UTAS lecturer a 2013 Apple Distinguished Educator
Dr Jamie Chapman, Lecturer in Human Anatomy at the UTAS School of Medicine, has been declared an Apple Distinguished Educator (ADE) for 2013.
As one of only seven higher education pioneers from Australia and New Zealand, and one of three educators in Tasmania awarded the ADE title, Dr Chapman has been recognised for his innovation in education and adoption of new technology to enhance his teaching of histology (the study of the microscopic anatomy of cells and tissues of plants and animals) to university students.
Dr Chapman received the title in recognition of his innovative virtual microscopy (VM) technology. Dr Chapman uses the VM software called Digital Slidebox which enhances the learning experience of the traditional microscope in a histology class.
The VM technology utilises the laptop or iPad computer screen to enable students to view high resolution slides, which can be magnified and moved around on the screen. The tool has improved student learning and increased effective communication between students and their teachers.
Dr Chapman also developed a learning tool using the free Apple software iBooks Author for his first-year histology students, CAM101 Histology Practicals.
The iBook provides a foundation in histology, including photo galleries on how to set up a microscope for the first time, examples of annotated micrographs, interactive images highlighting key features of microscopes and tissues, review questions and almost 200 histology glossary terms. The software comes with textbook templates which enable the electronic books to be interactive and house multimedia including video, audio and animations.
"Like the virtual microscopy software, the iBook offers a much greater flexibility in the students' options for learning – including when they learn and at what pace," said Dr Chapman.
"It means students now have the practical notes in their hands at all times, they are interactive, engaging and they test and provide feedback to the students. It's basically an extended textbook for the students, which is provided free of charge. Students can use it within the practical class as practical notes, or they can use it for preparation or for study at home or anywhere they have their iPad."
The Apple Distinguished Educator program began in 1994 and now has a community of more than 2000 ADEs worldwide. Recognised for their educational innovation using Apple technology in and out of the classroom, ADEs advise Apple on the integration of technology into learning environments, author their own work and share their expertise with other educators and policy makers.