NSF CCLI-A&I Pilot Project Evaluation

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Introduction

Project Overview

In 1999, faculty of the Political Science (PS), International Relations (IR) and Urban Studies (US) divisions of San Francisco State University's College of Behavioral and Social Sciences were awarded a $75,000 National Science Foundation (NSF) grant to develop, test and implement four web-based social science instructional modules. The 15-month pilot project, which began in June 1999, built upon a 1994 National Science Foundation "Instrumentation and Laboratory Improvement" (NSF-ILI) grant used to create the PSIRUS Center - a multi-media laboratory and electronic classroom. To extend these classroom enhancements into the social science curricula, the project's goal was to develop, test, and implement four computer-mediated teaching modules by the Fall 2000 semester as follows:

• Sustainable Urban Development: Developed by Urban Studies Professor Richard LeGates, this module was implemented in his undergraduate Research Methods course (URBS 492).
• Media and Politics: Developed by Political Science Professor David Tabb, this module was implemented in his introductory American Politics course (PLSI 200).
• Global Conflict: International Relations Professor Sanjoy Banerjee developed this module and implemented it in his undergraduate South and Southeast Asia Foreign Relations course (IR 326).
• Immigration and Politics: Developed by Political Science Professor Richard DeLeon, one component of this module was implemented in three undergraduate courses: Scientific Inquiry in Political Science (PLSI 300), San Francisco Political Issues (PLSI 475) and Urban Politics and Community Power (PLSI 512).

Each module was intended to incorporate timely social science topics of interest to produce a new mode of instruction requiring students to interact with web-based material and utilize new information technology. The project's primary objectives included:

• to provide engaging and relevant self-paced exercises designed to teach students to access, analyze and present information using new technology;
• to use computer-aided instruction to develop students' ability to critically assess empirical evidence and to explore their own values in relation to this evidence;
• to deliver fundamental social science concepts and skills to students and to empower them to use these skills in subsequent coursework; and
• to help students gain confidence and overcome fears of computers and scientific methodology through guided exposure to emerging technology.

Purpose of Evaluation

As mandated by the PSIRUS NSF CCLI-EMD proposal, this evaluation has been undertaken by the SFSU Public Research Institute to independently report on the extent to which the goals and objectives of the pilot project have been met. The purpose of the evaluation, completed in May 2001, was:

1. to assess the extent to which four new web-based teaching modules had been developed and implemented;
2. to capture students' response to the modules to help determine whether module activities had positive academic impacts on students compared to other course activities; and
3. to provide the PSIRUS team with student feedback on module strengths and weaknesses to help the developers improve their modules and better prepare them to submit a full NSF CCLI-EMD proposal in March 2001.

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