Turning Different Disciplines and Departments into a Single Learning

Community

Challenging students with authentic problems(supports Ken Bain’s central theme in What the Best College Teachers Do)

Carmen Powers & Patricia Kuby Monroe Community College

Benefits of integrating classes from different disciplines through a service learning project

Who Benefits?

Students:

• Real life application of theory requiring critical thinking• Time driven coordination• Timely and continuous feedback• Integration into entire college community• Resume and transfer applications enhanced• Possibility of additional presentations and scholarships• Empowering students through in-depth individualized learning

Benefits of integrating classes from different disciplines through a service learning project

Who Benefits?

College Community:

• Embraces college’s strategic plan’s emphasis on forging connections between student learning and success, leading to life-long learning and citizenship

• Breaks down silos • Builds internal relationships based on trust• Reassessment of course objectives and outcomes• Actionable Quantitative Analysis for free• Provides marketing ideas for administration

Course/ProjectCombinations/Collaborations

What we did: a) Based on department/college/administration level involvement, determined a need that involved analysis and recommendations for moving forwardb) Integrated an Honors Statistics and an Honors Marketing to collaborate on project (all Honor courses - WR – writing intensive)

What you could do: (combinations abound)

Accounting, Advertising, Anthropology, Art, Audio Visual Technology, Biology, Communication, Criminal Justice, Economics, Electronics, Ethics, Geography, History, Nutrition, Food Service, Marketing, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology, Theatre

Statistics & Marketing Joint Projects

Office Computer Programs Dept.

Program/Student Review

Green Group Sustainability Program

Honors Program

Statistics Class

Internal Client:Learning Communities – 2 semesters (Stat I & II)

External ClientFIRST Robotics Program

and Rochester City School District

Marketing Class

Internal Clients:

Counseling and Advising OfficeSustainability Steering Committee

The Sixth Act

External Client:Local YMCA Branch

Joint ProjectGreen Group Sustainability

Players:• Statistics class (HON, WR, GR, SV) & Professor • Marketing class (HON, WR, GR, SV) & Professor • The Client (GR group) • Service Learning Office and Co-coodinator (SVL) • Project Coordinator (independent study SVL 101) • Institutional Research (IR) • Print Shop • Report/Presentation Recipients

- Department Chairs, Deans- Administration- Faculty from other Departments

•

Goal: Comprehensive Report Format: Design of Experiment Outline

• Chapter 1 - Introduction

• Chapter 2 – Design of Experiment

• Chapter 3 – Presentation of Data

• Chapter 4 – Data Analysis and Inference

• Chapter 5 – Marketing Analysis

•

Initial Meeting

Client Meeting

Access Needs

Formulate Protocol

Verify Process with Client

Mathematics Faculty

Bus Ad/Eco Faculty

Client

December

Provide input to SVL

Work with IR to determine parameters

Project Manager integrates work

to date

Set timeline

Set timeline

January – before start of semester

Provideinput to

SVL

KEYMathematics-StatisticsBus Admin/Eco-MarketingClientSVLIRProject Manager

JANUARY

Bus Admin/EcoFaculty

Work withIR to

determine parameters

Project Managerintegrates work

to date

IR

SetTimeline

SetTimeline

MathematicsFaculty

SEMEMSTER

START

Statistics Class

Marketing Class

StatisticalStructureProvided

SustainabilityExplained

SVLCoordinatorClassroom

Visit

StudentsInformed of

Project

SVLCoordinatorClassroom

Visit

StudentsInformed of

Project

SustainabilityExplained

ExploratoryResearchProvided

ExploratoryResearchProvided

InstitutionalResearch

KEY

Statistics Exploratory ResearchMarketing Project ManagerClient Institutional Research

FEBRUARYStatistics Class

Marketing Class

SustainabilityPresentstion

ReflectionPapers

Best studentsgrouped to write

Chp 1

Review andcritiquesurvey

ReflectionPapers

Studentsgrouped towrite initial

survey

SustainabilityPresentation

KEY

StatisticsMarketingProject Manager

MARCHStatistics

Marketing

Chapter 1written

Sampling &Data

Collection

DataEntry

ExperimentalDesignChp 2

ReviwChapter 1

BeginSecondaryResearch

SWOTAnalysis

InternalInterviews

Begin4 P's

Analysis

Chapter 2Review and

Critique

APRILStatistics

Marketing KEY

StatisticsMarketingProject Manager

Raw Analysisand

Synthesis

Raw DataSummarized

Chp 3

Chp 4Developed

Opportunitiesand Threats

Analysis

StructureMarketing

Plan

DevelopRecomendations

MAYStatistics

Marketing

Design ProjectReport Layout

andCover

PrintShop

AssembleReport

KEY

Statistics Project ManagerMarketing Print Shop

Review &Critique

Conclusions\Recommendations

PhotoSession

AssembleMarketingPortion of

Report

Develop Presentation

Material

FormulateOverall

Conclusions &Recommendations

Chp 4

PhotoSession

AssembleStatisticalPortion of

Report

DevelopPresentation

Material

MAY (cont.)Statistics

Marketing

CombinedRehearsal &Last Minute

Changes

Oral /Power PointPresentation &

ReportDistribution

Review Project Process for

Future Collaborations

PresentationLogistics &Invitations

KEY

Statistics ClientMarketing SVLProject Manager AdministrationInstitutional Research Other Faculty

Rehearsal

Rehearsal

StatisticsProject

Management

IROther

Faculty

Marketing

Client

SVL

Adminstartion

Added Bonus

• Connections between/among disciplines• Working individually, small and big groups• Assessing own and peer’s work• Organization skills• Design/Implementation of Quantitative

Project• Public speaking skills• Presentation skills

Lasting Impact on Students

Trust

AccessLifelong Learning

Presenters

Monroe Community College, Rochester, New York

Patricia Kuby – Mathematics Department pkuby@monroecc.edu

Carmen Powers – Business Administration/Economics Department cpowers@monroecc.edu