The Spring 2022 Speaker Series included six virtual sessions that were recorded for on-demand playback.

Building Learner Pathways 
Dr. Radhika Krishnadas, Executive Director, Learning Design & Professional Development, LSU Online & Continuing Education presented on the intentional design of pathways to degree completion using a combination of academic courses and credit for prior learning to increase equity of opportunity and begin to open the door to student populations who otherwise may have limited access to education and advancement.

HyFlex Teaching 
Dr. Amanda Rosenzweig, Delgado Community College, Department Chair of Biology/Canvas Admin presented the popular HyFlex course design model that helps faculty meet students where they are, not where we want them to be. Dr. Rosenzweig showed attendees how to prepare for classes to teach online, face-to-face, or both as needed. This model helps students by providing them with support and flexibility while still upholding course integrity and rigor.

WCET Membership
Megan Raymond, Senior Director for WCET, shared information about the Louisiana state-wide membership benefits with attendees. Attendees learned more about WCET, the leader in the practice, policy, and advocacy of digital learning in higher education, and how to get involved and access the member community and additional member benefits.

Bridging the Divide 
Katie Dawson, Assistant Vice President for Academic Innovation and Learning for the University of Louisiana System, and Rachel Lautigar, LSU MPA Graduate Student and Graduate Assistant at the University of Louisiana System, presented the mapping resource they created through the use of open data from the American Community Survey and the FCC’s Form 477. The resource can be used for modeling the scope of Louisiana’s digital divide. In the presentation they shared the findings from mapping this landscape and covered key takeaways to address when attracting and retaining adults living in Louisiana with some college experience, but no Bachelor’s degree.

Democratizing Marketable Skills with Digital Badges 
Dr. Eryn Berger, Online Learning Coordinator, and Amber O’Casey, Alamo College, Instructional Designer presented the Alamo Colleges Skills Lab project that trains faculty to develop marketable skills training for students and San Antonio-area workers to enhance their employability in the modern job market.

In the Spring 2023, we returned to an annual in-person event. The 2023 event was titled: Sustaining Momentum Online: Moving Forward with eLearning. The following presentations were a part of this event:

• • • Hurricanes of Change Hitting Higher Educations’ Shores, by Dr. Luke Dowden, Alamo Colleges;
    • Louisiana Broadband update, by Thomas Tyler
    • Bridging the Divide, by Dr. Katie Dawson.
    • Dr. Darlene Williams was recognized for her years of leadership service to the task force and
    • 8 breakout sessions were delivered in the afternoon.

A series of professional development opportunities during the summertime through virtual sessions to reach as many participants as possible. Virtual Summer Sessions included:

• • • Integrating Literacy in STEM and Allied Health
    • Leave the Proctoring to the Proctologist: techniques in eLearning
    • Using Data and Early Alert Systems to Drive Student Success and Retention
    • Reading, Response, and Register: How to Improve Engagement in Online Discussions
    • Getting Started with Artificial Intelligence in Higher Education

Louisiana State University Shreveport (FY24)
Elevating Student Writing
Award: $7,000

University of Louisiana at Lafayette (FY24)
Restructuring Faculty Learning Communities
Award: $20,000

University of New Orleans (FY24)
Empowering AI Literacy: Creating a Micro credential for the UL System and Beyond
Award: $20,000

Louisiana Delta Community College (FY23)
Learn with Podcasts!
Award total: $20,000

McNeese State University (FY23)
Elementary Strategic Hybrid-based Instruction for Future Teachers
Award total: $17,000

Southern University and A&M College (FY23)
Advancing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in Higher Education
Award total: $26,000

University of Louisiana at Lafayette (FY23)
Enhancing Learner-Content Interaction with H5P Interactive Content and Faculty Learning Communities
Award total: $20,000

University of Louisiana at Monroe (FY23)
TALONs (Transforming Active Learning Online) Out for Biology
Award total: $14,000