Penn State graduate students' cyber presentations showcased in unique virtual gallery

University Park, Pa. -- Graduate students in Penn State's curriculum and instruction-teacher leadership master's degree program are exhibiting their final research projects in a virtual portal that symbolizes the electronic nature of their online coursework.

From Aug. 3 to 7, representations of the students' research papers are on display in a virtual museum known as the Cyber Gallery. The research projects are required as part of the program's final course-EDLDR 596, Individual Studies. The course calls for students to develop creative projects, including nonthesis research, that are supervised on an individual basis.

The 14-week course is offered each summer. It completes the coursework in the 30-credit curriculum and instruction-teacher leadership program, which is offered entirely online through World Campus. A visitor can take a virtual tour of the students' Cyber Gallery displays at https://courses.worldcampus.psu.edu/public/edldrmuseum/edldr596su06/museum.html online. Presentation schedules of the hourlong synchronous sessions are available at the site.

The Cyber Gallery, by no coincidence, holds a strong resemblance to the corridor of The Nittany Lion Inn. "It has the appeal of actually being here on campus," noted co-instructor Iris Striedieck, assistant professor in the College of Education's Department of Curriculum and Instruction. "It's much like what you see when you enter a museum -- there is a handbill that gives the student's name, the title of the paper and a brief description of the display. By glancing at the handbill description, visitors can decide whether or not they want to pursue the student's presentation."

Clicking on the "walk left" or the "walk right" arrow provides a panoramic, 360-degree view of the gallery's interior. Representations of the students' work can be accessed by clicking on the icons in the framed wall hangings.

Striedieck also is the department's lead faculty with World Campus for the master of education with a teacher leadership focus. Other department faculty members affiliated with the online masters program are James Nolan, Debra Freedman, Daniel Marshall and Bernard Badiali.

The Cyber Gallery was developed last fall for the program's first cohort of eight students. "This year's cohort consists of 14 students," said Striedieck. "The students this time around are quite technically savvy. Most have opted to use Elluminate Live as the venue for presenting their sessions." Elluminate Live is an online conferencing software package that enables communication in real time, with voice, text messaging and white board features.

A demonstration version of the Cyber Gallery is available at https://courses.worldcampus.psu.edu/public/edldrmuseumdemo/museum.html online.