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Microburst Learning named a finalist for Palmetto Pillar Award

Submitted by: Karen Owens on Aug 27, 2010 at 4:30 pm Tagged with: career exploration, E-Learning, Information Technology, the arts, virtual job shadows Source: Microburst Learning LLC

Microburst Learning has been named a finalist for the 2010 Palmetto Pillar Award in the category of Technology in the Arts by the Greater Columbia Chamber of Commerce and the Information Technology Council (ITC). The winners will be announced on Tuesday, August 31, 2010 at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Columbia, with the ceremony beginning at 5:30 pm.

The Pillar of Technology in the Arts award is a special award given this year to recognize artists in any medium who either use information technology to create their art or promote information technology through art. Criteria for the award include the most innovative intersection of information technology and art that also delivers a positive message that serves to promote information technology and the arts.

“We are excited and honored to be named as a finalist for the Palmetto Pillar Award for Technology in the Arts,” explained Ann Brown, Chief Operating Officer for Microburst Learning. “We like to bring creativity and e-learning together through the use of art, music, animation and other elements designed to capture our audiences’ attention and enhance their retention of the information we are trying to impart. We have long been committed to exciting young people about career exploration in South Carolina and appreciate the members of the Greater Columbia Chamber and Information Technology Council for their recognition of our work.”

Microburst Learning is combining art and technology to teach students in grades fourth through sixth about career opportunities. The company relied on information technology to develop interactive games to help these young students identify possible career options in a fun environment.

The board of this memory style game is created using a painterly style of animation. The elements build to create the backdrop. The game creates an aesthetically pleasing artistic environment for children to learn. Kids must match career descriptions to job titles to complete the game.

The game was created as part of an internship program which emphasizes art, strong design skills, and programming to create educational games. Five graduate students from Clemson University with art, computer animation, and programming backgrounds were hired to use multiple design and animation programs to create the game.

Here is a sample of a Career Matching Game:
http://www.microburstlearning.com/matchingGame/match3.swf

Microburst Learning is a SC-based firm that offers highly interactive approaches for personal and professional development. They provide virtual services to students for career planning, employment seeking, training, and other support functions as well as custom e-learning content to meet education and business clients’ training needs.

Working with the State Department of Education and numerous business and organizational partners, they have developed nearly a dozen Virtual Job Shadowing modules to allow South Carolina high school students as well as educators and parents to explore online the multitude of career opportunities that exist in today’s workplace. This initiative is closely aligned with the state’s Personal Pathways to Success™ efforts to get students excited about their studies as they prepare to choose a meaningful career path for the future. There are currently another 18 sessions in development and Microburst is working to create 160 across all 16 career clusters by next fall. To learn more about Virtual Job Shadowing, please call Ann Brown at 877-719-5073.