Nominated by: Robert M. Starr
NASAtalk.com was conceived, planned, prepared, and maintained by Dr. Laurie Ruberg with support from staff at the Center for Educational Technologies at Wheeling Jesuit University, Wheeling, WVA in collaboration with NASA. This concept and implementation are exemplars for the use of open source, collaborative environments for educators seeking to integrate NASA educational activities in their classrooms. NASAtalk.com has served thousands of educators and their students over the past several years and has optimized online tools to bring teachers and together from around the world as they pursue their professional development goals.
Laurie Ruberg, received her Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction from Virginia Tech. She joined the Center for Educational Technologies at Wheeling Jesuit University in 1995 as a senior instructional designer and later (2005) became associate director. She manages the NASATalk online collaborative, where she actively blogs, directs research, and leads several groups that draw diverse educational audiences. The Exploring the Environment–Global Climate Change collaborative on NASATalk bridges Ruberg’s recently completed climate science web curriculum with live discussions and science teacher-focused blogs. Teachers from 42 states and 17 countries already have registered for the six Global Climate Change problem-based learning modules completed this year as part of a NASA Global Climate Change Education project she led.
Ruberg’s extensive background in education outreach, instructional design, and program evaluation reaches across both educational and technical/professional settings. She has received national awards for her multimedia curriculum design and program evaluation efforts.
“Continuous learning is an integral part of my work in instructional design, integration of new technologies, and program evaluation,” she says. “Each project involves a partnership with teachers who are open to trying new modes of instruction and who share an interest in finding ways to enhance and improve student learning.”
