Accomplishments and Plans

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Office of Workforce Innovation and Research Accomplishments and Plans 2014

General items completed in 2014:

  1. CNA Program Performance Evaluation Improvement-created software that prevents programs from being penalized for same person failing multiple times 
  2. Online registration pilot program-first step in movement to online registration and online testing; could save $100,000 annually
  3. Staff turnover-one civil service employee promoted and transferred (not replaced as a cost cutting measure); one A/P employee retired (will be replaced)
  4. Pass rate/# of tests administered in 2014:  ~18,500 certification exams administered with ~83.5% pass rate statewide
  5. Transitioned old Nurse Aide Testing website to new SIU standards
  6. Myers Briggs Type Indicator Project-evaluating personality traits to see if better test questions can be written
  7. Gamification-three students developing games to better engage students and help prepare students for tests-Alan, Eric, and Sara
  8. Working on a patent for SIU to gather information to possibly address test anxiety without the need for individual instrumentation
  9. Online Training Course-have sold over 400 full courses and more than 100 modules; very lucrative project for us with expansion planned
  10. Direct Support Personnel Registration-Illinois Departments of Human Services continues to be pleased with us developing an online registration process for them (at no cost to the state); huge cost savings for service providers
  11. LIUNA-revamped healthcare training program for Laborers International Union of North America and delivered eight training modules
  12. Scanning project-developing a means to gather survey information or multiple choice responses into a database using simple scanners; possibly obsoleting need for expensive SCANTRON sheets and scanners
  13. Pearson Vue Testing Center-created and administered ~350 exams for Pearson Vue plus conducted preliminary exams for WED; seeing steady growth every month
  14. Webcasts/webinars-combined Prezi with Articulate Storyline software-better way to engage students with improved content delivery as well as quizzes and engagement activities
  15. Dx Engine-moved our online courses from Desire2Learn to new platform in September; huge cost savings for the project plus we get better service
  16. Greenroofs for Healthy Cities-created demo for a potential customer to move their curriculum online
  17. Dawg Walk-developing an app that people could use to navigate the SIU campus without requiring the internet
  18. 3D Scanning-experimented using a KINECT and a computer to generate 3D scans of objects as a means to improve animation projects
  19. Range of Motion Exercises with KINECT-programmed a KINECT to follow a person's motions doing exercises; could be used to conduct physical therapy without a full time physical therapist
  20. Turnover of Graduate Assistants-graduated five grad students in August and five more in December; still have ten and am looking to hire up to ten more; we try to run everything possible with graduate students
  21. Green Screen Laboratory-largest one on campus planned for construction in early 2015; will collaborate with MCMA, the Center for Teaching Excellence, et al.
  22. Motion Capture Lab-largest one in surrounding states planned for construction in early 2015; will collaborate with Kinesiology, MCMA, Industrial Design, et al.
  23. Kelly Caringer's Audio Information-had a grad student do an analysis of our suites looking for best manner to create audio tracks for webcasts
  24. Conferences-sponsored or co-sponsored four conferences across the state for CNAs or CNA instructors
  25. Advisory Committee-chair the CNA Advisory Committee and have staff participate in quarterly meetings
  26. CNA II-finalized the draft administrative code for the Illinois Department of Public Health to create CNA II as a career ladder position for CNAs
  27. INTACT-created a system whereby we can scan documents into a searchable database for the Illinois Department of Public Health to reduce the amount of paperwork they are currently maintaining 
  28. Web portal for 999X-as a favor to Illinois Department of Public Health we created a portal so that people who need to get a fingerprint background check can do so as a prerequisite for the CNA exam; expect to assist 1,000 people annually register for the CNA exam  
  29. In-house LMS-as a team project we built our own Learning Management System and it works; shelved the project when it became apparent that we would have to become a software company to keep going-great experience for the team though
  30. Presentations-SIU Assessment Day, CNA Instructor Conference, IACTE, Carrie and Joyce at CNA conferences
  31. Two graduate students asked to present on Photoshop and Dreamweaver in WED class-Sameer and Sara presentations for Molly Hamilton's class
  32. Created a short marketing video for WED as a method to showcase capabilities and possibly improve enrollment

Technical accomplishments:

  1. Deployed two "super" Macs with Adobe CS6 and Final Cut 10-used to edit audio and video segments for webcasts
  2. Deployed a Wacom Cintiq tablet (24")-used for creating "sprites" for gamification effort
  3. Upgraded several office PC's to improve productivity
  4. Two HD cameras used to record webcasts
  5. Multiple audio recording tools-software, hardware recorder, various microphones-used to record webcasts
  6. Continued work on computer maintenance automation-offices and testing center: LINUX system to update and scan computers after hours
  7. INTACT server configuration, deployment with new scanner
  8. Pearson Vue Testing Center server configuration, deployment, testing, certification by Pearson Vue
  9. Pearson Vue Testing Center workstations configuration, deployment, testing, certification by Pearson Vue
  10. Departmental Marketing-HTML email campaign, Social media through Twitter and Facebook
  11. Extended Internal WiFi with repeater access point to provide wireless internet throughout our seven suites
  12. Pearson Vue Testing Center-deployed and configured a firewall, router, and internal switch along with another router, switch, server domain, 16 cameras, 2 admin computers, 1 ADA compliant desk, a printer, and 18 work station computers
  13. Created a mock website shell in which to embed Greenroof Articulate content to match their current site and marketing to help better demonstrate what moving their curriculum online would look like
  14. Configured and deployed Drupal developmental environment server/Corporate University Project
  15. Online meetings using TeamViewer rather than face-to-face; saved >$1,000 on not having to travel for meetings; accelerated CNA II completion
  16. Updated TeamViewer to allow continued distance support of Illinois Department of Public Health resources (can remote in to their computers and provide updates and troubleshooting)
  17. Nurse Aide Testing website conversion-changed static look to SIU themed via WordPress

Collaborations:

  1. College of Mass Communication and Media Arts-facial recognition, Motion Capture, and Green Screen
  2. College of Agriculture-creating online courses
  3. Kinesiology-motion capture (low speed, markerless sports assessment?)
  4. School of Industrial Design-hired 10 seniors to create ten primary and ten alternative designs for the patent as part of their senior design class
  5. School of Architecture-3D printing of patent prototypes
  6. College of Business-gamification
  7. Center for Rural Health and Social Services-revamp EMT training and want to meet in 2015 to discuss further expansion of efforts
  8. Rehab Institute-possibly use facial recognition as part of speech rehabilitation
  9. Continuing Education-shot some marketing videos and still photography for them
  10. DxR Corporation-possible use of animation for physiology teaching
  11. College of Medicine-MBTI (use of personality traits to write better test questions)
  12. Department  of Information Systems and Technology (CASA)-consulting about game development
  13. ARC-hired group of graduate students from Education Psychology Department to assist with statewide survey response improvement
  14. School of Social Work-potential need for assistance developing webcasts or online training
  15. Illinois Department of Public Health-developing simulation training opportunities to address shortage of clinical sites for CNAs
  16. Illinois Department of Human Services-developing more online training courses to sell

Future Plans:

  1. Online registration for CNAs
  2. Online Testing for CNAs
  3. Virtual clinic for CNAs to practice their 21 manual skills without the need for patients or expensive equipment
  4. Simulation training for CNAs to improve their clinical skills along with contextual learning
  5. More Online Training courses
  6. 3D Imaging to assist with animation projects
  7. Motion Capture Projects
  8. Webcasts expansion
  9. Create a Student Success Academy and Professional Development courses for new hires
  10. Review/create new Instructor Success Academy courses
  11. Expanded websites
  12. Green Screen Projects
  13. Linguistics-can facial recognition hardware and software be used to improve teaching linguistics?

2015 OWIR Accomplishments

General Items Completed in 2015

  1. Created and deployed the Office of Workforce Innovation and Research website
  2. Brought in a 3rd iMAC for graphics/video/audio support
  3. Brought in 2nd Wacom tablet for graphics support
  4. Gamification development and distribution – explored web applications to make games more instructor friendly with exchangeable question banks.
    1. Giovani Piccinin explored using PHP/HTML.
    2. Mahbubul Khan explored using SPRING Platform
  5. Purchased and installed a Network Access Storage (NAS) device for in-house file storage/sharing/collaboration
  6. Began conversion of Nurse Aide Testing website pdf book examples to PNG or JPEG format for accessibility compliance on our website
  7. Began creating NAT phone FAQ bank and matrix
  8. Began creating NAT Help Map, i.e., “How do I ….?”
  9. Used Email Chimp for direct emailing to DSP online training customers with very positive responses
  10. Purchased in-room microphones and wide angle camera for online meeting usage along with a headphone distribution amplifier. Conducted successful online meetings this way.
  11. Created, edited, and published an online instructional video on how to conduct MBTI surveys by combining green screen technology with online distribution
  12. Created the Student Success Academy for high school and college students as a 16-module series of online courses geared to make the participants more successful in the classroom as well as in life.
  13. Sold almost 400 DSP online training courses/modules for online training
  14. Deployed online registration for CNA certification exams across the state of Illinois
  15. Conducted two in-house pilot tests of online CNA testing
  16. Delivered more than 700 certification exams via the Pearson Vue Testing Center.
  17. Built four games using Construct 2 for educational purposes utilizing various scenarios and the multiple choice question format.
  18. Began collecting MBTI data from 12 community colleges (4 sites completed)
  19. Created an Onboarding Project to help individuals be successful in the workplace.
  20. Invited to participate in the SIU Research Park’s Open House where we demonstrated our online MBTI process, took green screen photos, demonstrated our programmable KINECT, let participants play our online games, and showed our educational webcasts.
  21. Attended a conference on how to create a Center for Innovation on campus
  22. Delivered ~16,000 CNA exams with an 85% pass rate
  23. Hired Pam Schemonia as an Office Support Specialist
  24. Interviewed multiple candidates for the two Education Coordinator’s positions
  25. Published a paper concerning the stabilized calculation of  Flesch-Kincaid Reading Grade Levels

Technical Accomplishments

  1. Updated IDPH ACCESS database front end (from Version 2003 to Version 2010/2013) to stay current with upgraded computers and operating systems
  2. Developed Nurse Aide Testing ACCESS database front end (from Version 2003 to Version 2010/2013) and it is in beta testing.
  3. Converted MBTI survey into a web application to include auto scoring and reporting
  4. Installed updated database on IDPH computers is Springfield remotely using Team Viewer software
  5. Created internal website for management of NAT front door security Successfully utilized in-house back-up process to recover from a database crash
  6. Successfully ran INTACT remotely via VPN
  7. Aquib Mohammed developed a prototype method to help CNA’s practice their 21 manual skills using a Microsoft KINECT. The first skills demonstrated were range of motion exercises.
  8. Blended Prezi with a screen capture technique and added a sound track to deliver webcasts via the internet
  9. Created virtual machine technology to simulate workstations as a possible method to avoid computer viruses and malware issues
  10. Developed a VPN for connecting into our database for Windows 7 and Office 2013
  11. Developed a method to gather multiple choice question-type data using plain paper and existing low-cost office equipment with the data being compiled and outputted to an EXCEL® spreadsheet

Collaborations

  1. Worked with the SIU Applied Research Consultants on two projects
  2. Became a founding participant in the Certificate Transparency Initiative (CTI)

Future Plans

  1. Hire two Education Coordinators
  2. Deploy educational webcasts
  3. Implement 100% Online Registration for CNA Certification Exam
  4. Implement online testing for CNA Certification Exam
  5. Expand online training course offerings
  6. Publish a paper about learning styles impact on certification exam performance
  7. Deploy a survey of CNA Program Coordinators concerning CNA Testing Project improvements
  8. Evaluate merging DSP Registration Project with DSP Online Training Project
  9. Create a remote front door switch to accompany the web cam application
  10. Design and deploy a creative suite for the staff to learn and develop creative talents on interactive educational projects