The mission of the Innovation in Technology Education Center (iTec) is to be a nationally-recognized source of innovative technology teaching through relevant research and collaborative activities, and to be a resource for corporations, other academic institutions, alumni and students.
To support this mission, iTec faculty and staff :
- Conduct studies of academic programs and courses in the College of Computing and Digital Media (CDM),
- Develop and refine innovative pedagogy in the classroom, lab, and studio,
- Improve the ways in which students are supported and educated beyond the classroom, and
- Work to make the results available to a broad audience through publication of the results.
As appropriate, iTec faculty and staff apply for external funding to support their innovative work.
CDM has long been an innovator in the area of technology education, leading the way in the creation of new degree programs, the use of online learning, and the implementation of innovative teaching techniques.
In this tradition, the CDM faculty organized an Educational Research Group in 2006 which focused on raising the profile of educational research. Faculty interested in educational research are now featured on the CDM research web pages, and faculty meet regularly to discuss their work. The creation of iTec moves the focus from internal to external promotion of the work done by faculty and staff in CDM.
The programs, courses, and pedagogy developed by CDM faculty are among the most innovative found at any institution in the United States, and faculty have increasingly been awarded funding both from the government and private organizations to support this work. The creation of iTec formalizes the importance of innovation in technology education for the faculty and staff at CDM.
The formation of iTec is relevant to a number of objectives in the DePaul University Vision 2012 plan. Academic quality is enriched by the support of innovative teaching techniques and the recognition of teacher-scholars at CDM.
Online learning is the focus of several projects, which will help CDM and DePaul achieve the goal of being a model provider for quality distance learning.
Strategically enhancing curricula is also an area supported by iTec, as current projects including an NSF-funded program to enhance the computational thinking in courses across DePaul.
Be part of the conversation.
Join our Facebook and LinkedIn groups or visit the iTec Blog
Terry Steinbach, Director
243 S. Wabash Avenue, Room 744
Chicago, IL 60604
(312) 362-5064
Fax: (312) 362-6116
itec@cdm.depaul.edu
CDM faculty and staff have a number of active research projects which may be of interest to you.
Many CDM projects are collaborative, and you are encouraged to contact the people associated with projects of interest.
iTec publications will also provide you with information about previous projects and results, which you are encouraged to adapt and use at your own institution.
If you have a project for which you are seeking collaborators, please contact the iTec Director at itec@cdm.depaul.edu for more information about finding interested faculty and staff.
Faculty and staff at CDM work to ensure that students have the best experience both in and out of the classroom.
Programs, courses, student support systems, and teaching techniques are continually assessed and revised to make sure that they are up-to-date and effective.
Additionally, some of the projects featured on the iTec site may be able to accommodate students interested in educational research.
Please contact the iTec Director at itec@cdm.depaul.edu if you would like more information about becoming involved in an iTec project.