What is ParkApps?
ParkApps is a partnership created to build tools, applications and games for teaching and learning in natural settings like National, State, and Local parks. The overarching goal is to enhance our understanding of creation through the use of innovative tools and technologies.
ParkApps first application is a tool called Park-n-Discover (PND). It is a collaborative project between Kent State University, the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, and the Cleveland MetroParks and is funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation. PND is a GPS-enabled, mobile application that provides park visitors with an immersive, informal learning experience. PND gives visitors access to just-in-time information as they explore various geologic or historical landscapes and as they encountered unknown plants and animals. They have the ability to follow pre-created adventures that guide them through asking and answering important scientific questions about biology, geology, mathematics, etc. In addition to seeking and gaining information, visitors can join a community of citizen scientists, supporting science efforts by uploading photos of plants, animals, and rock formations during their visit.
Kent State University Investigators
Dr. Richard Ferdig
Richard E. Ferdig is the Summit Professor of Learning Technologies and Professor of Instructional Technology at Kent State University. He works within the Research Center for Educational Technology and also the School of Lifespan Development and Educational Sciences. He earned his Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from Michigan State University. He has served as researcher and instructor at Michigan State University, the University of Florida, the Wyzsza Szkola Pedagogiczna (Krakow, Poland), and the Università degli studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia (Italy). At Kent State University, his research, teaching, and service focus on combining cutting-edge technologies with current pedagogic theory to create innovative learning environments. His research interests include online education, educational games and simulations, the role of faith in technology, and what he labels a deeper psychology of technology. In addition to publishing and presenting nationally and internationally, Ferdig has also been funded to study the impact of emerging technologies such as K-12 Virtual Schools. Rick was the founding Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Gaming and Computer Mediated Simulations, is the current Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Technology and Teacher Education, and also serves as a Consulting Editor for the Development Editorial Board of Educational Technology Research and Development and on the Review Panel of the British Journal of Educational Technology.
Dr. Bridget Mulvey
Dr. Bridget Mulvey is a science educator and assistant professor in the School of Teaching, Learning, and Curriculum Studies at Kent State University's College of Education.
Dr. Cheng-Chang Lu
Professor C. C. Lu received the B.S. degree in control engineering from the National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan in 1983 and the M.S.E.E. and Ph.D degrees in electrical engineering from Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas, in 1985 and 1988 respectively. Since August 1988 he has been with Kent State University and he is currently Professor of Computer Science. 25 MS students and 6 Ph.D students have graduated under his supervision. His research interests are data compression, image processing, pattern recognition and multimedia data mining. In past, he has been funded by Cray Research Inc., Motorola Inc., NASA, and Air Force.
Dr. Annette Kratcoski
Dr. Annette Kratcoski is the director of the Research Center for Educational Technology (RCET). Prior to joining RCET in Fall 2000, Annette worked as a speech-language pathologist in clinical and school settings and also in special education and curriculum coordination in the public schools. She holds bachelors and masters degrees in special education and earned her Ph.D. from Kent State University in speech-language pathology and curriculum. Annette has an extensive background in curriculum and PreK-12 technology integration and for the past 12 years has led teacher professional development in the AT&T Classroom, a high-tech professional development and research laboratory housed within RCET.Park Collaborators
Ms. Jennie Vasarhelyi - CVNP Lead
Ms. Jennie Vasarhelyi is the Chief of Interpretation, Education & Visitor Services at the Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Ohio.
Dr. Patrick Lorch - CMP Lead
Dr. Patrick Lorch is Manager of Field Research at Cleveland Metroparks, where he coordinates ongoing research and monitoring on park resources by both Metroparks staff and outside partners. He has a Masters in Zoology from the University of Maryland and PhD in Zoology from the University of Toronto. Patrick has over 20 years experience developing software to aid in teaching and research, including using multi-user online environments for teaching and assessment. Before taking his current position, Patrick was an Assistant Professor in Biology at Kent State University and George Washington University. Both at Kent State and in his current position, Patrick has developed new ways of gathering data using tablets and smartphones, and archiving data in ways that make management of natural resources more effective.Kent State University Support
Ms. Jessica Harmon
Jessica is a graduate student in Kent State University’s School Psychology program. She received a Bachelor of Science in Human Development and Family Studies from Kent State in 2014. She is currently a graduate assistant working with Dr. Ferdig in researching and developing content for ParkApps.
Mr. Chang Shu - Mobile Interface
Chang is currently a student in the Master of Sciences in Computer Science program at Kent State University. He designs and develops the ParkApps mobile apps.
Mr. Xu Han - Database
Xu is a graduate student in Kent State University’s School Computer Science program. He works on support the database for ParkApps.Research and Evaluation (REB)
Dr. Pamela Freeman
Dr. Freeman is a medical sociologist with a focus in public health. She has over 20 years experience in research development and implementation, survey protocol, quantitative and qualitative data analysis, statistical interpretation and reporting, having served as a consultant, analyst, statistician, evaluator and presenter for a variety of research initiatives and programs. She has developed and coordinated projects for a diverse array of organizations including those in education, health care, family services, and non-profit. Currently, she is conducting educational research using testing assessments and serves as the outside evaluator for several grants. Ms. Freeman's projects include serving as the evaluator for several alternative education school programs (funded by Ohio Alternative Education Challenge Grants), the Smaller Learning Communities Initiative (funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation), Canton 21st Century after-school programming, and the Science, Technology, Engineering, Math and Foreign Language (STEM) Academy Initiative (funded by the Ohio Board of Regents).
Mr. Eddie Bolden
Mr. Bolden has more than five years of experience in social science and education research while practicing as a school psychologist. He is currently working as an evaluator for various external projects including Case Western Reserve University's Center for Layered Polymeric Systems (CLiPS) Envoy's Program and Leveled Literacy Intervention for Akron Public Schools, as well as working with faculty within the College of Education, Health, and Human Services.
Ms. Deepa Shanadi
Ms. Shanadi is an evaluation specialist with ten years of experience in all aspects of program evaluation. Some of Ms. Shanadi's current projects at the Bureau include a longitudinal evaluation of bereavement camps, impact evaluation of the Toyota Education Initiatives in STEAM Innovation in the Ann Arbor Public School District, and a process evaluation of the development of a dual-licensure program at Kent State University. She also provides technical support for proposal submissions. Previously, she has provided evaluation technical support for a variety of international and nonprofit organizations. She has an MPH in Epidemiology and Biostatistics and a MS in Food Policy and Applied Nutrition from Tufts University.Past Support
Mr. Jeff (Shiyun) Zhou - Database
Jeff is a PhD. student in the Department of Computer Science at the Kent State University. He received B.S. degree in computer science from the Shanghai Jiao Tong University of China in 2008 and M.S. degree in computer science from Bowling Green State University in 2012. My current research interests include the Big-Data, Information Visualization and flow simulation fields. For ParkApps, Jeff was responsible to create a system framework, the definition of each module and its connection to review the source code, data definition and other tasks. I also partially responsible for the database, including the creation of a database, connection to the database, write and test the database code and some other tasks.
