Among the outcomes we expect from our proposed collaboration are the following:

Improved pedagogy and extended faculty expertise. Faculty have opportunities to experiment with various technologies and to develop and use new, non-traditional teaching materials (web, multimedia format, etc.). On a broader scale, faculty can engage in a collaborative evaluation of how they teach and how technology can contribute to enhanced learning in the liberal arts environment. Additionally, cross-institutional faculty collaborations should foster new faculty development opportunities by providing a broader range of professional colleagues.

Collaborative projects within and among classes. The "distribution" of the learning process can take place not only within one classroom, but also across two campuses. In large measure, learning is a social activity, and we know that in many instances our students learn much better in a collaborative setting. For example, it is interesting to note how different student writing is when it is written to convince and inform in public media (published on the web, shared) instead of simply for instructor evaluation. Also, thoughtfully critical evaluations (of writing or positions defended, for example) are more frequently offered among students who do not sit across from each other in a room each day. Denison and Kenyon both have had resounding success courses in which collaborative projects have been an integral part (many can be found on our web sites), and we expect that this project will result in an expansion of these successes.

More effective course and curriculum structure. Using technology, students have greater access to information, use tools that permit better and quicker mastery of content, and become more active participants in their education. Several courses are being restructured to develop in students the habits and skills of collaboration in problem solving (including student collaborations across campuses via the web). As a result, we expect to see greater student initiative and independence on the one hand, and an enhanced ability to work cooperatively with others on the other. Several faculty also intend to include culminating experiences in their courses, in which students will create web-based portfolios or similar materials that help develop an integrated perspective to their studies. These results will be very useful in a wider context as well, as both Kenyon and Denison will engage in comprehensive curriculum reviews within the next several years.

New course materials and resources. New primary course materials are being created or made available, including spatial and temporal data such as maps and timelines; film, video and still imagery; and international correspondence through the many scholarly discussion groups utilizing Internet. Maps and timelines can be presented in an interactive setting on workstations more common today than ever before. Contextual imagery can be stored digitally and presented interactively on such systems. Students have full access to a wide spectrum of resources over the Internet: local, national and international library resources; up-to-the-minute news feeds of global events; and even direct correspondence with observers and participants in the evolving international scene. And the extensive array of bibliographic resources now accessible through the Ohio Five Consort library project, and the gateway to OhioLINK, can now be utilized more widely in faculty-guided student research. As a result, a significant number of faculty and students are becoming more knowledgeable about library and information resources available for course work and student projects; effective collaborative relationships are being established among faculty, students, and library and technical staff for course development and support of student projects: and a growing number of first and second-year courses include work requiring students to use information resources in ways that encourage self-initiated and self-directed learning and inquiry.

New methods of cost containment. Important savings likely will be realized through the common acquisition of technology as well as the joint development and sharing of materials. The collaboration proposals from environmental studies and mathematics faculty have already documented specific opportunities for efficiencies. Collaboration between our two faculties should enhance faculty development opportunities, and at less cost, with the result that some existing resources can be directed to other faculty development needs. Moreover, the sharing of technical expertise holds promise to add depth to technical assistance available to faculty and students without increasing costs.

Expanded collaboration among and within institutions. We expect that enhanced and mutually beneficial relationships will increase among faculty and students, facilitating interdisciplinary and inter-college sharing that will continue beyond the proposed three-year grant period. For example, faculty in highly specialized areas will have more frequent opportunities to interact with colleagues in their fields, and students and faculty in upper-level, low-enrollment courses (e.g., quantum mechanics, or less commonly taught languages) will be able to share resources and ideas. Once precedents are set, such collaborations may also extend to include other institutions and consortia as well.

Better understanding of the staff infrastructure needed in a technology-intensive environment. Effective use of technology requires a higher level and different kind of technical staff support. This project will allow us to consider how we might use consolidation and reallocation of existing resources to meet this changing need.