Three Impact Grants Awarded

OCIO Learning Technology is excited to announce the latest recipients of the Impact Grant. These projects were chosen from a strong field of applications by a selection committee composed of Learning Technology staff and faculty, staff, and graduate and undergraduate students from throughout the university. The range and sophistication of projects demonstrate faculty commitment to use emerging technologies to improve student learning at the Ohio State University. The teaching strategies and tools developed during these projects will be available for other instructors in their departments and, through collaboration with the Digital First initiative, any instructor at the University. These projects will be piloted during Spring Term 2013.

The three 2012(b) recipients join Spanish/Portuguese and Animal Sciences as the Impact Grant projects selected for 2012. They are:

Innovate Education in Global Public Health (PUBHLTH 2010): An E-textbook

• Faculty Lead: Amy Acton, Assistant Professor, Public Health
• Description: Dr. Acton and her team will develop an e-textbook for Public Health instruction suitable to replace existing print textbooks in the field. This textbook will provide a core curriculum, making use of digital features to enhance the delivery and currency of information. In addition, Dr. Acton will develop a pedagogical model that guides students to develop and contribute material to the e-textbook, the best of which may be incorporated into future editions. The text and curriculum will serve as the basis for the increasing number of sections of this gateway course and be available for adoption by students and instructors at other institutions.

Transform Technical Presentations with Multimedia Video (ENGR 1182)

• Faculty Lead: Mary Faure, Program Manager, COE EEIC Programs
• Description: Ms. Faure and her team will launch a team-based digital video presentation project for 200+ students in Engineering 1181/1182, replacing an in-person PowerPoint presentation. Students will develop multimedia explanations of research projects conducted during the semester, to be presented in a showcase at the end of term and, optionally, made available in iTunes U and other venues. In addition to the impact on the 200+ students in Spring 2013 and the potential of 2,000+ students in future semesters, the project will develop best practices for video assignments in large-enrollment courses, such as equipping computer labs capable of large-scale video production, training students in basic digital literacy skills, and developing standard assignments and assessment rubrics for instructors.

Project: Develop a Scenario-Based Learning Platform (VETMED 7700.03)

• Faculty Lead: Julie Byron, Assistant Professor-Clinical, Veterinary Clinical Sciences
• Description: Dr. Byron and her team will develop a tool for building and deploying interactive decision-based simulations of clinical scenarios. Instructors will easily be able to design scenarios, so that various initial conditions (e.g., symptoms, budget) and decision-paths on the part of students will result in realistic outcomes. These cases will be deployed as applications, which students may access through a variety of devices, and which will prepare them for later clinical experience. The technology for building scenario-based learning tools, developed in conjunction with Prior Health Science Library’s Digital Solutions unit, will be available to other OSU faculty.

The next Impact Grant application deadline will be mid November 2012. Learn more at http://go.osu.edu/grants or by writing to ltgrants@osu.edu. The OCIO Learning Technology Impact Grants are supported financially from the Wide Open West (WOW!) Affinity Program.