INDIANAPOLIS—Three Indiana educators were acknowledged yesterday for their outstanding accomplishments in using technology to enhance teaching and learning at the annual “All Partners Conference,” held by the Indiana Higher Education Telecommunication System (IHETS).

IHETS is a consortium of all public and private higher education institutions in Indiana.

The awards were sponsored by the Indiana Partnership for Statewide Education (IPSE), the primary leadership committee within the IHETS consortium that focuses on program delivery and facilitation of eLearning courses and programs. Each recipient received a $1 thousand cash award for further professional development.

Fifty-five nominations were received from colleges and universities throughout the state. After careful consideration, the following individuals were selected:

Dana Willett, production manager in Instructional Technology Services at the University of Southern Indiana, for Instructional Support for Distance Education Teaching. Willet was selected for his sensitivity to faculty concerns, his creativity in suggesting technology solutions to pedagogical problems, his leadership in helping the university plan strategically for instructional technology, his expansion of services and hours of availability, his unfailing good humor and follow-through on commitments, and his skillful supervision in providing creative challenges for his student workers.

Dr. Mark Braun, professor of pathology at Indiana University Bloomington, for Innovative Teaching in a Distance Education Program. Braun was acknowledged for the development of an interactive Web site that details 23 simulated medical cases. Second-year medical students experience diagnosing diseases when they use this program. The cases are interactive, provide continual feedback to the student, and are an engaging way to learn about disease processes. Working extensively with individuals in the School of Education to develop a useful and efficient survey tool, Braun has collected longitudinal data from past students about how well these modules prepared them for their clinical rotations in medical school. The result is an interactive learning experience that can also serve as a stand-alone distance education tool.

Dr. Howard Rosenbaum, assistant professor in the School of Library and Information Science at Indiana University Bloomington, for Innovation in Teaching with Technology. Rosenbaum was acknowledged for integrating problem-based learning and a Web-based, interactive simulation of a competitive free marketplace for a graduate course on electronic commerce. The course is one of only a handful of classes in the country using this type of advanced simulation technology, and it is uniquely strengthened by creative application of new pedagogy.

“We are proud to acknowledge these individuals for their outstanding contributions in developing e-learning opportunities,” said Dave King, executive director at IHETS. “These are some of the most creative people working on e-learning in Indiana. Their efforts are examples for the state and the country to be proud.”

IHETS is an integral part of the rapidly evolving telecommunications and educational technology environment in Indiana. Its mission is to help higher education in Indiana—working with K-12 schools, public libraries, public broadcasting stations and other identified education and information providers—enhance the development of human capital statewide through effective use of telecommunications and information technology.

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