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Animation as a Hands-On Teaching Tool
The modern computer has revolutionized the way professors teach science courses. This has been a major challenge. Developing animation for the classroom will provide significant benefits for teaching difficult concepts to all students in science courses.
Animations can be used to illustrate difficult concepts in nearly all disciplines, including chemistry, biotechnology, engineering, physics, mathematics, biomedical and pharmaceutical sciences. For example, presenting and visualizing complex scientific concepts such as 'drug chirality' (3-D orientation of attached atoms) at the molecular-genetic level is a difficult task. Many class discussions are often very difficult to explain using the traditional teaching tools such as whiteboards and transparencies. It is important to view the structures of molecules and organs in 3-D representation. Pictures and cartoon diagrams have been used frequently to illustrate concepts such as molecular bonding how they interact via a simple ‘lock and key’ binding scenario. The problem is, however, that they are oversimplified and therefore not very effective. The remedy for this is the animation project which can produce 3-D (animation) and virtual 3-D (stereoanimation) presentations.
Student-Professor Collaborations
The benefits of 3-D ("show it like it is") for teaching efficiency is clear, but most professors are fearful of learning sophisticated computer programs and are concerened with extensive time commitments. Creating professor-student (preferably tech-savvy) teams that can work together on selected animation projects of their choice will circumvent this problem.
Professors are paired with students to work on creating instructional animations as hands-on teaching tools. Students get credits through a mechanism of ‘Special Problems’ courses during academic semesters. Under certain conditions, students may also be employed by the university or receive a stipend through external grant sources.
- Barbera, Steve (Buisiness/Communication/STA)/Mr. Bergstrom (ITTS) and Dr. King
- Caetano, Nelson (Pharmacy)/Dr. Cho/ Dr. Bratberg
- Dichele, Andrea (Pharmacy)/Drs Babson, Rodgers, and Cho
- Grant, Heather (Pharmacy), John Mistry (Pharmacy)/Mr. Ian Lester (Senior IT Specialist) and Dr. Chichester
- Hanley, Mike (Pharmacy)/Dr. Parang
- Haskins, Neight (STA)/ Dr. Cho
- Lahijani, Majid (Pharmacy)/Dr. Hume
- Lie, Elias (Pharmacy)/Dr. Rowley
- McConeghy, Kevin (Pharmacy)/Dr. Cho
- Sisson, Joshua (Electrical Engineering/STA)/Dr. Cho
- Valle, Joshua (Pharmacy)/Dr. Rosenbaum
- Wallace, Richard (Pharmacy)/Drs Barbour and Rodgers
- Zemrak, Wes (Pharmacy)/Dr. Pawasauskas
- O'brien, Nick (Philosophy) / Dr. Cho and Mr. Bergstrom
- Ventura, John (Microbiology)/ Dr. Cho and Mr. Bergstrom
Funding Sources
Initial installments of computers, software, projection system, and other equipment and accessories have been funded through a grant (Drs. Cho, Parang, Chichester) from the Champlin Foundations. Additional support has been provided through a grant (Dr. Cho) from the URI Foundation.
Partial support for student employees is provided by Information and Instructional Technology Services (IITS) of URI (Contact Roy Bergstrom)
3-D Stereo Projection Facility (Fogarty 214)
The "VizEveryWhere" 3-D projection system by James River Technology, Inc. is a dual projector system utilizing polarizing filter technology. With the aid of stereo glasses, students can view true "eye-popping" stereo animations in a virtual 3-D immersive environment, similar to films shown in the IMAX theater in Providence.
The 3-D stereo projection system is easily used by all instructors and can be used for detailed projection of certain molecules or images. It is the only stereo projector in the university.