IU’s
School of Education was fortunate to borrow Gloria Edwards from her post at
Purdue University, where she has been teaching in the Educational Technology
division of the Curriculum & Instruction Department for the past two years.
During her first summer session residency on the Bloomington campus she
taught W200, “Using Computers in Education.”
“This
course,” Edwards said, “is meant to inform students about how computers can
be used in education, particularly in K-12 classrooms, but also give them the
hands-on experience becoming familiar with the generic software packages,
databases, email, and the World Wide Web.” Ideally students finish this kind
of class “fully understanding the purpose and the place of technology . . .
and that over time their skills will develop in proportion to their practice and
experience.”
Her
credentials for teaching this kind of class come from years of experience
teaching similar courses at other universities, most recently in North Carolina
and Illinois, but also from her experience as a corporate trainer in the private
sector. “I have a business and industry background; I spent seventeen years
out there in the field working with technology, specifically in computer
applications training.” Edwards
added that this experience made her a good fit in higher education right now,
especially in light of the educational reform initiatives mandating technology
integration modeling and instruction.
“My
research focus is absolutely on computer-based learning, information
technologies, the World Wide Web, and how to develop highly interactive
environments, utilizing as many of the human senses as possible.
Because research shows that the more senses you use, the higher the
probability that you will learn and retain that information, or at least be able
to access it—mentally or physically—as you need it.”
Edwards’ interests encompass distance learning, exploring “the link
between education and training paradigms,” as well as how computer-based
instruction intersects with growth in the professoriate, because, as Edwards
said, those who control education inevitably impact those students who travel
through higher education. Accordingly,
she works with faculty development for the College Teaching Workshops at Purdue
University. She is also currently
involved with two of her own grants, and collaborating on two others, a fact
that attests to her research interests’ timeliness.
Edwards commended IU-Bloomington for its access to information and access to technology, but also described the campus as having more subtle cultural distinctions from others in her experience. She highlighted our official systems of mentoring intended to help guide faculty through what she called “the politics of the environment. I’ve had a significant amount of mentoring in the six weeks I’ve been here . . . a high quality of mentoring . . .” She added that mentoring—both formal, as a matter of program policy, and informal—is wonderful for defining how you can function or survive in an environment. Edwards said that people in the School of Education were extremely helpful and kind, and that Bloomington, beyond the university parameters, is quite cosmopolitan for a college town.