Final proposals are due August 1, 2022
ACS is seeking collaborators to join the projects proposed below. These preproposals cover a wide range of disciplines and interests and fall under the categories of innovative curriculum or diversity and inclusion. The project leads seek collaborative partners to enhance the work and extend it across ACS campuses.
If you are interested in collaborating on any of these projects, please email grants@acsouth.edu by Tuesday, July 5, 2022, and we will facilitate connection.
Note: These preproposals are in development and not yet funded. Click here to learn more about our grant guidelines.
Assessing Authentic Assessments
Voices: Exploring a Multidisciplinary, Collaborative Digital Journal
Innovative Instruction
Assessing Authentic Assessments
Lead: KatieAnn Skogsberg, Associate Professor of Behavioral Neuroscience, Centre College
Authentic assessments are “A form of assessment in which students are asked to perform real-world tasks that demonstrate meaningful application of essential knowledge and skills.” (Mueller, 2005). Authentic assessments also allow students to incorporate skills they already have from their personal experiences or other courses. Authentic assessments are also purported to improve equity and inclusion by incorporating the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) (Burgstahler, 2009; Tobin & Behling, 2018). They allow students to demonstrate their knowledge in more inclusive and equitable ways than traditional assignments and exams by inviting them to use their authentic voices and identities in their work. While authentic assessments are not new, controlled studies and systematic analyses are needed to examine how they compare to traditional assignments and assessments.
Now that we have reference materials, an instrument, and several colleagues actively using authentic assessments, we want to collect SoTL data on student learning and their impressions of authentic assessments. Specifically, we want to use our new instrument to evaluate whether authentic assessments improve students’ self-efficacy, time management, stress, engagement, and perceived learning. We will analyze this data alongside objective measures of content knowledge. Experienced faculty will act as mentors for those who are new to SoTL research. This new project will also include a longitudinal component. To evaluate the long-term effects of using authentic assessments, we will ask our student participants to return 3-4 months after completing the course to reassess their content knowledge and collect their impressions of the authentic assessments.
Diversity and Inclusion
Voices: Exploring a Multidisciplinary, Collaborative Digital Journal
Lead: Carrie Frey, Director of Library Services, Centre College
We propose the creation of a Southern, peer-reviewed, regional journal focused on uncovering truths about history with the goal of connecting these past events to present realities in the hope of a more equitable and just future. This ACS collaborative journal represents democratic and inclusive principles from inception. These ideals will be highlighted in the creation of the journal, which intends to encompass a broad range of materials: multi-media and interdisciplinary. Creators will include faculty, staff, students, and community members. To guarantee equitable access, the journal will be Open Access.
The outcome is a fully researched, well-developed, open access, and sustainable digital publication, ready for implementation at the end of the grant cycle. We will develop a publication devoted to investigating and reflecting upon hard truths with an eye toward reconciliation and reparation. While past hurts cannot be undone, a just and equal future depends upon institutions facing divisive and harmful acts to proceed with knowledge, truth, hope, and action to create a better future for our institutions and communities.