Business and education projects funded by Ameritech

ANN ARBOR—A Web site that offers resources for Michigan’s small businesses; a collaboration between Flint, Grand Blanc and Lapeer High School students and information technology experts; and online course technologies intended to aid in the teaching and learning experience were profiled during a ceremony held Oct. 18 celebrating the mid-point of a five year agreement between the University of Michigan and Ameritech.

The projects, all part of the Ameritech Learning Initiative, were demonstrated during a luncheon that included representatives from the University, Ameritech, the State of Michigan and the communities of Lapeer, Flint, and Dearborn.

Included in the program was the unveiling of the DesignInBiz Web site (http://www.designinbiz.soad.umich.edu), an interactive site that provides small businesses resource tools and information about designs for their Web sites. Jack Williamson, project director and lecturer in the University’s School of Art and Design, explained that the site was created to help small businesses in Michigan by bringing the design knowledge and expertise of faculty and students in the School to bear on their business design needs. “The site will assist in establishing a community of business people, designers and design faculty where all will share expertise in addressing business needs through design,” said Williamson. “We also provide ongoing site enhancements to ensure we keep pace with the needs of the small business community.”

The Virtual Learning Tool developed at the College of Engineering and Computer Science on the U-M-Dearborn was demonstrated by Armen Zakarian, assistant professor in the Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering. Developed with undergraduate student, Raymond Siu-Man Yu, the Virtual Learning Tool allows faculty members with little or no Web authoring skills the ability to post course materials and communicate online.

UM.CourseTools was demonstrated by Joseph Hardin, project coordinator for the Ameritech Learning Initiative and director, Systems Development and Operations at the School of Information. UM.CourseTools was created by staff at the University’s Media Union with input from faculty and students from several schools and colleges. Hardin showed how the Web-based software provides an online tool kit that faculty can easily customize to fit their course needs. Currently used by more than 17,000 students and faculty, UM.CourseTools includes scheduling and assignment tools, feedback mechanisms, announcements, online course materials, and other resources.

A discussion of how the U-M-Flint is collaborating with high schools in Flint, Grand Blanc and Lapeer to select and train groups of students on the use of computer hardware was presented by Vahid Lotfi, professor of management and executive director, Information Technology Services for the Flint campus. The program emphasizes student training on specialized topics that expand their information technology backgrounds. After they complete the training, they partner with their high school technologists to help provide services in their own schools.

The Ameritech Learning Initiative was established in 1998 with a commitment to the U-M and its community partners to help build distance learning communities and advance the effective use of information technology. With a goal of facilitating the sharing of ideas and knowledge through information technology, a Learning Collaboratory was developed with the purpose of investigating, evaluating, developing, and testing solutions for expanding the possibilities for distributed education available to frontline educators, with a focus on supporting business education.

“This pioneering effort is developing, testing, and implementing the best ways to use advanced technology to benefit students, educators and small businesses throughout our state,” said Gail Torreano, Ameritech president, Michigan. “You are giving reality to the promise of technology and showing how it can address the tough issues facing educators today—issues such as funding, equity and quality.” Torreano presented a check for the third installment of the $1.5 million grant to José-Marie Griffiths, University chief information officer and Jefferson Porter, senior director, Corporate and Foundation Relations.

“It is clear through these initiatives that we share a common interest in seeing our work in collaboration and technology expanded and enhanced, such that it can be shared with a larger audience and used by more individuals in organizations beyond our own.,” said Griffiths. “We are finding more ways to leverage our combined expertise and resources and working more effectively with our corporate partners. Together we are significantly enhancing and extending our research and results.”

For more information about the Ameritech Learning Initiative and the Learning Collaboratory, access the Web at http://databases.si.umich.edu/LearningCollaboratory/

The Ameritech Foundation, the charitable giving arm of Ameritech and its parent company SBC Communications Inc., along with the SBC Foundation, addresses community needs in the areas of education, community economic development, health and human services, and culture and the arts. Since its formation in 1984, the SBC Foundation has distributed nearly $600 million in grants, United Way support, and employee outreach programs focused primarily within SBC’s core service areas. It is an independent foundation funded by SBC Communications Inc. and its family of companies.

orAmy Wood

AmeritechAmeritech Learning InitiativeDesignInBiz Web siteVirtual Learning ToolUM.CourseToolsU-M-FlintLearning Collaboratory