Sabbatical Report

Dan Kulmala

Sabbatical Plans: Originally, I had applied for a sabbatical to complete a series of plays and further my research on e-Portfolios, namely the NY Times Knowledge Network’s Epsilen, and assessment of student learning. Because FHSU delayed my sabbatical due to financial concerns, I completed much of the work I for which I requested the sabbatical. For example, I finished the plays I outlined in my request, and I have sent several of those plays to theater festivals for production consideration. So I asked Dean Paul Faber if I could change my request for sabbatical due to the delay. And he granted the change.

For my sabbatical, I continued my work on e-Portfolios and assessment of student learning, and I used the time to begin writing a book of creative non-fiction, entitled Locating My Father. I outline my progress for these two areas of study and work below.

e-Portfolios and Assessment: For the past six years, both my research and my pedagogical practices have moved in the direction of e-Portfolios and assessment of student learning, with a focus on direct measures of learning. And much like the way in which social networking can grow information with immense fertility, my continued study of e-Portfolio and assessment grew during my sabbatical, exceeding my expectations for a sabbatical. Below, I outline the highlights of my work and research in this area:

  1. Presentations: During my sabbatical, I gave three presentations and one webinar. These presentations demonstrated my use of e-Portfolios in the classroom and my use of performance-based learning and rubric-based assessment. All of my work dovetails splendidly with the initiatives outlined in the Red Balloon project and with current calls for the assessment of student learning. Here is the list:

a.  “Education and the Power of Social Networking for Student Retention.” SIDLIT. Johnson County Community College, Overland Park, KS. August 5 to 6, 2010.

b.  “What Do Students Need from Us?—A Look at Technology in the Classroom.” Opening Keynote Session. SIDLIT. Johnson County Community College, Overland Park, KS. August 5 to 6, 2010.

c.  “It Takes a Community to Learn: Learning Communities VS e-Portfolios.” Taking Teaching to Task. CLA in the Classroom Performance Task Conference. Jersey City, NJ. July 31 to August 1, 2010.

  1. “Blogging Away from the Medieval Classroom.” New York Times Knowledge Network. November 9, 2010.
  2. Assessment Plans and Work: Most of my assessment work involves using innovative approaches for diagnostic and holistic assessment. During my sabbatical, I refined my rubrics by following both the guidelines established by the AACU and CLA in the Classroom. These rubrics and assessment practices are being piloted in my classes for this spring semester.
  3. AACU and General Education: With assessment of student learning as a primary focus I performed the following tasks during my sabbatical:
  4. Wrote the Application Narrative for the “Shared Futures: General Education for the Global Century,” and I gathered the team for this proposal. Unfortunately, FHSU was not selected. However, I have submitted this narrative to Dean Paul Faber as a document that might prove useful the General Education Development Sub-committee. And I include this narrative along with my sabbatical report.
  5. Developed a Performance Task Assessment Program, which is being piloted this year. Professor Shala Mills allowed me to use a performance task for her Current Political Issues course. And this performance task will allow us to assess learning for this year’s learning community. I am also piloting this program using 50 students from each of these levels: Freshman, Upper-Level IDS, and Senior Capstone course. This assessment program uses CLA in the Classroom performance tasks and rubrics to assess learning in key areas like analytical reasoning, critical thinking, problem-solving, and written communication. I have plans to integrate this assessment program into the General Education Program, with plans to address the transfer of learning.
  6. Café Scribe: I worked on this initiative with Dennis King. It involves using Café Scribe to create a collaborative, on-line learning environment that allows for interaction in digitized textbooks. I attended and helped lead two workshops on Café Scribe—one at Hutchinson Community College and another at Cowley Community College.
  7. Teagle Foundation Teaching and Learning Scholar: My work on assessment and performance-based learning earned me this distinction. As a result, I have helped facilitate two workshops for CLA in the Classroom, and I will be the lead facilitator at Auburn University from April 8 to 9, 2011. As a Teagle Foundation recipient, I will lead regional and national workshops and be part of Critical Thinking Tank, directed by the Council for Aid to Education.
  8. KBOR Committees: I attended and actively participated on two KBOR initiatives over the summer and fall during my sabbatical: Common Core Standards and P-20.

Creative Non-Fiction: At this writing, I have nearly 200 pages of a rough draft on a memoir about my father. I am continuing to revise my work, and I will pursue publication possibilities this summer. Currently, I am sharing bits and pieces of my book with my students in my English Composition and Advanced Composition courses.