RADFORD – Radford University’s College of Education and Human Development is a major partner with Pulaski County Public Schools, Radford City Public Schools, New River Community College (NRCC) and Apple, Inc. in an Enhancing Education Through Technology (EETT) grant worth $1.6 million. College of Education and Human Development faculty member Matt Dunleavy initiated and wrote the proposal in collaboration with NRCC, Pulaski County Schools and Radford City Schools. The grant allows recipients to implement programs that stimulate the use of educational technology to improve teaching and learning.

College of Education and Human Development Dean Pat Shoemaker says RU is fortunate to have the two-year grant coming into this region of the state. “The EETT is very competitive. We will learn much from working on this project with New River Community College, Apple, Inc., and with local school divisions. We will have a two-year period to do exciting work with PK-12 students using some of the innovative technologies being developed at RU and NRCC,” Shoemaker says.

The iLearn project has three major components – location-aware mobile games and simulations development, iPod Touch applications development and pre-service, and in-service professional development and education.

“The goal of the collaborative team is to create a model of mobile learning excellence which can be replicated throughout the commonwealth, thereby keeping Virginia on the cutting edge of emergent technology instruction and maintaining our leadership role in the country by raising SOL scores in high need districts and empowering our students to master 21st century skills to compete in a global marketplace,” says Dunleavy.

Dunleavy is the creator of the Games, Animation, Modeling and Simulation (GAMeS) Lab at RU, which designs interactive and immersive mobile learning curricula to study the efficacy of these products on student engagement and learning. Applications designed by the GAMeS Lab at RU were recently awarded second and third place honors in the state-wide "Virgina Mobile Apps Development Challenge," sponsored by former Governor Tim Kaine. “It is critical to develop mobile applications that challenge and engage our students, so that we can explore how emerging technologies like iPods and cell phones can play a role in education,” he says.

Other high-need local school divisions serving as fiscal agents of grant funds across Virginia are: the WHRO Public Television and Radio Technology Consortium, part of Norfolk City Public Schools; the Shenandoah Valley Technology Consortium; part of Harrisonburg City Public Schools; Roanoke City Public Schools; and Alexandria City Public Schools.