Virginia high school students who attended Governor’s School for Math, Science and Technology at University of Lynchburg were the first to use iPads purchased with a $28,500 grant from the Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges (VFIC).
The VFIC awarded University of Lynchburg the funds under its 2013 Visual and Performing Arts Capital Project Grants Program. In its grant request, the College proposed an “e-Arts Across the Curriculum” program. Thanks to the grant, LC purchased 33 iPads, which will be available for use in a variety of classes.
LC art professor Richard Pumphrey, serves as project director, said, “By working to integrate iPads with art-based software across the curriculum, learning will be enhanced by weaving this visually oriented learning technology into the curriculum.”
Governor’s School students in Kristin Harris’ “2D Animation and Media Design” class were the first to use the iPads. Harris said that she was excited to have students work on the Demibooks Composer Studio software, a production tool for iPads, which allows students to create interactive narrative apps, as well as games with physics capabilities.
Harris’ students sent questions about the program to the CEO of Demibooks, Rafiq Ahmed, and he was so impressed with the level of sophistication of the questions that he had his partner and chief programmer, Daniel Hotop, join a videoconference from Australia with the Governor’s School students to talk about the software.
“This was a particularly focused and delightful group of students,” Harris said. They created a website for their class.
The purpose of the VFIC grant program is to:
- Provide students with access to additional/enhanced outlets for creativity.
- Create or enhance the outreach for visual and performing arts in the communities in which the campuses are located.
- Support not only the students who are majoring in the arts but provide instructional enrichment opportunities for the entire campus by reaching across disciplines to challenge students to see the world in new ways.
LC’s “e-Arts Across the Curriculum” will foster a more inclusive arts environment as students have the opportunity to explore the visual arts as related to their various academic disciplines. This project will also provide opportunities through the Daura Gallery to serve the larger community by offering outreach workshops for children and art teachers.
It is anticipated that approximately 3,000 students, faculty, and community members will annually benefit through college classes, Governor School classes, community outreach workshops, and eArts kiosks located at key locations around the main campus.