spreadsheet and graphics applications.
Explore and find useful data on the Internet and interpret those
data.
Demonstrate proficiency with electronic communication: e-mail,
signature files, listservs, and WebCT courseware.
Demonstrate proficiency in presentation graphics applications by
giving a presentation in front of a class.
Create World Wide Web Pages.
Become familiar with information technology hardware including
types of computers and telecommunication hardware.
Appreciate the utility, benefit and limitations of computers
Understand the role of Operating Systems and demonstrate
knowledge of UNIX, Windows98 and Windows XP.
Understand the history and legacy of computing.
Understand, detect and eliminate Computer Viruses.
Spreadsheet:
Internet:
E-Commo:
Presentation:
WWW Pages:
Hardware:
Utility:
Op Systems:
History:
Viruses:
Spring 2003 New Beginnings: Communicaton Methods
Student Evaluations
100.0%
90.0%
80.0%
70.0%
60.0%
50.0%
40.0%
30.0%
20.0%
10.0%
Strongly Agree
om
m
Agree
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P
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Sk
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0.0%
Objectives
Pres Types
Comm Process
N = 129
Understand the different types of presentations and different
audiences, and appropriately match the two to meet specific
speaking objectives
Understand the basic process of communication
2
Teamwork
Critq & Learn
Dynamic Pres
Speaking Conf
Media Prep
Sm Grp Dyn
Mass Media
Listening Skills
Demonstrate teamwork and group presentation skills as a
contributing member of a team.
Critique and learn from another person’s oral presentation.
Research, construct, and present a dynamic and effective speech to
a group.
Increase confidence in speaking.
Prepare appropriate media for presentations.
Understand and utilize small group dynamics and the concept of
teamwork both from a participant and facilitator standpoint.
Understand the role and functioning of mass media in our society.
Increase listening skills.
Notes for 2003-4 academic year:
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New Beginnings is now called Foundations.
AGRI 195 -- Foundations: Communication Methods will be taught in the Fall
2003 semester. Students need to choose a lecture (of two lectures) and a lab (of
ten labs).
AGRI 196 – Foundations: Information Technology will be taught in the Spring
2004 semester. Students need to choose a lecture (of two lectures) and a lab (of
ten labs).
With two years of experience with the Justin Morrill Honors students and
beginning a second year with the entire First-Year CALS cohort, we will be
petitioning the CALS curriculum committee and faculty for permanent numbers
for the two Foundations courses. AGRI 195 -- Foundations: Communication
Methods will be submitted as AGRI 001. AGRI 196 – Foundations: Information
Technology will be submitted as AGRI 002.
The CALS portion of the Hewlett grant has been extended through June 15, 2004,
thus giving us resources and support for the two Foundations courses for another
year.
Tom Patterson will be away on sabbatical next year. Jonathan Leonard will be
teaching both semesters with the help of a graduate student.
A reminder that the CALS core curriculum calls for building on skills, so upperclass course instructors should incorporate advanced information technology, oral
communication and writing assignments into their curriculums.
All students transferring into CALS without oral communication or information
technology course work, should be enrolled in AGRI 85 (Information
Technology) and AGRI 183 (Communication Methods) ASAP.
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