Drexel e-Learning 2.0 Conference

Register today for the 8th annual e-Learning 2.0 Conference! 

Date: Thursday, March 25, 2010
Time: 7:30 am – 4 pm
Location: Drexel University’s Creese Student Center.

Click on the following link to view a short, 4-minute video preview from  keynote speaker, Dr. Kristen Betts, Associate Clinical Professor of Higher Education at Drexel’s School of Education: http://rmcp.dcollege.net/playlists/18337/202408.html. 

The video presents highlights of the conference as well as an overview of the keynote address, which will discuss the idea of “Online Human Touch” and cover national data trends and new technologies in online and blended education.  To view a longer version of the video, visit the keynote speaker page on the conference website at http://www.drexel.edu/irt/news/events/eLearningConf/keynote.

To access the preliminary conference program and to register, visit the conference website at http://www.drexel.edu/irt/news/events/eLearningConf. 

The registration fee of $100 ($25 for students) includes welcome materials, access to the presentations, a continental breakfast, lunch, and chances to win fabulous door prizes including an Apple iPad!  If you have any questions, email el2n@drexel.edu.

Virtual Symposium: Education for Everyone: Expanding Access through Technology

The 2010 Virtual Symposium is co-organized by Drexel University School of Education and Wainhouse Research, and co-hosted by the World Bank Institute's Global Development Learning Network, in Beijing.

This year's theme is "Education for Everyone: Expanding Access through Technology." The event will include on-demand presentations and interactive blogs from presenters in North America, Europe and Asia, beginning on March 1st. Live presentations and panel discussions will begin on March 22.

Here is a sample listing of presentation titles in the higher education area:

• Accreditation & Assessment in Online Learning – Radical Change Breeds Global Access
• E-Portfolios as a Capstone Experience for Online Learners
• Examining Faculty Use of Social Networking in Teaching and Community Building
• Leveraging Technology for Synchronous Instruction – Using Web-based Conferencing as a Course Delivery System
• Critical Success Factors for Building Distance Education Programs
• Developing Effective Online Teaching Strategies in Leadership Courses
• Mathematics on a Digital Napkin
• Preparing Students for the Cognitive and Meta-cognitive Demands of Online Learning
• Leveling the Playing Field with ePortfolios
• The iPhone as an Academic Tool

Register Now - FREE

We hope you can view some of these on-demand recorded presentations (now) and participate in live sessions and panel discussions starting March 22.

University of the Sciences is Going Google!

The University of the Sciences will be rolling out Google Apps for Education soon. This optional resource will give all faculty, students and staff a state-of-the-art communication and collaboration platform to supplement our existing e-learning infrastructure. We will have the ability to share and collaboratively edit documents compatible with Word, Excel and PowerPoint. We can create unlimited Wiki websites (Sites in Google parlance) and stream videos from our own private branded YouTube-like site.

All content resides in our own protected domain and will require a login and password. Content is not exposed to the public through search engines.

View this 30 minute recorded webinar to get oriented to the features of this new offering:



Stay tuned for additional posts as we prepare for the official roll-out.

Organizing Blended Courses for Optimal Student Engagement

Mark you calendar! Join us and participate in this Academic Tech Webinar Series event.

Despite the growing acceptance and recognized benefits of online education, many instructors and students discover they miss the dynamics of a face-to-face class. A blended course, which combines traditional class time with online learning elements, has emerged as a powerful solution that provides the best of both worlds.

When done correctly, a blended (or hybrid) course leads to more productive in-class time and more engaged learning outside of class, ultimately improving learning outcomes. Plus, as an added bonus, blended learning provides much-needed relief for overbooked classrooms at a time when most capital improvement projects have been put on hold.

Faculty Focus invites you to join Dr. Ike Shibley of Penn State for a live video seminar guaranteed to inspire you to think more creatively about how to use blended course delivery to get students actively involved with their course material.

Date: Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Time: 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM

Where: Griffith Hall Room 110-C

In Organizing Blended Courses for Optimal Student Engagement, Dr. Shibley will address the unique pedagogical challenges of blended learning, and the proven strategies and technologies he uses with his students.
This online seminar will cover:

• Effective blended techniques before, during and after class
• Using clickers to create a more active classroom
• Ways to reach higher levels of Bloom’s taxonomy with clicker questions
• How to write quiz questions that encourage students to rehearse material
• Best methods to increase engagement through blended course design
• How blended learning makes assessment easier

There’s never been a better time for blended learning. Sign-up for this strategy-filled seminar today!