Events

CT Launches Virtual Summit on Distance Learning

• By Rhea Kelly
• 04/22/20

Campus closures have led education institutions everywhere to scramble to move instruction to an online format. On May 5, the Campus Technology Distance Learning Summit will provide insight, ideas and information for education IT decision-makers grappling with the need for continuity of teaching and learning in these unprecedented times.

In three hour-long editorial-led sessions, ed tech experts and practitioners in the trenches will share their best practices and engage attendees with a live Q&A. Attendees will also have the opportunity to join the conversation in three post-session Twitter chats using the hashtag #CTSummit.

Session 1: Tips and Tool for Managing the Sudden Transition to Online Learning
These days, more faculty than ever before have been thrust into teaching remotely — sometimes with little preparation. From overcoming initial hurdles to fine-tuning approaches for the longer term, these expert best practices will help. Our presenters:

• Errol St.Clair Smith, Global Project Director, RTOL: Rapid Transition to Online Learning, Academy of Active Learning Arts and Sciences
• Thomas Mennella, associate professor of biology and director, Master of Science Program in Applied Laboratory Science & Operations, Bay Path University

Session 2: Help! How IT Can Best Train and Support Faculty Making a Quick Move Online
When Louisiana Tech University made the decision to take courses online in response to the COVID-19 threat, the timing couldn't have been worse: The move coincided with the start of the Spring semester, so faculty and staff had to hit the ground running. In this session, CIO Thomas Hoover will share how his institution went live with online classes in just two days, including a weekend of faculty training and an ongoing rollout of new tools and support to help with the transition.

Session 3: Innovations in Remote Learning
It is challenging to move courses online. However, there are proven next-generation best practices. Modern approaches using the latest technologies are being employed even in STEM courses which may be among the most challenging to move online, due to their reliance on hands-on labs and equipment. In this session, the founders of Virtually Inspired, an online showcase of innovations in online learning, will share some of the ground-breaking ways educators around the world are enhancing teaching with technology and solving challenges of online delivery. Our presenters:

• Dr. Susan Aldridge, President (Ret.), Drexel University Online, Co-Anchor, Virtually Inspired
• Marci M. Powell, CEO/President, Marci Powell & Associates, Project Director & Co-Anchor, Virtually Inspired, and USDLA Chair Emerita and Past President

Join us for this free event on Tuesday, May 5 from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. PT. For more information and to register, visit the CT Summit site.