Mark your calendar and join us for Fridays with ITDS, a monthly interview series in a casual, informal virtual learning space spotlighting the unique contributions University faculty, staff, and leadership are providing to teaching and learning at Montclair State University!
Virtual Reality Meets Character Education: Innovating the SEEDS Core Curriculum
When: November 15, 2024 at 10:00am
Where: Live via Zoom
In September 2024, Montclair received a transformative three-year, $1 million Institutional Impact Grant from Wake Forest University’s Program for Leadership and Character. Led by Dr. Jennifer Urban, Professor of Family Science and Human Development, a team of interdisciplinary Montclair faculty and staff are developing a SEEDS curriculum course that harnesses virtual reality to teach character development in immersive ways. Dr. Urban joins Fridays with ITDS to share project goals and invite participation in this exciting interdisciplinary initiative. ITDS Instructional Designer Chris Petrillo opens the session with a foundational introduction to extended reality.
Dr. Jennifer Urban is Professor in the Department of Family Science and Human Development at Montclair State University where she also co-directs the Institute for Research on Youth Thriving and Evaluation. Dr. Urban is trained as a developmental scientist with specific expertise in youth character development and program evaluation. Her scholarship is encapsulated under the umbrella of systems science including both theoretical approaches and methodologies and consists of three strands: (1) Relational Systems Evaluation: the development, testing, and implementation of a relational systems approach to program evaluation and planning to enhance internal evaluation capacity particularly for youth program practitioners and evaluators; (2) Innovative Approaches to Advancing Developmental Science: by developing and promoting a social justice perspective, the use of innovative methods, and professional development resources; and (3) Building the Evidence-Base in Developmental Science: specifically to determine the key features of character development programs that promote positive youth development; and advance the application of character science in multiple contexts to enhance human flourishing across the life span.
Chris Petrillo is an Instructional Designer within the ITDS team and Montclair alumnus (BS Biological Science). Some responsibilities include working with instructors to design pedagogically-sound courses for online programs, development of workshops for increasing engagement in courses using interactive and collaborative platforms, administrating the Montclair Canvas environment, and supporting faculty use of Canvas and other instructional technologies.
Future Sessions
As more details emerge, this section will be updated. Do you know a faculty or staff colleague making unique contributions to teaching and learning at the university who may be interested in sharing their work in a live, 30-minute interview format? Recommend colleagues or yourself to join a future session of Fridays with ITDS.
Past Sessions
Interested in seeing what sessions we’ve hosted in the past? Take a look below at some of the topics and guests we’ve featured on Fridays with ITDS!
- Fridays With ITDS — October 25Join us on October 25 to learn how WikiEdu can offer students an opportunity to research, synthesize, and enhance articles with reliable sources!Tuesday October 15, 2024
- Fridays With ITDS — September 20Join us on September 20 as we resume Fridays with ITDS to discuss how we can foster collaborative learning to improve student engagement!Monday September 9, 2024
- Fridays with ITDS — April 5Join us for April's session of Fridays with ITDS, focusing on how to foster an inclusive and welcoming classroom!Monday March 25, 2024
- Fridays with ITDS – February 16February's session of Fridays with ITDS features will feature two guests as we discuss the impact of AI in different subject areas!Wednesday February 7, 2024
- Fridays with ITDS – January 26Christopher Donoghue joins Fridays with ITDS for a conversation on strategies you can implement to create a supportive classroom!Wednesday January 17, 2024
