The Committee on Teaching has selected two Educational Initiatives Award recipients for 2001:
the College of Chemistry for Digital Chem 1A, and
the Department of Anthropology for Multimedia Authoring in Anthropology
In very different ways, both of these programs have taken advantage of technology to enhance student learning.
In Digital Chem 1A, an intimate "chalkboard"-level presentation system allows the instructor to interact with PowerPoint slides. The lecture slides have also been made available online for on-demand review through an innovative "lecture-browser" that couples the lecture slides with a digital video of the lecture. This combination results in a complete, online version of the course, which also allows students to search on key words from lectures and repeat sections that they did not understand or that they wish to review.
Another novel aspect of the course is the online homework system. Students in Digital Chem 1A complete their homework assignments via an automated quizzing system, in which students are allowed several attempts at each homework quiz. This system has allowed students to attempt the quiz, then return to the homework assignment for further study, before attempting the quiz again, improving both their grades and their confidence in their mastery of the material. Finally, students now also complete pre-laboratory exercises online.
Digital Chem 1A is under the direction of Professor Alexander Pines and Lecturer Mark Kubinec.
In Multimedia Authoring in Anthropology, students learn a variety of software programs, such as Authorware, Dreamweaver, Director, and others, and they use these in presenting content-rich projects that engage students with archaeological concepts, theories, discoveries, and cultural histories.
Students are able to pursue more intensive research on specific topics through the use of multimedia presentations; the projects incorporate visual evidence in more sophisticated ways than is possible with traditional term papers. A project on Angkor Wat, for instance, traces the history, excavation, theft of artifacts, and myths surrounding the site, all through written text, video, still pictures, and sound. The effect is to achieve a more comprehensive understanding of both the site and the complexities of its existence.
Multimedia Authoring in Anthropology is a joint project of Professors Margaret Conkey, Rosemary Joyce, and Ruth Tringham.