Information Technology in Education Committee (ITEC)
Course Development Grants
Application for the 2013-14 academic year
Objective: to encourage the thoughtful use of technology to expand liberal arts learning
beyond course timeslots and classroom walls. We welcome proposals from all faculty
members on tenure-track or renewable appointments who expect to be employed at
Trinity through 2014-15, including new hires beginning in 2013-14. Current ITEC
members are not eligible. Write a 1-2 page proposal responding to these questions.
1) Name, departmental/program affiliation, and contact information. If you wish to
collaborate with other faculty members, list all names on one application, but grants are capped
at $1,000 per proposal.
John Alcorn (Dept. of LACS). jalcorn@trincoll.edu
2) Course title and semester offered, type of students (e.g., majors, non-majors; intro or
upper-level), and projected enrollment
LACS 233-XX The Godfather: The Art of Hard Choices
Pilot J-Term - January 2014.
Enrollment cap: 15 students. (Projected enrollment: 10 students.)
Draft course description:
The Godfather films (I and II) are narrative masterpieces that provide many
insights into the interplay of character and culture in decision-making in highstakes situations outside the law. We will use the films to illustrate strategic
interaction in stylized mafia settings.
Specific topics are the relationship between narrative fiction and reality;
the mafia’s code of honor (vendetta, omertà, and gender norms); private protection
and extortion; vice markets; corruption; coalitions and conflicts; rational choice;
and the prisoner’s dilemma.
The course has a hybrid format that consists of online instruction, online
peer forums, and traditional classroom seminar meetings in roughly equal parts.
Assessments: 1) A paper (1,500 words) on a topic to be chosen in
consultation with the instructor. The paper topic will be different for each
student. 2) Online forum posts (TBD). 3) A final exam to be taken in the
traditional classroom setting. The paper and the exam will consist of analysis of
film clips in the spirit of the syllabus.
0.5 credit. 8 classroom meetings (50 minutes each) and 12 online contacthour equivalents.
3) What are the goals of your course, and how do you plan to enhance student learning
with technology? We specifically encourage proposals that stretch learning beyond course
timeslots and classroom walls. Examples may include (but are not limited to) pre-class online
exercises, writing assignments on the web, and creative uses of video. See ITEC website for
samples of proposals funded last year. Please write for non-specialists, add web links to relevant
resources, and do not exceed one single-spaced page for this section.
Goals:
• To provide a course that will meet the needs of students during the
pilot J-term in January 2014. Many students who are resident at Trinity in
January are intermittently away at athletic competitions and would benefit from
a hybrid course.
• To take a first step in the direction of online instruction. (A next step
might be to develop a fully online 1.0-credit summer course for students who
want summer courses are not in residence at Trinity during the summer.)
• To “flip the traditional classroom” in regular courses in Fall and Spring
semesters. This can be accomplished by replacing classroom lectures with online
instructional materials and by working closely with individual students (or with
small groups of students) outside the classroom to prepare them to lead classes
in rotation. Students are highly motivated to perform and to establish teamwork
in classroom settings if they are on stage among their peers. They learn skills
that will serve them well in their careers after graduation.
• To transform the “sage on a stage” classroom lecture into a multimedia
online instructional resource that students can revisit at their convenience.
Note: I have attended an ITEC instructional technologists’ workshop and I
have had a first brainstorming meeting with Greg Matejcik about specific
softwares, layouts, and media mixes that might be appropriate.
4) While teaching your course, how will you determine if this technology innovation
actually enhances student learning?
I will compare the quality of the papers with those from my conventional
seminars on similar topics. I will meet with students in small groups over coffee
to pick their brains about what worked, what didn’t, and how things can be done
differently.
5) How do you propose to spend up to $1,000 to support your plans? Categories may
include stipends for faculty time, hourly student assistants, workshop/conference training,
software or equipment costs, or other invoiced expenses.
I request $1,000 to support (a) a $500 stipend for Katie Giberson (Graduate
Fellow in Athletics), who served as a mentor in my FYSM on a related topic and is
helping me to prepare this hybrid course, and (b) a $500 stipend for my time during the
summer to work on this project.
By submitting a proposal, you agree that if funded, the College will publicly share its
content on the web, and that you will participate on an ITEC panel with other recipients
in 2013-14 to share your experiences, and submit a brief report on lessons learned by
June 30, 2014.
Save your file with your full name (e.g., SmithJane.docx) and send as an email
attachment to ITECemail@trincoll.edu by Thursday, May 16th, 2013 at 12 noon. Late
proposals will not be accepted. ITEC members will meet shortly afterwards to make our
decisions.
To learn more about this grant opportunity, visit the Trinity College ITEC website