NEWS
& EVENTS

July 03, 2008

Contact: Amy Hewes
College of Engineering
805-756-6402
ahewes@calpoly.edu

Cal Poly ONE OF 39 SCHOOLS NATIONWIDE SELECTED AS HP TECHNOLOGY GRANT RECIPIENT

$77,000 grant includes HP wireless equipment and cash award to improve student achievement.

SAN LUIS OBISPO - Cal Poly was selected as one of 39 two- and four-year colleges and universities in the United States and Puerto Rico to receive a 2008 HP Technology for Teaching grant, which is designed to transform teaching and improve learning in the classroom through innovative uses of technology.

Each of the HP Technology for Teaching grant recipients will use wireless HP Tablet PCs to enhance learning in engineering, math, science, or computer science. Dr. Michael Haungs, assistant professor in computer science, submitted the winning grant proposal for a unique project that integrates outreach to local high schools into the computer science curriculum.  

"Presently, Computer Science suffers from the declining enrollment and retention of women and minorities," notes Haungs; "but hands-on, project-based learning and K-12 outreach activities such as workshops, seminars, and camps show promise in reversing this trend.

"We want to introduce outreach into our curriculum in several ways: Upper-division students, via independent study and student club volunteers, will work closely with faculty advisers to create a set of outreach activities that will be assessed as a lab activity. Students in our professional responsibilities course, will visit local high schools and conduct those activities. To our knowledge, this is a unique way to introduce service learning into a computer science curriculum."

HP is awarding 149 two- and four-year colleges and universities, and K-12 public schools in the United States and Puerto Rico more than $7 million in mobile technology, cash and professional development as part of the 2008 HP Technology for Teaching grant program. Since 2004, HP has contributed a total of $60 million in HP Technology for Teaching grants to more than 1,000 schools in 41 countries worldwide. During the past 20 years, HP has contributed more than $1 billion in cash and equipment to schools, universities, community organizations and other nonprofit organizations around the world.

"Around the world, HP partners with pioneering professors and schools to discover how technology can improve student success," said Sid Espinosa, director of Global Social Investment programs at HP. "While technology is not the answer to every educational challenge, we have witnessed its incredible and transformative impact in the classroom. This innovation is happening every day as teaching and learning are fundamentally changing."

More information about the 2008 HP Technology for Teaching program and grant recipients is available at www.hp.com/go/hpteach.   

 

 

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