Food For Thought: An Action Agenda for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning

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Food For Thought An Action Agenda for the
Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
Whitney Schlegel (Biology/Human Biology)Heather
Reynolds (Biology) James W. Reidhaar (Fine
Arts) Diane Henshel (SPEA)Victoria Getty
(Applied Health Science)
SOTL Event Series 28th March 2008
Funded by the Dean of the Faculties and Associate
Vice Provost for Academic Affairs, Scholarship of
Teaching and Learning Leadership Award 2006
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Presentation Plan
Scholarship of Teaching and Learning SOTL
Teaching Commons Inquiry Commons Student
Learning
Food For Thought FFT Central Question
Methodology Growing the Commons (Activity)
Evidence of Student Learning -Food
Literacy -Civic Engagement -Multi-Disciplinary
Service-Learning Summary of Findings Next
Steps
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Teaching Commons
Indeed we see the scholarship of teaching and
learning as part of a wider phenomenon that we
call the teaching commons, an emergent conceptual
space for exchange and community among faculty,
students, administrators, and all others
committed to learning as an essential activity of
life in contemporary democratic society. Mary
Huber and Pat Hutchings The Advancement of
Learning Building the Teaching Commons (2005).
Action Agenda for the Scholarship of Teaching
and Learning Establish more and better
occasions to talk about learning Students need
to be a part of the discussion about learning
Recognize teaching as substantive, intellectual
work New genres and forms to document the work
of teaching and learning Build and maintain the
infrastructure needed to make pedagogical work of
high quality available and accessible
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Inquiry Commons

• Thinking about teaching begins where all
  intellectual inquiry begins, with questions about
  what is going on and how to explain, support, and
  replicate answers that satisfy us.

This epigraph is from, The Scholarship of
Teaching and Learning, by Eileen Bender and
Donald Gray (1999). Bender and Grays piece
introduces a collection of essays about scholars
of teaching and learning at Indiana University.
Indiana embraced an extensive campus program that
won the nationally competitive Hesburgh Award for
faculty development in 2003. Huber, M. and P.
Hutchings (2005) The Advancement of Learning
Building the Teaching Commons.
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Inquiry Commons
IUB SOTL and CASTL Leadership Program
Leadership Campus IUB
Environmental Literacy Sustainability Initiativ
e
University of British Columbia Clark Atlanta
University Georgetown University Houston
Community College University of Kansas The MERLOT
Cooperative University of Michigan University of
Nebraska Lincoln
Inquiry Commons
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Student Learning
The Association of American Colleges and
Universities has listed ten of the more promising
high impact practices in its 2007 report,
College Learning for a New Global Century.
First-year seminars Common intellectual
experience Learning communities Service-learnin
g Undergraduate research Study
abroad Experiences with diversity Internships C
apstone courses Projects
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Student Learning
Make it possible for every student to
participate in at least two high impact
activities during their undergraduate program,
one in the first year, and one later related to
their major field. George Kuh, Chancellors
Professor Indiana University and Director Center
for Postsecondary Research and home to the
National Survey for Student Engagement, NSSE
Annual Report 2007

• Food For Thought
• Common Intellectual Experience
• Learning Community
• Service-Learning
• Projects

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FFT Action Agenda
To develop and test a novel model of
cross-disciplinary service-learning as one
approach to fostering student interdisciplinary
understanding and civic engagement. To create
a model for learning communities consistent with
the teaching commons described by Huber and
Hutchings (2005). To provide assessment
practices that support deep and integrated
learning and make visible the connections between
teaching and learning.
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The Model
Food For Thought FFT
Multi-Disciplinary Service-Learning with a Common
Theme
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Food Literacy

• Food literacy was chosen as an interdisciplinary
  theme that cuts across critical social, economic
  and environmental issues at local to global
  scales.

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Inquiry Commons
The Research Question
How does a multidisciplinary service-learning
community organized around a common theme support
and enhance student learning and civic engagement?
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Methodology
Coursework
Student Surveys
Student E-Portfolios
Faculty Course Portfolios
Project Portfolio
Team Project
Community Partner Feedback
Students Reflect Connect
Faculty Conduct SOTL Inquiry
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Growing the Commons (Activity)

• Form groups of 3-4
• Share your name and discipline/field of study
• Brainstorm an idea for a multi-disciplinary
  common theme
• Identify at least 2 community partners that
  intersect your common theme
• Note Student projects and products will be
  driven by the needs of the community partners.

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Evidence of Student Learning
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Food Literacy
Initial Evidence of Student Thinking about Food
Summary Personal Food was seen mostly as a
source of physical well-being (health and
energy) Community Food was was also seen in
terms of availability, culture and
tradition. Global Issues of world hunger and
adequate access dominated students views of food
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Food Literacy
Change in Thinking

• Common Themes
• Connections
• Movement from Awareness to Action
• Ethical Dilemmas
• Transfer of Knowledge

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After having been in E105 for a few weeks, our
class was prompted to create a thought web
encompassing everything we have learned about
food. This left a lot of room to explore. Given
more time, I probably would have covered multiple
pages. It was during this exercise that I
realized how much my knowledge had grown and how
much my focus was shifting from understanding to
action. In this web I mentioned that I have
friends and family members who chose not to eat
healthy, or do not have the means by which to eat
healthy. I explore the concept that vegetarians
have a larger sense of community and appreciation
for the food they eat than people with a meat
based, or meat supplemented diet. This connection
occurred to me just as I was writing. It seems to
me that because vegetarians pay so much attention
to what they eat it becomes a larger part of
them, in the way that food was meant to be a part
of all human culture and existence. They are more
likely to value the skills of gardening and
farming and to seek out the means by which to
become sustainable. That is not to say that their
isn't a place for people with a more common diet
in a sustainable world, it just seems that they
are not the people paving the way. I also note
on the fact that sustainability can only be
acquired when the social, economical, and
environmental factors of food production are
combined. When all are encompassed by our methods
of production and consumption then we have
reached an idealistic place in the realm of our
'eatable existence.'

connectionsawareness to actionethical
dilemmasknowledge transfer
Reynolds
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connectionsawareness to actionethical
dilemmasknowledge transfer
I included this particular excerpt from my
lecture outline notes because it shows the costs
and supposed benefits of factory farms and
conventional crop production. This ties in to my
initial thoughts on the importance of food from
the first day of class by expanding on my social
concerns of healthy nourishment. My original
thinking was that food grown without chemicals is
most healthy for us, humans. This table displays
the health concerns, not only for humans, but for
the environment as well. According to what I
learned in class, the inputs for crop production
and factory meat farms are costly, including lots
of fossil fuel use and chemicals. However, the
outputs, although profitable in the short term,
present costs for human health as well as
environmental well-being. Pollution from both
pesticides and large amounts of manure cause
biodiversity loss and can also leak into the
water system, affecting both nature and human
beings. Another aspect of these notes I'd like to
mention that relates to my initial answer deals
with global hunger. The bottom of the outline
says that we are producing enough food to feed
everyone in the world, but that we currently are
not doing so. I mentioned originally that feeding
the world was most important, so now that I'm
aware that we actually could be doing that if it
weren't for the high demand for meat production,
I've tried to eat meat only once or twice a week.


Reynolds
Reynolds
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The outline posted above is the content of a
chart that I filled out as part of Question one
of Wrap Ups 6. This chart mapped out the
environmental, economic, and social effects of
traditional industrial food production verus
alternative ways of producing food with regard to
meat production, chemicals, and traceability.
This question in particular was important for me
because it forced me to look at food from the
three standpoints we talked about in class,
environmental, economic, and social. It also made
me think about the importance of how food is
produced. I was able to stand back and look at
the vast differences that occur just by producing
food differently. This activity was an important
factor in the change in my attitude toward food.
I now see that food is not just for nourishment
and pleasure. Its production and consumption have
infinite effects in the world. When one thinks
about food, one must keep in mind that it does
not just affect those who eat it, but also those
who produce it, the community in which it is
produced and sold, and its source, the
environment.


connectionsawareness to actionethical
dilemmasknowledge transfer
Reynolds
Reynolds
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• Personally
• (Initially)
• Not eating meat is the most important food
  issue that I face and it is a life long
  commitment that I have made.
• (Change in Thinking)
• I was not longer looking at food as something
  that was purely my personal concern of what I am
  going to eat on a day to day basis... instead, I
  learned that it could be categorized into
  areas which are very broad and universal areas of
  culture, health, policy, and beliefs.

Henshel
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This in-class discussion/assignment is a
collaboration of all E412/512 students' ideas
with respect to food and the issues and concerns
related to it. As we listed the issues on local,
national, and international levels, we realized
how interconnected the issues were to one
another. Instead of making a list, we charted our
ideas into categories to address various aspects
of food at different levels. This assignment went
from a seemingly simple question about food to a
complex, interrelated diagram of topics where
many questions can be asked about each topic
under each issue within a category. This
assignment has broadened my view on food and how
it relates to everyone else and me, and I realize
now that it is far more intricate than I had
previously thought.

Henshel
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Reading my MHC cards, it's clear that I've
learned a good deal about specific nutrients
obtainable from the 6 represented foods.
I think I've learned how to appropriate the
techniques of corporate advertising, so that I
can subvert them and apply them to "the other
side."

Reidhaar
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This assignment made me think about the marketing
of food. Mountain Dew has the ultimate "cool"
advertising. It even shows in movie theaters.
Mountain Dew is cool, exciting, fresh ...anything
but unhealthy. I just tackled the sugar in it I
didn't even get to the caffeine or food dyes...
As a graphic designer, ethical issues can
arise. Should I design for unhealthy food? For
cigarettes? For alcoholic beverages? Am I selling
the truth or a lie?

Reidhaar
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We created a logo centered around the
child-friendly atmosphere that Hilltop brings to
their programs like their summer camp for
kids. This project allowed me to think in
greater proportions about how graphic design can
communicate to others and how these projects will
help the community as a whole.
I tried to convey that the lunchables are
targeted towards kids by having them "fall out"
of a school locker in my poster. I renamed the
product "saltables".

Reidhaar
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Civic Engagement
Mother Hubbards Cupboard
IUB Hilltop Garden Nature Center

• IUB SPROUTS

(Students Producing Organics Under the Sun)
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Civic Engagement
Change in Thinking

• Students Found Value in Volunteering
• Enriched Self-Awareness
• Increased Connections to Community and Beyond
• Provided Context for Service-Learning Projects
• Enhanced Understanding of Course Content

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I did my service learning at SPROUTS and it was
alright. I don't feel like I really helped anyone
or made much of a difference in the community. I
picked lettuce, and that is only so fulfilling.
The food is used by people who need it, so that
is great, but as a whole...the experience was ok.
Well, after reading others responses I feel
like a little bit of an ass. I guess I didn't
take much from my experiences. The only thing I
learned that I didn't already know was where the
food grown on the corner of Fess and 8th went. I
have just already had lots of service experiences
and this one just wasn't one of my favorites. I
am glad however that others did take a lot from
their service learning experiences and grew in
their sense of community.

Getty
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I am not sure this project has affected my sense
of responsibility in just Bloomington so much as
my responsibility as a citizen in a broader
sense. At no time have we really discussed
specific problems or needs in Bloomington.
Through my volunteer experience at Hilltop, I
discovered they promote environmentally-friendly
practices and through education activities shares
these ideas with children. Teaching them the
importance of respecting their surroundings can
help them establish a healthy relationship with
their environment. I, myself, am glad to have
been reintroduced to the idea that our resources,
in general, are dwindling through the research of
my topic, Ecological Footprint/Sustainable
Agriculture. It is easy to turn the other cheek
and not consider how our actions today can affect
the future. Supporting organizations like Hilltop
spreads awareness. Even small individual
adjustments and changes made to preserve our
resources can combine to cause overall positive
effects.

Getty
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• Service learning is unique because each person
  has a different experience when they participate
  in community service. Even two people who do the
  exact same thing will react in different ways.
  This is because we all come to our service
  projects with different backgrounds, preconceived
  notions, and expectations. I went to Hilltop
  without much previous knowledge about the
  facility. The people that I encountered were the
  people that made my service-learning experience
  different. I met three, very interesting men all
  with different backgrounds and motives for being
  at Hilltop. Being apart of their passion
  (Hilltop) and working along side them affected me
  more than I thought it would. I learned about the
  history of Hilltop and the great things that it
  has brought the community in many years. I was
  able to see how it brings life (literally) to
  people who may not have a chance to garden or
  have their own land. I also learned how many
  social justice issues when it comes to food and
  providing food to others. I learned of a co-op
  that is going on between farmers and local people
  in Bloomington. I am realizing more and more that
  there is great value in being plugged into the
  Bloomington community.
• I believe that we are meant to serve others. It
  may play out in many different ways, but I have
  been blessed with a college degree and free time
  to help others. I feel good about my service,
  because I understand that a part of our wiring as
  human beings. I believe God created us to love
  all and to serve all. I wish I could say my
  motivation to serve is always because I care so
  much about others. A lot of the time that is the
  case, but sometimes I serve out of obedience-
  even when I would rather be doing something else.
  I hope that this will eventually turn me into a
  person that serves for the right reasons all the
  time. Serving in the community is a great
  opportunity to get outside of our worlds and
  outside of ourselves. It is so easy to be sucked
  into the university bubble and forget that we
  live in a community that is much more than IU.

Getty
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One Saturday afternoon in early October I worked
in the SPROUTS garden for two hours to fulfill
the volunteer hours required for the E105
course. With students from all three classes I
spread fallen leaves to lay the foundations for
a new patch of garden, uprooted old tomato
plants, and helped get the garden ready for the
spring. As we worked I talked to the students
that operate the garden and learned about how
SPROUTS donates its produce to Collins Living
Learning Center or Mother Hubbard's Cupboard
Food Pantry or sells it at the local Farmer's
Market.
During this activity I had a chance to interact
with one of the community partners and students
who are in the other Food For Thought classes. It
was interesting to hear about the classes that
the other students were taking and how the whole
"service-learning" project had affected them.
Talking to the students who run SPROUTS really
opened my eyes to the different ways food is
being produced and distributed in the community
of Bloomington and on IU's campus. It really
showed me that there is a way to grow food so
that the community is provided for and the
environment is not affected aversely. Granted,
SPROUTS's work cannot provide for all of
Bloomington, but I believe that it has a good
start. Also, seeing their work in action made the
whole idea of growing food locally seem much more
real and attainable to me.

Reynolds
31
My work at SPROUTS was relevant in understanding
food because I got to experience hands on how the
food is grown. I learned about the healthy foods
they grew there and was able to properly pull
them up from the ground to be transported to the
market. All of this is important to do in order
to provide healthy, chemical free food to the
public. I also understood many of the concepts in
our course content by going to SPROUTS, such as
sustainability, economics, social well-being, and
the role of cities. By running this garden, the
economy is being helped because we are providing
the markets with healthy, organic foods in which
customers can consume and share.

Reynolds
32

• When I volunteered at Mother Hubbard's Cupboard,
  it was
• a truly educational experience. Before this
  class, I didn't even know their was such a thing
  as free grocery stores, let alone how they are
  run. Most of the time I got to sit there and bag
  food, so I could see everyone coming and going.
  It was interesting to see what kind of food
  choices people made. The "junk food Always went
  very quickly, after fresh produce (which seems to
  be a sort of novelty item there). Foods that
  people didn't know much about, like dried figs,
  they tended to take less of.
• In the reflection session on Thursday, October 5,
  my group
• discussed their experiences volunteering as well
  as the importance of why more stress should be
  put on organic and healthy food. This has an
  effect on the Bloomington community because it's
  important to invest in local growers and
  harvesters.

Reidhaar
33
In the S452 BFA Graphic Design class, our
discussions on healthy choices and the
importance of giving time to positive
organizations have enriched our discussions.
We've learned to think more consciously of the
community and its needs.

Reidhaar
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• As far as a sense of responsibility to the
  Bloomington community, the volunteer work that I
  did at SPROUTS showed me how much I do not know
  about Bloomington and the non-profit groups that
  are around the city. It helped me realize that I
  have made so many commitments to school and
  research and work that I have not had the time to
  stop and look around me at the other things going
  on in Bloomington community. Although I may not
  be interested in food literacy or organic foods,
  this project has helped me realize that there is
  more in the Bloomington community in the areas of
  my interest. I just need to take the time to look
  for them and make time to have a part in them.

Henshel
35

• This course, along with the community aspect of
  it, has taught me to bridge the gap between
  research and application in other words, I
  should use what I have learned by applying what I
  know to my life and live it out in actions.
  Sometimes as a student, it is easy to forget to
  see things outside of the university setting, and
  volunteering at MHC has given me a chance to
  struggle for the things that I take for granted.
  My volunteering experience has taught me the
  necessity of constant reminder of the world
  beyond my university scope.
• Also, working with other students has taught me
  the importance of reaching a consensus and
  listening to everyone's thoughts and opinions. It
  is by allowing people to feel important and heard
  that will motivate them to contribute more to the
  discussion.

Henshel
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Multi-Disciplinary Service-Learning Projects

• Interdisciplinary contributions combine to make
  a stronger end product an example using a
  SPROUTS team project.

Project Description Develop educational signage
(text graphics) for use within participating
dining halls. Signage should focus on the
environmental, economic and social aspects of
composting food waste. The final product should
consist of the text and the graphic design for
the signage and the completed flyer in an
attractive, professional, ready-to-copy format.
Please be sure to obtain information from
authoritative sources and to include a reference
list for all sources. The proposed signage
should be created as a Word document or
PowerPoint file, and submitted both in print and
electronic form. Suggested Team Member
Roles Editor/communications coordinator Keeps
the team on track and in good communication and
acts as main liason with the community partner.
Works with researchers to develop text and
visuals and edits these for accuracy, relevance
and style. Responsible for ensuring that the
final product is complete and polished. Researcher
s Provide content on the environmental, economic
and social aspects of composting food waste.
The information should be summarized in the
researchers own words and should properly cite
authoritative sources, providing a reference
list for all sources of information. Graphic
designer Develops a professional and cohesive
visual composition for the signage and flyer,
including attention to such elements as
typography, pattern and color.
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• S452 BFA Graphic Design
• The student applied the course review of
• food mass marketing by making a strong
• organizational identity that can be applied
• to several projects.
• Typographic hierarchy techniques were
• applied by selecting sizes, fonts and type
• colors that help organize the contents
  visually.
• Type designing skills were applied to take the
• Century font and make subtle adjustments to
• create a unique SPROUTS signature for the
• organization.
• Sensitivity to the purpose of the organization is
  
• reflected in the rough and natural elements
• of drawing giving the group grass roots appeal.

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E412/512 Risk Communication Project Planning as
a Component of Project Coordination and
Management   One important aspect of risk
communication that I had never really thought of
before is the planning component. I always
realized that you had to plan ahead, prior to any
communication, of course. But, the real planning
process is much more complicated. It is similar
to a strategic management process. You need to
analyze the audience, identify stakeholders,
determine the most effective approach, execute
the communication, and then evaluate the effort.
Team Coordination and Management I think I
learned a lot of important things about working
with teams in this class. First, it is important
to recognize that not everybody comes to the
table with the same set of skills. For the team
to work well, you have to be able to figure out
which skills everybody brings and make sure that
the work is divided accordingly. Second,
everybody works at their own pace, so you need to
make sure that if somebody is falling behind, you
work with them to find out exactly what is
causing them to fall behind and find out what you
can do to help them out. Third, it is important
that you make sure everybody has a clear, common
goal for the project. Without that, each team
member could find themself going in a direction
that isn't with the rest of the team.
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• E105 The City As Ecosystem
• The product reflects all course goals
• The students applied course content on
• ecosystem ecology
• -energy flow, matter cycling, biodiversity
• -ecosystem services, global change
• and its applications to sustainability
• -soil and agroecology
• -ecological, economic, social dimensions
• The product demonstrates science literacy
• and skills in critical thinking (seeing
• the synergies), written communication
• (reconciling content visual presentation
• needs), and teamwork
• The product reflects the affective course

This course I believe to be is about connecting
with the community, getting involved in improving
our ways to benefit the environment and at the
same time boost social benefits and economic
benefits. The composting awareness project was
part of a process in myself to realize what more
I can do to serve the community and also an
opportunity to share my new found knowledge with
fellow students on campus. It is putting into
practice things from the in class lectures about
using waste to produce food, wasting less energy,
therefore polluting less, that will then not
damage the environment as much and promote
biodiversity... With only composting Indiana
University or Bloomington won't change, but
composting is one more little thing that will
help gear us toward being less destructive on an
already damaged planet.
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Some Lessons Learned

• Portfolios Students need training and support in
  building their portfolios.
• --schedule a computer lab and set up the accounts
  as a class
• --require all class assignments to be submitted
  via the portfolio
• --minimize redundancy keep sections and
  questions simple
• --require a minimum number of visuals for
  interest and skill in
• inserting visuals
• Service-Learning Projects Given the wide range
  of students involved, all instructors must
  clarify certain academic expectations at the
  beginning of project work and incorporate
  mechanisms to track progress and provide
  feedback.

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Some Lessons Learned

• Scheduling Group Meetings Faculty need to
  shoulder responsibility to help students convene
  group meetings among multiple courses.
• Assessments Faculty need a narrower and shared
  range of assignments used to illustrate depth and
  breadth of student thinking.
• Infrastructure Support staff are crucial in
  helping faculty coordinate such a multi-faceted
  project.
• Mixing Student Levels Mixing graduates and
  undergraduates is difficult but fulfilling.
• -Use frustrations as teaching points for group
  management skills
• -Multi-class approach made projects more real to
  students

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Epilogue

• A Multi-Disciplinary Faculty Learning Community
• Supports the breaking down of barriers among
  faculty trained in different disciplines and
  promotes communication and exchange.
• Engages faculty in a common endeavor that seeks
  to understand issues from broader perspectives.
• Encourages faculty to experiment with their
  presentation of content and the ways that they
  and their students make meaning.
• Emphasizes the primacy of teaching in a context
  of intellectual growth and development.

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Epilogue

• A Multi-Disciplinary Student Learning Community
• Provided students an experience that helped them
  to develop breadth of vision, connections between
  disciplines, and mutual respect.
• Students demonstrated that they valued learning
  from each other and working as equals to explore
  common issues.
• Facilitated cooperation, knowledge sharing, and
  problem solving.
• Fostered an understanding that problems benefit
  from multiple points of view and diverse skills.

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Conclusion

• For the common good, education must offer a
  space for conversations about things that matter.
  Learning (inquiry) communities are one way that
  we build the commonalities and connections so
  essential to our education and our society.

Gabelnick, F., J. MacGregor, R. Matthews, B.
Smith. (1990) Learning Communities Creating
Connections Among Students, Faculty, and
Disciplines, New Directions in Teaching and
Learning, Jossey-Bass.
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Acknowledgements

• Jeanne Sept, Associate Vice Provost Academic
  Affairs
• and Dean of the Faculties
• Ray Smith, Associate Vice Provost Instructional
  Support Services
• Jennifer Meta Robinson, Director Campus
  Instructional Consulting
• George Rehrey, Consultant Campus Instructional
  Consulting
• Nicole Schonemann, Director Office of
  Service-Learning
• Mother Hubbards Cupboard, Sprouts, and Hilltop
  Garden Nature Center
• Sharon Smith, Administrative Assistant
  Instructional Support Services
• Leslie Hobbs-Ramsey, E-portfolio Specialist Human
  Biology
• Diane Richardson, Administrative Assistant Human
  Biology
• Ashley Buono, Advocate for Community
  Engagement(ACE)
• Graduate Student AIs and Assistants
• Students
• The IUB SOTL Community

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• While participating in this project I have
  learned how important it is for people with
  common interests to come together as a community
  in order to solve the problems that affect them.
• If projects or policies can be implemented by a
  group of stakeholders with common ground, then it
  will prove to be much more effective in the end
  than would projects with scattered and sparse
  participants. Power is in numbers, and power is
  in cooperation for endeavors such as civic
  engagement and solving communal problems related
  to food.

Henshel