Discovery Learning Research Center

First Seed Grant Program - 2004

In May 2004, the Discovery Learning Research Center announced the winners of the first DLRC Seed Grant Competition. Awards went to Sorin Matei (Communication) and Jennifer Richardson (Curriculum and Instruction).

Richardson's project, Socially Constructed Knowledge in Online Learning Environments: Student Scaffolding Strategies and Peer Feedback in Discussions, provides insight into the efficacy of online course development by examining how knowledge is created in online leaning environments through asynchronous discussions and through scaffolding of knowledge and skills in these discussion forums. The project leaders used their seed grant to develop on-campus collaborations between education, engineering, and ITaP. An online peer-feedback tool was developed based on the project design and is currently available in WebCT Vistas latest version to anyone with access to it. The principal investigators obtained further funding for this project from the U.S. Department of Education.

The goal of Matei's project, The Use of Spatially-Aware Systems in Education, is to create a platform for developing location-aware tools and use scenarios which can be used in education. The project also aims at developing a social scientific and usability research program. The overarching idea is to prototype and asses a new set of information delivery methods and experiences.