Ohio State Installing Interactive Technologies in Campus Incubator

• By Dian Schaffhauser
• 06/23/08

Ohio State University in Columbus said it will be installing Smart Technologies products--including interactive whiteboards--in its Digital Union, a four-year-old leading-edge research and education facility. The Digital Union, a joint initiative between the Office of the CIO and the university libraries, offers a place for faculty and students to work with new education technology products in order to assess their potential for enhancing teaching and learning.

Smart hardware and software products will be installed in the Digital Union's Learning Collaboration Studio, a flexible learning environment equipped with a variety of advanced technology tools. Facilities include computer stations for developing videos, audio recordings and web technologies; learning spaces for experimental courses and workshops; and videoconferencing facilities. The facility will add such products as the Smart Board interactive whiteboard, Smart Notebook software and the Smart Board interactive display frame.

An integral part of the Digital Union's mission includes collaborating with companies interested in redefining approaches to education at the postsecondary level through effective use of technology. The installation also allows the academic community at OSU to provide input into new products being developed at Smart.

Other Digital Union partners include Hewlett Packard and Microsoft.