Baker, Davis and Stone awarded Lenovo Instructional Innovation Grants

The UNC School of Nursing is proud to announce that three esteemed faculty members have been awarded Lenovo Instructional Grants through the UNC Center for Faculty Excellence (CFE). These grants will support innovative projects aimed at enhancing the educational experience for nursing students through the use of technology.

Associate Professor Maureen Baker, RN, PhD, CNL, CHSE, has received Lenovo funding for her project titled “Lights…Camera…Health Assessment.” The grant will be used to purchase iPad mount equipment, enabling the streamlining of the health assessment course. Students will now have the ability to record head-to-toe assessments on iPads using the mounting equipment and conveniently upload them to Canvas for time-stamped feedback. By optimizing existing technology, this grant aims to enhance the student learning experience.

Associate Professor Suja P. Davis, PhD, RN, was awarded a $30,000 Lenovo grant, which she will use to fund her project aimed at incorporating augmented reality 3D models into selected content for the Pathophysiology and Pharmacology Across the Lifespan I course (NURS 351). The inclusion of augmented reality will provide students with an immersive learning experience, complementing the course delivery and enriching their understanding of the subject matter.

Dr. Elizabeth Stone, an Assistant Professor in the School of Nursing, and Dr. Sofia Aliaga, an Associate Professor in the School of Medicine, have been awarded a $50,000 Lenovo grant for their project “Virtually There: The Road to a Collaborative Practice-Ready Health Care Workforce.” This grant is part of a new category of CFE/Lenovo Instructional Innovation Grants that provide seed funding up to $50,000 for team-based instructional initiatives involving three or more faculty members working towards a common instructional innovation.

Dr. Stone, who is a co-principal investigator of the grant, explains that they applied for this funding to establish a central collaboration hub that can support faculty and students in creating immersive content across various health science professions, starting with nursing and medicine. “Extended reality (XR) is becoming a more effective and innovative content delivery method, and the best way to advance XR content in each of these programs is to work together,” concluded Dr. Stone.

Dr. Meg Zomorodi and the UNC Office of Interprofessional Education and Practice are supporting the collaborative work funded by this grant.

The CFE Lenovo Instructional Innovation Grants program recognizes the growing influence of technology in higher education. It empowers faculty members to explore innovative and effective uses of digital and instructional technologies, with the aim of transforming the educational experience for students at Carolina. Instructors at UNC Chapel Hill are dedicated to leveraging technology to engage and educate students, promote collaboration and interdisciplinary work, and make teaching practices more impactful.

As teaching and learning in higher education continue to evolve, the UNC School of Nursing remains at the forefront of educational innovation, ensuring that students receive the best possible education through the integration of cutting-edge technologies and evidence-based practices.