FIFTH ANNUAL NORTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM PROCEEDINGS

Transcription

1 FIFTH ANNUAL NORTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM PROCEEDINGS SPONSORED BY The Academic Advisory Council of The Ins tute for Public Policy & Economic Development A partnership between Keystone College, King s College, Luzerne County Community College, Marywood University, Misericordia University, Penn State Wilkes Barre, The Commonwealth Medical College, University of Scranton & Wilkes University 1

2 A partnership between Keystone College, King s College, Luzerne County Community College, Marywood University, Misericordia University, Penn State Wilkes Barre, The Commonwealth Medical College, University of Scranton, & Wilkes University ACADEMIC ADVISORY COUNCIL Alexander Dawoody, Ph.D. Chairman, Marywood University Terry Clemente, M.B.A. Penn State/Wilkes Barre Ted Engel, M.B.A. Wilkes University Daniel Flynn, Ph.D. The Commonwealth Medical College Thea Harrington, Ph.D. Keystone College Steven Jones, Ph.D., University of Scranton Gary Mrozinski, Ph.D. Luzerne County Community College Joseph Rish, J.D. King s College Bernade e Rushmer, M.B.A. Misericordia University. Special thanks to: Keynote Speaker: Dr. Samuel Quainoo Marywood MPA students: Julanne Skinner and Hanof Abozenadah The workshop leaders: Kurt Bauman, Anne e Fisher, Heather Gazella, Kenny Luck, Bill Miller, and Dr. Joe Polizzi STAFF Teri Ooms, Execu ve Director Sherry Tracewski, Research & Policy Analyst Kate Wassel, Research Assistant 2

3 ABOUT THE ACADEMIC ADVISORY COUNCIL OF THE INSTITUTE FOR PUBLIC POLICY & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT The Academic Advisory Council is comprised of educators from The Ins tute for Public Policy & Economic Development s nine partner ins tu ons. The Academic Advisory Council (AAC) convenes quarterly to discuss key academic planning and developing, as well as examine economic perspec ves of academic policies and ini a ves. The AAC ac vely analyzes and sponsors research programs and objec ves. The AAC was formed in 2005 and is incorporated under The Ins tute for Public Policy & Economic Development, a collabora ve applied research center. The mission of The Ins tute is to assist in the revitaliza on of communi es, coun es, states, nonprofits, and business and industry through the u liza on of our exper se and resources, including member universi es, colleges, and their respec ve faculty and students. The Ins tute provides research, consulta on, and strategic direc on to clients solving a variety of challenges while harnessing opportuni es. The 2012 Research symposium was hosted by: The Ins tute for Public Policy & Economic Development 7 South Main Street 120 Wyoming Avenue Suite 201 Third Floor Wilkes Barre, PA Scranton, PA t: t: f: h p:// tutepa.org info@ins tutepa.org 3

4 Speakers and par cipants from the 2012 Symposium Mindy L. Gordon, MBA, Wilkes University Keynote Speaker, Dr. Samuel Quainoo Dr. Kingsley Banya, Misericordia University Par cipants from the 2012 Symposium 4

5 Dr. Samuel Quainoo, the keynote speaker, answering ques ons. Teri Ooms, Execu ve Director of The Ins tute (le ) with Dr. Samuel Quainoo (center) and Dr. Alexander Dawoody, Marywood University. Dr. Moses Prabu, The Commonwealth Medical College, presen ng at the Symposium on April 4th. Sarah Schmeyer, Marywood University receiving the Award for Best Student/Faculty Paper from Dr. Dawoody 5

6 About the Keynote Speaker: Dr. Samuel Quainoo Dr. Quainoo is a Professor of Poli cal Science at East Stroudsburg University. He previously, taught at Cornell University, Binghamton University, Morgan State University, and Lafaye e College. He also taught and developed Study Abroad courses in Ghana and Oxford University. He established the Frederick Douglass Ins tute at East Stroudsburg University and was its first director for the first eight years, serving as well on the execu ve board for the Statewide Frederick Douglass Collabora ve. He has published two books; Transi on and Consolida on of Democracy...Global Academic Publishing, Binghamton University Press 2000, and Africa Through Ghanaian Lenses, Global Academic Publishing, Binghamton University Press, Forthcoming books include Africanisms in the African Diaspora, and Globaliza on and its Impact on Na onal Policies. The Award for Best Paper went to Dr. Jun Ling of The Commonwealth Medical College. Dr. Ling s work was en tled Glucocor coid promotes breast cancer cell survival via func onal interac on with NFkB signaling pathway. Best Paper Awards Sarah Schmeyer, a student at Maryood University, received the Award for Best Student/Faculty Paper. Sarah s paper was en tled Healthcare Informa on Technology: Its Effects on Pa ent Outcomes and Care Delivery. 6

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8 TABLE OF CONTENTS When Pigs Fly A House for Duncan and Nugget By Kate O Connor Feedback: History, Implementa on, Benefits, and Concerns By Dr. Liuzzo and Mindy Gordon Reinvent Yourself: A Personal Guide to an Encore Job in Sales; Live a Produc ve Life with Financial Success By Dr. Russell Owens and Joseph Asklar Dissec ng Interna onal Business Decorum for Sales Success By Dr. John N. Mellon The Issue of Quality Assurance in Higher Educa on By Dr. Kingsley Banya The Challenges of Reforming Teacher Educa on Programs: An Outsider Within Perspec ve By Dr. Kingsley Banya Posi ve Reinforcement to Encourage Behavior Management and Academic Achievement By Linsay Zarick Socializa on to Higher Educa on Administra ve Roles: A Qualita ve Explora on of the Internship in Higher Educa on Experience in Preparing Master s and Doctoral Students for Careers in Higher Educa on By Jamie Valis & Dr. Tonya Saddler Building a Knowledge Base for Online Databases A Key to Students Academic Success By Zhong Geng Improving Wiki Pedagogy in Higher Educa on By Stephen L. Broskoske Construc ng Short Term Service Trips Abroad By Megan Boone Valkenburg & Dr. Andrew P. Miller The Sustainability of Leadership Studies Minors: Exploring Course Content By Ma hew Sowcik, Ph.D, Olivia Waszkiewicz, Suzaane Ekstrom, Alexandria Genelow, Angelina Genelow, Kelly Bridger, Nicholas Wesley The Effects of Marcellus Shale Drilling By Ryan Rempe Un tled By Ohud Alkrithy Improving the Pain Levels of Terminally Ill Pa ents Through Hospice Care in Nursing Homes By JoAnne Jakubowski and Dr. Alexander Dawoody Late Effect of Alzheimer s In Elderly Age 65 and Older By Jintana Steinman and Dr. Alexander Dawoody In Long Term Care Services, How Effec ve Does Assisted Living Provided the Care, Ac vi es, and Medical Support For Alzheimer s Pa ents in Scranton, PA in 2010 By Andrew Wolak

9 TABLE OF CONTENTS Needle Exchange Programs and Their Effect on HIV Incidence Rates in Injec on Drug Users By Sarah Smith Healthcare Informa on Technology: Its Effects on Pa ent Outcomes and Care Delivery By Sarah Schmeyer Effec veness of Nutri on Educa on Programs in Helping to Prevent and Treat Childhood Overweight and Obesity By Chelsea Natarian Biophysical Studies of Cell Trafficking Intermediates of Human Cathepsin D Found in Breast Cancer Tissue By Melissa Keller Over Expression of Inac ve Cathepsin D in Various Mammalian Cell Lines and the Effect of Its Cataly c State of Enzyme Matura on By Shivani Pandya Secondary Structure, Thermal Stability and Binding Characteris cs of Cell Trafficking Intermediates of Inac ve Cathepsin D by Luyu Liu Polymorphism in Cathepsin D and Juvenile Demen a Biophysical Approaches for Novel Clinical Interven on by Jenna Facher Substrate Envelope Approach A Novel Method to Design Highly Specific An HIV Drugs by Dr. Moses Prabu Produc on of Human Cytoskeleton Associated Protein 4 in Insect Cells Infected with a Baculovirus Expression Factor by Kevin Tuffy & Brandon Golden Binding of An prolifera ve Factor to Cytoskeleton Associated Protein 4 Detected by Surface Plasmon Resonance by Chris na Ma ka Developmental Anaylsis of Muta ons in the Grappa Gene: the Drosophila Ortholog of Human DOT1L bu Greg Shanower ETS 1 is Required for CTGF/CCN2 Induc on by TGF B1 in Primary Osteoblasts By Tom Nowakowski & Dr. John A. Arno Design of a Modular Molecular Decivce for the Delivery of Synapse Modifying Proteins by Victor Francone & Ashlee Dougher Glucocor coid Promotes Breast Cancer Cell Survival via Func onal Interac on with NFKB Signaling Pathway By Jun Ling & Raj Kumar Role of Ac n Filament Associated Protein 1 in Mammary Gland Development and Lacta on By Dr. Jess Cunnick, Dr. Youngjin Cho, Dr. Carmine Cerra, and James Hadsell Randomized Trial of Sodium Bicarbonate versus Normal Saline in Preven ng Acute Kidney Injury in Cardiac Surgery Pa ents By Judith Kristeller, Tiera Hickman, and Theresa Romaldini

10 TABLE OF CONTENTS Does Ea ng More Frequently Increase Weight Loss During a Behavioral Weight Loss Interven on? By Dr. Jessica Bachman & Hollie Raynor Un tled By Caitlin West Discovering Opera onal Efficiencies: An Evalua on of the Advocacy and Community Mental Health Services Department at the Advocacy Alliance as of 2011 By Bo Hoban Using the PRECEDE PROCEED model to assess dietary needs in the Hispanic popula on in Lackawanna County, PA. By Diana Cuy Castellanos, PhD, RD and Ka e Abrahamsen The Effects of Internet Technologies on the Outreach Efforts of Scranton Non Profits in 2012 By Viola Henning and Dr. Alexander Dawoody The Affect the Pennsylvania s Heart and Lung Act Has Had on Municipali es By David Ellio and Dr. Alexander Dawoody Up to Par: The EPA Has Standards for Drinking Water, but is the Quality of the Drinking Water in Dimock, PA being Monitored, Regulated, or Just Contaminated? By Erin M. Visalli and Dr. Alexander Dawoody Board Service: A Discussion By Jus n Matus Determining the Long Term Risk of Recidivism and Registra on Failures Among Sexual Offenders By Daniel Freedman The Effects of Structured Orienta on Programs on Job Sa sfac on and Longevity Among Clinical Research Coordinators By Kathleen Uhranowsky Social Work Students Come with Baggage: Past and Present Psychosocial Trauma By Andrea Mease, Dr. Phyllis Black, and Dr. Joanne Wheley Benevolent and Hos le Sexist A tudes Among MSW Students By Karen Rampulla and Dr. Phyllis Black Sense of Belonging and Empowerment Among People with Series Mental Illness By Courtney Connor and Dr. Kimiko Tanaka Present and Future Challenges in Caring for Nursing Home Residents with Advancing Demen a By Dennis Chapman, Melody Collins and Kelly Costello.. 56 Mentoring: A Model for Cul va ng Leadership Competencies in African Women Leaders Jane Wakahiu, Ph.D 57 10

11 WHEN PIGS FLY A HOUSE FOR DUNCAN AND NUGGET Kate O'Connor, Et al. Marywood University Kate O Connor is a designer who strongly believes that architects must design responsibly to serve people and their communi es without imposing arbitrary restric ons. Ul mately, they must create an architecture that understands human needs, serve economic s mula on, social consciousness and embody environmental awareness. She currently works for herself and teaches at Marywood University. By exploring moments of inspira on between designers and ecologists, we can inves gate how both prac ces intersect and remain intertwined pragma cally and philosophically within the s ll emerging field of sustainable design. The goal of sustainable architecture is to holis cally unify art and science in order to find prac cal solu ons to environmental problems while addressing the social and economic aspects of sustainability. Exploring how sustainable design benefits a community introduces the no on that architecture is not only an academic discipline, but also one that serves social consequences. Students from the Marywood University School of Architecture explored the design/build pla orm for a not for profit animal sanctuary in Mehoopany, Pennsylvania by providing a structure for two growing pigs rescued from slaughter as piglets. The student work examined the capacity of design to the be erment of the farm, and ul mately, community. The process provided the framework for an engaged and comprehensive learning opportunity, developing industry skills and accumula ng material knowledge while emphasizing ci zenship as part of the curricular standards. Emphasizing design that values human and local research, students approach learning through crea ve problem solving, while the development of skills results in a full understanding of how ideas become real. We must address the holis c approach to sustainable design as part of curricular standards, especially where the survival of the individual is dependent on the community, and the community profits from the individual. 11

12 360º FEEDBACK: HISTORY, IMPLEMENTATION, BENEFITS, AND CONCERNS" Dr. Liuzzo, Director of the MBA and ABBA Programs /Mindy Gordon, student Wilkes University Anthony L. Liuzzo. J.D., Ph.D. serves as Professor of Business and Economics and as Director of the MBA and ABBA Programs at Wilkes University. An a orney and economist specializing in public policy issues, Dr. Liuzzo is the author of Essen als of Business Law, 8th Edi on, a textbook published by McGraw Hill/Irwin. Mindy L. Gordon, MBA served in the US Navy prior to comple ng a Bachelor s in nuclear engineering technologies and a Master s in business with an emphasis in human resource management and organiza onal development. Ms. Gordon was the keynote speaker for the Wilkes University Veterans Day ceremony on November 11, By obtaining the percep ons of supervisors from coworkers through surveys and interviews, and by comparing these to the percep on the supervisor has of himself/herself, discrepancies that otherwise would not have been brought to light become apparent. The purpose of this paper is to address the 360º feedback process, with special a en on to its history, implementa on, benefits, and concerns. The paper describes the reasons to use 360º feedback including employee development, performance appraisals, and organiza onal change. Also addressed are how to obtain the data and the frequency of the process, as well as the importance of anonymity and follow up training. An in depth discussion of the 360º feedback process follows covering the benefits of improved self awareness; enhanced performance; organiza onal change; and the concerns of validity, reliability, differences in personality, differences in gender, and differences in culture. By recognizing the importance of the process, organiza ons in Northeast Pennsylvania can improve the sa sfac on of their employees and the resultant produc vity. 12

13 REINVENT YOURSELF: A PERSONAL GUIDE TO AN ENCORE JOB IN SALES LIVE A PRODUCTIVE LIFE WITH FINANCIAL SUCCESS Dr. Russell Owens Asst. Professor / Mr. Joseph Asklar Asst. Professor King s College Photograph and biography not available. This book is a compila on of thought provoking stories of wisdom from three people who have transformed their careers out of a desire to bring a deeper meaning to their lives. Their strategies, techniques and secrets will help you begin an encore career in the world of sales. You will learn everything from the basics of the sales industry to the closely held traits and characteris cs of the top 1% of salesmen. You will also learn the secrets of working smart and finding higher qualified prospects to increase your income. This may be the most important book you will ever read. We decided to write this book not only to help you become more knowledgeable about the industry of sales but also to teach you how to deal with the inevitable fact that no ma er how happy or stable you think you are in your current career, there is always going to come a me of uncertainty; a me when you are absolutely lost or confused about what to do next. In these mes, you need to know how to take control and create your own des ny and sales is the vehicle to do that. We hope you will gain the wisdom and find the path that makes it possible for you to grow, transform and become a stronger and be er person with the knowledge and emo onal resilience to face the most difficult mes of life. 13

14 DISSECTING INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS DECORUM FOR SALES SUCCESS Dr. John N. Mellon, Ed.D., Faculty Misericordia University Jon Mellon teaches Marke ng, Management and Hospitality Management courses, and developed opera onal direc onal marke ng processes, such as W.O.T.S. U.P. to increase revenue for hospitality proper es and the commission checks of sales people. He earned an MBA with a hospitality management concentra on from the University of New Haven (CT) and his doctoral degree from The George Washington University (Washington, DC) with a concentra on in travel & tourism administra on. Dissec ng Interna onal Business Decorum for Sales Success Being able to communicate with people concerning, what to do if conduc ng business ac vi es outside of the United States, can be comprehensively integrated into basic sales marke ng and/or sales management courses. To gain a solid understanding of interna onal business decorum, students are presented with 28 Interna onal Ques ons represen ng the 5 areas of Formality, Introduc ons, Risk, Knowledge and Money, Dining, and Religion. The presenta on will include the BUS 304 Sales and Sales Management opera onal direc onal student research conclusions in the form of easy to reference charts featuring 20 countries referencing the above 5 areas and the elements of arrival me, gi s to avoid, gi s to bring and a re. 14

15 THE ISSUE OF QUALITY ASSURANCE IN HIGHER EDUCATION THE CHALLENGES OF REFORMING TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAMS: AN "OUTSIDER - WITHIN" PERSPECTIVE Dr. Kingsley Banya, Chair of the Teacher Educa on Department Misericordia University Kingsley Banya is Professor & Chair of The Teacher Educa on Department at Misericordia University in Dallas, PA. Prior to coming to Misericordia, he was the Interim Dean and Professor of Curriculum Theory and Compara ve & Interna onal Educa on at Florida Interna onal University in Miami, Florida. He has taught at various universi es in Canada, Europe and Africa. He has wri en extensively about development projects in Sub Saharan Africa and educa onal reform in Africa. His research on NGOs and Higher Educa on in Sub Saharan Africa has been published all over the world, in various languages. The Issue of Quality Assurance in Higher Educa on The worldwide growth of private higher educa on in the past twenty years has led to increased discussion about quality assurance. There is a total of 30,555 private higher educa on ins tu ons in the world, with the vast majority located in Asia (18,206) and La n America (7,090); and the least in Africa (434). These ins tu ons enroll 31.36% of the total student popula on of the world, with 36.4% in Asia; 48.6% in La n America, and 14.6% in Africa. The total numbers of students in them are, 18 million in Asia; 7.6 million in La n America and 0.7 million in Africa. Worldwide there are 35 million students enrolled at private ins tu ons (PROPHE, 2010). Most private higher educa on ins tu ons are not for profit and do not offer degrees depending on their loca ons, for example, in the U.S. the non profit sector dominate, 1,127 out of 1,905 ins tu ons based on 2005 data (Kinser, 2010); in Africa, religious mission ins tu ons predominate (Banya, 2010). As ins tu ons of higher educa on have increased in quan ty, the issue of quality assurance has taken on a ma er of urgency. This paper analyzes the source of the issues affec on quality assurance and their impact on ter ary educa on. Sources for this work is based on par cipant observa on of higher educa on on three con nents, Africa, America, and Europe. The Challenges of Reforming Teacher Educa on Programs: An "outsider within" Perspec ve In the past two decades or so, there has been persistent calls to assess and evaluate student performance at K 12 level but more recently the emphasis have shi ed to the 1,400 ins tu ons of higher educa on programs that prepare 200,000 future teachers every year (Aldeman, et al 2011; Green berg et al 2011). 15 (con nued on next page)

16 The call to evaluate programs that train k 12 teachers comes from various dry sources including the Obama administra on, various na onal accredi ng bodies such as NCATE, and private en es such as U.S. News + World Report and NCTQ. Although they differ as to what aspect of teacher educa on needs reforming, all the en es agree that K 12 student performance outcome should be an essen al part of any evalua on effort. Tying in K 12 student performance evalua on with the ins tu ons that train their teachers is seem as one way to reform teacher educa on en es and thereby improve quality. Using an outside within, (Collins, 1991) perspec ve, this presenta on argues that such reform may not succeed, unless there is a cri cal change in the ethos of the university itself where colleges of educa on are located. With increased emphasizes on ranking by Shanghai; Qs world universi es and Europe s U Mul rank project based on research produc vity, teaching is valued less in the academy, the very essence of colleges of educa on. POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT TO ENCOURAGE BEHAVIOR MANAGEMENT AND ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT Linsay Zarick, MPA Student Marywood University Researcher, Linsay Zarick, graduated from Keystone College with a bachelor degree in criminal jus ce and a minor in psychology. She currently a ends Marywood University, pursuing a master s degree in Public Administra on. She is employed full me as an intensive case manager with Scranton Counseling Center and part me with Marywood University as the graduate assistant to the nursing department. Children with behavioral problems, including inappropriate social interac ons ad noncompliance issues, o en mes, do not have the skills necessary to func on on a ra onal level. In order to increase good behavior and academic success in a classroom, behavioral children need to be taught different coping skills. This research incorporates a qualita ve method to describe behavior management and how it is linked to academic achievement. The significance of this research encourages teachers to u lize posi ve reinforcement methods as a means to manage student behavior and increase academic achievement. The sample will be taken from the fourth and fi h grade student popula on at Children Service Center in Wilkes Barre, PA. 16

17 SOCIALIZATION TO HIGHER EDUCATION ADMINISTRATIVE ROLES: A QUALITATIVE EXPLORATION OF THE INTERNSHIP IN HIGHER EDU- CATION EXPERIENCE IN PREPARING MASTER S AND DOCTORAL STUDENTS FOR CAREERS IN HIGHER EDUCATION Jamie Valis, student / Dr. Tonya Saddler, Director of Higher Educa on Administra on Marywood University Jamie Valis, M.S. is a pro rata faculty in the Health and Physical Educa on Department at Marywood University. She is currently a doctoral student at Marywood studying human development with a concentra on in health promo on. She earned a B.S. in Health and Physical Educa on from Marywood University and a M.S. in Special Educa on from the University of Scranton. Tonya Nicole Saddler, Ph.D. is Assistant Professor and Director of the Higher Educa on Administra on program at Marywood University. Her research centers on faculty work life issues, including tenure, promo on, and effec ve strategies for recrui ng and retaining faculty members of color. She has presented several papers at na onal and regional conferences. She earned a B.S. in Elementary Educa on from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, a M.S. in Counselor Educa on from NCA&TSU, and a Ph.D. in Educa onal Leadership and Policy Studies from Virginia Tech. This qualita ve study explored the socializa on process of master s and doctoral students to higher educa on administra ve posi ons. Specifically, this study examined master s and doctoral students socializa on through the internship experience to see how that experience prepared them for mid level higher educa on administra ve and faculty careers. Findings suggest that graduate student interns developed a deeper understanding of the inner workings in higher educa on. Addi onally, interns that had current jobs in higher educa on felt that the hour requirements for the internship were too high based on their experience. Lastly, the interns expressed that the rela onship between the intern and internship site mentor was crucial for the success of the experience. Implica ons for future research and prac ce are discussed in this paper. 17

18 BUILDING A KNOWLEDGE BASE FOR ONLINE DATABASES A KEY TO STUDENTS ACADEMIC SUCCESS Zhong Geng, Associate Professor Marywood University Photograph and biography not available. Academic and social ac vi es involve the use of the Internet. At Marywood, students have embraced the informa on technology with passion, and the desire for more. However, the skills already acquired by the students, seemingly sufficient, do not appear systema cally organized and, therefore, not suited well for standard academic requirements. The experience in teaching UNIV 100 has enabled me to strengthen the class with a systema c approach by direc ng the students a en on to online databases. With the sense of progress, the students feel more confident in achieving their academic goals, and I feel more fulfilled in helping meet the academic standard exercised by Marywood University. UNIV 100 is a class designed for mainly freshmen students. Through teaching, I gradually acquired the understanding that students had an unstructured and unevenly developed knowledge base about online databases. For instance, most students knew that they could obtain online informa on from the library; however, they did not know how to approach them strategically. To seek a solu on, I prepared a curriculum orien ng the students with essen al concepts and hands on experiences. A er a few training sessions, the majority of the students developed a good sense: where and how to look for online informa on. The Google era has made it easier to access online informa on. However, in an academic environment, students and professors are obliged to use scholarly informa on. Thus, simply being skillful in Google search is not enough, and structured training for online databases is essen al. The new skills are par cularly important to students, as they embark on careers a er college, they will be much more produc ve if they can employ online resources skillfully. 18

19 IMPROVING WIKI PEDAGOGY IN HIGHER EDUCATION Oral Stephen L. Broskoske, Ed.D., Faculty Misericordia University Dr. Stephen L. Broskoske is Associate Professor in the Teacher Educa on Department and Director of Graduate Teacher Educa on at Misericordia University. He teaches undergraduate and graduate level courses, and specializes in Educa onal Technology. His research focuses on how technology can be be er used to improve the classroom for students and teachers. Many faculty in higher educa on acknowledge that the wiki holds poten al to serve as an effec ve teaching method that supports Construc vist learning (Walsh, 2010). While this poten al is generally accepted, and while a number of faculty have started experimen ng with wikis in their classrooms, higher educa on has only recently begun to explore how to more effec vely use wikis in the classroom to promote more meaning learning (Liu, 2010; Farabaugh, 2007). Li le research has been conducted regarding pedagogy in using wikis, and much of the literature presents anecdotal observa ons from teachers (Walsh). When teaching through a wiki, many faculty make assump ons that students are not only keenly aware of newer technological tools, but that they regularly use them or are comfortable using them. While the wiki is a rela vely easy technology to learn to use at its basic level, it represents a whole new way of teaching and learning, which is fundamentally different that tradi onal student interac on, one that will prompt development of addi onal skills in faculty and students (Richardson, 2009). The purpose of this session is to add to the limited body of knowledge of wiki pedagogy. The results of a study that explored undergraduate student experiences when par cipa ng in a collabora ve wiki based learning ac vity will be presented. Student readiness to par cipate in a wiki based learning project and poten al obstacles to student success in using a wiki will be discussed, and prac cal advice that faculty can u lize when implemen ng wikis in their classrooms will be presented. 19

20 CONSTRUCTING SHORT-TERM SERVICE TRIPS ABROAD Megan Boone Valkenburg / Dr. Andrew P. Miller, Faculty Wilkes University Megan Boone Valkenburg has been the Civic Engagement Coordinator for six years at Wilkes University. She has directed several experien al educa on trips to rural Kentucky; New Orleans, Louisiana; Monte Chris, Dominican Republic; and Costa Rica. Megan Valkenburg earned her Masters degree in Student Personnel Counseling from Shippensburg University in Dr. Andrew P. Miller has taught Compara ve Poli cs and Interna onal Rela ons at Wilkes University for seven years, specializing in La n American development issues. He has taken student groups to Costa Rica, Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. Dr. Miller received his PhD in Poli cal Science from Purdue University in This paper analyzes our effort to create a short term interna onal service learning experience via the University s Alterna ve Spring Break program (ASB). This effort is instruc ve to others who wish to create a similar program as there is very li le in the literature linking coursework with a program such as this. We have found this program to be an excellent entry point for students who want an interna onal experience, but are re cent to study abroad for a semester. In addi on, students who par cipate in the program are much more likely to study abroad a er they have par cipated and a short term interna onal servicelearning experience serves as an excellent gateway to interna onalizing a campus. Our program is also instruc ve to those who want to facilitate a partnership between faculty and staff. This faculty/staff partnership is a key component of the program because it provides the opportunity for a rigorous academic experience while also u lizing the resources of the Student Development Office. The faculty/staff partnership allows the program to run on two parallel tracks with the faculty member planning the coursework and the staff member planning trip logis cs and reflec ve components. In March 2012, the program will make its third trip to Costa Rica. Since these trips are a constantly evolving and ongoing project seen to frui on, we have learned a number of lessons that have led us to several important recommenda ons for others who want to construct a similar program. The most important planning aspect is to select a topic within the faculty member s area of exper se that is of interest to students. We found that Fair Trade coffee was something that was familiar enough to students that they had some level of interest going into the program and that it provided the basis for an interes ng student experience. 20