Isaac received the honor from the International Conference on College Teaching and Learning, which is currently meeting in Jacksonville, Fla. According to the organization, the award celebrates the contributions of experienced full-time faculty who have contributed in the most highly creative ways to teaching, learning, and technology. For the 2009 award, a total of 21 individuals had been nominated.

Isaac was honored for his innovative use of video podcasts to help his students understand complex brain functions. By using sight and sound to enhance the learning process, students also have the benefit of replaying the podcasts as often as needed as they master knowledge and information about the largest and most complicated organ in the human body. In addition, the podcasts are available to students 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

“Professor Isaac’s pioneering use of podcasts taps into students who are accustomed to receiving most of their information through electronic avenues of sight and sound that are highly personalized,” said Dr. Lee Gillis, who chairs the Psychology Department at Georgia College. “His approach builds on this by teaching the ‘iPod generation’ in ways that allow them to more easily absorb deeply complex information.”

Isaac expanded his use of podcasts after a study showed them to be effective in teaching undergraduate students about neuroanatomy, replacing a traditional lab component in a physiological psychology course. As a result, additional podcasts were created to cover individual topics from publications contained in the American Psychological Association’s teaching manual.

In selecting Isaac for the award, the conference noted that his use of podcasts also allows more abbreviated coverage of material in lectures, giving students more opportunity to focus on specific topics that they need help understanding.