1. Building Creative Spaces for Faculty & Student Inquiry Based Learning
June 1, 2015
TCCIA
Fred Hills, PhD

2. Why Inquiry Based Learning?
Makes education come alive to engage students
Awake curiosity for learning in students
Develop career/professional Skills
Contacts and visibility for students at professional, scientific conferences
Increased acceptance into competitive programs and universities
Engage Faculty

3. in the curriculum Project based learning
Classroom projects, assignments, and presentations
Poster presentations
Scholars Day – posters, prototypes, and presentations
Encourage students to interact, present & publish at local, state and national forums

4. HIGHLANDER UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH INSTITUTE (huri)

5. HURI
Started through the Community College Undergraduate Research Initiative (CCURI)
NSF grant through Finger Lakes College in NY
National effort, focused on Sciences
Faculty created a campus wide HURI
Started in the Sciences and Math
Now growing to include all disciplines on campus
Faculty Steering Committee
Project based learning expanding to the classrooms
Focus on student’s interests
Direct ties to Honors College

6. Student Study Trips
Trips a continuation of classroom inquiry and applied learning
Travel to:
Local field study locations
MARS – All disciplines
Honduras – Marine Biology
Southwest US – Geology, Archeology, Environmental Sciences, & Engineering
New Zealand and Australia – Economics, Engineering and Science
New York City – Business and Marketing
Costa Rica – Language and Culture immersion courses
Washington DC – History and Government
Haiti – Nursing and Health Careers

7. Health Careers Simulation Labs
Joint usage:
MCC Health Careers
Family Practice Residents
Local hospital training
EMS and Paramedicine
Occupational Therapy
Promote separate and joint exercises among diverse communities
Emphasis on real world practices

8. Faculty engagement Workshops on Teaching Strategies
Collaborative/Cooperative Learning
Professional Development
Faculty Learning Communities
Teaching and Learning Book Club
Course Learning Communities
Faculty Summer Institute
4 day intensive workshop

9. Measures of Success Students placed in graduate research programs
18 students to present at the Great Plains Honors Council Conference with 2 BOE Award winners in 2015
5 students presented at the Texas Academy of Science- Annual Meeting. One student won ”Best Poster Presentation- Marine Sciences Division."
2 students presented at the Community College Undergraduate Research Initiative National Posters
2 students presented their research at the Community College Undergraduate Research Initiative National Posters Session in Washington, D.C. Session in Washington, D.C.
8 students may also attend the Mars Society Convention in Washington, D.C.
306 student poster, displays, and presentations at Spring Scholars Day
Faculty presentation at the National Collegiate Honors Council Conference on writing Boot Camp
Faculty leading collaborative and inquiry based initiatives

10. Opportunities
Innovation in pedagogy - project based/program based/inquiry based, cooperative and/or individual research project learning opportunities
Ties to new State Core requirements
Complements College’s student success initiatives
Rewards engaged faculty and innovative

11. Challenges
How does applied learning fit the traditional community college mission in a time of shrinking resources?
Buy-in from faculty – time and effort
Making it interdisciplinary
Finding and prioritizing resources
Long term sustainability

12. Planned
Expanding creative spaces and inquiry opportunities for students and faculty
Building a Learning Commons
Expanding “Summer Camps” for students and faculty
Digital Repository for Information Exchange
Building collaborative arrangements with HS
Expanding pathways with 4-year college partners

13. Key to Success Administration buy-in key to success
Don't reinvent the wheel - find those doing similar projects and invite them to join
Promote, promote, promote
Knowing when to lead and when to step back and follow

14. QuestionS
Fred Hills, PhD Dean of Arts, Sciences & Business