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University of Wyoming



I-Course Enrichment Grant
Grant Information
Click here for proposal guidelines
Common Transition Gaps
Entering college students face many intellectual, emotional, and lifestyle “leaps” that must be made in order to truly succeed in college. In LeaRN focus groups, students across the board identify the following areas as most challenging in the transition to college:
► Encountering new genres, levels of complexity, and lengths of reading
► Managing coursework, or making time for schoolwork
► Effectively taking notes in class and in out-of-class reading
► Moving from memorization to application in exams
► Studying large amounts of material from notes, book(s), and class materials
► Finding meaningful connections among disciplines and knowledge gained in different disciplines
► Moving from “black-and-white” to more complex forms of thinking and responding to texts and ideas
► Participating in class discussion and dealing with controversial topics
 
Why the I-course?
While some colleges incorporate transition skills into an “Introduction to the University” or First-Year Seminar course, UW’s I-course possesses some key strengths in helping students develop academic skills in their first-year. For example, the I-course is content-based, allowing instructors to connect college skills to intellectual work that builds in complexity throughout the semester. And, the course often carries a full-blown research component (through the L criteria or other course project) which affords great opportunity for teaching responsible and effective scholarship. Finally, the course is small, which allows for stronger classroom community and teacher support. Thoughtful attention to teaching academic skills bolsters the learning—and engagement—of all students, even the most experienced students in the class.
In this grant project, participants will consider best-practices in teaching academic skills and work together to plan course revisions and assessments for fall 2009 courses.

 Possible Focuses for Grant Projects
For this grant project, the following skills will serve as a starting point; applicants are invited to go beyond these skills in proposing focuses for individual projects:
► Critical Reading
Helping students learn active and responsive reading habits, as well as practicing “focused” reading outside of class		  
► Coursework Management
Providing students tips and strategies (using the expertise of experienced students) for managing multiple assignment and exam deadlines, and developing new time management habits 		 
► Note-taking
Making the note-taking process transparent to students, by helping them practice different strategies and glimpse approaches intended for specific learning styles		  
► Studying for Exams
Helping students overcome deeply ingrained exam-preparation habits from high school and make the jump into applying concepts (instead of expecting to regurgitate information) on exams; helping students understand the anatomy of test anxiety and how to overcome it		  
► Discussion and communication etiquette
Preparing students in the first two weeks for a semester of high engagement and democratic discussion in class		  
► Interdisciplinary Connections
Planning connections before the semester begins in readings, assignments, and class visitors, and remaining open to possibilities for interdisciplinary connections based on student questions and interest