Technological and Statistical History: Sharing Cultures

Technological/Statistical History

2002

Two sections of the Sharing Cultures Project courses at each institution: Introduction to College Writing at Columbia College Chicago (CCC) and Advancement Program at University of Port Elizabeth (UPE)
Two instructors at each institution: total 4
64 students; 40 at UPE and 24 at CCC
Exchange via email and discussion board created by IT support at CCC
The two teaching members from South Africa visit Chicago and the members from Chicago visit South Africa, funded by the initial grant money

2003

Two sections of the Sharing Cultures Project courses at each institution: Introduction to College Writing at CCC and Advancement Program at UPE
Two teaching instructors at each institution, three “shadowing instructors” at CCC: total 7
64 students; 40 at UPE and 24 at CCC
Exchange via email and discussion board
Shift to using Blackboard as the project LMS
Focus on exchange of student/faculty images
Focus on sharing and posting final essays

2004

Four sections of Introduction to College Writing at CCC and four courses in the Advancement and Foundations Programs, respectively
Four teaching instructor at each institution with one instructor dropping from the team at CCC and the addition of two instructors at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU), formerly known as UPE: total 8
80 students at UPE with 40 at CCC for a total of 120 students involved in the online Blackboard space
Organization of Blackboard based on teaching teams and parings of faculty from each institution. Students to respond in group and to a larger board as well.
Email pen pals shifted from pairs to “groups” to increase possibility of responses.
Continued, yet shifting use of “shared readings.”
Four team members from United States visit Port Elizabeth, South Africa, as recipients of CCC Faculty Development Awards.

2005

Three sections of Introduction to College Writing at CCC, two courses in the Advancement and Foundations Programs, respectively
Seven teaching instructors with two replacements at NMMU and two additional “shadowing instructors” at CCC: total 10
80 students at NMMU with 30 students at CCC for a total of about 110 students online
Complete revision of Blackboard organization to focus on cultural considerations of the self, community and the world.
Discussion board becomes completely “open” and we eliminate the teacher pairing/partners and the group online posting.
Eliminate student pen pal email exchange; becomes optional and encouraged for those who want to continue conversation “off board.”
Students no longer share specific readings but are offered reading choices for each discussion theme – student essays among the choices.
Three faculty from South Africa visit US and, with CCC instructors present at the Carnegie Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Institute, Chicago, IL and as featured speakers at Computers and Writing Conference at Stanford, CA. Funding for trip shared – travel provided by NMMU; housing and board offered by CCC.

2006 (Planned)

CCC: One section of College Writing; one section of Composition I; two sections of Composition II Enhanced; one section of African Culture and Media.
NMMU: two courses in the Advancement and Foundations Programs, respectively
Nine teaching instructors
80 students at MNNU and 79 seats at CCC for a possible online total of almost 160 students
Shift from Blackboard to Open Source Provider such as Drupal or
Revision of discussion board to simplify and encourage discussion among students in a range and variety of courses
Focus will move from any specific sense of sharing a curriculum or readings toward the sharing of conversation and ideas as guided by each individual instructor through the larger themes of Self, Community, Culture and a specific topic such as HIV+/AIDS or Human Rights.
Looking to May for travel to South Africa by one CCC teaching team member and possibly two CCC administrators. Funding provided by faculty development funds and other sources.
Exploration of student exchange beginning in 2007