Despite the fact that Ann McCormick, founder of The Learning Company, a children's educational software company, does not like cold weather, single-digit temperatures failed to keep her out of Athens this month. For six days over a two-week period, she hosted an intensive seminar with approximately 20 students -TCOM 441.
College of Communication Dean Kathy Krendl arranged for McCormick to come to Athens after the two met at a video gaming and simulation conference. After McCormick told Krendl of her plans to start a new educational software company, Learning Friends, Krendl said she decided to bring McCormick to OU. McCormick was paid as an adjunct, or part-time, faculty member.
Through Learning Friends, McCormick said she wants to create an e-learning program that parallels the public school system. Children will be able to use the Internet-based program at home and then return to school where McCormick said teachers will help with the human part of it. This particular aspect of Learning Friends will focus on the dialect, art, literature and history of Appalachia.
Students involved in the hands-on course represented both the College of Communication and the College of Business and helped develop games, marketing plans and funding proposals. If the project earns enough of the $5 million funding through groups like the National Science Foundation, the Department of Education and state funds, some form of what the group has worked on will end up in the final product. For now, the class serves as a prototype for the actual company.
During class, students divided into three teams for their virtual company, Learning Friends of Ohio. The teams included research and development, marketing, and finance and management. They have created a Web page, logo and promotional video for the company.
Senior John Bowditch worked on the research and development team. His team's goal was to create a gaming environment that was engaging and entertaining for Appalachian children ages 4 to 6. The group dubbed the concept edutainment- a hybrid of educational and entertaining software.
During the week, McCormick met with OU Provost Stephen Kopp and representatives from the Information Technology Alliance of Appalachian Ohio to measure the general interest level. She said she wants a small grant in the area and needs anywhere from $8,000 to $10,000 to write a proposal.
Funding is not all McCormick is asking for, however. Because this version of Learning Friends is aimed exclusively at the people of Appalachia, she hopes that any local resident with stories or crafts exclusive to the region will come forward to help enhance the software.
We want to find the beauty here
she said.
The students involved in the project are working to find funding to bring her back or at least find enough money to rent working space and work with McCormick from her California home.
We put her in touch with various entities Krendl said, referring to the people that could help McCormick fund the project. The students know that the contacts are in place but they want an immediate answer; that's not how it works in the world of grant writing.
Visit the Web site at www.learningfriends.com for more information.
17
Archives
Katie Brandt
