Four faculty members have been awarded small grants to enhance their use of educational technology for teaching and learning. Funds were awarded through MUSC’s Information Technology Innovation (ITI) grants program, which is in its second year. The primary purpose of the ITI internal grants program is to develop and strengthen the faculty’s use of educational technologies for teaching and learning.

Henry F. Martin, Ph.D., associate professor of physiology in the College of Medicine, and W. Curtis Wise, Ph.D., professor of physiology in the College of Medicine, are working together on a project entitled “Creating Multimedia Teaching Resources for Neurosciences.”

Gabriel Virella, Ph.D., professor of immunology and microbiology in the College of Medicine, is working with Michael Schmidt, Ph.D., associate professor of microbiology in the College of Medicine, on “Computer-assisted Instruction and Evaluation in Microbiology and Infectious Diseases.

Martin and Wise received $14,733 to develop three-dimensional images to enhance the learning of neurosciences, focusing on neural pathways and the relationships of the internal and external structures of the brain as they change orientation along the neuraxis. They will extend and revise earlier attempts to provide students with movies which show major ascending and descending functional tracts as they change position in moving along the neuraxis.

Their project will also use virtual reality software to create surface views of the brain and transform dissections into rotatable 3-D images. They plan to have at least 12 movies of brain pathways ready for the spring 2000 Neurosciences course. The movies will be distributed on CD-ROMS and subsequently will be converted to web-based files for access over the MUSC intranet.

Virella and Schmidt received $11,658 for a multi-prong project focusing on immunology and infectious diseases. They will be developing a new generation of cases for the latest version of the Computer-Assisted Medical Problem Solving System (CAMPS) that Virella has been using and enhancing for a number of years. Eight to 12 cases should be ready for use in the microbiology-infectious disease course by October 1999. Their project also includes the development of computer-run problem-based learning exercises, based on a platform developed by Schmidt.

A working prototype for this and a formative computer-run test for microbiology, immunology, and infectious diseases should also be available by October 1999.

The proposals were evaluated using the following criteria: q Clearly defined aims and expected deliverables and outcomes.

• Degree to which the proposed project contributes to the educational mission and priorities of the university, college, and/or department.
• The project faculty’s capacity for successfully implementing the project, including evidence that the project will contribute directly to enhancing the applicant’s and/or other faculty’s skills in using the proposed technology for teaching and learning.
• The potential for replicability in other courses or departments. The ITI grants program is administered through the Office of the Provost.

The ITI Subcommittee of the University Educational Infrastructure Committee serves as the review committee for the awards. Members of the subcommittee are listed in the accompanying box. Copies of funded ITI proposals from 1997 and 1998 are available in the library at the main circulation desk on the second floor.

The deadline for the next review cycle is Nov. 1. A copy of the complete guidelines and format for applying for an ITI grant may be obtained from Marcia Higaki, Office of the Associate Provost for Education, Rm. 200G Administration Building, 792-1928. Questions may be directed to professor Nancy McKeehan, chair of the ITI Subommittee, 792-7672.

Information Technology Innovations (ITI) Subcommittee

Chair—Nancy McKeehan, MSLS, Library & Learning Resources Thierry Bacro, Ph.D., College of Health Professions; Gail Barbosa, Ph.D., College of Nursing; Elizabeth Bear, Ph.D., College of Nursing; Kathy Chessman, Pharm.D., College of Pharmacy; Richard Gadsden, Jr., B.S., CCIT; Robert Gellin, DMD, College of Dental Medicine; Richard Hernandez, MPH, College of Health Professions; Ronald Nickel, PhD, College of Pharmacy; Elizabeth Pilcher, DMD, College of Dental Medicine; Michael Schmidt, Ph.D., College of Medicine; Tracy Smith, BA, SC AHEC; Thomas Trusk, Ph.D., College of Medicine; Vickie Womble, MLIS, Enrollment Services