Dr. Laura Vanderberg Receives Distinguished Educator Award for Innovative iPAL Program

Program for Advancement of Learning (PAL) Director and Professor Dr. Laura Vanderberg has been selected for the Apple Distinguished Educators (ADE) award for her pioneering innovations in the iPAL Program. Apple’s iPads are used as the shared platform for iPAL’s assistive technology curriculum, which features students as co-owners of the curriculum, evaluation, and pedagogy. This represents a very different model from traditional higher education.

Through the iPAL Program, students and professors use a metacognitive model to learn about learning through a mobile platform. The team has seen growth in Life-Long Learning, Technological Fluency, Ability to Shift, and Maneuver Technical Issues. Additionally, students using the program are showing and reporting improvements in Cognition, Quantity of Learning, Motivation, Ability, Metacognition, Self-Regulation, Pace of Learning, Relationships with Faculty, Self-Efficacy and Self-Determination, Independence & Leadership, and Retention. The ATCenterPAL YouTube Channel includes authentic student-created content of their learning in action and serves as a teaching and reference platform for students, faculty, and teachers at Curry and across the globe. 

“As a member of the ADE network, Curry will contribute engaging and innovative educational practices across the world and also bring ADE’s vast resources to the Curry community,” said Dr. Vanderberg.

Established 25 year ago, the ADE Program now includes a worldwide community of more than 2,800 visionary and innovative leaders in education.