15 Mar Focus Area 04: Educational Technology Development
School Assisted Interactive Learning (SAIL)
The Learning Technology Section led a three-university consortium to research and develop online courses for high school algebra, AP English, and marine biology, and provide overall project evaluation for the Department of Defense Education Activity schools worldwide. Other initiatives led by consortium members Mississippi State University and Indiana University of Pennsylvania include a learning management system evaluation, an evaluation instrument for online courses, supplementary online courses in mathematics and reading, an online professional development program in the area of gifted and talented, and an online high-school course in presentations and publications.
School Safety Project
This joint effort with the George Washington University (GWU) served Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) schools worldwide. Project activities included researching and developing six one-month online seminars on school safety issues, an evaluation of the DoDEA Safe Schools Program, archiving documents and discussions posted on the project website, and producing a CD and DVD of video interviews and written materials. A database of 15,086 citations of reports, articles, books, and other publications dealing with school safety was made available to DoDEA and GWU and will be available for UH personnel.
Archimedes Project
The Archimedes Project is dedicated to research and development of technologies to solve accessibility and communication problems related to disability, aging, education, literacy, lack of infrastructure, and limited resources. The project is developing an adaptive intelligent educational technology (IDEAL—Intent Driven Environment for Active Learning). The integration of computer assisted hands-on activities will allow students with special needs unprecedented access to understanding science and mathematics. The goal is to assure that all children have equal opportunity and the education required for entering technical and scientific careers in the future.
HIGHLIGHTS
- School Assisted Interactive Learning, a three-university consortium was formed to research and develop online courses such as high school algebra, AP English, and high-school marine biology for the Department of Defense Education Activity.
- The School Safety Project, funded through a subcontract from George Washington University from a contract with the Department of Defense Education Activity, included a database on CD-ROM and publications dealing with school safety.
- The Learning Technology Section published a qualitative evaluation software called Qualifiers: The Educators’ Organizer.
- The Science Section developed innovative uses of technology in distance learning by providing virtual field trips to students interested in education programs in the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources and education.
- The Science Section, in collaboration with researchers from Purdue University, developed the Adolescent Bone Health Module using interactive CDs.
- The Learning Technology Section developed and maintained local and national education web-accessible databases including the Hawai‘i Watersheds database, the Pihana Na Mamo database, the School Web of Instructional Media database, the Romance Project database, the CRDG Website databases, the NSF K–12 Graduate Fellows database, and the College of Education productivity database.