SMART collaborates with Ohio State University to redefine approaches to education
CALGARY, Alberta --- August 12, 2008 --- SMART Technologies announces its product solutions are now installed in the Digital Union, a new leading-edge research and education facility at Ohio State University. The Digital Union offers a place to experience and explore new education technology products in order to assess their potential for enhancing teaching and learning. SMART hardware and software products are installed in the Digital Union’s Learning Collaboration Studio, a flexible learning environment equipped with a variety of advanced technology tools that faculty, staff, students and visitors can use for research and collaboration.
SMART products are installed in the Learning Collaboration Studio for a three-year period. They are intended especially for the use of faculty and students conducting high-level research with leading-edge education technology. The facility includes one SMART Board™ 680i interactive whiteboard, one Sympodium™ interactive pen display, one AirLiner™ wireless slate and SMART Notebook software. As well, the academic community at OSU now has the opportunity to provide feedback into the products being used and give SMART ideas for new products. From collaborating via video conferencing to sponsoring technology-based research, the Digital Union offers the university community a dedicated environment for evaluating and using SMART products. Other Digital Union collaborators include Hewlett Packard and Microsoft.
“Leading-edge collaboration tools have beneficial effects on student learning, time spent preparing instruction materials, delivery of instruction and the degree of interactivity in the classroom,” says Nancy Knowlton, SMART’s CEO. “With SMART’s presence in the Digital Union over the next three years, thousands of OSU students and faculty the opportunity to experience these benefits in ways particularly suited to their learning environment.”
About The Digital Union at The Ohio State University
The Digital Union at The Ohio State University is a joint initiative between the Office of the Chief Information Officer and the University Libraries. It empowers the university community by facilitating access to rich media resources for use in teaching, learning, research and outreach. Its goals include exploring new and emerging technology solutions, showcasing emerging technologies and encouraging collaboration across diverse academic fields. An integral part of the Digital Union’s mission includes collaborating with companies interested in redefining approaches to education at the postsecondary level through effective use of technology, so working with SMART – a leading innovator whose patented technologies and award-winning products have fundamentally changed teaching and learning in the 21st century – fits perfectly with the Digital Union’s mission. For more information about the Digital Union, visit digitalunion.osu.edu.
