Summer 2007

HP & Microsoft Continue Educational Technology Program Support

Rose-Hulman has received wireless equipment, faculty stipends and technical support from Hewlett-Packard and Microsoft Research to improve student achievement. Support from these two companies continues to recognize the college as a leader in the field of tablet PC and collaboration-facilitating software pedagogies, according to Art Western, vice president of academic affairs.

The HP Technology for Teaching Grant is designed to transform teaching and improve learning in the classroom through innovative uses of technology. The grant provides a set of new tablet PCs and other equipment, as well as summer support for faculty involved in the project. Faculty members named in the grant were Archana Chidanandan of computer science and software engineering, David Fisher of mechanical engineering and Mario Simoni of electrical and computer engineering.

Rose-Hulman has received support from Microsoft Research for the second consecutive year for the “Evaluating the Symbiosis of Pen-based Computing and Collaboration-facilitating Software in the Classroom” project. Faculty members spent the 2006-07 school year assessing the impact of tablet computers and collaboration software on faculty pedagogy and student learning. In 2007-08, faculty will study such issues as “Facilitating Collaboration between Language Teachers and Learners,” “Encouraging Student Collaboration in Biomechanics” and “Medical Imaging Virtual System Design with a Tablet PC.”

The HP and Microsoft Research projects will involve a substantial assessment component managed by the Office of Institutional Research, Planning and Assessment.