GLS 4.0 Sponsors

Sonic Foundry

Founded in 1991, Sonic Foundry (NASDAQ: SOFO) is a technology leader in the emerging rich media communications marketplace, providing enterprise solutions and services that link an information driven world. Sonic Foundry is changing the way organizations communicate via the web and how people around the globe receive vital information needed for work, professional advancement, safety and education. The company’s integrated webcasting and web presentation solutions are trusted by Fortune 500 companies, education institutions and government agencies for a variety of critical communication needs.

UW · OLIT

The UW System Office of Learning and Information Technology (OLIT), under Associate Vice President Edward Meachen, is dedicated to supporting the use of technology to enhance the teaching and learning mission of the UW System institutions. OLIT staff have responsibility for systemwide collaboration and enhancement of six major areas of Information Technology Systemwide: Overall Systemwide IT Planning; Technology for Teaching and Learning; Development of Major Administrative Systems; Wide Area Networking Issues; Library Automation and Collections Enhancement; Research and Development in Emerging Technologies.

UW PK-16

UW Academic and Student Services (ACSS) has identified PK-16 as a major priority, with an emphasis on higher education and PK-12 schools as components of an interdependent educational system. We share in the responsibility to ensure the components work together for the educational benefit of students and in the support of rigorous academic standards. We expect that these activities will result in the following outcomes: reform of teacher education programs; enhanced UW faculty understanding and knowledge of changes in the PK-12 curriculum; enhanced student readiness for college; integration of technology into preservice and inservice teacher education programs; participation in school reform and student readiness; and showcasing Wisconsin initiatives and learning from the experience of other states.

METI

Medical Education Technologies is a company committed to developing learning tools that impact the education of future doctors, nurses, first responders and military medics. METI’s goal is to improve patient safety and ultimately save more lives. An education company first, their commitment is to provide technologically advanced learning tools — including a complete line of human patient simulators, surgical simulators, exam trainers and the integration platforms educators need to fully alter the learning process — meet the highest standards. METI was founded in 1996 with five employees. The company has grown to include more than 200 employees working together to perfect the technology that is now an integral part of medical education programs around the world.

Engage

Engage, a program of the UW-Madison Division of Information Technology, in the Dept. of Academic Technology, seeks to transform teaching and learning through exploring, evaluating and disseminating best practices for the use of technology in these areas. These best practices emerge through small and large grant programs to faculty and instructors to try new, technology-supported solutions to their teaching and their students'learning challenges.

Current grant programs are focused on 1) innovation in teaching and learning through the development and classroom use of 13 games and simulations, 2) solutions to the challenges students and faculty face in using collaborative group assignments, and 3) small awards for ideas that will potentially have a high impact on teaching and learning.

The Guffin Foundation

The Guffin Foundation, established in 2005, has the overarching goal of empowering youth worldwide. John Guffin's vision of science-based education and equity is realized through the Foundation's commitment to funding quality research in education. Presently, the Foundation has partnered with National Taipei University to provide grants examining the links between MMOs, digital literacy, and youth; additionally, it supports teacher training on new technologies and curriculum development.