2005 - 2006

Teaching

I taught 2 courses in Summer 2005, 4 courses in Fall 2005 and 4 courses in Spring 2006 - all but one of them off-campus.  All of my courses included some web-based component; three were completely web-based. All of my courses have been integrated into AET Zone, the ASU Instructional Technology program’s 3D virtual campus.  My course evaluations continue to suggest strong student satisfaction with the content and process of my courses.

In 2005-2006, I had 65 advisees.

Scholarship

Formal and Non-Funded Projects

I received funding to conduct “The Zews Project: Fostering community across off-campus cohorts” from the Reich College of Education Successful Application of Learning Technologies grant program .  The goal of the Zews project is to increase students' sense of presence, connectivity, and belonging by publishing a cross-cohort multimedia newsletter for, by, and about students.  An online survey (the Social Presence Awareness Survey (SPAS)) has also been created to provide data related to AET Zone participants' sense of presence and instructional immediacy.  One newsletter issue was published in Spring 2006.  The SPAS was pilot-tested, and a refined version will be re-issued in the Spring 2007.

Proposals for External Funding

I submitted a proposal, in collaboration with NEMAC, to the National Science Foundation.  Our proposal was entitled: "Spatial Visualization of Environmental Challenges: A Digital Toolkit for Informal Education" and was intended to provide an immersive, real-time multimedia interface to actual NC and US Geological Society data.  The proposal was not funded.

Manuscripts submitted for juried review and potential publication

Bronack, S. (2006). Learning Unplugged: The internet divide in american schools. Electronic Magazine of Multicultural Education, 8(1). Retrieved June 30, 2006, from http://www.eastern.edu/publications/emme/2006spring/bronack.pdf

Riedl, R.E. & Bronack, S.C. (2006, April). Emergency certification of special education teachers: Many paths to the same goal. The Catalyst, 22(2). Menlo Park, CA: Western Center for Microcomputers in Special Education.

Papers/Talks and Presentations at Professional Meetings

Bronack, S.C., Riedl, R.E., Tashner, J.H. & Greene, M.W. (2006, March). Learning in the zone: A social constructivist framework for distance education in a 3D virtual world.  Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education International Conference, (2006), 1 p. 268-275.

Bronack, S.C. (2006, June). Learning beyond the web. ASTD Charlotte e-learning SIG, Charlotte, NC.

Tashner, J.H., Bronack, S.C., Riedl, R.E., Angel, R.B., Sanders, R.L. & Greene, M.W. (2006, March). Exploring new forms of online collaborative learning communities: Teaching and learning in 3D virtual worlds. University of North Carolina Teaching and Learning with Technology Conference.  Raleigh, North Carolina.

Bronack, S.C., Riedl, R.E. & Tashner, J.H. (2005, November). Education in the zone: Deep learning in a 3D virtual world. League of Worlds Annual Meeting. Melbourne, Australia.

Bronack, S.C., Riedl, R.E., & Tashner, J.H. (2005, September). Innovation in learning: Assumptions about teaching in a virtual world. International Conference on College Teaching, Methods, and Styles, Reno, Nevada.

Service

Instructional or Faculty Development Activities

This year, our college was under NCATE review so most of my service activities revolved around gathering information necessary to assist the college and my program in review.

Creative / Scholarly Activities

I worked on two, separate projects this year: LoW Reviewer and SafeSign. 

LoW Reviewer
The first was a proposal review tool used by the League of Worlds conference proposal review committee.  The LoW Review Tracker provided an online repository for storing proposals and reviews.  Reviewers log on and are presented with a list of links to proposals to which they are assigned.  Clicking on the proposal opens the proposal and an attached review form.  Conference organizers may log on at any point and see (a) which reviewers have reviewed their assigned files and (b) what values and comments were assigned.  Click on the small images, below, for a larger version of screen shots of the LoW Review Tracker:

SafeSign
The second is a unique system for calling pitches utilized by the ASU Baseball team.  We call it "SafeSign."  Rather than relying on hand signals to relay what pitch to throw from the coach in the dugout to the catcher in the field, SafeSign utilizes a unique algorithm and numerical signaling to provide a safe, clear, and unbreakable system for calling pitches.  Using the SafeSign web-based tool, the coach creates a sheet of pitches and corresponding numbers.  The catcher, in turn, wears a number sheet on a wristband that decodes the numbers relayed from the coach into actual pitches to call to the pitcher.  Because the numbers are randomly assigned - and the algorithm is embedded in a real-time, reloadable database -  SafeSign provides a pitch-relaying system that is virtually immune to stealing signs.  The screen shots, below, show portions of the SafeSign signaling system:

Committees

College/University
Athletic Council
Improving Appalachian’s Attractiveness
Sigma Nu Fraternity Faculty Advisor

Off-Campus (state or national)
League of Worlds, conference planning committee 
International Journal on E-Learning, manuscript reviewer

Personal Emphasis

Teaching: 60% Scholarship: 30% Service: 10%