Tuesday, April 9, 2019
Sponsored by the Louisiana Board of Regents and the Electronic Learning Task Force
Agenda
8:30 – 9:00
Registration
9:00 – 9:15
Welcome and Introduction
Kim Hunter Reed, Louisiana Board of Regents, Commissioner for Higher Education
9:15 – 10:00
A challenge with any emerging technology is the perception that it’s a problem, and this has only worsened with the advent of social tools. Blogs, back in the old days, were largely regarded as online one-person rant and argument spaces, not the remarkably easy web page creation tools they really are. Even today, those who don’t know the power of a good Twitter network still think of it as an online free-for-all with people randomly posting what their cats had for breakfast. But in the right hands – of people who see the new technologies as the means of solving a problem, easing a pain point, or reaching a learner in a new way – these “toys” can be powerful tools. The solutions? Looking past the hype at the potential benefits. Exploring the technology enough to understand it at its root. Identifying real gaps and problems in existing practice and choosing the right tools to use when. In other words: leveraging the toys in ways to make them useful tools, not time wasters.
10:00 – 10:15
Break
10:15 – 11:00
Dr. Diana G. Oblinger, President Emeritus of EDUCAUSE
From Disruption to Design: Re-conceptualizing Education
Today’s upskilling economy and rapid technological change are disrupting education. People are developing new relationships and dependencies on machines and systems, amplifying human performance. As a result, our roles as professionals are being reconfigured. In a world in which computers are increasingly capable, how do we prepare students for a new division of labor between people and machines? Innovations, such as artificial intelligence, MOOCs, simulations, micro-learning, and analytics can transform learning experiences and disrupt traditional business models. Rather than being disrupted, these changes can be used to design active educational experiences that create greater value for students and employers through certifiable competencies, transferable skills, and greater learning efficiency.
11:00 – 12:00
Cheryl Prewitt, California State University
Providing Universal Access – Bridging the Digital Divide
Explore strategies that can help you move accessibility forward on your campus. How has technology transformed the ways in which universities deliver services? It’s increasingly hard to remember a time without Learning Management Systems, electronic documents, social media, and smart phones. Implementing accessible technology across your campus will provide an opportunity for students with different abilities to fully participate in, and benefit from, all university programs and services.
12:00 – 1:00
Lunch
1:00 – 1:45
Next Generation of Digital Learning: It’s Not Merely an Extension of The Past
The first e-book was shared over the Internet (or its predecessor ARPAnet) less than 50 years ago, and web-based online learning started less than 25 years ago. Discussions of digital learning in its various forms – online learning, e-learning, etc. – are now in the national media, sometimes describing it as the same thing we’ve seen for years, but other times describing it as “this time everything changes.” A more useful view is that digital learning is entering its next generation, and we are in the midst of an inflection point in higher education driven by mainstream adoption, different platform designs, and moving beyond the digitization of traditional classroom. This talk will explore the broad trends impacting digital learning and the implications for those on the front lines of innovation.
1:45 – 2:00
Break
2:00 – 2:45
Louisiana Board of Regents eLearning Innovation Grant Awardees
Fletcher Technical Community College, Clint Coleman, Student Accessibility to Online Biology Labs
River Parishes Community College, Jesse Walczak, Quality Matters Training for Faculty at RPCC
2:45 – 3:30
Catie Starr and Jeremy Walsh, The Learning House
Innovative Approaches to Marketing Online Academic Programs
At the forefront of workforce development and digital market trends, leaders in higher education Catie Starr and Jeremy Walsh will bring a unique perspective to carving out a market for online learners.
3:30 – 4:00
Closing Remarks
Darlene Williams, Vice President for Technology, Innovation, and Economic Development at Northwestern State University and Chair of the Louisiana Board of Regents eLearning Task Force