Krause Innovation Studio to Support Faculty with Pedagogy and Technology Needs

by Joe Savrock (July 2011)

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Construction continues on the second floor of Chambers Building for development of the Krause Innovation Studio, a new resource for faculty to draw upon emerging technologies to transform their teaching and scholarship.

Gay and Bill Krause of Los Altos Hills, Calif., are funding the Innovation Studio by means of a $6.5 million gift—the largest gift in the history of the College of Education.

The Krauses are expected to participate in the Studio’s ribbon-cutting ceremony, scheduled for Oct. 28. As construction nears completion this winter, a grand opening is anticipated on a date to be announced.

Scott McDonald, associate professor of science education, is director of the Krause Innovation Studio. He explains that the Studio will be a haven for faculty who are looking to take advantage of powerful tools such as digital video, Web 2.0 tools, and mobile and ubiquitous computing to support pedagogical innovations in their classes.

The Krause Innovation Studio will operate from the standpoint of a faculty member’s needs, rather than with the arsenal of equipment to be housed on-site. Educators will be encouraged to think in new ways about what and how they want their students to learn, and then consider appropriate technologies to support.

“First we want to find out what the faculty member is doing and what he or she is trying to achieve,” explains McDonald, “and then we’ll work toward determining if a technological solution fits the pedagogical objective.”

Several research projects are already under way. McDonald, along with faculty members in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction, Carla Zembal-Saul and Orrin Murray, are piloting a video-analysis package, iCoda, which is designed to help the College’s preservice teachers in developing their classroom practice. iCoda allows for the use of mobile computing devices with Studiocode, a video-analysis software that has been extensively used in the College for examining classroom practice both in research and in coursework.

McDonald is planning to schedule a speaker series in conjunction with the opening of the Studio. “We envision that these guest speakers would be researchers who might bring a different perspective on how teaching and learning can be improved with the support of technology,” McDonald says.

Learn more about the Krause Innovation Studio online, or visit the Studio's blog.