Conference Presentations

Experts will address competency-based education (CBE), including the universal design principles quality programs share. The panel will discuss key features of various institutional models and approaches to program design, instructional technology and delivery, pedagogy, and faculty roles. A policy expert will update participants on competency-based education-related federal regulation and policy including the HEA Reauthorization, Experimental Sites, and financial aid.

This presentation discusses five considerations in altering institutional and instructional structures and practices by taking an equity-minded approach to design avoiding exacerbated and take-for-granted practices. Let’s discuss what research is telling us that can inform our practices to ensure equity, and what problems of practice are we experiencing that should spur new research to guide equitable and inclusive practices. The succession of killings of Ahmaud Arbery (February 23, 2020), Breonna Taylor (March 13, 2020), and George Floyd, Jr.

Creating quality online learning experiences for students, and communities of practice for faculty and designers, is dependent upon the continuing commitment of leaders within and between institutions.  Growing your career can support our collective commitment to quality for students by putting more designers and faculty in positions to direct strategy, craft institutional priorities and policies, and designate resources.  Come explore how you can reimagine your contribution to the field through leadership progression through a variety of pathways.

Discover strategies to improve institutional effectiveness, including ways to measure analytics and critical resource issues. Explore the accreditation process and learn to negotiate for internal institutional support. Specifically, see how QM processes tie into accreditation standards — including accountability for the quality of online courses, academic resources and accessibility assessments — and how making your work with QM visible can validate your efforts and need for resources.

At a time when resources are thin, demands are high, and outcomes are king, barriers to adequately supporting and improving quality-focused initiatives can feel insurmountable. Practical strategies for transformational leadership are essential as college teams make the case for guided academic pathways, change, and quality to increase student completion of credentials leading to transfer and meaningful work.

Creating an online course is an art and the best faculty finely craft their courses for the greatest impact. With quality at the heart of that process, how does scale change design and delivery? Must engagement and innovation suffer in a course developed for several thousand learners or a proto/template course used by multiple sections? Does scale stifle the creative process or ultimately impact student success? Perspectives will be shared on scaling quality and approaches to program design, delivery, and pedagogy.

This presentation describes the steps being taken at St. Cloud State University to improve the quality of online courses by increasing the percentage of faculty teaching online with Quality Matters training. Since 2016, the number of courses offered online at SCSU has grown; thus, a robust quality assurance structure is needed. Preliminary data for online education in the MN State system partly drove the effort, as did survey data collected from faculty who had completed a Quality Matters training.

The audience will learn that it takes a TEAM to implement a QM initiative. We will describe an implementation plan, highlight data showing progress of success, and identify best practices and challenges involved in implementing QM in a nursing program. The presentation will showcase resources that encourage colleague engagement. Reflections from various colleagues (including administrator, faculty and Instructional Designer) will be included.

Join this leadership panel session after the keynote to further discuss the ways that leaders can develop strategies to tackle projects and challenges at a variety of institutions. Panelists representing leadership positions at private, community, and public universities will share their strategies for addressing a project or challenge at their institution. A template will be provided so that participants can brainstorm a leadership strategy for addressing a project or challenge at their own institution. This session will close with a sharing of ideas and suggestions for moving forward.

The 23-campus California State University QA program has progressively built a culture of quality and evidence for effective online-blended courses since 2011. This session will demonstrate how we evolved to go beyond professional development activities, to implementing a four-stage course certification process, disseminating certified course exemplars, and analyzing results of our student impact research efforts. Multiple opportunities for discussion-engagement and resources will be made available.

The 23-campus California State University Quality Assurance program has progressively built a culture of quality and evidence for effective online-blended courses since 2011. This session will demonstrate how we evolved to go beyond professional development activities, to implementing a four-stage course certification process, disseminating certified course exemplars, and analyzing results of our student impact research efforts. Multiple opportunities for discussion-engagement and resources will be made available.

This session is a follow-on session from Dr. Melody Buckner's keynote address. Join us for a discussion with several online learning leaders to share stories and tips for reaching the next level of leadership in distance/online learning.

This session is a follow-on session after the conference's keynote address. Join us for a discussion with several online learning leaders to share stories and tips for reaching the next level of leadership in distance/online learning.

Presenters:

• Melody Buckner
• Andrea Bucklew
• James Johnson
• Robert Shields
• Ashley Skylar

This session will share ideas for learner-content, learner-learner, and learner-instructor ideas. Come prepared to share and add to the discussion of great out-of-the-box ideas.

Attached is the PowerPoint presentation for this session on Sept 25, Monday, 3;20-4:10

Does your online program include two orientations: Level 1-Orientation to Online Learning and Level 2-Orientation for an Online Course? In this session, participants will discuss the role and value of each level, and learn how other institutions design, deliver, and track learner activity.

Learn how to use an LMS to virtually engage on campus and online students. This can be achieved by creating inclusive and supportive learning environments that allow students to access academic and support services, complete University requirements, and conduct virtual presentations from anywhere.

What are the markers of quality design, presence and innovation/risk-taking when “observing” an online course? Learn how a department from one large university is addressing this question and sustaining quality through its online peer reviews.

What are the markers of quality design, presence and innovation/risk-taking when "observing" an online course? Learn how a department from one large university is addressing this question and sustaining quality through its online peer reviews.

What can we learn from faculty who have taught online for 10+ years? We interviewed 33 faculty on their experiences with evaluation of online teaching, perceptions of important skills for online instructors, and advice for new online instructors.