Dr. Jessica Somers

1
Dr. Jessica Somers

• University System of Georgia Board of Regents
• Executive Director of Academic Innovation
• Advanced Learning Technologies Unit

Ph.D. University of Georgia 1995
2
Work History

• Personnel Coordinator, Sun Products Corporation
• Research Coordinator, Budget and Research
  Services
• Assistant Director, Placement and Co-op
  Department
• Education Instruction Specialist, IBM Corporation
• Graduate Assistant, Developmental Studies Div,
  UGA
• Temp Instructor, Intro to CPU-Based Ed, IT Dept,
  UGA
• Technology Environment Coordinator and Assistant
  Director, Center for Educational Technology, COE,
  UGA
• Associate Dir., Distance Ed and Academic
  Innovation
• Director, Academic Innovation
• Executive Director, Academic Innovation

3
Job Duties

• Responsible for System-wide faculty development
  activities focused on incorporating technology
  into instruction
• Contract with external entities to develop
  scalable and sustainable training solutions
• Serve as liaison for collaboratively developed
  online degree programs
• Represent ALT in Regents activities
• Conference Program ChairMERLOT International
  Conference, 2001

4
SCOUT

• Repository of instructional Resources developed
  by USG faculty, designers and programmers
• Focuses on collaborative development and delivery
  of online coursework
• Preview of other course work
• USG Faculty have opportunity to adopt existing
  course materials
• Courses offered for credit through five
  institutions

5
MERLOT

• Open Collection of Resources created by faculty
  nationwide
• Appropriate resources for education are
  immediately accessible
• Learning modules span the academic spectrum, both
  in terms of discipline and approach
• Searchable by keyword or subject hierarchy

6
Site Content

• Reference Materials
• Virtual Tours
• Animations
• Interactive Instructions
• Simulations
• Sample Lesson Plans
• Links to Other Individuals in Discipline

7
Peer Evaluations

• All material reviewed by subject matter experts
  and instructional designers
• Reviewers evaluate quality of content,
  effectiveness of material for teaching, and ease
  of use
• Reviews are by peers using composite averages of
  all reviewers

8
Partners

• 22 higher learning institutes are partners
• Lending their talents for the good of the whole
• Promotes more serious discussions of materials as
  well as implementation of technology in classrooms

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Somers / MERLOT

• Represents USG as Project Director for MERLOT
• Provides leadership for MERLOT projects
• Supports peer review of Web-based learning
  materials by USG faculty

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About This Presentation

• SCOUT Website http//alt.usg.edu/scout
• MERLOT Website http//www.merlot.org
• Other Websiteshttp//www.codeconnoisseur.org/it/
  edit6100/task2
• Dr. Somers Image http//www.celt.lsu.edu/cfd
• Background Image http//www.deviantART.com

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Publications

• MERLOT for web-based learning and teaching. UCNS
  Computer Review, UGA, 2001
• A process for initiating change Developing
  technology goals for a college of education.
  Journal of Teacher Education, 1996
• What's in a game? A study of games as an
  instructional method in an adult education class.
  Innovative Higher Education, 1993

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Education

• Ph.D. University of Georgia 1995
• M.B.A. West Georgia College 1981
• B.B.A. West Georgia College 1977