In 2008, with the introduction of the Independent Study Symposium, The College of Wooster seniors found themselves with a new opportunity to showcase the Independent Study project they had been working on all year.† At this yearís third annual Symposium, seniors will have yet another way to publicize their projects ó with the best Instructional Technology has to offer.
The Office of the Provost, College of Wooster Academic Departments and the Office of Information Technology are sponsoring a competition for seniors to submit digital presentations of their I.S. for a chance to win cash or technology prizes.† Contest officials encourage students to use Web 2.0 technologies, a sampling of which are linked from the contest Web site, http://digitalis.voices.wooster.edu.
ìYou could do a video, you could do some of these new slideshow tools, a Web page, a blog,” said Dean for Faculty Development Heather Fitz Gibbon, the administrator in charge of the competition. ìWhat weíre looking for are creative uses of the Web that really creatively showcase some part of Independent Study.”
Fitz Gibbon also pointed out that thereís no one part of the I.S. that must be reflected in the presentation ó it can be about the final product or the process.† Whatís important is that it tells the story of the I.S. The rules of the contest are open, allowing students to use anything from web-based tools like Prezi.com or Xtimeline.com to the software available in the Digital Media Lab in Taylor 205. Students are encouraged to seek help from the Department of Instructional Technology.
ìWeíre having workshops to help train students, and weíre also hoping that itís a way for students to see what Instructional Technology can provide for them, and to learn about the services offered by Instructional Technology and the help they can get,” said Fitz Gibbon.
According to the Web site, the workshops will be held March 2 from 4 to 5 p.m. in Taylor 205, March 23 from noon to 1 p.m. in the Lowry pit, and March 30 from 4 to 5 p.m. in Taylor 205.
The idea for the contest came out of a faculty workshop on Instructional Technology held last summer. Associate Professor of History Peter Pozefsky, among others, decided that as helpful as the technology was for professors, they wanted to see it used more by students.† The competition is the result of that development process.
The prizes, being funded from a variety of budgetary sources, include $1,000 for first place, an Apple iPad for second place and Dell Mini Notebook computers for third place and student choice. The winners will be announced, and the prizes awarded, at a presentation during the symposium, hopefully presided over by a notable alum of the College.
The winning presentations will serve as a publicity tool for Wooster; I.S. in particular. They will likely be incorporated into the schoolís Web site, as well as displayed on flat screen monitors in the library for prospective students to view.
ìOur hope is that we can showcase student work and put it out there for folks to recognize,” said Fitz Gibbon.
Whether the Digital I.S. Competition will continue in future years will depend on how this one goes ó and whether the budget can consistently be found. Even if the competition does not continue, however, Fitz Gibbon hopes that I.S. presentations will continue to make use of the wide range of new technologies available.