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Department: History and Political Science School Document Number: LSS 11-50
School Approval Date: 9/12/2011
CEP Review Date:
Author (Contact): Z. George Hong
Date: 8/20/2011
Effective Term: Spring 2012
Type of Proposal
(place an X in the proper box)
Course: addition
Senate Approval Date:
Program: deletion
Experiential
Learning X
revision
Proposal Subject: (One sentence overview of the proposal. Examples: change in title, prerequisite and description of NUR XYZ. Create new plan of study in XYZ department, etc.)
To designate the History 3xxxx "Modern China" as an experiential learning course. The Modern China as a regular course has been approved by the Faculty Senate in December 2010, but its course number is not decided yet.
Approved by the department on August 31, 2011.
Justification: (Explain the rationale for the proposed change.)
The Modern China course offers a unique experiential learning and research opportunity for students in history, political science, sociology, international relations, philosophy, and the proposed Asian studies minor to engage with the local
Chinese American community and experience the real interactions with Chinese and Chinese Americans. Students are required to study Chinese history and culture through field trips, empirical observations, oral history, team participation, one-on-one interview, and public presentations in an attempt to enhance students' capability of professional practice and evidence-based research.
Current: (If proposal is for a course change, enter current course information here. Include title, credits, pattern, etc. If proposal is for a change in plan of study, enter name here, and include current bingo sheet as an attached document, labeled
CURRENT.)
Proposed: (If proposal is a for a course change or new course, enter new course information here. Include title, credits, pattern, etc. If proposal is for a change in plan of study, or new plan, enter name here and include proposed bingo sheet as an attached document, labeled PROPOSED.)
HIST 3XXX Modern China
3 Credits
2-0-3 Pattern
HIST 3XXX Modern China
3 Credits
2-0-3 Pattern
Impact on Students: (Explain how students will be affected by the proposal. Benefits to students should be listed.)
Students will benefit from the course in the following ways:
1) Improving students' understanding of Chinese culture, political system, social structure, and economic development through additional experiential learning resource;
2) Learning to engage in critical thinking through undergraduate research project;
3) Learning to select appropriate resources, to gain a command of discipline methods, and to articulate new ideas on modern China through empirical studies;
4) Improving interpersonal skills with Chinese and Chinese Americans through interview projects;
Experiential Course Proposal 1

5) Empirically observing and directly participating in Chinese and Chinese American cultural activities;
6) Presenting research projects and a field trip report effectively;
7) Writing a research paper and report based upon oral history.
Cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher or consent of the instructor is required for admission to the course.
Impact On Other Departments : (Explain how other academic departments may be affected by the proposal, and summarize any discussions with other departments about the proposal. If adding or deleting a course, explain how other departments may be affected.)
As a designated experiential learning course, this course will provide students an additional experiential learning opportunities in the areas of multicultural studies, international relations, Asian studies, philosophy, and social science.
Impact on University Resources: (Curriculum changes affect university resources. Explain here how instructional, lab, computer or library resources may be affected by the proposal. It is especially important to address the possible need for additional faculty.)
None
Impact on General Education Requirements: (If the proposal fulfills or changes general education requirements in your department, explain this here.)
None
Standards of Practice of the National Society for Experiential Education
Course Modern China
Department History and Political Science
Standards of Practice. Please provide the information requested below for each of the eight standards of practice.
Evidence (Type responses in grey boxes.)
For CEP
Use Only
(Circle
One)
1. Intention – Intention represents the purposefulness that enables experience to become knowledge and is deeper than the goals, objectives, and activities that define the experience.
Example: Content of course overview, purpose of the course, etc.
Please describe the INTENTION of the course.
The course is designed to provide students with a global perspective and broad understanding of modern China, develop students’ critical thinking abilities, inspire their research interests in modern China, and improve their oral and writing skills. As planned, the course will be offered in spring 2012 or fall 2012 with 3 credits without requirement of prerequisities. Specifically, the course will have the following intentions:
1) Understanding Chinese culture, political system, social structure, and economic development
2)
Critically thinking about China’s development and China’s lessons
3) Selecting appropriate resources, commanding disciplined methods, and proposing new ideas on modern China studies
4) Improving interpersonal skills with Chinese and non-Chinese through interview projects
5) Empirically observing and directly participating in Chinese and
Chinese American cultural activities
6) Presenting research projects and a field trip report effectively
7) Writing a research paper and report based upon empirical studies and literature review
Yes
No
Experiential Course Proposal 2

2. Preparedness & Planning –Identified intentions are set as goals and specific objectives and activities are defined for the course.
Example: Forms and syllabus standards operationalized/scheduled
3. Authenticity
– The experience must have a real world context and/or be useful and meaningful in reference to an applied setting or situation.
Example: Standard site proposal agreement with goals, tasks, application.
Learning goals, tasks, application would be as determined by the course.
4. Reflection – The learner must test assumptions and hypotheses about the outcome of decisions and actions taken, then weigh the outcomes against past learning and future implications.
Example: Dialogic group events, journals, surveys, etc.
Please demonstrate how students will be academically PREPARED to participate in experiential learning.
In an effort to accomplish the aforementioned intentions and objectives, the course will implement the following plans in which students must prepare:
1) Students will conduct oral history projects designed to interview ordinary Americans who experienced or witnessed some critical historical events directly or indirectly, such as the Nixon visit to China
(1972), the Chinese Cultural Revolution (1966-1976), the normalization of US-China Relations (1979), and the Tiananmen
Incident of 1989.
2) Students will design the survey (quantitative study) and conduct interview (qualitative research) for Chinese students at PUC investigating their opinions about China’s economic development and
US-China relations since 1979.
3) Students will visit the Chinatown in Chicago to observe the
Chinese and Chinese American ways of life and write a report.
4) Students will visit the Confucius Institute at Purdue University,
West Lafayette and/or Valparaiso University to compare the different educational values and practices between the US and China.
Please demonstrate how this course has specific real world context and/or is an out-of-class experience which is AUTHENTIC.
The course will organize at least three out-of-classroom activities as follows:
1) Students will visit the Chinatown in Chicago and conduct random interviews with the Chinese and/or Chinese Americans regarding their culture, tradition, and food.
2) Students will attend in the Northwest Indiana Chinese Church to observe their way of religious services.
3) Students will visit the Confucius Institute at Purdue University and/or Valparaiso University to understand the Confucian ideas and practices on education.
Please demonstrate in specific ways how assignments provide students the opportunities to meaningfully REFLECT on their experience.
L isted below are the basic requirements for students’ reflection:
1) After completing the oral history project, students need to complete a report reflecting what they have learned from the interviewees.
2) After empirically experiencing several field research trips in
Chinatown, the Confucius Institute, and the Chinese church, students will present a talk in the classroom about their reflections.
3) After completing the survey and interview project for PUC Chinese students, students will have a roundtable discussion with PUC Chinese students in the classroom to improve their understanding of Chinese perspective on today’s China.
4) Students will submit a comprehensive paper focusing on their perception of China prior to taking the course and whether or how their previous percetions may have changed after the various experiential learning experiences.
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
Experiential Course Proposal 3

5. Orientation & Training – Students, community partner(s), and faculty are prepared with important background information about each other and about the context and environment in which the experience will operate. Additionally, ongoing structural development should be addressed in an effort to increase the appreciation of the context and skill requirements of her/his work.
Example: Checklist form with skills, tasks, preparation acquired
Please demonstrate how students will be prepared for the experience through an ORIENTATION which is appropriate to the context.
To prepare the students for an effective learning experience about modern China, the course will provide the following skill training:
1) Demonstrate and practice the interview skills required by oral history projects, including how to record the interviews professionally and legally
2) Train students how to design survey questions
3) Provide some basic statistical skills to analyze the survey and interview
4) Help students collect, select, and review archives effectively through using library and online resources
Standards of Practice of the National Society for Experiential Education
Course Modern China
Department History and Political Science
Yes
No
Experiential Course Proposal 4

Standards of Practice. Please provide the information requested below for each of the eight standards of practice.
6. Monitoring – A student-teachercommunity partner feedback loop related to learning intentions and quality objectives.
The structure of the experience permits change in response to the implications of the feedback.
Example: Checklist form with dates, review, consults, meetings, weekly student /instructor meetings, mid semester contact with site supervisor, etc.
7. Assessment & Evaluation
–
Assessment is a means to refine the specific learning goals and quality objectives identified during the planning stages of the experience.
Evaluation provides comprehensive data about the experiential process as a whole and whether it has met the intentions.
Example: Grades, reports, community partner or site evaluations, faculty evaluations, self-evaluations, performance reviews, student evaluations, etc.
8. Acknowledgment
–
All parties and individuals involved in the experience should be included in the recognition of progress and accomplishment.
Example: Faculty summary reports, students ratings, site surveys, presentation of project to site, poster sessions, recognition of student on website, informal or formal gathering, Ex L Expo, transcript notation of experience, etc.
Type of Experience
__ Cooperative Education
__ Design Project
__ Internship
__ Cultural Immersion
__ Practicum
__ Undergraduate Research
__ Service Learning
Evidence (Type responses in grey boxes.)
Please demonstrate how students will receive feedback and opportunities to improve their performance through effective
MONITORING .
The course will monitor students’ learning and practice through the following three mechanisms:
1) Instructor will meet with students weekly to monitor their oral history subjects, interview plan and procedure, survey question design, and research paper/report writing.
2) Students will learn the feedback from the roundtable discussion with their interviewees after their interview projects.
3) The course will solicit the feedback from external experts in the Confucius Institutes and the Chinese church to develop a student-teacher-community partner feedback loop.
Please demonstrate how students will be ASSESSED and
EVALUATED.
The course will implement at least three ways of evaluating and assessing students’ learning outcomes:
1)
Instructor will grade students’ oral presentation, oral history report, regular exams, and research papers.
2) Community partners from the Confucius Institutes and
Chinese church will be contacted to evaluate students’ performance
3) All students will complete evaluations designed to assess if the proposed intentions have been addressed and met.
Please show how students will be ACKNOWLEDGED for the learning they have experienced in this course.
The course will organize the following activities to acknowledge students’ performance.
1)
Organize a Chinese lunch on campus to present students’ survey and interview about the images and perceptions of
China.
2) Organize a roundtable forum discussing and debating the role of China in today’s world and the direction of US-China relations.
3) Participate in the annual EXL Expo organized by PUC
4) Invite campus and local media to cover the activities in order to disseminate the students’ research results and recognize students’ performance.
Please indicate the type of Experiential Learning this course involves.
If more than one type applies, please indicate which is the PRIMARY
(P) category and which is the SECONDARY (S).
Undergraduate research
For CEP Use
Only
(Circle One)
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
Experiential Course Proposal 5