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Teaching and Learning Initiatives

2008 - 2009

  • Adaptive PE. The Adaptive Physical Education Program is designed to be a physical fitness program geared toward the movement and physical fitness needs of students with disabilities. Special needs students are paired with able bodied students as exercise partners. All students follow the instructions and lead of the instructor with the able bodied students providing the necessary individual assistance. Activity emphasis is with cardiovascular activities, smooth and controlled movements, some muscle development, and flexibility or lengthening exercises. Social interaction during the class meetings are also an emphasis. Contact: Mike Miles. Phone: 972 238-6268.

  • Baby Boomer Program. Rewired Not Retired plus 50 Community Colleges. Ageless Learning.
    Richland’s Baby Boomer Program was created especially for those individuals for whom retirement is not an option, offering resources to help them make the right decisions. Classes are held in the evenings and on weekends to fit busy schedules. Course titles include: “Protecting Your Home’s Value in a Slow Economy;” “Job Search – You’re Not Old, You’re Experienced;” “ Finding Your Passion & Purpose;” “Changing or Starting Your Career Later In Life;” and “So You Want To Be Your Own Boss.” Contact: Mitzi Werther. Phone: 972-238-6972.

  • Center for Success in Mathematics. Replicating Northwest Vista College’s award-winning Developmental Mathematics Advocacy Center and the developmental math coaching program pilot undertaken Fall 2008, Richland received DCCCD Round One Retention funding in 2009 to create a Center for Success in Developmental Math for first-time-to-college, under-prepared students in math. The Center for Success in Development Math is the place on campus outside of the classroom that new and continuing students go to get support from a math coach.  The Center for Success in Math is currently located in a large conference room in Richland’s Center for Tutoring and Learning Connections on the second floor of Medina Hall. Doug Wilson. Phone: 972-238-6238.

  • Cooperative Learning. Cooperative is an approach to teaching that has hugely impacted those Richland instructors who have learned it.. Workshops are usually taught at the beginning of the Fall and Spring semesters. In the workshops, cooperative learning is defined, demonstrated and modeled. Participants learn practical procedures for using cooperative learning and a conceptual structure to guide the planning of cooperative lessons and meetings. Sessions focus on the leader’s role in implementing cooperative learning, the research support, ways to structure positive interdependence and individual accountability, and strategies for teaching social skills and conducting group processing and assessment. Faculty, staff and administrators are encouraged to attend. To register for workshops, email 8Tee-Reg@dcccd.edu. Learning Facilitators: June Cheatham. 972-238- 6306. Email: jcheatham@dcccd.edu. Jada Hill 972-238-6214. Email: jph8460@dcccd.edu. Gwen May 972-238-6269. Email: gmay@dcccd.edu. Mary Osentowski 972-238-6221. Email: maryo@dcccd.edu. Contact: Becki Williams. Phone: 972-238-6362. Email: bwilliams@dcccd.edu.

  • Course Redesign - Developmental Writing. Two traditional developmental writing courses (DRWI 0091 and DWRI 0093) were the focus of this major course redesign initiative. This program was funded by a grant from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. The major thrust of this course redesign initiative in developmental writing is to provide students with an accelerated student-centered learning experience that promotes active learning through interactive technology, individualized learning plans and collaborative activities. Contact: Doug Wilson. Phone: 972-238-6238. More info.

  • Dual Credit. This program enables high school students to get a head start on college. Tuition is waived for qualified high school students enrolled through Dual Credit if their high school participates in the program. Dual credit means the students earn credit for high school and college course work simultaneously. Any class offered by DCCCD – transferable college courses and technical/occupational programs – can be considered for Dual Credit, as long as the course is needed to complete high school graduation requirements. Students from ALL educational venues are welcomed:  public, private, home, and charter. Contact: Bonnie Hueston. Phone: 972-761-6815. Gay Ricks. 972-238-6116. Lisa Graef. Phone: 972-238-6190. Latisha Harrison. Phone: 972-761-6721. More info.

  • The Emeritus Program at Richland College created in 1991 provides cultural and social learning opportunities for individuals fifty years of age and older. Many Richland instructors participate by teaching both credit and non-credit classes. They frequently find that teaching Emeritus students is among the most rewarding things they do. The program offers year round diverse selections of credit and non-credit classes, lecture series, discussions, tours and special events such as symposia and semester kick-offs. Computer classes are especially popular. Individuals over sixty five who have lived in Texas for twelve months and reside in Dallas County may enroll in up to six credit hours of courses, each semester, tuition free. Volunteer opportunities available through Emeritus’ Conversation Partners, Reading Assistance Program (RAP) and Tutoring/Mentoring Program are designed to assist ESOL students improve their reading and comprehension skills, and to receive assistance in a variety of subjects. All three volunteer programs have the same goal – to help students achieve success. Contact: Mitzi Werther. Phone 972-6393.

  • English Faculty eCampus Site. An organization on eCampus where all English faculty, including full-time and adjunct, are enrolled as students. Much like the way students use eCampus, English faculty have access to syllabi templates, program objectives and guidelines, as well as other documents to help them build their course syllabi, or add resources for their students, as well as access resources for themselves. The site also houses information on our plagiarism policy, an orientation for new faculty, forums for discussion on plagiarism, best practices, worst problems, and a virtual faculty lounge. They are building learning modules -- short lessons faculty can upload to their own eCampus sites to show students. To access the eCampus materials follow these instructions: 1. Log into eCampus. 2. Click on the "Community" tab. 3 Under "My Organizations", click the RLC-ENGL-FACULTY link. Contacts: Paula Eschliman. Phone: 972-761-6731. Mary Peacock. Phone: 972-761-6849.

  • Honors These classes are designed for students who enjoy active participation in the classroom. Instructors are discussion leaders and group facilitator more often than lecturers. Honors classes are smaller to encourage student involvement. Formats may include seminars, team-taught classes, accelerated courses, interdisciplinary courses, and courses with honors components. Contact: William Matter. Phone: 972-238-6975.

  • Instructor/Course Profiles. With this project, students and advisors get a preview of courses and instructors before registration. The instructor/course profiles are linked from the Richland College schedule next to their respective classes. The information is input by full-time and adjunct instructors themselves, so the information is accurate and up-to-date. Currently, 428 full-time and adjunct instructors have input 1041 course profiles. The course and instructor profiles give the Richland College schedule another dimension that other campuses do not provide. Advertise your course and yourself with Course Profiles. Learn how with these printable instructions . To update your profile, login here. Contact: Leslie Wendling. Phone: 972-761-6842 .

  • Leadership Richland. The Leadership Richland program provides an opportunity for students to explore and enhance their leadership abilities through working with other students and staff members. As a member you will participate in training sessions, seminars, and hands-on opportunities. The Leadership Richland program is free and open to all Richland College credit students. Contact: Wilfred Manyango. Phone: 972-238-6133

  • Learning Communities

  • Learn Labs. These specially equipped classrooms iintegrate the latest in educational technology with innovative classroom design to create an environment which encourages student engagement. Features include a computer with touch-screen monitor, an interactive whiteboard, three projectors and screens, document cameras, and huddle boards (small, portable whiteboards). Instructors who would like to be assigned to a Learn Lab must complete a two-hour training session and an application form. Contact: Audra Barrett, Dean of Distance Learning. 972-238-6396.

  • Peer Interactions in Online Instruction. This eCampus site is a repository of ideas and methods for getting students to interact with each other in the online setting. So it's full of ideas about discussion prompts that could be used for students in discussion boards--community building, cognitive prompts, prompts that help the students deal with fears about the courses, prompts that encourage students to look at metacognitive concerns (their own learning process), etc. Contact: Rica Garcia. Phone: 972-860-7205.

    To access the eCampus materials follow these instructions: 1. Log into eCampus. 2. Click on the "Community" tab. 3 Under "My Organizations", click the RLC-PEER-INTERACTION link. 4 In the left-hand pane, click "Start Here."

  • Peer Observation. This program helps online instructors make sure their course meets SACS guidelines and is user-friendly and provides easy navigation for students. Peer observation allows for collegiate conversation between faculty members from different backgrounds, as well as assisting the faculty with course design, focusing them on seeing their course from the student's point of view and creating a win-win situation for both instructor and students. Contact: Audra Barrett. Phone: 972-238-6396.

  • Richland Collegiate High School. RCHS is a unique charter school designed to provide a "rigorous academic experience" for up to 200 high school juniors and 200 seniors. Students can complete their last two years of high school at Richland College by taking college courses and earning college credits with a focus on mathematics, science, or engineering. Potentially, these students can graduate with both their high school diploma and an Associate of Arts degree, ready to transfer to a four-year university. Tuition and books are free.. Phone: 972-761-6888


  • SENSE.. In the Fall of 2007, Richland College, along with 21 other community colleges, participated in the pilot administration of the Survey of Entering Student Engagement (SENSE). The thirty-seven question survey asks students about their experiences in the first three weeks of college and focuses on institutional practices and student behaviors that are most likely to impact student engagement.  The survey can help administrators assess the effectiveness of an established program, while also highlighting intangibles, such as first impressions of campus. The data can reveal differences between programs and how students perceive them.Contact: Mary Darin. Phone: 972-238-3727.

  • Service Learning - The Richland program includes over 25 faculty who incorporate Service Learning into their courses. Last academic year over 500 students completed over 13,000 hours of service in their community and worked with clients from 100 agencies. The current projects were as diverse as rebuilding homes with Habitat for Humanities, helping elementary school children design and plant a neighborhood garden, and tutoring elderly immigrants for citizen tests, to name only three. In campus-wide reflection sessions our students revealed that they were forming life-long habits of service and community involvement, and that they were truly becoming examples of Richland’s goal of teaching, learning, and community-building. Partially because of the service learning program Richland earned the Carnegie Foundation's community engagement classification for curricular engagement and outreach partnerships. FAQ for Instructors. Letter from the Dean. Contacts: Carole Lester. Phone: 972-238-6110. Karen Yeager. Phone: 972-238-6975.

  • Sustainability Across the Curriculum. There is a growing interest in responding to the environmental crisis by including instruction, assignments, and activities in the teaching and learning at Richland. Some first glimpses of the effort -- still in its infancy -- can be seen at these relevant Richland sites:: GreenRichland. Sustainability Teaching by Discipline. Global Warming Teach-In. Some have been looking at the Ogallala Commons as a possible model and this thought document has been put forward for discussion. Contact:: David Henry Phone: 972-238-6394. Amy Bell.. Phone: 972-238-6283.

  • Teaching Resources Web Site. Supported by the Council on Teaching and Learning the TR site is Richland's web home for those who teach. Instructors who visit can choose from a variety of activities to inform or inject a little creativity into their classes. They can learn about recent teaching initiatives, create a course profile, or explore learning objects. The Centers for Teaching Excellence Search Engine makes it possible to browse or search the teaching support centers for over 450 academic institutions. Our Teaching Resources is a social bookmarking collection to which faculty can both browse and contribute. See the left sidebar for more possibilities. Contact: Gary Duke. Phone: 972-238-6354.

  • ThunderBbolt Training. This is a series of workshops designed to help instructors learn the tools of eCampus as well as the craft of teaching with technology. ThunderBbolt training is a series of workshops designed by faculty and taught by faulty. Contact: Audra Barrett. Phone: 972-238-6396.

 

Copyright © 2009 Richland College | DCCCD | Last Updated: Thursday, September 3, 2009