The strategy
We created this project to address a major problem in engineering education: recruiting people. Employers need high-caliber, trained workers for increasingly technological jobs in the manufacturing industries. This is especially true in metrology. We want to let people know this is a fascinating field to work in.
We also created and worked with a network of educators, including the University of Wisconsin, and industry representatives that included major corporations such as Ford Motor Company. The goal of the summer institutes was to let K-12, two-year college, and four-year college teachers interact with metrology experts, work hands-on in our metrology laboratory, develop metrology modules, and take home and use a kit containing some basic metrology measuring instruments. We wanted them to have fresh, practical metrology examples straight from industry to use when they teach science and mathematics. I think the easiest way to learn math and science is to learn their real-world applications--then you want to know the theory of it. It's more interesting to let the application drive the theory.
Both the web site and the listserv were written into the grant, to provide instructional and outreach support to the institutes. For each institute, the participants heard presentations from experts and then adapted the material they had heard into curriculum modules for their own use. Each institute produced five modules, written by the participants. These curriculum modules--covering topics such as "Precision Metric and Imperial Measurements," "Statistical Process Control," "Level vs. Flat"--then went up on the web site for anyone to download and incorporate into their classes.
As part of the grant, we funded a graduate student of one of the co-investigators at 50-percent time to develop the web site. He was very computer literate and built the web site by writing all the HTML code for the pages, graphics, links, etc. Our co-investigator uploaded the modules to the web site. I continue to manage the web site, at first going by the "cookbook" instructions that our Webmaster and my co-investigator gave me. They gave me a copy of the software program WS_FTP to update the web site. I changed names and photos when I needed to and once in a while deleted a page. Now I use Dreamweaver software to update the web site. I've had extensive help from the computer information staff at MATC.
MATC also supported our listserv. They already had a number of listservs up and running; we asked them to set one up for us, and we just logged on. And I didn't really have to do anything except help people log on, which each person did by sending an e-mail to the listserv support server, typing in "subscribe" and his or her name. Once the listserv was up, I also took the responsibility for managing it. At its height, we had enrolled 25 to 30 people.
Note: If you're writing a grant to support a project that involves using technology, make sure you include funding for someone who knows his or her way around computers.
The learning technology
Web Site Development: Although I originally used WS_FTP to support our web site, now there are software packages like Dreamweaver and FrontPage that make it much easier to create and support a website. I recommend taking a class in web site development.
Listserv Development: Because I wasn't directly involved in setting up a listserv, I don't feel qualified to recommend any particular software or service. You can set up a listserv--or mailing list, as they're also known--in a variety of ways, choosing from a number of different applications to support the listserv. Basically, you need a server, a mailing list software program, and someone to mange the list. Start with your school's Information Technology support people; if you want more information, two sites that have a lot of information are The Living Internet and from Catalog.com, an E-mail List Management Software page that lists different links to e-mail list management software packages.
The project support
My co-investigators and I received two grants for our project from the National Science Foundation (NSF), Division of Undergraduate Education (DUE), Advanced Technology Education (DUE-ATE). To get more information, start at the NSF web site.
The results
We just loved the web site; it came in so handy for letting people know about the project and for distributing the modules. I never had to put materials into a package and send them to anybody. All I ever had to do was give the URL for the project. People said, "I'd like to know more about your institutes," and I said, "Here's the URL." That's it. By accessing the URL, they could get all the materials we generated for all three of our institutes. It's such an easy way to transmit information.
The listserv was another story. I've concluded that the manager of the listserv needs to keep the discussion going by regularly providing helpful information or posing good questions or topics for discussion. Some listserv managers post weekly "e-newsletters," digests of information, or book reviews, for example. I did what I could, but since I was also teaching, I wasn't able to give the listserv the attention it needed. There's a natural ebb and flow of discussion and the manager needs to be ready to jump in if the list falls silent for a while. Also subscribers can get burned out if there is irrelevant information and discussion.
If you have any questions about our web site, the listserv, or about metrology, you can contact me at:
banderegg@madison.tec.wi.us
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Barb Anderegg