The Innovations in Teaching with Technology Awards (ITTA) fund significant, innovative projects that have the potential to improve teaching and learning throughout the University of Iowa.

This year, five UI instructors received awards in support of their innovative approaches.

Jerry Moon was awarded $12,784 to enhance student interaction with anatomical structures through the use of Oculus Rift virtual reality technology, allowing students to explore inside a 3-D representation of a larynx while simultaneously being provided access to supplemental education content within the virtual environment.

Aju Jugessur was awarded $32,500 to configure a micro-fabrication lab for distance education, providing more access to scarce and expensive equipment while using a combination of new and existing technologies in a secure, clean lab environment.

Emily Finzel was awarded $2,500 to build an augmented reality sandbox for visualizing topography by manipulating real sand, which is then enhanced with digital overlays such as contour lines, water, and elevation color mapping.

Kimberly Datchuk was awarded $2,500 to provide advanced eLearning software to K–12 education students in order to create interactive online content using artwork in the College of Education and Museum of Art Lindquist Art Collection.

Andrea Achenbach was awarded $25,000 for software to create personalized learning modules that react to individual student needs based on performance for the College of Nursing.

For more information about the awards, visit the Information Technology Services website.