Unit.  College/School/Department:

Department of Sociology

In Cooperation with (Optional):

(Name of Cooperating Unit)

Name of Project Director:

Dr. Bob Edwards, Graduate Director, Sociology

Campus Address:

Brewster A-416

Phone Number:

328.4863

E-Mail:

EdwardsR@mail.ecu.edu

Total Funding Request:

$41,635.51

Project Title: 

Department of Sociology Computing Instructional Laboratory Project

Name of Unit Head:

Dr. R. Lee Maril, Chair, Department of Sociology

Campus Address:

Brewster A-416

Phone Number:

328.6193

The goal of this project is to enhance undergraduate and graduate instruction in social science computing, survey research, and other internet-based research skills. The project proposed here will positively affect instruction in general education courses in sociology and provide substantial benefits to undergraduate sociology majors and graduate students. (See below.)

Specifically, we propose to establish a 30 station Social Science Computing Instructional Laboratory (SSCIL) for the Department of Sociology in BD-302.  Such a lab would provide a computing instructional resource comparable to those at top research universities. Ten of the 30 student work stations would have phone lines suitable for conducting telephone surveys. This survey research capacity will enhance instruction in survey research techniques and support undergraduate and graduate student involvement in research projects including presenting papers at professional conferences.

For general education students the SSCIL would enable internet research skills to be better integrated into existing courses such as SOCI 2110 and 2111.  Sociology majors and graduate students would receive more effective instruction in core research skills such as: data collection, data base management, data analysis, and graphical representation of results. 

The Department of Sociology teaches between 4,000 and 5,000 separate students annually. The majority of these are in service courses like SOCI 2110, SOCI 2111. Such courses would utilize the SCL two or three days per semester when discussing methods of social research or related topics.  Thus the SCL would enhance the general education experience for a wide range of ECU students.

Beyond these benefits for general education, the SCL would positively affect instruction in the following SOCI courses.  SOCI 3235, 4201, 4202, and 5500 would utilize the SSCL to teach specific instructional units of several weeks duration.  Third, the following courses would be taught entirely in the SSCL.  These are SOCI 3213, 3216, 4200, 6212, 6213, 6312, and 6313.  (Courses in bold are required for all sociology students.)

Currently, the department has access to BD-202 and the Kim Lab.  BD-202 is shared among several Brewster Building departments and has only an instructor’s work station for demonstrations.  The Kim Lab has student work stations, but has no projection capability for demonstrations. Moreover, even if the Kim Lab had instructional demonstration capability, the Kim Lab student work station lay-out is not suitable for classroom instruction.  Thus, with current facilities statistical computing and other research skills must first be demonstrated to the students in a classroom, then the students must leave the room and walk to the Kim Lab to practice the techniques on available work stations. This is a very ineffective way to teach computing and online research skills. The SCL proposed here will provide the proper instructional environment for undergraduate and graduate level research skill training.

Routine SCTR request has been submitted and updated on 2/26/04.  Response is pending.  As of 2/27/04, no materials have been obtained by the Department of Sociology via SCTR request

Essential equipment:

 30 Dell OptiPlex GX270D Desktop computers with pre-installed ITCS lab computing software image (Quote# 135356956)($29,418). 1 Dell OptiPlex GX270D Desktop Computer w/ DVD Capability with pre-installed ITCS lab computing image (Quote# 135357573)($1,001.89). Communication port cabling $6,524.00.

Less essential equipment:

 1 Infocus LP 650 Computer projector with ceiling mount. $2,999.99  Cables for projector $105.00 Additional mount extension $50.00.  Printer HP LaserJet 2300DN w/duplexer network-ready $960.00.  ACAN AN-100X Two Way Powered Speakers and cables 576.63. 

Total: $41,635.51

Support for the project will be provided by the department of sociology in collaboration with its graduate program.  Renovations for Brewster D-302 will be allocated from the department budget (see attached quote) to furnish a working lab environment.  Furniture from the Austin computing laboratory, which has been allocated for our use, will be used to furnish the laboratory.  All furniture and accoutrements from Austin lab remain in full working order.  Other equipment such as the projector screen etc… will be purchased by the department or acquired through university surplus.  The Department of sociology will provide trained staff for the laboratory through its graduate assistantship program (1.5 GA) and will staff the lab during all public sessions and as needed during class periods.  Additional maintenance will be contracted through ITCS at department expense.  The computing classroom will utilize and fully comply with the current university network infrastructure.

The Sociology Computing Laboratory will be a facility to train students in a range of computer-based research skills.  General indicators of educational impact include the number of students receiving training each year, the number of undergraduate and graduate student research projects undertaken, the number of undergraduate and graduate student presentations of research at professional conferences, and the number of students securing social science research related employment upon graduation.

The following seven indicators of effectiveness will be compiled.  The SCL will determine the number of 1) courses that utilized the SCL on a day by day basis; 2) courses utilizing the SCL for specific instructional units of a week or more; 3) courses taught entirely in the SCL; 4) students who received training in survey data collection and telephone interviewing; 5) telephone surveys conducted by undergraduate and graduate students; 6) undergraduate and graduate students making research presentations at professional conferences; and 7) to the extent possible the department will determine the number of students in research-related employment after graduation.