Behavioral Sciences
Description
The Behavioral Sciences Department includes the disciplines of Psychology
and Sociology. Full-time and part-time faculty members of the department are
increasingly integrating technology into their instruction in the existing
classroom-based courses. More instructors are utilizing multimedia presentations
and PowerPoint, SPSS, FrontPage, Excel and other software in their instruction.
Many instructors communicate frequently with their students through e-mail and
their course webpage. Most courses have web-based learning exercises as well as
internet research requirements. Several instructors have been trained to teach
online courses. The behavioral sciences faculty has expressed its desire to
develop a social sciences and statistics computer lab that includes the latest
equipment for learning quantitative and qualitative social data analysis.
Therefore, gaps between our resources and our needs are becoming increasingly
apparent.
Curriculum Impact
It is expected that the behavioral sciences faculty will continue to
integrate technology into their classes, augmenting the resources available to
students to enhance their learning experience. More online and PowerPoint
resources are available for all of the core courses offered by the department.
The department plans to begin offering online courses. The department will
continue to offer its “Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences” course where
students learn to use SPSS for data analysis. It is also necessary to secure the
license for the SPSS software and the necessary equipment for the statistics
computer lab portion of the course.
Approximate Number of Students Served
We currently offer approximately 70 sections of Psychology and Sociology per
semester. Course maximum for each is 50 students and many sections are full.
Total number of students served is approximately 3,400-3,500 per semester. The
number of sections is expected to slightly increase and the number of students
might reach 4,000 in the coming years.
Support Impact
Full-time and part-time behavioral sciences faculty needs the opportunity to
continue to be trained in the use of new technology, hardware, and software.
Faculty must be given adequate technology and training to support online
instruction. The department will increase reliance on staff development support
from CATL.
Year 1 (2004-2005)
Objective
To secure adequate space, equipment, hardware and software that enhances the
“Statistics for The Behavioral Sciences” course.
Action to Meet Objective
Purchase the SPSS license annually. Secure adequate computer lab space that
can be used by 50-100 students taking the Statistics course. Provide adequate
training for a Statistics tutor.
Year 2 (2005-2006)
Objective
To enhance faculty usage of available technology and enhance classroom
multimedia presentations.
Action to Meet Objective
Purchase CD-writers for development of course specific CDs by psychology and
sociology faculty. Upgrade faculty offices monitors, hard drives, sound cards,
and speakers. Purchase one slide scanner, a digital camera, a Sound Foundry and
a fax machine.
Year 3 (2006-2007)
Objective
To further integrate technology into behavioral sciences instruction.
Action to Meet Objective
To train faculty for online instruction. Develop a department technology library
to be used by faculty. Purchase CD-writers for development of course specific
CDs by anthropology, psychology and sociology faculty. Upgrade faculty offices
monitors, hard drives, sound cards, and speakers. To purchase equipment in order
to transform room 544-A into a teaching lab for Physical Anthropology.
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