Proposal - Oncourse - Indiana University

10 March 2011
IUPUI
DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER,
INFORMATION, AND
LEADERSHIP TECHNOLOGY
SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY
A Purdue University School
Indianapolis
Dear MURI Proposal Review Committee,
I write to support Rob Elliott’s service as a mentor in the MURI proposal for the Chemistry Knowledge Base.
The proposed project aligns with our department’s emphasis on experiential learning. Students with a technical
background, such as those from the Computer and Information Technology program, will have the opportunity to
research and produce a software product that will provide interactive learning opportunities for students in
Chemistry. Students with a science background will act as Subject Matter Experts and, with faculty input, will
provide a great deal of insight into how the software product will be used. Finally, students from departments
related to the study of teaching and learning (e.g., Education, New Media) will use their experience to inform the
development of the software so that it can become a vital teaching tool for the Chemistry department.
By integrating students from multiple schools on campus (Engineering & Technology, Science, Informatics, and
Education), students will learn how to work as a collaborative team and will develop the diverse skills needed to
accomplish goals embedded in Chemistry Knowledge Base Project. Coached by mentors with a background in the
immediate subject matter (Chemistry) and the ability to transform ideas into production (Computer and
Information Technology), the work of these students will produce a learning tool that could easily be adapted
across multiple departments and campuses.
Furthermore, this project promotes critical thinking and problem solving which links directly to PUL 2: Critical
Thinking, and plays a significant role in our assessment and accreditation efforts. Finally, increasing the
opportunities for undergraduate research is a significant goal for our program, school, and the broader campus.
Rob Elliott, a faculty member in the Computer and Information Technology program, will act as the technical
mentor for the project. Rob is considered our resident expert in Web development and has taught most of the
Web development courses in our curriculum. He also serves as champion for our two web development certificate
programs. Rob brings a wealth of consulting experience to the project. I am confident that Mr. Elliott has
demonstrated abilities in the past that will enable him to successfully complete the mentoring tasks this project
involves.
In closing, I highly recommend that this project be selected as a MURI opportunity for AY 2011-2012. As
department chair, I will provide my full support for the teams’ work and provide any resources needed to ensure
the success of the project. It promises to increase our research opportunities, enhance student learning, and
support our assessment and accreditation efforts. In addition, I see great potential for scholarly work related to the
software product developed.
Please contact me at 317-274-6794 or efernand@iupui.edu if I may provide additional information or answer
further questions.
Sincerely,
Eugenia Fernandez, Ph.D.
Chair, Computer, Information & Leadership Technology
799 W. Michigan Street Indianapolis, IN 46202 (317) 278 – 0277 www.engr.iupui.edu/cilt
Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis