Course: Cable and New Technologies Administration (COMM 488)
Faculty: Dr. Anne Hoag, College of Communications, Penn State; Delphine Pouget and Dr. Thomas F. Baldwin, College of Communications, Michigan State University, East Lansing
This project will enable student teams from Michigan State and Penn State
to work together in a computer environment that merges two
Communications courses. By utilizing the
E-Classroom (a Web-based, virtual learning community), students will have
access to multiple resources and expert perspectives, while
working collaboratively to solve telecommunications case problems.
Thirteen industry professionals from major
communications specialty areas will consult with students and
faculty during the project.
College of Education
"Supporting Science Teacher Learning through the
Virtual Science Education Community (V-SEC)"
Departments: Elementary and Secondary Science Education (Entomology/Engineering)
Faculty: Dr. Carla Zembal-Saul, Dr. Tom Dana, Department of Curriculum and Instruction
This project will enable participants to interact with a wide cross-section
of science professionals, as they both develop and use the Virtual
Science Education Community (V-SEC), an on-line learning resource for
science educators. Recent graduates, science teachers, scientists, and engineers
will participate in discussion forums and have the ability to share portfolios
of lesson plans in the computer-based V-SEC environment. Participants
will also learn to conceptualize lesson plans by utilizing the V-SEC.
College of Health and Human Development
"An Interactive Web-based Course Supplement
on Augmentative and Alternative Communication"
Course: Introduction to Augmentative and Alternative Communication (CMDIS 451)
Faculty: Dr. Kathryn Drager, Barbara Roberts, M.S., Dept. of Communication Disorders
Because new, state-of-the-art communication devices are often
expensive, Communication Disorder students at Penn State are not always able to
gain practical experience with all of the tools used in the field today. The
goal of this project is to develop interactive simulations of some of these
communication devices, so that students can interact with the systems at their
own pace and utilize their own learning styles. The proposed
curriculum, therefore, will involve students accessing on-line text,
graphics, photographs, and video clips that depict features of
computer-based communication systems and demonstrate the use of
augmentative and alternative communication devices
by individuals with disabilities.
Eberly College of Science
"Web Resources for General Chemistry Labs"
Course: Introduction to General Chemistry Laboratory (CHEM 14/15)
Faculty: Dr. Gita Sathianathan, Dr. Joe Keiser, Dept. of Chemistry
A Web site will be created for use in two introductory general
chemistry courses to provide highly visual presentations of laboratory
procedures and techniques. Web dissemination of equipment techniques will make
the management of the chemistry labs more efficient and cost-effective,
by reducing the assistance required to process the course materials
and instructions.
The Dickinson School of Law
"Providing Individualized Feedback to First-Year
Law Students"
Course: Contracts I Core 905
Faculty: Dr. Michael J. Navin, Dickinson School of Law
This project will involve the conceptualization of an on-line resource for first year law students that will help them develop "real world" critical thinking skills. A compilation of legal expertise and information about students' interaction with course materials will be available in the program to offer immediate on-line feedback regarding practical law problems. Through this process, it is believed, students will learn basic reasoning and analytical skills earlier in their legal education.
Penn State Erie, The Behrend College
"Improving Cognitive Visualization with a
Web-Based Interactive Assessment and Training Program"
Courses: Freshman Experience (PSU007), Mechanical Engineering Tech. (MET), Plastics Engineering Tech. (PLET), Introduction to Graphics and Solid Works (METBD 110), Introduction to Engineering Design (ED&G 100S)
Faculty: Dr. Dawn Blasko, Assistant Professor of Experimental Psychology, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Kathryn Holliday-Darr, Instructor of Engineering Graphics, School of Engineering and Engineering Technology
The ability to visualize objects and situations in one's mind and to manipulate those images is a cognitive skill vital to many careers, especially visual arts and engineering. Research in the imagery field has shown that spatial skills can be improved by training. This project plans to develop a prototype Web-based tool that uses both empirical and theoretical understanding of human visual cognition to assess and provide training for individual student spatial skills.