By Amber Layton
UHCLIDIAN STAFF

Atsusi Hirumi (right)
photo courtesy of Human Resources

University of Houston-Clear Lake's Associate Professor of Instructional Technology Atsusi Hirumi, was recently awarded the Exemplary Course Project recognition award at the fourth annual WebCT User conference in Boston.

This is the second time Hirumi has won the award. He was recognized for his course on the "Systematic Design of Technology Based Instruction" in 2000 and his course, "Interactive Distance Learning," received recognition this year. This year's e-course award was one of eight winners selected from 85 applicants.

"UH-Clear Lake has now won this award three times, which is a tribute to the faculty, administration, staff and students at the university," Hirumi said. "Most of the credit must go to the Instructional Technology Center staff and the graduate students in the instructional technology program who have also invested a lot of time and effort into working with faculty to develop and deliver high-quality Web courses."

"That Dr. Hirumi has received this award twice is a testament both to Dr. Hirumi's achievements and that UH-Clear Lake is meeting its goal," said Dennis Spuck, dean of the school of education. "UH-Clear Lake has made a significant commitment to the development of quality Web-based instruction. So much of what is now available from other entities is not well done and we want to ensure that the courses we make available meet the highest technical and content standards."

Hirumi has recently published five journal articles on Web-based instruction and edited a special issue of the "Quarterly Review of Distance Education," on interactivity in distance education. Hirumi also has two other articles and a book chapter accepted for publication.

For the past eight years, Hirumi has focused on developing systems to train and empower kindergarten through 12th grade teachers and university educators on the applications of instructional technology and the systematic design of interactive distance education.

In addition to his publications, Hirumi has conducted more than 80 presentations at international, national and state conferences on related topics.

Several papers written by Hirumi on eLearning are posted at eLearning Central, along with many eLearning resources. A prototype of an award winning performance support system (DISTED-Distributed Information, Support and Training for Education at a Distance) created by Hirumi and a team of graduate students may also be accessed online.

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