Homepage of Charles W. Connell, Ph.D.
Professor of History at Northern Arizona University

 

Learner-Centered Education Grant

The primary goal of this project is to improve the research and writing skills of the undergraduate history majors at Northern Arizona University by creating an active learning history laboratory. In a dedicated-purpose section of an existing computer-equipped laboratory, the History Learning Lab will provide budding historians with hands-on activities and material resources (e.g. resource-rich software, reference books, electronic data bases, writing improvement exercises, and appropriate periodicals). Employing several learner-centered principles designed to guide students in their own self-improvement, trained graduate student mentors will help undergraduates hone their research, critical thinking, and writing skills with extended time on task, and individualized activities that provide timely feedback.

Objectives for this project include:

For the Undergraduate Students

  • A hands-on opportunity to master research, critical thinking, and writing skills.
  • Transformation of the way students work together to improve their motivation to learn and write history.
  • Greater understanding of a common set of fundamental criteria for the evaluation of student progress in the development of their research and writing skills.

For the Graduate Students

  • provision of meaningful opportunities/challenges to engage in teaching the processof "doing history" in a way that is individualized and learner-centered.
  • better preparation to compete on the job market upon completion of their masters and/or doctoral work

For the Faculty

  • Improved assessment of student learning through the development of more meaningful student portfolios of research and writing skills.
  • Better use of classroom time by faculty and students to focus on the "excitement" of studying the historical past instead of so much time on basic skill development.

For the Larger Society

  • Graduating NAU students with improved development of the skills of research, critical reading and thinking, and the greater clarity of writing that is important in all walks of life as preparation of a better-educated citizenry and workforce.

This project was conceived upon the analysis of student feedback and faculty observations about the ways that the restricted classroom schedule of time, the traditional practice of unmediated independent research and writing by students, and the lack of a common rubric for the evaluation of basic research and writing skills, has led to less than desired outcomes as students complete their major research papers in the required HIS 498 capstone course.