Monarch Think Tank Instructor Information Instructor Information Think Tank Description

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1 Old Dominion University, Norfolk Campus, Date, Time, Location TBA Section: Course Websites: For assignments, instructions and submission of most coursework: You will be responsible for using a variety of other technologies and websites throughout the course! Instructor Information Instructor Information Dr. Rochelle (Shelley) Rodrigo Phone: / address: rrodrigo@odu.edu Yahoo, AIM & Skype Instant Message Handle: puptoes74; Google Handle: shelley.rodrigo Facebook: Office Hours & Location: Location: BAL2008 TBA By Appointment: Think Tank Description In March 2012, Smith s Pew Internet and American Life report announced the tipping point of more smartphone than regular cell phone users; 46% of Americans owned smartphones with 41% owning other phones (p. 2). Since then, the numbers have only increased with The Nielsen Company announcing in March 2013 that 59% of Americans owned smartphones (p. 17). Ownership and user numbers are higher among traditional college aged demographics: 66% ownership with year olds (Smith, March 2012, p. 17). And income and educational attainment are not as significant with this younger aged group; in other words, individuals under 30 years of age are more likely to own smartphones whether or not they make more than $30,000 and/or have some college experience (p. 18). Studies of undergraduate smartphone ownership generally parallel national studies of technology ownership. During their 2008 annual national study of undergraduate students and information technology, EDUCAUSE stopped asking about basic cell phone ownership (Smith, Salaway & Caruso, 2009, p. 87). As of % of undergraduate students owned smartphones and nearly twice a many in 2012 (67%) than in 2011 (37%) reported using their smartphone for academic purposes (Dahlstrom, 2012, p. 14). In 2012 students also reported a growth in tablet ownership and a leveling off of e-reader ownership (p. 15) with many using the devices for academic work 67% and 47% respectively (p. 14). According to Dahlstrom and difilipo, in 2012 students bring, as an average, at least two internet-capable devices to campuses; they project by 2014 students will be bringing over three devices (p. 10). Pew (Zichuhr & Smith, April 2012) has noticed a mobile difference : Once someone has a wireless device, she becomes much more active in how she uses the internet not just with wireless connectivity, but also with wired devices. The same holds true for the impact of wireless connections and people s interest in using the internet to connect with others. (p. 14) Knowing who owns smartphones is not enough; to understand how and why this is significant to campus administrators and faculty. we need to understand how smartphone owners use the devices as well. Within an action-scholar framework, students and institutional partners will work together to design and implement ODU community-engaged projects focused on increasing understanding of how and why students are using mobile devices in their learning practices as well as providing academic support to said students as well. The action-scholar framework focuses on identifying clear goals,

2 Page 2 of 6 completing adequate preparation, designing and implementing appropriate methods, analyzing significant results, sharing effective presentations, and conducting reflective critique. Course Goals Students will gain an understanding of complex issues related to technologies and culture, learning and retention, as well as social media and community building. As part of the engaged-learning experiences, students and institutional partners will learn how students learn using mobile devices with particular attention paid to reading, writing, and community building. The course content will focus on theories of learning, 21 st century literacies, technology and culture, qualitative and quantitative research methods, and collaboration and partnerships from a service-learning, community development perspective. Experiential learning through engaged-learning projects will be a key component of this course. Course Outcomes After participating in this course, students will be able to: Discuss basic concepts of how people learn; Describe various 21 st century literacies; Summarize core theories of technology and culture; Implement and analyze a quantitative study; Implement and analyze qualitative study; Visualize and synthesize connections between theories and scholarship with primary data; Apply and share research results to local community. Course Materials Required Materials Required Technologies Based on the type of projects you decide to submit, you will use other technologies than those listed below. Headphones for classroom computers Access to a computer with an internet connection (preferably high-speed). My.ODU Account to access Google Apps Grading Policies Assignment Distribution Project #1: Quantitative Research Collection & Analysis 15% Project #2: Qualitative Research Collection & Analysis 15% Project #3: Sharing Results: Group Assignment 20% Reading & Thinking Blog 20% Engaged Learning Reflection 15% Attendance & Participation 15% TOTAL 100%

3 Page 3 of 6 Grading Scale Grades are determined according to the following scale: A (95-100%) A- ( %) B+ ( %) B ( %) B- ( %) C+ ( %) C ( %) C- ( %) D+ ( %) D ( %) D- ( %) F (59% or below) Incomplete Grades A course grade of Incomplete will be given only in extreme situations because the sad story is that most students who request incompletes never finish the course. Please visit the following website for more information: Assignment Descriptions Quantitative Research Collection & Analysis The course instructor will have already designed and received IRB approval to implement a student survey about mobile device ownership and usage in academic settings (specifically ODU). Students will complete IRB training and help collect data by introducing the study to courses and asking for participants. Students will also help by advertising the study to collect a snowball sample as well. Once the data is collected, students will help analyze data by comparing and contrasting it with studies as well as interpreting it based on theories read during the course. Students will help identify which data and analysis results will be useful to different institutional constituencies (students, faculty, OCCS, academic support services, etc.). Qualitative Research Collection & Analysis During the course students will help design, develop, and conduct qualitative research about academic use of mobile devices. Each student will conduct observations and interviews. In teams students will help facilitate and document focus groups. Once the data is collected, students will help analyze data by comparing and contrasting it with studies as well as interpreting it based on theories read during the course. Students will help identify which data and analysis results will be useful to different institutional constituencies (students, faculty, OCCS, academic support services, etc.). Sharing Results: Group Assignment Collectively, students will design and deliver rhetorically appropriate presentations to at least three institutional constituencies: students, faculty, and administration/academic support services. As a group students will articulate the wants and needs of each group, as well as the appropriate method or media of delivery.

4 Page 4 of 6 Reading & Thinking Blog Let s face it, just reading course material is not enough to actually learn it. You need to engage with the material in meaningful ways. The purpose of this assignment is to get you engaging with the material in a way that helps YOU learn it. I can t promise we will talk about every single reading in class; however, I can guarantee you will engage all the materials you read by taking these notes. Submit your reading notes in your course blog. Tag them with reading notes. (If you are using the blog for more than one class, tag them Think Tank reading notes. ) You will submit one entry per week (14 weeks); the highest twelve will be counted towards your final grade (20%). Grading Rubric reading citations--required (-1 point) cursory proofreading--required (-1 point) 5 points = 3 content options, 3 format options 4 points = 3 content options, 2 format options 3 points = 2 content options, 2 format option 2 points = 2 content option, 1 format options 1 point = 1 content option, 0 format options Content Options brief summary key terms/concepts w/definitions and/or descriptions quotes w/discussion questions w/discussion something very new/exciting w/discussion connections to other readings w/discussion connections to examples w/discussion connections to experiences w/discussion connections to course outcomes connections to personal course outcomes Format Options hyperlink to resources and/or discussions detailed font formatting (style, color, size, etc.) that engages with content/meaning embed resources representative image and citation annotated image/screencapture embed poll that teaches and engages readers with the material Engaged Learning Reflection To maximize your experience, we would like you to engage in 3 individual reflections of your learning (before, during, and at the end of your experience each worth 5% of your total grade in the class for the semester). Reflection is a personal experience, there are no right or wrong answers, however, like many things worth your time, you will often get out of it what you put into it an dhow much you are willing to open yourself up to new questions and genuinely engage with others. To strengthen your skills in the area and maximize engagement approaches that deepen mutual inquiry and foster collective intelligence, consider the following tenants to guide your reflection experiences. Reflections can be a combination of written and creative assignments. Written reflections should be approximately 500 words; creative reflection should reflect comparable though and effort. Create a climate of discovery

5 Page 5 of 6 Suspend premature judgment Explore underlying assumptions and beliefs Listen for connections between ideas Honor everyone s contributions Articulate shared understanding Harvest and share collective discoveries Attendance & Participation The expectation is you will attend each class session and will prepare for class by reading and reflecting on the assigned chapters and articles, and be engaged in the conversation in both the on-campus and infield sessions of the class. This class may require that you leave your comfort zone. Within the Think Tank model, you will be researching and engaging with institutional partners to examine institutionalidentified issues. You will be applying your learning almost immediately throughout the semester, focusing on academic learning and success. Those students that actively engage with material, classmates, professors, and institutional partners will gain the most from this experience. Your grade will reflect this. Course Policies Course Schedule August 26 Discuss: Pew & Nielsen Data Pre-Course Engaged Learning Reflection September 2 Read & Discuss: EDUCAUSE Data Complete IRB September 9 Read & Discuss: EDUCAUSE Materials Collect Survey Data OCCS person speak/visit September 16 Read & Discuss: Teaching & Learning Start Designing Qualitative Study Collect Survey Data Education person (Amy Adcock?) speak/visit September 23 Read & Discuss: Teaching & Learning Continue Designing Qualitative Study CLT person speak/visit September 30 Read & Discuss: Teaching & Learning Continue Designing Qualitative Study Academic Support Services (Marissa Jimenez?) person speak/visit October 7 Read & Discuss: 21 st Century Literacies Submit Qualitative Study for IRB Analyze Quantitative Data

6 Library person speak/visit October 14 Mid-Course Engaged Learning Reflection Read & Discuss: 21 st Century Literacies Revise Qualitative Study for IRB Analyze Quantitative Data October 21 Read & Discuss: Community Building Social Media person (Lisa Sinclair?) speak/visit October 28 Class is Asynchronous Read & Discuss: Conduct Observations November 4 Class is Asynchronous Conduct Interviews Analyze Qualitative Data November 11 Class is Asynchronous Conduct Focus Groups Analyze Qualitative Data November 18 Analyze Qualitative Data November 25 Plan Sharing Presentations December 2 Design & Deliver Sharing Presentations December 9 Finals Design & Deliver Sharing Presentations Post-Course Engaged Learning Reflection Page 6 of 6