Lynn Johnson 1 of 10 Nationwide To Receive New Award
Dr. Lynn Johnson, director of Dental Informatics and Information Technology and professor at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry, is among ten persons nationwide who recently received a new award from Apple.
The Apple Award for Innovation in Science recognizes a very select and distinguished group of individuals in academia who have developed new ways to use technology that enhance education and research. The award also offers opportunities for recipients to publicly promote their ideas and insights about those novel uses of technologies.
Dr. Lynn Johnson was one of 10 individuals nationwide to receive a new award from Apple Computer for her work that allows students at the dental school to listen to classroom lectures on their iPods or other portable listening devices. The initiative has been featured in publications worldwide.
A Major Shift in How Technology is Used
Johnson received the award for her pioneering efforts that led to the U-M School of Dentistry and Apple entering into a partnership in September 2005 that allows students at the dental school to listen to classroom lectures on their iPods or other portable listening devices virtually anywhere and at any time. The venture, the first of its kind with any professional school in the U.S., marked a major shift in how technology is used to support and enhance learning.
Dental, dental hygiene, and graduate students at the U-M School of Dentistry use their valid U-M names and passwords to log on to a special Web site, "Learning via iTunes U," to locate and download the lectures. They can then listen to them in their apartments, automobiles, while walking on campus, or even working out, at their convenience. Since course lectures have been available for downloading, School of Dentistry students have been to the Web site approximately 30,000 times to download and listen to lectures.
Interest Across Campus and Around the World
In a story about the initiative that appeared in the spring and summer 2006 issue of the School of Dentistry's alumni magazine, DentalUM, Johnson said the School's collaboration with Apple has led to many benefits. "In technology, we have more visibility, not just across the University, but also in the field of dental education," she said. "The University is now launching a campus-wide application of what we are doing with the iPods in dental education. ...It's gratifying to know U-M intends to share the campus-wide iPod application with over 45 other colleges and universities across the country."
Apple said that each year it will select 10 academics for their innovative use of Apple technology in science, research, and education. Recipients of the award will receive benefits that include a pass to Apple's annual Worldwide Developers Conference; up to eight one-on-one development support consultations with Apple engineers, without charge; participating in the annual meeting of Apple's Science Innovators; and the ability to participate in the annual "Communities" meeting at the Apple campus in Cupertino, California.
Johnson, who arrived at the U-M School of Dentistry in June 2002, earned a PhD in instructional design and technology from the University of Iowa in 1993.
