Prof. Dave Berque Among Indianapolis Business Journal's 'Innovators'

August 21, 2006

August 21, 2006, Greencastle, Ind. - "He's an inspiration," Laura Small, president of DyKnow, says of Dave Berque, professor of computer science at DePauw University. Berque is among those featured as "Innovators" in the latest issue of the Indianapolis Business Journal. "He has a sincerity and a passion for helping individuals learn," adds Small.

The article notes how technology started by Dr. Berque at DePauw is now used in classrooms around the nation. The 42-year-old Berque, worked "to develop a software designed to generate interaction among students and teachers," writes IBJ's Scott Olson. "With it, instructor's notes are instantly transmitted onto the screens of students' laptops or tablet PCs. Students can take additional notes using their keyboards or electronic pens and save them for reviewing later."

Olson continues, "The software eliminates the need for relentless note-taking and lets students focus more on the subject matter. Interaction improves greatly, Berque said, because students can participate in the lessons by solving problems and having their work shown at the front of the class for everyone to discuss. 'That gives them the incentive to pay attention,' he said. 'When the students are driving the discussion, then I know that I am being successful.'"

Five years ago, Berque -- who has been on DePauw's faculty since 1992 -- licensed his technology to DyKnow, an educational software firm founded by David Becker, a 1975 DePauw graduate. Olson reports, "At DePauw in Greencastle, where laptops are mandatory, the technology is in use in about 30 classrooms," and DyKnow's software is being used by colleges and high schools around America. In February, the software received a U.S. patent.

"In 1997, the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching named him Baccalaureate Colleges Professor of the Year," the article notes. "He's received grants of more than $750,000 from the National Science Foundation."

Read the complete text by clicking here.

Professor Berque is one of the editors of The Impact of Tablet PCs and Pen-based Technology on Education: Vignettes, Evaluations, and Future Directions. The book, published by Purdue University Press, includes contributions from four other current DePauw faculty members and one former professor at the University. Learn more in this previous story.

Source: Indianapolis Business Journal

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