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English for Academic and Career Success in Agriculture: A Needs-based Curriculum. Giselle Muñoz , Research Assistant Department of English, UPR- Mayagüez Catherine M. Mazak , P.I. Rosita L. Rivera Rodriguez, Co-P.I. Judy Casey, Co-P.I. Research Assistants: Kimberly Santiago
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English for Academic and Career Success in Agriculture: A Needs-based Curriculum Giselle Muñoz, ResearchAssistant Department of English, UPR-Mayagüez Catherine M. Mazak, P.I. Rosita L. Rivera Rodriguez, Co-P.I. Judy Casey, Co-P.I. Research Assistants: Kimberly Santiago Claudia Herbas Angel Matos
Problem • Agriculturemajors… • areover-represented in low-levelEnglish as a SecondLanguagebasictrackcourses • have the longest time to degree completion, 6.41 years • have a high rate of dissatisfaction with English courses (2006 English department survey) • have the worst retention rates of all the faculties at the UPRM http://oiip.uprm.edu
Placement into Basic Track 2007 http://oiip.uprm.edu
Solution Because required English courses are not designed to meet agriculture students’ academic and career needs… Our project seeks to understand student English language needs and create courses designed to meet them
Inputs Research assistants Research equipment Participant support
Outputs • What we do (activities): • data-based needs analysis • create curriculum • publish curriculum on website • evaluate curriculum • Who we reach (participation) • 60% of all agriculture majors at the UPRM with low English proficiency • With the implementation of curricular change, all basic track students at UPRM (50% of all students)
Outcomes-Impact • Short term • Curricular revision • cooperation between faculties • train student researchers • Medium term • disseminate results about content learning for ESL students • Long term • more Hispanics represented in agriculture and other science careers • improved models for content-based instruction
-data-basedneedsanalysis -createcurriculum -publishcurriculumonwebsite -evaluatecurriculum 60% of all agriculture majors at the UPRM with low English proficiency Understand student English language needs and create courses designed to meet them -Research assistants -research equipment -money for participant support Required English courses are not designed to meet agriculture students’ academic and career needs -Curricular revision -cooperationbetweenfaculties -trainstudentresearchers -disseminate results about content learning for ESL students -more Hispanicsrepresented in agriculture and othersciencecareers -improvedmodelsforcontent-basedinstruction Program Development Planning – Implementation – Evaluation Required English courses are not designed to meet agriculture students’ academic and career needs
Contact usdaenglish@gmail.com cathymazak@mac.com (P.I. email) http://usdaenglishandagriculture.wordpress.com/