This two week assignment asks students to interpret and analyze the 1974 Arecibo Message sent by Drake and Sagan. Week 1 introduces the concepts behind the construction of the message and engages with a critical analysis of the architecture and the contents of the message. Week 2 asks students to develop software in a Jupyter Notebook (available for free from the Anaconda Python Distribution) to interpret messages that were similar to those produced by Drake and Sagan.

This assignment, aligned to LaGuardia Community College's Global Learning Core Competency and Digital Communication Ability, was designed for the laboratory part of Human Anatomy and Physiology I (SCB203) course. The assignment, "Human Diseases Related to Different Body Systems" aims to promote students learning and preparation towards their future major in STEM and in the Allied Health Programs. SCB203, taught by faculty in the Natural Sciences department, is a program-core course for Liberal Arts-Mathematics and Science majors and a key Pre-Clinical course (prerequisite) for future enrollment of students into several Allied Health majors such as Nursing, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Radiologic Technology, Dietetics, Veterinary Technology, Therapeutic Recreation and EMT/Paramedic Program. It is crucial then that these programs goals and the Human Anatomy and Physiology courses (such as SCB203) align well with and promote the scale up of assignments in the curriculum. The dimensions of the Global Learning Core Competency and Digital Communication Ability rubrics reflected in Human Diseases and Healthcare also run across many courses in the Health Sciences programs; for instance, in the SCO101 course in the Occupational Therapy program and in HTR101 Therapeutic Recreation to help build student learning and professional identities. This assignment in SCB203 can offer the first experience to students to practice on these needed skills and will contribute to students future academic performance in the Health Sciences-related programs.
LaGuardia's Core Competencies and Communication Abilities The assignment was initially developed as part of the Provost Learning Space project on Evidence of Student learning in SCB203 in 2016-17 and has been implemented in all the SCB203 laboratory sections taught by Dr. Gupta since Spring 2017. It entails research by student groups on the etiology, symptoms, treatment/preventive options and global distribution of human diseases related to different body systems, as well as the socio-economic, environmental or genetic factors leading to such distributions. PowerPoint presentations in class (using different digital modalities such as text, images, tables, graphs, citations or hyperlinks), collaborative communication on each other's work via ePortfolio, and submission of simple concept sheets provide an opportunity for students to earn extra credit while revising major concepts pertinent to the final exam. This low-stakes exercise is worth 1% of the total course grade and students have 2 weeks to complete it.

This assignment was designed for students in the first year seminar and aligns with the Inquiry and Problem Solving core competency, with a focus on framing the issues (identifies and/or addresses questions problems and/or hypothesis informed by knowledge of context) and evidence gathering (assembles, reviews and synthesizes evidence from diverse sources of relevant knowledge). Both assignments rely on writing and one may include an oral component. In writing, the focus is on Content Development and Organization, as well as Control of Language, Syntax, and Mechanics. LaGuardia's Core Competencies and Communication Abilities
Main Course Learning Objectives: The LMF course for Liberal Arts Math and Science introduces students to the habits of mind of the major, and to relevant on-campus resources. Students are also supposed to plan their academic journey with faculty advisors. Read and contrast the historical perspectives vs the current perspectives about women in STEM. (Women in the early 20th century vs contemporary issues). Data: will be provided (from NSF and other government agencies) about women in STEM workforce and bachelor's and higher-level degree holders. Students must analyze and interpret (critical thinking). Generate appropriate questions. Reflection: be able to develop and defend arguments based on data and readings. Research Summary: Understand and evaluate factors that contributed to the success of Nobel Prize Winners in the early 20th century.

This assignment titled “My Interdisciplinary Perspective on Climate Change” was developed in Fall 2020 as the signature assignment of the STEM Learning Community LC50 for students enrolled in the Biology program of the Natural Sciences department, at LaGuardia Community College, CUNY. The assignment targets Integrative Learning and Global Learning Core Competencies, and Digital/Oral Communication Abilities.
For this STEM Cluster, “Climate Change” is the shared theme that connects learning from the different disciplines and helps build students’ overall knowledge on an imperative issue that our planet currently faces. Work on this assignment entails a narrated digital student presentation on the various aspects of Climate Change such as causes, global effects and manifestations, and possible remedial solutions or suggested actions. Students also practice summarizing the research and learning on this theme from the various courses undertaken in the first semester.
The main goal of this signature assignment is to make connections among the ideas, experiences and learning acquired among the different courses, assignments and co-curricular activities of this semester that contributed to the students’ understanding of this global phenomenon. This high-stakes assignment is worth 20% of the final grade in NSF 101: First Year Seminar for Natural Sciences (program-core course). Students are guided by all four instructors of the Learning Community, which comprises of the courses- NSF 101, MAT 115: College Algebra and Trigonometry, ENG 101: Composition I, and HUC 106: Public Speaking, through a 12-week scaffolded process to complete work and showcase their findings as a well-informed Biology major and responsible citizen of society. This assignment meets the NSF101 learning objectives and helps the students to hone their skills on the targeted Core Competencies (Global/Integrative Learning) and Communication Abilities (Digital/Oral), thereby increasing their chances of being successful in the subsequent 200-level classes of their major.
LaGuardia's Core Competencies and Communication Abilities
Student artifacts were deposited for this assignment at the end of the semester for college-wide Benchmark Readings 2021, and the Fall 2020 Learning Communities Seminar (as the LC assignment). Due to the serious COVID-related situation in New York state in Fall 2020, including high incidence of the disease and the associated challenging and technical issues at some students’ end, more emphasis was placed on helping the students learn how to prepare a digital presentation embodying their work on science, data analysis, writing and communication skills, while incorporating elements of integrative and global learning from all four classes on Climate Change. However, when the assignment is implemented again in the future, both Digital and Oral Communication Abilities will be fostered in all student work. It is noteworthy that some students managed to cover both these abilities in their work in Fall 2020 also.

A. Scavenger Hunt Description This Scavenger Hunt Assignment is designed for the First Year Seminar for Natural Sciences (NSF 101) and the First Year Seminar for Liberal Arts: Math and Science (LMF 101) (STEM majors).The main objective of this assignment is to familiarize students with their campus and its resources, to encourage students to collaborate with each other, and to be aware that the scientific method is applied to solve any problem, not just scientific issues. It is meant to address the Integrative Learning Core Competency. Students are given the entire class time (at least two hours) to complete the assignment. For LMF sections, I often add more clues, because the class runs for an additional hour. I have the students report back to class, so we can discuss and share their experiences and explain the follow-up Lab Report Reflection. For LMF sections the discussion is after the 2 hours allotted for the clues. The NSF section discusses the Scavenger Hunt and follow-up Lab Report Reflection the next class following the Scavenger Hunt group activity. The Lab Report Reflection is due the week following the discussion, but students may hand it in before the due date. The Reflection is written as a STEM lab report/abstract format, using the Claim, Evidence, Reasoning, & Rebuttal (CERR) method, which is used within the Natural Sciences Dept. for all STEM classes. The CER method is the Scientific Method, which uses more ordinary language. So instead of making a hypothesis, students make a testable claim. I write CERR method, which includes the second, to remind students to include possible contradictions, challenges, and/or rebuttals to experiments they do, and the research they find reading scientific journals. This assignment is worth 5% of students' total grade, 2.5 % for the actual hunt and 2.5% for the reflection. I do not take off points for students that complete the hunt alone because they were absent. The penalty is having to do the assignment on their own time.

This assigment was developed in the context of LaGuardia's Center for Teaching and Learning sponsored Learning Matters mini grant Connection Between First Year Seminar and Capstone Learning Experiences. It provides Liberal Arts experience to students across the academic spectrum and is designed for students in LMF 101 (First-Year Seminar for Liberal Arts: Math & Science) and is conducted in conjunction with students from a capstone course, LIB 200 (Science, Technology, and Humanism). The assignment aligns with the Inquiry and Problem-Solving Core Competency and the Written Ability. In this assignment, LMF 101 students research and read several articles centered on the topic of Women in STEM. They then write an essay that integrates the information from these sources to address the history, biases, and potential causes of the underrepresentation of Women in STEM. LIB 200 students peer review these essays, and LMF 101 students, in turn, respond to these peer reviews. The assignment concludes with a combined class discussion on the topic and the process. The overall goals for this assignment which also reflect the dimensions of the Inquiry and Problem Solving Core Competency and the Written Communication Ability rubrics are the following: Students will utilize the appropriate library search engines to find a resource relevant to a particular topic. Students will analyze and integrate evidence from multiple sources on a complicated topic, and they will use the evidence they gathered to answer questions and arrive at logical conclusions. Students will assess the reliability of data and/or claims made in the literature. Students will cite sources appropriately. Students will understand the importance of peer review, understand how constructive criticism can help improve scholarly work, and learn how to respond to feedback in ways to improve the outcome of their work.
LaGuardia's Core Competencies and Communication Abilities
Main Course Learning Objectives:
LMF 101 Course Goals Associated with Assignment: Demonstrate understanding of habits of mind essential to college success (e.g., persistence, flexibility, and metacognition) and foundational knowledge in mathematics and science. Interpret the values and ethics of mathematics and science and discuss how these values and ethics directly influence personal, academic, and professional success in their careers. Demonstrate an understanding of the structure and logic of technical writing; show a basic level of proficiency in the fundamental writing, reading and speaking skills necessary to deliver information in a contextual and coherent manner. Demonstrate the use of skills and knowledge gained from diverse experiences to enhance learning and success. Describe the diversity of LaGuardia Community College and demonstrate capacities to collaborate across differences in culture and perspective.
LIB 200 Course Goals Associated with Assignment Identify the terminology and concepts central to the field of gender and women‰Ûªs studies students. Identify and understand the challenges and the historical frame of the underrepresentation of women across STEM fields. Research and value the contributions of women to STEM fields. Examine and interpret material using the theory and research methods of gender and women‰Ûªs studies and apply these ideas to current social issues. Present ideas concerning gender and women's studies in spoken and written presentations.