A NEW AREA OF PHILANTHROPY WITHIN THE CLASSROOM: VOLUNTEER COMPUTING ON THE WORLD COMMUNITY GRID 

A NEW AREA OF PHILANTHROPY WITHIN THE CLASSROOM: VOLUNTEER
COMPUTING ON THE WORLD COMMUNITY GRID
Loreen Powell, Marywood University, United States of America / Ronda Mariani, Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania, Bloomsburg, United States of America
(Presented at the International Conference on Humanities, Social and Education Sciences (IHSES) which took place on April 16-19, 2024, in San Francisco, CA, USA (www.2024.ihses...) and at the International Conference on Life Sciences, Engineering and Technology (ILSET) (www.2024.ilset...) (www.2024.ictel...) organized by the International Society for Technology, Education and Science (ISTES) www.istes.org).
In an era of a pandemic, weakened global economy, geopolitical volatility, and increased social and environmental challenges, the need for innovative solutions and collaborative efforts regarding social good has never been more critical. Therefore, contemporary society necessitates intricate solutions and sustainable approaches to philanthropic endeavors, which embody the spirit of human generosity. Deploying philanthropic and service-learning experiences within the classroom can aid in developing students to become socially responsible and well-rounded individuals. These experiences offer students tremendous benefits, including fostering a deeper understanding of their field of study, considering the ethical implications of their actions, and experiencing civic engagement in their community (Finley, 2019). Today's students are digital natives, and their adeptness with technology, apps, and social media presents distinctive and innovative avenues for them to engage in charitable activities through technological means (Minevich, 2023). One method to accomplish philanthropic endeavors facilitated by technology is through volunteer computing (VC). VC on the World Community Grid (WCG) provides the perfect combination of technology and philanthropy. VC is a platform application in which individuals worldwide can contribute their computing resource power to advance scientific research, specifically by leveraging the unused processing power of computers owned by volunteers around the globe. VC projects contribute to large-scale scientific research across various healthcare and environmental science fields. While VC on the WCG seems to be the perfect class activity incorporating technology and philanthropy, there is a lack of documentation and coverage of the topic within texts (Powell & Karpinski, 2021). This presentation aims to document a new era of philanthropy by utilizing VC on the grid via a classroom exercise. Additionally, discussion questions and technology tips will be provided. Due to the nature of the projects on the WCG, the topic can be incorporated into any classroom where the professor embraces technology.