21st Century Classroom

U Oklahoma Instructors Head to Academic Tech School

• By Dian Schaffhauser
• 01/08/15

Faculty members at an institution in Oklahoma will have the chance to take classes themselves during a tech expo this week. The University of Oklahoma (OU) Academic Technology Expo was launched in 2012 to help instructors at the school learn about existing and emerging technologies that could help them improve teaching and learning.

An event that drew 120 attendees to 10 sessions four years ago has grown to nearly 300 people and 40 sessions. Each class lasts 30 minutes and the day kicks off at eight with breakfast and ends with a reception at four.

The expo is put on by three departments, the OU Libraries, OU Information Technology and the Center for Teaching Excellence. Among the sessions: the adoption of open textbooks, cloud-based printing, use of tablets for exams in engineering courses and the integration of healthcare administration MOOCs into blended learning.

"The Academic Tech Expo provides an excellent opportunity for our faculty to hear from their colleagues about technologies that can enhance teaching and learning here at OU," said Vice President and CIO Loretta Early. "We created this event with the intention of bringing instructors from different disciplines together to converse and collaborate. We're thrilled that the event has grown so much in the last few years."