Transfer and Tech Fair

On Halloween, QCC hosted an epic transfer and technology fair. Students were able to visit with over 60 colleges and universities to learn about higher education options after QCC. Some of the institutions, including QCC, also showed off their latest technology projects.

Worcester Polytechnic Institute let attendees try out a special head cap that measures brain activity. When wearing the cap, small beams of light measure the oxygenation of the brain to see which areas are being activated. This type of data could be used for intelligent tutoring systems that would detect if a student is pausing while working on a math problem because they are distracted, versus struggling with the mechanics of the proble. This demostated the positive influence that technology has on education and learning.

Executive Director of Distance/Online Learning and Center for Academic Excellence Brooks Winchell guided visitors through a virtual reality (VR) lab that was developed along with Professor of Biology Opeyemi Odewale using Perkins funding. Odewale and Winchell are piloting the VR headsets for use in certain Anatomy & Physiology courses.When wearing the VR headset, students can see a three-dimensional model of body parts, such as a skeleton or a heart and use their hands to "hold" different pieces of the body for an in-depth analysis.

"It's been a positive response. The first time students use it, it's really exciting and maybe even overwhelming, but then they really start learning," Winchell said, adding that it can be an easier way to access the information because equipment for anatomy labs can be very expensive.