2024 SoTL Grant and Dissemination Award Recipients

Associate Professor of Practice of Public Policy, Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy

Grant Type: SoTL Research Grant

Funding Awarded: $5,000

Project Title: Community-engaged Learning for Public Policy: Real World Connections and Lasting Impacts

Abstract: Community-engaged teaching is widely recognized as bringing value to students, faculty, and institutions. However, the evidence on community-engaged learning in policy schools is sparse. As a Professor of Practice who focuses on bridging academics and practice, I think it’s critical to better understand the potential benefits of community-engaged projects for our policy students and how students can integrate their learning into work beyond UVA, in a lasting way. This grant would support data collection for this ongoing SoTL research for a community-engaged teaching grant-funded course I am teaching this fall, to better understand impacts over time and share these findings broadly. I hope findings will inform Batten’s understanding of how community-engaged courses can complement academic learning on public policy and shape curriculum, course development, faculty training and mentoring, etc. Sharing results more broadly (through a conference presentation and journal article) will also contribute to expanding the knowledge base about the value of community-engaged teaching for students, communities, and universities.

Assistant Professor, Department of Applied Mathematics, School of Engineering and Applied Science; 2023-2024 SoTL Scholar

Grant Type: SoTL Research Grant

Funding Awarded: $5,000

Project Title: Create a Programming Lab Teaching MATLAB & R and Investigate Its Impacts

Abstract: MATLAB and R are essential computing platforms widely employed in engineering and scientific domains, encompassing data analysis, signal and image processing, control systems, wireless communications, and robotics. Despite many courses offered by the School of Engineering & Applied Science (SEAS) at UVA that either utilize MATLAB/R or have the potential to do so, there is a noticeable absence of a dedicated programming course aimed at effectively teaching students how to utilize these tools. As a result, students often resort to self-paced learning methods, or the courses must compromise content to accommodate introductory instruction on MATLAB/R during the initial weeks. This project seeks to address this gap by establishing a 2-credit programming lab dedicated to teaching MATLAB and R, while also evaluating students' perceptions of this lab and its impact on the engineering curriculum.

Senior Lecturer of Spanish, Department of Spanish, Italian & Portuguese, College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences; 2021-2022 SoTL Scholar

Grant Type: SoTL Dissemination Grant

Funding Awarded: $3,000

Project Title: Tracking Empathy and Compassion in Community-based Language Courses: A Case Study

Abstract: Community-based learning is often described as a transformative pedagogical practice. The context for my current SoTL research project is an advanced community-based language learning (CBLL) course in which students use their bilingual skills to serve the Spanish-Speaking community in Charlottesville.Students in these courses experience a range of emotions that include empathy and compassion—the latter being an emotion that can prompt students to take action. The purpose of my project is to identify how students in my CBLL courses express empathy and compassion in their guided reflections on community work. A secondary aim is to understand how reported emotional responses change in frequency and character over the duration of the course. In November 2023, I presented a case study with some preliminary results at the American Council for the Teaching of Foreign Languages. The next steps for my project are to complete the data analysis, identify a short list of academic journals, and submit an article for their consideration. My work on the emotionality of CBLL pedagogies will contribute to the fields of CBLL and Critical Emotion Studies by identifying pedagogical strategies that facilitate students’ critical engagement with their own values and goals.

Assistant Professor of Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences; 2022-2023 SoTL Scholar

Grant Type: SoTL Dissemination Grant

Funding Awarded: $2,725

Project Title: Increasing Metacognition in Undergraduate Students Taking an Organic Chemistry Course

Abstract: The objective of my IRB-approved study is to assess how well our students recognize their metacognitive skills and how introducing metacognitive tools to the curriculum may help them retain and reinforce crucial course information. This study's participants are students who completed Organic Chemistry I and II courses, which were designed to introduce metacognitive techniques and tools during lecture time, incorporating metacognition exercises as active learning components. During the semester, students were familiarized with metacognitive tools and actively applied them, reporting their findings through three survey questions administered at the beginning, middle, and end of the semester. Survey results will be compared with course performance on assignments to understand students' metacognitive profiles and establish correlations between metacognition and performance. We want to establish if we teach our students metacognition, they will be enabled to think and be aware of how they learn, how to evaluate their own learning, and adapt their skills to make their learning and performance more effective.

Assistant Director, Learning Design & Technology, College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences

Grant Type: SoTL Collaboration Grant

Funding Awarded: $5,000

Project Title: Teaching with Artificial Intelligence: A Cross-Institutional Research Study for an Open Educational Resource (OER) Guide

Abstract: In today's educational landscape, the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) stands as a promising avenue to revolutionize teaching and learning methodologies. However, despite its potential, many educators find themselves at a crossroads, lacking the essential resources and expertise needed to effectively incorporate AI into their curricula. This disparity between the potential of AI and the readiness of faculty and instructors poses a significant obstacle, impeding the realization of AI's benefits in education. Open Educational Resources (OER) emerge as a viable solution to this pressing challenge. Offering freely accessible, customizable, and shareable instructional materials, OER holds the promise of democratizing education. By harnessing the power of AI in the development of these resources, a new frontier emerges, one where content can be dynamically tailored to suit diverse educational needs while expediting the production process. This SoTL project proposes the development of an OER guide focused on aiding faculty and instructors in incorporating AI into their teaching. It will provide practical guidance, pedagogical considerations, and curated examples, enabling educators to harness AI's potential effectively. Additionally, this OER aims to enhance critical thinking around AI literacy and ethics among both educators and students, spotlighting and addressing racial injustices amplified by AI technologies.

Assistant Professor of Nursing, School of Nursing; 2022-2023 SoTL Scholar

Grant Type: SoTL Dissemination Award

Funding Awarded: $2,000

Project Title: Exploring the Relevance of Statistics Prerequisite for DNP Program Admission

Presentation Information: Byon, H., Park, S., Quatrara, B., Taggart, J., & Wheeler, L.  (2024, May). Exploring the relevance of statistics prerequisite for DNP program admission [Podium Presentation]. Asian American/Pacific Islander Nurses Association Annual Conference. Seoul, South Korea.

Assistant Professor, Department of Applied Mathematics, School of Engineering and Applied Science; 2023-2024 SoTL Scholar

Grant Type: SoTL Dissemination Award

Funding Awarded: $2,000

Project Title: Students' Perceptions on the Effectiveness of Incorporating Numerical Computations into an Engineering Linear Algebra Course