Program

Overview | Schedule at a Glance | Full Program | List of Presenters

The interactive program below contains the most up-to-date information. You may also view the printed program as a PDF file.

Wednesday, March 21 Thursday, March 22 Friday, March 23

Wednesday, 9:00 am to 10:30 am

Roundtable discussion: UNC Distance Learning Forum/TLT Distance Education Interest Group Track: e-Learning / Distance Education Presenters: James Sadler	Grand Ballroom 1
This is a meeting of the UNC Distance Learning Forum and the TLT Distance Education Interest Group.

Roundtable discussion:
Instructional Professionals Interest Group: Focus Session
Track: TLT Pedagogy / Assessment
Presenters: Chris Weaver, David Howard

Grand Ballroom 2

The purpose of this focus session is to study an instructional or technology-based learning question, with the intent to subsequently distribute outcomes to the TLT community and a selection of state agencies, as appropriate. During the session, we will carefully examine and discuss the selected problem and develop information that will be useful to all. This year’s discussion will focus on defining the issues that attend quality assurance in an online course.

Wednesday, 11:00 am to 11:30 am

Plenary session: Opening Welcome Session Track: Other Presenters: Frank Prochaska	Capital Ballroom E-G
Frank Prochaska, executive director of the UNC TLT Collaborative, will summarize the highlights of the conference program, with assistance from other UNC representatives.

Wednesday, 11:30 am to 12:30 pm

* Featured Session *
Plenary session:
Accelerating Educational Innovation and Transformation Through Learning Communities and Knowledge Networks
Track: Other
Presenters: Toru Iiyoshi

Capital Ballroom E-G

In our rapidly changing world where teaching and learning content is constantly being updated and expanded, it is becoming increasingly important to keep inventing and refining pedagogies and to learn from and build upon each other’s successful transformation efforts. By openly sharing educational tools, resources, and practical knowledge of effective teaching and learning, we can anticipate three dramatic improvements over time: increased quality of tools and resources, more effective use, and greater individual and collective pedagogical knowledge. Ideally, all will occur simultaneously, combining local classroom innovations and learned lessons through global knowledge sharing. This keynote address explores what it takes for us to achieve these critical goals by connecting people, resources, and knowledge across disciplines, institutions, and projects, and what cultural and institutional change is necessary to promote this organic and systemic endeavor in a sustainable way.

Wednesday, 1:40 pm to 3:10 pm

Hands-on workshop:
Building Retentive Understanding of Biology in a Hybrid Course Featuring an Interactive Web Site & Small Class Sections
Track: Other
Presenters: Betty Black, Marianne Niedzlek-Feaver, Brenda Grubb, Lisa Fiedor

Related Material: Presentation

Marriott A

Freshman biology is currently taught in a standard lecture-based format in classrooms of approximately 200 students. Lectures, in concert with “recognition” multiple-choice exams, encourage students to memorize and regurgitate isolated facts. Students then do not develop a true understanding of the material and retain little of what was taught. We are experimenting with a hybrid format that replaces the standard lecture with a multimedia, interactive course web site. During their web site exploration students interact with learning objects to produce graphs, explore photographic images, or discover information through videos and animations. This enriched web site initiates the building of retentive understanding that is refined in small classroom sessions in which an instructor and 30 students engage in review, further problem solving, and application of concepts. Conference participants will be placed in the role of students by exploring subjects such as cell structure and community ecology via the course web site, and then engage in the related classroom exercises used by our freshmen.

Advance registration for workshops is not required; however, seating is limited and is on a first-come basis.

Hands-on workshop:
SLMS 201: Effective Teaching in the Live Online Classroom
Track: TLT Tools
Presenters: Sam Eneman

Related Material: Participant Handout, PowerPoint presentation

Marriott B

Soon you may be making the leap to teaching live, online classes. Or, maybe you have already begun. Then this workshop is for you! Your challenge is to engage your students when you don’t have the usual visual clues in a face-to-face setting. In this session, you will learn valuable tips for preparing content and activities, facilitating successful sessions, and managing the tools in your Synchronous Learning Management System (Centra, Elluminate, etc.). You will also experience activities you can take back to your online classroom.

Advance registration for workshops is not required; however, seating is limited and is on a first-come basis.

Wednesday, 1:40 pm to 2:30 pm

Formal presentation:
Nine Myths About Web Accessibility
Track: Other
Presenters: Jason Morningstar

Boxwood

“Making a web site accessible is complicated!” “We don’t have any blind students, so I don’t need to worry about accessibility!” “I run my pages through Bobby, so I’m covered!” “It’s not like there's a law or anything!” These myths—and five other equally silly notions—will be dispelled during this friendly introduction to the topic. Come with your questions and war stories about web accessibility.

Panel discussion:
Evolution of a Faculty/Instructional Designer/Librarian Course Development Partnership
Track: Libraries
Presenters: Kim Duckett, Dede Nelson, Julia Storberg-Walker

Related Material: Panel Powerpoint

Grand Ballroom 2

This panel, comprised of a faculty member, an instructional designer, and a librarian, will discuss why they believe their collaborative efforts for course development have resulted in a more effective learning environment for students. Based on their experience, they have created a model of course development which highlights a web of relationships that can capitalize on individual expertise. The panelists will describe how their interactions changed over time as the course development progressed, and how their creativity and imagination was enhanced because of their ongoing interactions. This course development model recognizes the student as the central focus of the teaching and learning process, and feedback from the student perspective will be provided. Additionally, attendees will receive a library “checklist” of instructional resources, strategies for effective collaboration, and examples of how these partners leveraged learning technologies such as Blackboard Vista and the Elluminate synchronous classroom environment to support teaching and learning.

Demonstration:
Active Learning in the Library: The Library Is Not Just for Books
Track: Libraries
Presenters: Cotina Jones, Phyllistine Poole, Julie Dornberger, Carl Leak, Chris Screen

Dogwood

Technology was used to develop innovative approaches in library instruction presentations. Instructional games, podcasts, and active learning templates were designed and placed in the Blackboard Course Management System. The library instruction team created interactive computer games that were designed to inform students about all aspects of the library. The purpose of implementing the games was to address our increasing enrollment by providing alternative opportunities for students to learn about the library and the research process. Podcasts were created to address the unique learning style of Millennials. Each podcast focuses on a segment of instruction such as citation styles or electronic resources. This allows students to access instruction segments that are relevant to them. Active learning templates were created and placed in Blackboard. This appealed to students’ affinity for technology. Library instruction in Blackboard is visual and requires student participation. Students can also access the course materials from off-campus.

* Featured Session * Formal presentation: Information Technology Within UNC: What’s on the Horizon Track: Instructional / Information Technology Presenters: Robyn Render	Capital Ballroom E-G
This session will provide an overview of current and new information technology initiatives within UNC.

Formal presentation:
Designing and Evaluating Online Critical Thinking Discussion
Track: Other
Presenters: Scott Chattin, Marvin Croy

Capital Ballroom A-B

This presentation begins with overviews of four varying conceptions of critical thinking (those of Richard Paul, John McPeck, Robert Ennis, and Michael Scriven). Paul’s critical thinking strategies are explored relative to organizing and evaluating online discussions. The particular application is a Philosophical Issues course (PHIL 215) taught via Blackboard at Southeastern and Lenoir community colleges. Examples of discussion threads, assignments, materials for introducing critical methods, and rubrics are presented, including techniques for assigning and grading discussion activities corresponding to Paul’s conception of critical thinking. PHIL 215 is a Common Course within the North Carolina community college system. Its implementation and online delivery here was designed in consultation with faculty from UNC Charlotte’s Philosophy Department. One background issue explored concerns about how different views of critical thinking characterize processes of understanding and practical judgment and whether important pedagogical differences exist between these in courses taught at the community college and university level.

Formal presentation:
Faculty in Technology-Rich Contexts: Connecting Teaching, Learning, and Assessment in the Classroom
Track: Other
Presenters: C. Dianne Raubenheimer, Joni Spurlin, Stan Martin, Brad Mehlenbacher

Related Material: Links to all Session Materials and Resources, Session slides

Capital Ballroom C

At the 2006 UNC TLT Conference, we presented a vision and framework for assessing the impact of technology on student learning in face-to-face, technology-enriched classrooms. In this session, we will report the results of a study conducted by a multidisciplinary team in Spring 2006 that used this framework. Findings include how faculty use technology, the level of student engagement in technology- enriched classrooms, and student learning assessment results. Our results have important implications for classroom environments, teaching, and learning. Particularly, we will discuss how the findings are connected to 1) classroom design and technology standards, 2) technology infrastructure, 3) technology applications, 4) student expectations, 5) pedagogy and faculty development, and 6) assessment practices. The session will benefit those working in faculty development, assessment, and infrastructure implementation. Handouts and relevant resources will be made available.

Roundtable discussion:
A Campus Course Continuity Plan: Preparing for the Possibilities
Track: Other
Presenters: Mark Sivy, Lorraine Stanton

Capital Ballroom D

There is an increased concern about the possibility of a university campus closing or otherwise not being physically accessible by faculty and students. This can result from events such as a local emergency, severe weather, or a pandemic. University business continuity plans exist, and most are being tested and updated. But what about academic continuity? Is a viable plan in place? Is it necessary? Is it feasible? The purpose of this roundtable discussion is to consider possibilities and challenges for the continuity of courses that typically have a physical meeting space that is no longer available. As a lead-in to the discussion, a brief presentation of a plan developed at UNC Charlotte will be made.

Roundtable discussion:
Where’s the Good Stuff? A Discussion of Useful TLT Resources
Track: Other
Presenters: Scott Watkins, Charlie Morris

Sandalwood

We are all familiar with the overwhelming amount of information on the Web that can make it hard to keep abreast of TLT news, issues, current events, and commentary. Where do other TLT professionals go to stay informed of developments in the field? What information sources do you use on a regular basis? Are there little-known blogs out there that are worth a look? In this session, we will share and discuss our favorite online TLT resources and ask you to share yours. In this context, the presenters will also share “Blern,” a collaborative TLT weblog started in Fall 2005 at North Carolina State University.

Demonstration:
Fayetteville State University’s Focus on the Military: Remote Classrooms and Virtual Seats
Track: Other
Presenters: Amber Kutny, Darrell Vickers

Grand Ballroom 1

For over three decades Fayetteville State University (FSU) has provided higher education to the U.S. Armed Forces at Ft. Bragg, Pope AFB, and now at Seymour Johnson AFB. Voluntary education for service members has become the number one tool for the military to recruit and retain personnel. This strategy calls attention to the importance of engaging unconventional education options. Although online courses exist, they lack the face-to-face, real-time interaction between students and with the professor. The marriage of video conferencing equipment and the distance learning environment is the next plausible step in education evolution. FSU has linked campus classrooms to locations on Ft. Bragg and Seymour Johnson AFB, meeting the needs of the military for higher education. In addition, we have devised a practical solution to provide students with virtual seats in these classes. Join us as we discuss the process we have been going through including our strategy, the technology, costs, and our implementation obstacles and successes. We will conclude the presentation with live demonstrations of the variety of systems we use during a simulated call to our main campus.

Wednesday, 2:40 pm to 3:10 pm

Demonstration:
Connecting a Community of Educators: Building a New Online Journal with Open Source Software
Track: Libraries
Presenters: Katherine O’Connor, Terry Atkinson, Sue Steinweg, Sharon Collins, Dionna Manning, Courtney Maness

Dogwood

Using Open Journal Systems (OJS), the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at East Carolina University has created a new online peer-reviewed journal, Journal of Curriculum and Instruction (JoCI). JoCI provides a forum for the dissemination of articles focused on research, practice, and issues relevant to teaching and learning in the pre-K through 12th grade environment. The journal is a potential forum for graduate students, practitioners, and university faculty to publish their work. The journal is free and available for university students and the professional education community as a source of current research and practice. The inaugural JoCI issue has a literacy theme. The free, open-source software used for the development of this journal has the potential for multiple uses in the university environment. The features of OJS and the development process of the journal will be presented. The audience will be encouraged to discuss potential uses of OJS at their universities.

* Featured Session * Formal presentation: Overview of UNC’s e-Learning Strategy Track: e-Learning / Distance Education Presenters: James Sadler, Alan Mabe, Frank Prochaska	Grand Ballroom 2
This session will summarize UNC’s systemwide strategies for addressing e-learning opportunities.

Formal presentation:
A Holistic Model of Faculty Support: A Case Study
Track: Other
Presenters: Donna Petherbridge, David Howard, Stacy Smith

Related Material: Presentation File

Boxwood

Faculty using technology to enhance their teaching and learning (TLT) activities need access to dedicated professionals who can provide a full range of support services. This support encompasses providing just-in-time responses to faculty questions about technology and pedagogy, training faculty to use various technologies in their instruction, assisting faculty in the production of specialized learning materials, and facilitating campus-wide communities of interest where faculty and staff can discuss TLT issues. At NC State, DELTA provides these types of support to faculty in addition to supporting other initiatives that reward and recognize faculty using technology for teaching and learning. This case study will follow the journey of one faculty member moving from an initial interest in teaching and learning with technology to the creation of a fully online course, illustrating the various use of DELTA services in the process.

Formal presentation:
Blackboard Shared Hosting and Services: Pilot Project Update
Track: Other
Presenters: Lori Mathis

Related Material: Project Description, PowerPoint Presentation

Grand Ballroom 1

In the fall of 2006, the UNC PACE report recommended the consolidation of Blackboard hardware and software across the system, where possible. Since that time, the UNC TLT Collaborative has been working with Blackboard campuses to identify a group of campuses to pilot shared hosting services and define the best technical model to follow. This session will give an update on this project’s progress.

Formal presentation:
Results of Course Redesign at UNCG: Improved Student Learning and Much Fewer D, F, W Grades
Track: Other
Presenters: Ray Purdom

Capital Ballroom A-B

From 2004 to 2006, UNCG participated in the Roadmap to Redesign (R2R) project sponsored by the National Center for Academic Transformation. The goal of this project was to demonstrate that course redesign models could be used to improve student learning and success as well as to reduce instructional costs. UNCG redesigned three precalculus courses and the introductory statistics course. The redesigned courses showed an improvement in final exam scores by an average of 6 percentage points with a decrease in D, F, W grades by an average of 20 percentage points. In addition, UNCG realized a cost savings of $36 per student enrolled.

Formal presentation:
Using Macromedia Breeze Meeting to Enhance Small-Group Learning in a Graduate-Level Online Class
Track: Other
Presenters: William Williamson

Capital Ballroom C

In this presentation, we will investigate a preliminary attempt to use Macromedia’s Breeze Meeting software to enhance learning in an online class that was previously offered in a totally asynchronous format. The students are experienced professionals returning to school for a Master of Public Health in Leadership degree delivered almost entirely online. By introducing a synchronous tool that allows students to both speak to each other and share documents on their computer screens in real time, we hope to facilitate small-group learning. Specifically, we are interested in understanding if introducing a synchronous component will enhance learning community formation, increase task efficiency, and improve the overall learning experience, thus counterbalancing some of the common limitations of an asynchronous format. Negative outcomes anticipated are real-time meetings leading to increased group conflict over scheduling issues and increased technological burden associated with using the tool. Both instructors and students will present their experiences in the class.

Demonstration:
New Online Teaching Strategies: Bringing Theory to Life for More Effective Learning
Track: Other
Presenters: Robert Brown, Nora Reynolds, Scott Brewster

Sandalwood

In this session, we will demonstrate for instructors and course designers how online teaching strategies can transform pedagogy, bring theory to life, and improve student learning. Our example is Math 150, a precalculus course launched in Fall 2006 by UNCG to review the principles of algebra—from equations and inequalities to graphing and rational functions. The online excerpts and design guidelines we plan to share will show how written text, interactive animation, audio, and video are used to appeal to multiple learning styles. Familiar and engaging sports scenarios illustrate algebraic principles, helping students to make an easy connection between underlying theories and real-world examples that bring those theories to life. For example, a figure skater performing a spin illustrates changes in the radius of a circle, while a tennis ball traveling across a court demonstrates horizontal and vertical symmetry. Questions at the end of each scenario provide immediate feedback on student progress.

Wednesday, 3:30 pm to 4:20 pm

Poster presentation:
An Engineering Instructional Array: The Ron McNair Engineering Building/Bluford Library Connection
Track: Libraries
Presenters: Jacquelyn McGirt

Grand Ballroom Prefunction

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, a land-grant institution in Greensboro, has graduated the highest number of African Americans in the United States as well as a significant number of female engineers. The university has implemented a new geomatics curriculum and interdisciplinary Energy and Environmental Studies doctoral program. This poster presentation will focus on the array of unique learner-centered library resources/services that the F. D. Bluford Library is using to enhance the learning experience for undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students and the faculty in the Department of Civil, Architectural, Agricultural, and Environmental Engineering. Services/resources, which can be applicable to promoting useful information, skills, and collaborative programs, include the following: alerting and citation management workshops, annual summer database training, Ask-A-Librarian services (e-mail, telephone, individualized instruction, and virtual assistance), collection management collaboration with an award-winning faculty, on- and off-site library instruction, and providing external research resources through Interlibrary Loan/Document Delivery.

Poster presentation:
Communication Technology: Student Survey
Track: Libraries
Presenters: Karen Smith-Gratto, Barbra Mosley, Alecia Jones

Grand Ballroom Prefunction

Technology is changing the ways that individuals communicate and get information. Students today are continually “connected” to others via cell phone, instant messaging, and text messaging. We see students with almost permanent earplugs as they listen to music and narration on their iPods. As educators, we need to explore how students are using technology and how we might exploit those uses to enhance their educational experiences. While many of us have adapted to chatting and asynchronous discussion groups, are there things we are missing about the “connected” generation? We designed a survey in which we could explore the technology that students are using, how often they are using it, and how they are using it. In addition, we included questions about how students could see the technology being used in their educational endeavors. In order to create ways that we can exploit the technology that students are using, we need a picture of what they are using and how they envision the use in educational contexts.

Poster presentation:
Middle School Students’ Perceptions of Teacher Use of Technology and Its Impact on Learning
Track: Other
Presenters: Colleen Walker, Priscilla Leggett

Grand Ballroom Prefunction

This poster session will present the results of a survey of middle school students and their perceptions of the effects of technology on learning basic skills and critical thinking and the effects of technology on their creativity and self-direction. This middle school is in the third year of a 3.5 million dollar technology initiative (IMPACT). The primary goal of the IMPACT program is to help teachers integrate technology into their teaching by providing the technology personnel, training, and other resources necessary to implement an outstanding media and technology program. North Carolina public schools have worked hard over the past several years to make technology accessible to students and to see that teachers integrate it well into their classrooms. Technology is a tool that enables students to explore the world, bringing a wealth of information and experiences into the classroom and potentially overcoming geographical isolation, physical barriers, and economic hardships.

Poster presentation:
Online Games and Information Literacy
Track: Other
Presenters: Scott Rice, Amy Harris

Grand Ballroom Prefunction

Educational games are receiving a critical look from academia for the ways in which they can be used to enhance learning. Library instruction in information literacy can benefit from a games-based approach. An online game was created at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro to get students to be more engaged while learning information literacy concepts. The game allows one to four students to play by answering questions about information literacy topics in four different categories such as Choose Your Resource, Avoiding Plagiarism, and Searching and Using Databases. Web site evaluation exercises are also included within the game. It is hoped that students will benefit from group interaction (in multiplayer games) as well as from receiving additional information in a nontraditional format. The game will be introduced to freshman students in first-year studies classes in order to evaluate its effectiveness.

Poster presentation: Three Click Podcasting Track: Other Presenters: Chet Dilday Related Material: Three Click Podcasts Presentation	Grand Ballroom Prefunction
This poster session will explore the presenter’s experiences with a pilot program that used the Tegrity automatic class capture system to produce enhanced podcasts for three graduate-level classes during Fall 2006. One of the classes was also a videoconference-based distance learning class.

Wednesday, 4:30 pm to 6:00 pm

Hands-on workshop:
Image Quiz: Using Principles of Cognitive Psychology to Teach Visual Expertise
Track: Other
Presenters: Bruce Kirchoff

Marriott A

Image Quiz is a cross-platform computer program designed to efficiently create visual experts. Unlike novices, experts are able to quickly recognize patterns. This allows chess masters to recognize chess configurations and botanists to identify plants at a glimpse from a moving vehicle. Image Quiz helps students rapidly achieve this mastery by adapting techniques from cognitive psychology. It is designed to promote holistic processing, the visual processing mode used by experts. The workshop will explain the principles upon which Image Quiz is based and will give participants the opportunity to use the program to learn two species of native trees. Image Quiz can be used in any discipline that depends on visual information, including STEM disciplines such as chemistry and mathematics.

Advance registration for workshops is not required; however, seating is limited and is on a first-come basis.

Hands-on workshop:
Putting Technology in the Hands of Students to Provide Active and Deep Learning Experiences
Track: Other
Presenters: Jane Harris, Pamela Kocher Brown, Pamela Howe

Related Material: Presentation website

Marriott B

Learn about student use of multiple inexpensive or free technologies in an active and deep learning process, the product of which were “published” multimedia presentations or interactive activities. Student learning was extended via increased engagement with the material and presentation and/or sharing of products with classmates and/or clients. Faculty and the instructional technology consultants will show multiple examples of student presentations over diverse disciplines. We will describe elements of structure, process, and assessment that we found to be effective. We will provide faculty and student reviews of the activities. Finally, we will post to the web information about the technologies, how-to handouts for instructors and students, examples of student products, and pedagogical support materials such as project assignment details and rubrics. Some of the technologies used were Timeline Creator, PowerPoint, Blackboard ePortfolio, Dreamweaver, Photoshop, and Hot Potatoes software. Students also used Inspiration (concept mapping) and video creation tools, among others.

Advance registration for workshops is not required; however, seating is limited and is on a first-come basis.

Wednesday, 4:30 pm to 5:20 pm

* Featured Session * Formal presentation: The University of North Carolina Online Initiative Track: e-Learning / Distance Education Presenters: James Sadler	Grand Ballroom 2
The six months prior to this presentation will have been an intensive time of preparation for launching The University of North Carolina Online portal. Numerous connections and collaborations have been required on campuses and among campuses and UNC General Administration. This presentation will review progress in creating the portal, related technology, and support services.

Demonstration:
Rolling Out the Red Carpet for Teen Readers: A University, Public School, and Public Library Production
Track: TLT Tools
Presenters: Cris Crissman

Related Material: Overview of Project and Invitation to Participate

Grand Ballroom 1

Adolescents may be doing more reading and writing than ever, but instant messaging, blogging, and MySpace do not a fully literate individual make. Learn how a group of passionate literacy professionals from NCSU, a Raleigh-area high school, and a public library have connected and collaborated to produce an annual awards program that enables teen readers and graduate students to recognize the most powerful young adult books published each year. The medium is a live webcast and teens, educators, and authors around the world are invited to participate. In this session, we will share the story of the project, talk about the technology involved, and brainstorm additional service projects that enable public school students and university students to collaborate to make a real contribution to their communities—local and global. To learn more and see archives of previous webcasts, see “The Melinda Awards” on the TeenReadNC site at http://www.ncwiseowl.org/teenreadnc/.

Demonstration:
Web 2.0: It’s All About Connections
Track: TLT Tools
Presenters: Kenneth Mentor

Dogwood

Blogs, wikis, RSS, podcasting, videoblogs, Flickr, clouds, YouTube, folksonomy, del.icio.us, MySpace, Facebook, and social networking. These tools are examples of new services and software—collectively known as Web 2.0—that are transforming the web from a “read only” medium to one where users can publish and share content. These new tools, designed to make connections between people and ideas, have the potential to transform learners and learning. Web 2.0 is altering teaching strategies, faculty roles, and issues related to copyright and intellectual property as educators explore the potential of these tools. While not designed specifically for e-learning, each of these tools can be used to create new learning spaces. These tools also create opportunities to share and discuss innovations, leading to evaluation of teaching, innovative approaches toward learning, and sharing of effective practices. This presentation provides an overview of these tools with a focus on potential uses in education.

Formal presentation:
A Primer on Blended Learning
Track: Other
Presenters: Donna Petherbridge, Traci Temple

Boxwood

Blended learning can be defined as a mixture of traditional classroom-based and web-based learning environments. Utilizing a blended learning approach not only meets the needs of today’s students, but may provide institutions with opportunities to increase the capacity of existing learning facilities. This session will characterize blended learning, provide several models of blended learning approaches, and describe how using a blended learning approach can utilize the best practices of both classroom- and web-based environments to benefit today’s learners.

Formal presentation:
Learning: The Missing Link in TLT?
Track: Other
Presenters: Scott Simkins

Related Material: Powerpoint Slides with Reference Links

Capital Ballroom A-B

Most teaching and learning with technology (TLT) discussions focus either on instructional technology tools or the process of using those tools in teaching. Too little attention is focused on the use of technology to promote student and/or instructor learning. This session explores the potential for increasing the learning component in TLT, both for students and instructors. It will address the following questions: 1) What technologies most effectively promote student learning?, 2) How do we know?, and 3) What technologies help facilitate not only student learning but also instructor learning? Research focused on these questions is the domain of the scholarship of teaching and learning, an area of inquiry that is often absent from conversations about teaching and learning with technology. This session aims to refocus that conversation, moving learning to the forefront of TLT. In this session, we will illustrate examples of TLT-mediated strategies that make learning visible for both students and instructors. The examples will be used to build a participant-generated list of general principles for effectively using technology to promote learning in and out of the classroom.

Formal presentation:
Visionaries and Pragmatists: Implementing Learning Mobility Technologies
Track: Other
Presenters: Colleen Wiessner, Barry Olson, Emily Robinson, Akehia Cheek

Sandalwood

This study examines the implementation of learning mobility technologies in higher education. Using data obtained from the EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative Focus Session, Mobility and Mobile Learning: The Next Phase of Anytime, Anywhere Learning, and New Learning Project methodologies, we address current trends as well as suggestions for best practice. Two perspectives emerged as important for facilitating incorporation into higher education settings: visionaries and pragmatists; those who imagine the possibilities and those who imagine how to make it happen. In an age of disconnection, considering ways to encourage active construction of knowledge and engagement at all levels of learning and campus life is essential. This research has implications not only for classroom practice but for campus involvement, online learning, and informal learning in multiple contexts. Learning mobility technologies have the potential to connect students, faculty, and administrators. The first step is connecting multiple perspectives in order to foster effective implementation efforts.

Panel discussion:
Centra Success: Web Conferencing for e-Learning
Track: Other
Presenters: Sharon Collins, Michael Behm, John Southworth, Erich Connell, D. Elizabeth Jesse, Elizabeth Hodge

Related Material: Centra Success: Web Conferencing for e-Learning

Capital Ballroom C

East Carolina University (ECU) wanted a way to have a synchronous learning environment for distance education students. The students needed to feel that they were connected as a community and could easily participate in the classroom experience. Academic Outreach, which houses the distance learning program at ECU, decided to use Centra as a means to create a social presence and community for students and faculty. Centra is a web conferencing software program that allows audio, video, application sharing, and text chat. Beginning with a license of 50 and now using a 250-seat license, ECU has successfully implemented Centra in the university e-learning community and created an effective group-oriented learning environment. Attend this panel session and talk to faculty that used the tool to create their course, have synchronous/live video and audio interactions with their students, and created a social network of learning.

Panel discussion:
Using Technology in Foreign Language and Culture Instruction
Track: Other
Presenters: Katherine Stephenson, Mary Frances Castro, Martha Miller, Heather McCullough

Capital Ballroom D

This panel presentation will showcase how instructional technology is being used in a variety of ways to teach foreign language and culture at our campus. The panelists will demonstrate faculty- and student-authored multimedia resources and voice tools used in language instruction. One faculty member uses audio interviews of Costa Ricans and images of Costa Rica for numerous kinds of listening and speaking activities. Another faculty member supervised a project by Brazilian exchange students who developed a multimedia DVD to accompany the elementary Portuguese program at our campus. The third faculty presenter uses the online voice discussion board tool, Wimba, to prepare students for oral tests in French classes. This presentation will be of interest to foreign language instructors, ESL instructors, distance educators, and instructional technologists looking for ways to enrich language teaching. Web links and a PowerPoint slide show will be provided to attendees.

Wednesday, 5:30 pm to 6:00 pm

Roundtable discussion:
To Reply or Not to Reply: That Is the Question . . . for Collaboration
Track: Libraries
Presenters: Sophia Stone, Diane Chapman, Julia Storberg-Walker

Boxwood

Researchers have proposed ways to make learning spaces conducive for discussion, and practitioners have developed strategies for evoking student participation online. In a face-to-face course, students use many criteria to decide whether or not to interact with one another. Criteria may include visual cues, physical presence, or proximity. In the online classroom, students are compelled to base their decisions on whether or not to interact without these cues. However, little is known about the decision processes used by students when they decide to respond to asynchronous communication. Using our findings from a qualitative study of two master’s degree courses, we will explore how students decide to interact in online discussions, the group process criteria used, and the influence that social/personal feelings play in their decisions to respond. This roundtable discussion will contribute toward our understanding of how online learners decide to interact and engage in online discussions, and it will help educators improve the quality and depth of their online student discussions.

Roundtable discussion:
Connecting the Dots: Perceived Barriers to Ideal Practices in Web-Based Teaching & Implications for Faculty Development
Track: e-Learning / Distance Education
Presenters: Bessie Nkonge

Capital Ballroom C

The challenges of teaching online persist even after years of practice and refinement by faculty and their support teams. There might be a “disconnect” between what faculty need, the support structures, and the environment for online learning. The research question that guided this qualitative study was “What do faculty perceive to be the barriers to their ideal teaching practices?” This discussion will examine barriers that affect ideal practices as reported by faculty. The underlying philosophy is that if relevant support structures are implemented, the teaching/learning process will thrive. The discussion will conclude with implications of the findings on institutional policies governing training intended to address the concerns of online instructors and the practical solutions that can be delivered through workshops, symposia, and training. This discussion is suited for distance education administrators, faculty development personnel, and faculty teaching online. Participants will be able to exchange ideas on effective faculty development models.

Formal presentation:
Project ACHIEVE: Implementing Web-Science at Southern High School
Track: Instructional / Information Technology
Presenters: Gail Hollowell, Tun Nyein, Cassandra Palmer

Related Material: Presentation Slides

Capital Ballroom A-B

The Technology Enhanced Learning in Science (TELS) Center is a one of 15 national centers established by the National Science Foundation to improve instruction in science, mathematics, and engineering. The TELS Center provides inquiry-based learning modules that utilize technology- enhanced science curricula to convey scientific concepts to students, while researchers within the center study the pedagogy and philosophy of teaching. TELS has assembled an array of innovative technology-enhanced modules across a variety of middle school and high school science topics in biology, chemistry, earth science, life science, and physics. These modules can be easily integrated into instruction to assist teachers as they use project-based learning in their 6-12 grade classrooms. One desired outcome is that educators utilizing the TELS methodologies will help students to develop a real-world connection to science. This presentation will provide an overview of the TELS project with an emphasis on the science and technology integration.

Formal presentation:
What Can Students Learn from Computer-Based Training?
Track: Instructional / Information Technology
Presenters: Tammala Bulger, Dana Ward

Related Material: What Can Students Learn from Computer-Based Training?

Sandalwood

Plenty, if you’re a communication studies major at UNCW. Learn how a faculty member is using Blended Learning Toolkits (BLTs) to create an innovative, blended learning exercise. In addition to using BLTs, the faculty member is incorporating computer-based training courses to supplement classroom instruction in a senior-level seminar. Internship supervisors are collaborating with their interns to choose a site-appropriate, computer-based training course. UNCW’s IT staff is working to aid faculty in developing assignments that aid students in building connections between coursework and their next step.

Formal presentation, sponsored by TaskStream:
Electronic Portfolios for Demonstrating Learning Achievement
Track: TLT Tools
Presenters: Benjamin Coulter

Capital Ballroom E-G

TaskStream is the leader in delivering on-demand tools and support for standards-based instruction, competency assessment, and electronic portfolios. Learn how to easily and affordably implement a web-based solution to demonstrate standards-driven, learned competencies. TaskStream equips learners and content providers with a flexible and affordable system for efficiently achieving diverse outcomes. This session will demonstrate TaskStream’s tools to create student portfolios and reports that can be used to show programmatic success in support of accreditation.

* Featured Session *
Formal presentation:
Enrollment, Retention, and Learning Initiative: A Course Enhancement Process
Track: Other
Presenters: Mark Sivy, Lorraine Stanton

Capital Ballroom D

Are you looking for consistency across multiple sections of a course being taught by multiple faculty? Is retention an issue on your campus? Are you interested in getting positive results with less effort for large enrollment courses? The UNC Charlotte Enrollment, Retention, and Learning Initiative (ERLI) is an adaptable approach to these and many other instructional situations. It makes use of collaborative efforts and leveraging of existing instructional and e-learning resources to provide favorable results at low or, most often, no cost. ERLI can provide success by defining needs, identifying available and applicable resources, selecting the appropriate team, developing a viable plan, and implementing the ensuing solution. This model can has been developed to be capable of serving as an instructional benefit in a variety of teaching environments and situations.

Formal presentation:
What Next for Kitchen Chemistry
Track: Other
Presenters: Jimmy Reeves

Related Material: What Next for Kitchen Chemistry

Grand Ballroom 2

For the past 12 semesters, UNCW and Cape Fear Community College (CFCC) have offered distance learning versions of our first semester general chemistry courses for science majors. The laboratory portion of the courses is done in the student's kitchen, and the experiments are designed to mirror those taught in the traditional setting. Our research has shown that for nontraditional students that typify distance learners, the kitchen laboratories are as effective as traditional labs. This presentation will review the approach and discuss future plans to improve and extend the model. It will also review the controversy over substituting laboratory simulations for hands-on laboratories in proposed distance learning science courses.

Demonstration:
Promoting the Learning Experience by Applying Case-Based Learning with Computer-Mediated Instruction
Track: Other
Presenters: Pil-Won On, William Irwin

Grand Ballroom 1

Evidence Based Practice (EBP) is “a process of lifelong self-directed learning in which caring for our own patients creates the need for clinically important information” (Sackett et al. 2000). Through the application of five critical steps, EBP helps practitioners systematically approach critical decision making in consideration of multiple factors. In order to train skilled practitioners, it is vital that students obtain practical experience by applying their knowledge of EBP in realistic settings. However, educational opportunities for the development of EBP skills are limited, particularly for those who are not enrolled in courses or who have job- or family-related obligations that impose time constraints. In this study, the online EBP graduate course will be introduced to show how case-based learning methods can promote the learning experience, which requires the practical application of knowledge. The presentation of the online EBP course will also demonstrate how computer-mediated, case-based instruction enhances the quality of learning.

Demonstration:
Ultimate Survey: An Assessment Tool for Liberal Studies Learning Outcomes
Track: Other
Presenters: Tracy Zontek, Laura Chapman

Dogwood

Assessment is a critical component of education both at an individual student level and to evaluate overall educational outcomes. Ultimate Survey (US) was used by the Liberal Studies Oversight Committee in conjunction with the institution administration, department heads, and faculty to determine compliance with goals and objectives for the wellness, oral communication, and mathematics components of the liberal studies program. Traditional methods of data collection were inefficient; US was an effective tool to gather qualitative and quantitative data about learning outcomes, serve as a springboard for recommendations, and further refine the program. Based on survey results, a feedback loop was developed to integrate recommendations for improved learning outcomes with departments and faculty. This presentation (slides provided) will demonstrate how collaborative support mechanisms and creative use of technology can positively impact student learning and create a meaningful and documented feedback loop for the assessment process.