2. Curriculum & Research

Goal 2: Curriculum and Scholarship

The AEI will expand on its tradition of innovative, high-quality instruction by supporting international students' success throughout their academic and professional careers. The AEI will increase the breadth and depth of our scholarship in language acquisition and teaching. The AEI will leverage the expertise of its faculty to deliver groundbreaking eLearning courses to a wide range of students.

Key strategies:

2.1. Develop curricula and programs to effectively support international students throughout their studies at UO.

Actions

2.1.1. Revise IEP curricula and program to align with university scheduling and other AEI programs.

a. Form a task force to explore needed curricular and scheduling changes

b. Get CEA approval for immediately needed curricular and scheduling changes.

2.1.2. Conduct a needs analysis

a. Survey students currently enrolled in AEI programs and recent alumni about their perceptions of their needs and how well AEI's curriculum meets those needs.

b. Survey AEI and UO faculty to ask their perceptions of same.

c. Consult with UO administration about goals for international student programs and outcomes.

d. Survey stakeholders who sponsor students

2.1.3. In conjunction with CEA accreditation, use data from needs analysis surveys to articulate future curricula and programs.

a. Integrate best practices to design innovative, needs-based instruction based on current approaches and methods (e.g.: project-based learning, content-based learning, English for Specific Purposes (ESP) strands for language curricula).

b. Implement innovative modes of course delivery according to research based best practices and assessed student needs (e.g.: fully online courses, hybrid courses, face to face instruction).

c. Develop and update IEP and AEIS benchmarks and assessments in order to ensure consistency with changing language proficiency standards and UO.

2.1.4. Strengthen language support for matriculated UO students

a. Work with UO faculty and administration to initiate potential joint efforts such as: a writing lab, upper-division writing or other skills-based courses, additional content-related adjunct courses, or Freshman Interest Groups (FIGs).

b. Work with UO faculty and administration to create a system for cohort support and mentoring for matriculated international students.

2.1.5. Share expertise about strategies for working with international students with instructional faculty from other departments and colleges.

2.1.6. Develop co-curricular programs to connect students to community life and enhance their opportunities for cross cultural communication.

2.2. Increase quality and quantity of faculty scholarship in SLA/TESOL

Actions

2.2.1. Increase quality and quantity of scholarship in targeted areas.

a. Gather, compile, and share information about current levels of scholarship activity in the AEI

b. Identify key areas for scholarship

c. Do budgetary analysis to determine available resources for support of scholarship.

d. Fund competitive research grants, open to all faculty, in these targeted areas

e. Investigate and develop additional funding options such as grant writing training.

f. Provide access to dedicated classrooms in which faculty can conduct research.

2.2.3 Develop an atmosphere of scholarly collaboration within the AEI

a. Attract and recruit faculty to the AEI with a wide range of research interests.

b. Emphasize mentorship opportunities such as research critiques, shadowing, etc.

c. Encourage AEI faculty to have an individual research/scholarship agenda.

2.2.4. Enhance interaction among AEI and colleagues in the department of linguistics, e.g. initiate joint colloquia

2.3. Expand the AEI's reputation as a leader in eLearning through the application of technology for language education.

Actions

2.3.1. Identify and develop emerging opportunities for innovative, high quality eLearning courses.

a. explore opportunities to expand eLearning course offerings for matriculated students in targeted departments.

b. explore the development of eLearning training for UO students across disciplines.

c. continue to provide non-credit English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teacher training programs, applied research, and material development for non-USA based students.

d. determine capacity and deliver eLearning academic and professional training programs in targeted countries identified for market growth.

e. build faculty expertise in online course delivery and design

f. develop a pool of faculty with skill and experience in grant writing and reporting for online education opportunities

g. deliver online courses and online professional presentations in targeted countries where the AEI wants to expand its market presence.

2.3.2. Create a working group that continually explores technological options as a safety net for quick response to reduction in students in one or more programs

a. define and approve a contingency plan

2.3.3. Support all AEI faculty to explore and innovate with technology to meet needs in their classrooms

a. develop training for faculty to effectively use standard online tools in all courses

b. encourage faculty to innovate with online and classroom-based technology

2.3.4. Align AEI technology planning and expertise with actions in other areas of UO.

a. Assure AEI membership on technology-related lists and committees.

b. Align and integrate AEI technology procedures with other UO operations (eg admissions)

c. Do budgetary analysis and develop a job description for an internal AEI IT specialist.

Goal 2 Measures of Success

• Immediately needed adjustments to scheduling and curriculum (to accommodate Banner integration and 65 TOEFL score) in place by March 2014.

• Successful CEA reaccreditation with necessary curricular changes by ______________ .

• Comprehensive needs analysis study completed by June 2014, and analyzed with proposals by September 2014 (for piloting in AY 2014-2015).

• New writing labs, credit bearing UO courses for matriculated international students, and/or IEP curricular strands (according to needs analysis results) in effect by September 2015 (on the basis of NA results). These use face to face and eLearning modalities, as appropriate.

• The rate of timely graduation and the GPAs of international students are high, and students reach a CEFR C1 (ACTFL advanced high) level of English proficiency be graduation (test a sample) by June 2018

• The expectations of UO instructional faculty for students' English proficiency are reasonable and fulfilled (based on surveys) by June 2018

• Competitive in-house funding for several key selected areas of faculty scholarship in place and systematized by September 2015

• Faculty and programs win large and small grants to fund projects in curriculum, scholarship, and eLearning.

• Faculty scholarly publications increase by 50% (need baseline!)

• 100% of faculty can effectively use current course management system, needed software, and in-class technology

• New EFL courses and teacher training courses offered vie eLearning in selected target countries by 2016

• A contingency plan which leverages eLearning courses as a means to counter sudden population changes within the IEP, by September 2014.

• AEI faculty participate (even more fully?) in UO committees on student language preparation, campus internationalization, and technology implementation.

• AEI is a center of SLA/TESOL scholarship with multiple, active, well funded research projects and a faculty that is internationally in demand for presentations, training, panels, publications, and consulting.