Projects
Featured Projects
Flipped Classroom Cohort
In collaboration with ATAB and the UCT, the Center for Teaching Excellence is facilitating a year-long faculty cohort for instructors interested in flipping their classes.
Learn more about the Flipped Classroom Cohort.
Personal Response System Modernization Pilot
Center For Teaching Excellence
A shift is occurring in the personal response system market toward software applications on mobile devices in place of physical response devices. Newer entrants to the space like Top Hat and Poll Everywhere have eschewed the development of physical devices altogether and focused solely on the software interface. Even industry stalwarts like i>clicker have indicated their ambition to move in this direction through such recent changes as bundling i>clicker REEF subscriptions (their mobile device solution) with new physical devices and charging students to register used devices.
Boston College needs to respond to this changing landscape, and do so quickly. Many faculty members have already started using software‐based solutions, largely without support, and have reported very good feedback from these products. Use of personal response systems at BC, in general, has declined since the beginning of this academic year, however, primarily because of the issues with the existing i>clicker system and its inability to keep up with contemporary competitors. While we will continue to support i>clicker for at least the next year, its web‐based alternative to physical devices lacks significant feature parity with the other platforms included in this pilot, which is one of the reasons that this pilot is necessary. Learn more
MediaKron Special Projects
ATAB invited faculty to submit a proposal for developing a MediaKron project and to join a cohort of faculty developing similar projects. MediaKron is a web-based toolkit for digital thinking and storytelling developed at Boston College for Boston College faculty. In addition to developing a project, faculty have committed to participating in a cohort to collaborate and discuss pedagogical uses of MediaKron and ways in which it can enhance teaching and learning. The cohort will provide a report at the end of the project outlining findings that will inform faculty and student use of MediaKron as it continues to evolve as an instructional tool. Learn more
Thomas Crea
Associate Professor, School Of Social Work
Action learning is a concept in which teams pool their knowledge and expertise to solve problems in real time. Action Research is a means of conducting research that pairs researchers and practitioners to develop methods and findings relevant and practical for those attempting to solve social problems. Teaching action research depends on alignment of classroom and practicum schedules, cooperation among group members, and synergistic relationship with field staff. The current classroom model makes it difficult for these three things to occur and can result in reduced student learning. This project proposes that the use of a newly developed learning application will help resolve these challenges and create a more dynamic learning experience for students.
Boston College UDL: Building A Model For UDL Leadership
Richard Jackson
Associate Professor, Teacher Education, Lynch School Of Education
The purpose of the BC Universal Design for Learning (UDL) project is to develop a comprehensive web space that will build the capacity of the BC faculty, staff, and administration across the University to implement UDL and to help BC become a national model for UDL implementation and leadership. UDL is an innovative educational framework, defined in the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008, that addresses the variability and diverse learning needs of all students. The project promotes an innovative use of technology through the use of portable devices to gather various perspectives on the needs of learners.
Connecting Youth And Mentors: Improving The STEM Career Pipeline Through Mobile E-Mentoring Technology
Mike Barnett
Professor, Lynch School Of Education
Mentors and role models can play a significant role in students’ motivation to pursue specific careers as they transition to adulthood, particularly science-based careers. Unfortunately, youth are often insecure about their math and science skills or discouraged by peer pressure from pursuing Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields, especially women and minorities. One of the oft called-for recommendations is to expand the capacity and diversity of the STEM workforce pipeline by building better and easier structures to provide mentoring to young people entering the STEM pipeline.
Consumer Insights Panel
Henrik Hagtvedt
Assistant Professor, Carroll School Of Management
The Marketing Department is currently working on establishing a Consumer Insights Panel (CIP) at the Carroll School of Management. The CIP is an exciting new initiative that will be an extremely valuable asset to scholars in the Carroll School who conduct behavioral research that relies on human participants.
Corporations Instructional Modules
Brian Quinn
Associate Professor, School Of Law
This project is in support of my work to develop a modular approach to the standard 3 credit business associations course. The ultimate goal of this effort is to develop a series of modules, each covering a different topic area, LLCs, partnership, close corporations, start-ups & venture capital, public benefit corporations, corporate social responsibility and mergers.
Digital Innovations In Sound Engineering
John Michalczyk
Professor, College Of Arts And Sciences, Film Studies
The Film Studies Program faculty will design a pilot program over two semesters in sound and animation. For the past several years there has been a consistent interest among film students for more production-related courses to prepare them for graduate studies or a career in the media.
Engaging Boston College Undergraduates In Communicating Science To The Public
Alan Kafka
Associate Professor, Earth And Environmental Sciences
Mike Barnett
Professor, Lynch School Of Education
This project responds to two needs of the university and of society in general. First is the need for students educated in the 21st Century to be able to “think outside the box” and be able to do more than just respond well to testing and having their work only evaluated by professors. Second is the need for science education programs to train future citizens who cannot only communicate about science but also be able to express their ideas through media. The work that we are proposing here directly addresses both of these needs by engaging undergraduate students at Boston College in the development and testing of interactive displays where they will share their scientific knowledge and visualizations with a general and public audience.
Learn more about Engaging Boston College Undergraduates in Communicating Science to the Public
Exploring Use Of TAO To Support Teaching, Learning, And Research On Assessment
Michael Russell
Professor, Lynch School Of Education
The LSOE’s Educational Research, Measurement, and Evaluation program prepares pre-service educators, master students, and doctoral students to develop assessment instruments. To keep pace with the advances in digital assessment, it is essential that our students have access to tools that allow them to develop and administer digital assessments
Learn more about Exploring Use of TAO to Support Teaching, Learning, and Research on Assessment
MediaKron Special Projects
ATAB invited faculty to submit a proposal for developing a MediaKron project and to join a cohort of faculty developing similar projects. MediaKron is a web-based toolkit for digital thinking and storytelling developed at Boston College for Boston College faculty. In addition to developing a project, faculty have committed to participating in a cohort to collaborate and discuss pedagogical uses of MediaKron and ways in which it can enhance teaching and learning. The cohort will provide a report at the end of the project outlining findings that will inform faculty and student use of MediaKron as it continues to evolve as an instructional tool.
Personal Response System Modernization Pilot
Center For Teaching Excellence
The CTE will be conducting a faculty pilot of two software‐based personal response tools, Top Hat and Poll Everywhere, that fulfill a range of faculty use cases. Much like current BC support of virtual communication tools, this selection of personal response system tools would ensure a good fit for a wide range of use cases.
Learn more about Personal Response System Modernization Pilot
Technology Enhanced Teaching: Animated Visual Demonstration Of Statistical Concepts And Analysis
Mandy Li
Assistant Professor, Educational Research, Lynch School Of Education
One of the most widely supported calls for the 21st century is to know statistics. In 2009, New York Times published an article “For Today’s Graduate, Just One Word: Statistics”. This article quotes “I keep saying that the sexy job in the next 10 years will be statisticians.” said Hal Varian, chief economist at Google. As a professor teaching several statistics courses, I would like to contribute to make statistical learning more fun and easy through animated visual display of steps and procedures.
Using Technology To Prepare Instructional Leaders For K12 Schools
Rebecca Lowenhaupt
Assistant Professor, Lynch School Of Education
This project will leverage new technologies to provide innovative and relevant instruction to graduate education for aspiring school leaders in the Lynch School of Education.
Learn more about Using Technology to Prepare Instructional Leaders for K12 Schools
Building A Sustainable Culture Of Innovation And Practice In The Digital Humanities
Mary Crane
Professor, English Department
This project seeks a sustainable approach to innovation and practice in the way we approach digital humanities research and teaching at Boston College.
Learn more about Building a Sustainable Culture of Innovation and Practice in the Digital Humanities
Classroom Annotation With Wacom Tablets
Mary Bilder
Professor, Law School
This project seeks to replace static classroom monitors with Wacom Tablets. The Wacom Tablet revolutionizes the teaching experience by enabling the instructor or a student to annotate spontaneously projected documents.
Next Generation Learning: Integrating Science Education Through Robotics
Mike Barnett
Professor, Lynch School Of Education
The proposed work here builds upon existing work while expanding into new areas, namely robotics and computer programming.
PNEURAL: Build Your Own Neural Network
Joseph Burdo
Adjunct Professor, Biology
My proposal involves using rigid tubing designed to resemble neurons to build a physical model of a neural network, that I have named PNEURAL (silent P as in pneumatics) to help students grasp the underlying electrical principles of information processing in the brain.
Integrating Electronic Health Records Into The CSON Curriculum
Amy Smith
Clinical Assistant Professor, Adult Health, Connell School Of Nursing
The heath care environment is rapidly changing due to changes in science and technology. These changes have important implications for what is expected of nurses to deliver safe, quality patient care. In order to meet these expectations of the nursing workforce, nursing education must also be transformed.
Social Justice Through Visualization Of The Air
Michael Barnett
Associate Professor, Teacher Education, Lynch School Of Education
The work proposed here is an outgrowth of existing work and will allow for the exploration of an idea that I hope will result in some baseline data for a NSF SBIR (Small business Innovative Research) and an AISL (Advancing Informal Science Learning) proposals in the next year. The basic premise of this work is to build upon an air quality mapping project by providing more depth, detail, and enhanced data integrity to the project.
Learn more about Social Justice Through Visualization Of The Air
Boston College UDL: Building A Model For UDL Leadership
Richard Jackson
Associate Professor, Teacher Education, Lynch School Of Education
The purpose of the BC Universal Design for Learning (UDL) project is to develop a comprehensive web space that will build the capacity of the BC faculty, staff, and administration across the University to implement UDL and to help BC become a national model for UDL implementation and leadership. UDL is an innovative educational framework, defined in the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008, that addresses the variability and diverse learning needs of all students. The project promotes an innovative use of technology through the use of portable devices to gather various perspectives on the needs of learners.
Digital Dubliners
Joseph Nugent
Adjunct Associate Professor, English Department, College Of Arts And Sciences
Digital Dubliners will produce a high-quality e-publication featuring text, sound, imagery, and video using the new Apple iBook Author suite supplemented by TEI. It will be organized about and Advanced Topic Seminar in the English Department taught by Professor Nugent in fall, 2012. Fifteen of the sharpest students will compile, edit, annotate, write critical essays for, and finally market what we’re tentatively calling The Boston College Student’s Guide for Students.
Promoting First Generation College Success
Ana Martinez-Aleman
Professor, Chairperson, Ed. Admin/Higher Ed., Lynch School Of Education
Heather Rowan-Kenyon, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Lynch School Of Education
This project employs online social networking, digital gaming, and second-generation tablet technology to promote critical engagement and academic success among first-generation college students enrolled in the Options Through Education (OTE) Transitional Summer Program, sponsored by the AHANA program at Boston College.
The Mindful Teacher
Dennis Shirley
Professor, Teacher Education, Lynch School Of Education
The Mindful Teacher Project will create an app that can be used on a hand-held device to help busy teachers to focus their minds before entering into the instructional situation. A pilot app will be developed in the summer of 2012 with the technical assistance of an app designer.
Toledo Cathedral's Polyphonic Choir Books
Michael Noone
Professor, Chairperson, Music Department
The Spanish primatial cathedral in Toledo houses possibly the world’s largest collection of superbly illuminated musico-liturgical sources. Comprising over 230 atlas-sized parchment choirbooks copied in and for the cathedral between the 15th and the 19th centuries, the vast majority date from the 16th century.
Digitizing The Process Of Collecting, Editing, And Examining Behavioral Data
Ashley Duggan
Associate Professor, Communication Department
Professor Duggan has requested an ATIG to fund a program that will enable her to move to a digital system for collecting, analyzing, and editing recorded interactions of human behavior that she obtains as part of her research as a social scientist. Currently she is using the pencil and paper method to document this information. This technology would not only be used in Professor Duggan’s scholarship, but also in her academic role. She teaches research methods, nonverbal communication, and health communication. All of these courses would benefit from the use of this technology either as an example of a research tool or as a real life example of human interactions.
Technology For Social Justice: The Social Innovation Initiative
Marcie Pitt-Catsouphes
Associate Professor, GSSW, Older Adults And Familie, Graduate School Of Social Work
Stephanie Berzin
Associate Professor, Chairperson, Children & Youth, GSSW, Children, Youth & Family
Core components of the GSSW’s new Social Innovation Initiative have been designed to use technology for promoting innovation by organizations in the social service sector that want to identify new approaches for addressing today’s compelling social problems.
TouchTree: Increasing Participation In Environmental Science By Seeing The Value Of The Forest And The Trees
Mike Barnett
Associate Professor, Teacher Education, Lynch School Of Education
This project is an emerging initiative and is an outgrowth of both National Science Foundation funded work (with the goal of obtaining additional NSF funds) and previous ATIG grant support.
Forgotten Chapters Of Boston's Literary History
Paul Lewis
Professor, English Department, College Of Arts And Sciences
This grant seeks support for the creation of an innovative, course-based exhibition that will be mounted simultaneously on-line and at Boston College, the Boston Public Library and, perhaps, the Massachusetts Historical Society in the spring of 2012. Titled "Forgotten Chapters of Boston’s Literary History," the exhibit will be created by BC students working with me, graphics, web, and audio designers, and area curators in a course that will run during the 2011 fall semester. While the approach of the course and exhibit is generally historicist, its concentration on a small area within a half-mile of Boston Common intensifies the local context and adds a service element to the potential impact of its research. Inadequately celebrated and memorialized, the literary history of Boston between the Revolution and the Civil War is replete with stories waiting to be told. My students and I will find and choose some of the most interesting of these “forgotten chapters.” In connection with the exhibition, we will create a detailed (and complete as possible) map of Boston that highlights sites associated with pre-1860 literature. Technology consultants can help us share our findings with the local, national, and global audience they are intended to inform. Learn more
Beyond Ricci: Digital Presentation Of Jesuitana Collection
Jeremy Clarke
Assistant Professor, History Department, College Of Arts And Sciences
Simply, this project combines teaching, research, a public exhibition, a rare book collection and the use of the latest technology to bring all of these things together in a dynamic and engaging way. For more than four and a half centuries Jesuits have used books to foster scholarship, create cross-cultural dialogue on matters of faith and reason and communicate across vast differences. Boston College and the rare Jesuitana collection housed in its Burns Library not only represent that tradition of learning and exchange but also exemplify the ongoing commitment to engage the world and encourage the construction of cathedrals of the mind. This project harnesses the heirlooms of the past to the emergent technologies of the present to educate new generations of scholars who might yet become the next Matteo Ricci or Candida Xu, Rousseau or Thomas Hyde. Learn more
Campus Tree And Carbon Inventory: An Interactive Website And Greenhouse Gas Sensors For Studies That Link Plant Ecology, Tree Demography And Phenology To Climate Change
Serena Moseman-Valtierra
Adjunct Assistant Professor, Biology
This project involves an interactive database and greenhouse gas sensors for studies that link plant ecology, tree demography and phenology to biogeochemistry and climate change. We will create an online repository for a campus tree and carbon inventory that can be queried by the BC community, particularly to learn about ways species differ in their responses to climate change and to quantify potential feedbacks on climate via changes in land use that affect soil respiration. A web-interface will provide valuable opportunities for undergraduate research outside of traditionally funded laboratories, means of communicating information about climate change as it relates to species on campus, and tools to assess the sustainability and carbon footprint of Boston College as an institution.
Enhancing Students' Understanding Of Modern Statistical Concepts
Jenny Baglivo
Professor, Mathematics Department, College Of Arts And Sciences
This proposal seeks support to develop a series of computer laboratories to enhance students' understanding of modern statistical concepts, and to develop the computer tools needed to support the laboratories. The laboratories and tools will be written in Mathematica (Wolfram Research, Inc.), an advanced mathematical programming environment, and they will be designed to take advantage of Mathematica's unique features.
Experimenting With Socially Interactive Robots And Creating Human-Robot-Interaction Interfaces For Social Science Research And Teaching
Seung-A Jin
Assistant Professor, Communication Department, College Of Arts And Sciences
The primary purpose of this project is to experiment with socially interactive robots for teaching about interactive media and to create Human-Robot-Interaction interfaces for social scientific research. This project aims to implement a “learning by doing” strategy for teaching in new media. Students will get valuable learning experience about (1) designing and conducting experimental research; (2) applying various theories to real research settings; and (3) building valid and reliable measures in social and psychological research. The ultimate goal is to relate to the strategic initiative of Boston College.
Forensics Science Lab Using Computer Game Technology
Ann Burgess
Professor, Psych/Mental Health Nursing, Connell School Of Nursing
This ATIG hopes to respond to the question: Will this game-based lab make a difference between learner outcomes in a virtual lab setting versus the current physically-based lab environment? Thus, to evaluate the efficacy of the forensic virtual laboratory as a valuable learning experience and to ensure that participating in this interactive environment can increase student cognition and practice of proper forensics techniques, we propose three mechanisms. First, a Pre and Post evaluation survey designed to measure student perceived confidence level in performing various forensic procedures and attitudes (affective domain). Second, evaluation of the student’s actual technical ability in evidence collection and processing, data analysis and interpretation (effective domain). Third, analysis of a comparison research tool between labs done with and without the virtual lab.
Leveraging FNIR Technologies For Health Communication And Consumer Research
Seung-A Jin
Assistant Professor, Communication Department, College Of Arts And Sciences
This ATIG project will (1) assay the efficiency of fNIR technologies in identifying neuropsychological mechanisms and measuring neurophysiological correlates of participants’ experiential state in various interactive media interfaces; (2) leverage NIBP measuring techniques to induce optimal experience (flow state) in media psychology experiments; and (3) examine whether changes in the spectral composition and regional cortical distribution of the EEG might be systematically related to the degree of participants’ engagement with electronic games, e-commerce-based brand marketing, exergame-based health communication interventions, and haptics-based media interfaces that utilize structural manipulations of various technological factors.
Probing Children’s Learning With Technology
Elida Laski
Assistant Professor, Counseling/Dev/Psych, Lynch School Of Education
This ATIG revolves around technology that is crucial for deeply and efficiently examining three aspects of children’s learning of numerical information from board games: 1) microgenetic analysis of the contributions of social interactions during play to learning; 2) relations between game board structure and the kind and quality of instructional statements; and 3) influence of individual differences in information processing on rate and extent of learning. Examination of these aspects will contribute to theory about how children form new cognitive representations through interactions with physical materials. It will also provide important information about how physical materials can be enhanced to maximize learning with minimal cost and effort. The results have important implications for how to best integrate numerical board games into instruction (e.g., have two peers play or use in small groups with a teacher).
Creation Of A Web-Based Database Of Historic Earthquake Information For Northeastern North America
John Ebel
Professor, Earth & Environmental Sciences Director, College Of Arts And Sciences
The purpose of this project is to acquire a 3D computer projection system for classroom teaching in biochemistry, chemical biology and structural biology. Up until recently, it has been nearly impossible to utilize stereoscopic 3D projection in the classroom. Recently, Lightspeed, Inc. has introduced their new DepthQ WXGA HD 3D video projector, which is affordable, high quality, portable and versatile. This projector can be moved from one classroom to another providing the ability to utilize 3D presentations in a number of the courses in our department. This new innovative technology provides the opportunity for an entire class to take advantage of a 3D learning experience.
Digital History Project: How Does A Society Respect And Honor Diversity And At The Same Time Create A Common Bond?
Alec Peck
Interim Associate Dean, Teacher Education, Lynch School Of Education
The overall purpose of this technology grant is to collaborate with the teachers and students at St. Columbkille Partnership School, which is jointly owned and operated by Boston College and the Archdiocese of Boston, on a community-wide initiative, Digital History project.
Fidelity Of Virtual Reality Training In CSON
Robin Wood
Associate Professor, Adult Health, Connell School Of Nursing
The purpose of this project is to customize space in Cushing Hall (Simulation Room) with equipment approximating a patient hospital room for use with virtual reality training models (adult SimMan and infant SimBaby).
Learn more about Fidelity Of Virtual Reality Training In CSON
Incorporating High-Fidelity Simulation In Childbearing Nursing Curriculum
Mary Colleen Simonelli
Clinical Assistant Professor, Maternal/Child Health Nursing, Connell School Of Nursing
The purpose of this project is to introduce learning by simulation into the undergraduate Childbearing clinical course. The grant will be used to purchase the obstetrical high-fidelity simulation models (Birthing Noelle and Newborn Hal) as well as equipment necessary to create a realistic obstetrical hospital environment.
Learn more about Incorporating High-Fidelity Simulation In Childbearing Nursing Curriculum
Recording History And Popular Culture: The Case Of Social Banditry
Ernesto Livon-Grosman
Associate Professor, Romance Languages & Literatures Department, College Of Arts And Sciences
The main objective of this long-term project is to produce video recordings of popular culture in South America in order to include them into the courses taught on contemporary Latin American culture in the Department of Romance Languages and Literatures. Another integral part of the project is to include students in the editing process as part of the film courses taught at Boston College. The current project focuses on the relationship between banditry and politics in the mid-nineteen sixties in Argentina. The goal is to reconstruct, through interviews and archival materials the life of IsidroVelázquez, an Argentine bandit who, following the likes of Robin Hood, for almost a decade robbed and extorted money from the wealthy landowners of the Northeast of Argentina in order to redistribute it among the poorest peasants in the region.
Stereoscopic Visualization Of Biological Macromolecules In The Classroom
Evan Kantrowitz
Professor, Chemistry Department, College Of Arts And Sciences
The purpose of this project is to acquire a 3D computer projection system for classroom teaching in biochemistry, chemical biology and structural biology. Up until recently, it has been nearly impossible to utilize stereoscopic 3D projection in the classroom. Recently, Lightspeed, Inc. has introduced their new DepthQ WXGA HD 3D video projector, which is affordable, high quality, portable and versatile. This projector can be moved from one classroom to another providing the ability to utilize 3D presentations in a number of the courses in our department. This new innovative technology provides the opportunity for an entire class to take advantage of a 3D learning experience.
The Boston College Integrated Sciences Virtual Cleanroom
Michael Naughton
Evelyn J. And Robert A. Ferris Professor, Physics Department, College Of Arts And Sciences
The goal of the Boston College Integrated Sciences Virtual Cleanroom Project is to make the new nanofabrication cleanroom facility even more accessible and provide a unique learning environment for students, interested staff and faculty, and prospective students and faculty.
Learn more about The Boston College Integrated Sciences Virtual Cleanroom
The Writing Fellows Virtual Collaboration Space
Paula Mathieu
Associate Professor, English Department, College Of Arts And Sciences
The most fundamental component of the Boston College Writing Fellow program is the verbal and written dialogue that takes place between a student and a writing fellow as they discuss ways to develop and improve the student’s writing. Our primary goal with this project is to technologically support and preserve the collaboration between the student and the Writing Fellow.
Learn more about The Writing Fellows Virtual Collaboration Space
Computing With Robots: Using Robots To Introduce Logic And Computing For All Students
Robert Signorile
Associate Professor, Computer Science, College Of Arts And Sciences
A Core-level course that offers the opportunity to program a personal robot will arouse students' interest and stir their imaginations. There has been significant recent research indicating that studying robotics provides a level of excitement attractive to all students, but especially for women and minorities. The prospect of working with a robot could help to motivate all types of students who might not otherwise be attracted to a discipline that is often seen as the preserve of the "nerd". In this project, I am requesting funds to purchase 15 personal robots and programming assistance for use in a Boston College core course on computing.
Course Capture Pilot For The Carroll School Of Management
Greg Stoller
Lecturer, Operations Management, Carroll School Of Management
Michael O’Leary, Rick Spinello, Dick Keeley, Beth Clark
Collaborators
The digital capture and distribution of course lectures has come to be seen as pedagogically useful in CSOM. Despite its utility, however, digitally distributing lectures has not spread widely throughout the department for one major reason: the production time involved. This pilot would test out/compare two course capture systems that make producing and sharing lecture presentations in digital format easy for instructors. These systems allow instructors to easily capture the audio, video and presentation materials used during a class and publish the combined materials into a storage location like Blackboard Vista or iTunes U.
EagleEyes II : Exploring The Next Steps In Human/Computer Interaction
Peter Olivieri
Associate Professor, Information Systems Department, Carroll School Of Management
This project, “EagleEyes II : Exploring the Next Steps in Human/Computer Interaction” will seek to augment the existing EagleEyes system by incorporating brainwave analysis and feedback into the controlling of the computer cursor on the screen, and as a means of simulating a mouse click.
GenerationPulse Global Classroom
Belle Liang
Associate Professor, Counseling/Dev/Psych, Lynch School Of Education
This project extends the purpose of online social networking to social outreach and education. A prototype for GenerationPulse, launched two years ago, successfully enabled hundreds of students to engage with youth displaced by Hurricane Katrina through a mutual, online exchange of writing and art. ATIG would provide critical seed money for catapulting GenerationPulse to the next level by achieving three related goals: 1) pilot a methodology to connect BC students with youth in the underdeveloped world, specifically, Africa; 2) advance the GenerationPulse website to allow the next level interactivity; 3) develop GenerationPulse as a service-learning laboratory.
Integration Of Computer-Based Tools For The Measurement And Analysis Of Physiological Function Into Advanced Laboratory Classes
Clare O’Connor
Associate Professor, Biology
The Biology Department proposes to introduce new computer-based exercises dealing with various aspects of cardiovascular, neuromuscular and respiratory physiology into upper-division physiology laboratory classes. The Department has selected a commercially available system that is robust, intuitive and adaptable to different computer platforms. The system comes with a wide range of activities that will allow the course instructors to update and refine laboratory exercises as needed. The equipment will provide students with hands-on experience in monitoring physiological functions.
Legal Advocacy Bureau's Audio/Video Capture And Digital Annotation/Editing
Alexis Anderson
Clinical Associate Professor, Law Faculty, Law School
Maritza Karmely, Paul Tremblay, Alan Minuskin, Lynn Barenberg
Collaborators
The purpose of this project is to provide digital recording of student lawyer-client meetings coupled with a video/audio tagging application and editing software that would allow clinical faculty at Boston College Law School’s Legal Advocacy Bureau to analyze and annotate law student video/audio performances.
Spanish Language And Culture Proficiency Via The InterLangua Videoconferencing Program
Cindy Bravo
Director, Language Laboratory, College Of Arts And Sciences
Chris Wood, Kathy Lee
Collaborators
One of the goals of a world language course is to provide a curriculum and supplementary learning resources to assist learners in attaining higher linguistic proficiency and a broader insight into the culture of the country/countries where the target language is spoken. Providing students opportunities outside of the classroom to participate in real-life conversations with native speakers is essential to the realization of proficiency goals. Through the use of new communications technology, the proposed project represents such an opportunity. In twelve, one-hour InterLangua sessions over twelve weeks, students enrolled in three Spanish language courses, as well as School of Nursing students learning medical Spanish in preparation for a service trip to Nicaragua, will speak with, see and hear over the Internet in full-motion video conference a personal tutor living and working in Guatemala.
Stress-Free Accents
Debbie Rusch
Senior Lecturer, Romance Languages & Literatures Department, College Of Arts And Sciences
A computer programmer will design a website that will not only provide students with clear and concise explanations of the rules, but also provide the capacity to hear how words are pronounced through interactive exercises. The website could be used by students at all levels (beginner through advanced) at Boston College and beyond as a tool for reviewing and practicing the rules of accentuation in Spanish.
Using Virtual Reality Simulation To Enhance Critical Thinking In The Nursing Laboratory
Robin Wood
Associate Professor, Adult Health Nursing, Connell School Of Nursing
The purpose of this project is to enhance critical thinking and clinical decision-making among CSON students through the use of high-fidelity simulation models in the Nursing Laboratory. This educational goal will be met by adding three virtual reality training models (adult, pediatric and infant) to the standard training models presently in constant use in our nursing lab. The technology will be used to address two existing problems: 1) increasing CSON enrollments with no increase in faculty numbers and 2) need for significantly enhanced exposure of nursing students to complex health problems in diverse populations.
Walking Ulysses: Joyce's Dublin Today
Joe Nugent
Adjunct Associate Professor, English Department, College Of Arts And Sciences
The goal of this project is to create a collaborative mapping tool that will enable students to re-imagine and construct a specific historical moment or era.
3D Visualization For Teaching And Research
Evan Kantrowitz
Professor, Chemistry Department, College Of Arts And Sciences
This project aims to acquire autostereoscopic equipment for teaching and research in biochemistry, chemical biology and structural biology. Autostereoscopic flat panel displays use an innovative technology that allows a group of students or researcher to view three-dimensional (3D) images without the use of extremely expensive 3D shutter glasses. This new technology provides the opportunity for small learning groups or a number of researchers to collaborate on trying to understand how the complex molecules in the cell function.
A Wireless BC Weather Station For Teaching And Outreach
John Ebel
Professor, Earth & Environmental Sciences Director, College Of Arts And Sciences
Amy Frappier
Collaborator
This project aims to install a wireless weather station on the roof of O’Neill Library for 24-hour acquisition of local weather data. Real-time weather data will be made available to the BC community and wider public through a dedicated website and monitor display to be installed in Devlin Hall. Weather data acquired by the station will be archived on a website for use in BC courses and by the wider BC community and public.
Centralized Storage And Dissemination Of Scientific Data
Evan Kantrowitz
Professor, Chemistry Department, College Of Arts And Sciences
Stephen Bruner, Goran Krilov
Collaborators
This project aims to develop a system for the easy storage, retrieval and annotation of primary scientific data generated by department equipment such as, but not limited to, mass spectrometers (MS), nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometers (NMR), X-ray crystallography detectors, and chromatography systems. The system will be designed for automated uploading of data to a central database. Individual researchers, group members or faculty advisors would have access to download these data. Researchers would have access to appropriate processing software either located centrally on a cluster, or locally on their own workstation.
Creating Opportunities To Support The Development And Exhibition Of Video Art And Web Based Media In The Fine Arts Classroom And Museum Environment
Sheila Gallagher
Associate Professor, Fine Arts Department, College Of Arts And Sciences
Digital Imaging, web-based media, video art and video installation are at the forefront of contemporary art practice and a mainstay of museum exhibitions. The proposed project seeks to address some of the pressing technology and curriculum needs of the Fine Arts Department through the creation of a new video art class and the acquisition of technology and equipment which would be jointly used by students and faculty in the Studio Art Department, Art History Department, Film Studies and The McMullen Museum to develop and exhibit video art as well as supplemental digital and web –based media in conjunction with an interdisciplinary course, exhibition and catalog examining an important collection of Civil War era drawings.
Fidelity Of Virtual Reality Training In CSON
Robin Wood
Associate Professor, Connell School Of Nursing
The purpose of this project is to customize space in Cushing Hall (Simulation Room) with equipment approximating a patient hospital room for use with virtual reality training models (adult SimMan and infant SimBaby). Virtual reality technology in CSON is being implemented to prepare students in large clinical courses across our undergraduate, graduate and nurse anesthesia programs for critical care practice. High-fidelity simulation requires realistic settings where learners can suspend disbelief and practice skills in an environment as close to reality as possible. Therefore, actual hospital equipment must be available for scenario practice exactly as students would find it in hospital settings.
Learn more about Fidelity of Virtual Reality Training in CSON
Interdisciplinary And Innovative Technology Tools Designed To Enhance Learning
Kate McNeil
Assistant Professor, Teacher Education, Lynch School Of Education
Eric Strauss, Michael Barnett
Collaborators
This project will aim to develop and implement a series of innovative simulations and animations to support students at Boston College in learning how to use technology to solve and interpret problems across disciplines. This project leverages existing resources such as the tablet PC lab that was recently received through a grant by the Hewlett Packard Foundation. Specifically, eight different but inter-related educational technology tools will be developed through this work ranging from the use of established technologies such as Microsoft Excel to new technologies such as augmented reality tools. The target courses for this work are GE182 and ED546. Other courses that will benefit and have committed to using the tools are BI445 and ED109.