Louisiana Tech lands DOE grant for cyberspace instruction

The U.S. Department of Education has awarded Louisiana Tech University a $951,000 grant to support interdisciplinary cyberspace and science education programs throughout northern Louisiana.

Dr. Galen Turner, associate professor of mathematics and associate dean of graduate studies for Tech’s College of Engineering and Science, has worked with professors from a number of different disciplines on the Tech campus to develop Cyber K-12: Building a foundation for cyber education in North Louisiana.

Cyber K-12 will provide professional development opportunities for K-12 educators throughout northern Louisiana, yielding an increased number of teachers who will gain insight into our nation’s cyber challenges. The project is a product of Louisiana Tech’s STEM Talent Expansion Program and builds upon a strong collaborative partnership with the Cyber Innovation Center in Bossier City.

“This project will help advance Tech’s cyberspace initiatives by further developing the high school professional development model produced by our engineering and science faculty over the past few years,” says Turner.

“Cyber K-12 has also led to the recently approved Integrated STEM Education Research Center (ISERC) housed in the College of Engineering and Science. This Department of Education grant will be pivotal in continuing to advance the university as a leader in STEM education in North Louisiana.”

The strength of Cyber K-12 is rooted in Louisiana Tech’s highly-interdisciplinary approach to cyber education. The Cyber Discovery Summer Camp, for example, is a collaborative between Tech and the CIC that exposes student and teachers to the technological, social, political and historical aspects of cyber.

“It shows students how life is interconnected and that they must pay attention to all of the issues surrounding the real problems that we face as a society,” says Turner.

Face-to-Face vs. Online Education

There were two articles yesterday that caught my eye; a blog post from Tony Karrer, CEO of Techpower, discussing online conferences versus face-to-face conferences and an article from T.H.E. Journal detailing the technological impact in the classroom regarding online learning versus in classroom teaching.

The United States Department of Education published a report over the summer titled, "Evaluation of Evidence-Based Practices in Online Learning; A Meta-Analysis and Review of Online Learning Studies" (Center for Technology in Learning, 2009). What's interesting about this report is that it confirms what many who actual teach or have taught either distance or online courses already know: that there is no significant difference between online learning and the face-to-face experience.

Both present good views on the single thread that “students” whatever the age or at whatever level in their educational process are online. They are texting, twittering, reviewing emails, researching, etc. while listening in class or web conference.

Whether you are a teaching professor at a university or college or a conference presenter it is imperative you are aware of your audience’s mobility and adjust accordingly.

The Report Abstract