Program

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

The interactive program below contains the most up-to-date information.

Wednesday, March 12 Thursday, March 13 Friday, March 14

Friday, 9:00 am to 10:00 am

Plenary session:
The 3C's of IT Change: Collaboration, Communication, and Consolidation
Track: Other
Presenters: Robyn Render

Capital Ballroom E, F, G

The sixteen campuses within the UNC system have a long history of working together, sharing resources, and leveraging IT dollars to support the missions of their institutions. 21st century expectations of IT systems and services require a different and more deliberate approach in working together across new boundaries and among new constituents. In this presentation, Render will examine current models of multi-institutional collaboration, communication, and consolidation and share her insights on what may emerge as opportunities for tomorrow.

Friday, 10:10 am to 11:00 am

Panel discussion:
UNCA and the UNC Online Initiative
Track: Distance Education
Presenters: Michael Ruiz, Elizabeth Snyder, Nancy Ruppert

Related Material: Online/Blended Learning Experiences PowerPoint

Boxwood

One priority of The University of North Carolina is to extend the benefits of higher education to students whose work and family obligations prevent them from enrolling in a campus-based program. This interactive session presents three new UNCA online courses created to meet this objective: in Education, Foreign Languages, and Physics. Through synchronous communication, presenters will provide audience access to their course materials, allowing participants to explore specific course tools, assignments and assessment features. Each presenter will provide innovative strategies for delivering quality educational experiences tailored to their own disciplines. Examples will include interactive scavenger hunts, individual student Web pages, online labs, and the use of online video. The session will also address the challenges of maintaining collaboration in a fully online environment and demonstrate best practices for monitoring and assessing student engagement.

Formal presentation:
A New Model for Introductory Spanish: Course Redesign Results at UNC-Chapel Hill
Track: TLT Pedagogy
Presenters: Robert Henshaw, Glynis Cowell, Hosun Kim, Rob Moore, Erika Bagley

Capital Ballroom C

UNC-Chapel Hill piloted a redesign for its introductory Spanish course during fall 2007 semester. Due to the shortage of classroom space on campus and difficulty hiring qualified instructors, the romance languages department is currently unable to scale the course to meet student demand. Large waiting lists are common. The traditional course is modeled on four contact hours per week between instructors and students. Graduate instructors currently teach most of the sections. The redesigned course replaces three of the four weekly contact hours with alternative activities. Two of the four contact hours have shifted to an interactive, feedback-rich online program. The third hour has been replaced with small group conversation sessions led by undergraduate student assistants. During the presentation, project members will discuss the results of the redesign in the context of the project assessment plan, unexpected challenges and successes, and the experiences of participating students and instructors.

Panel discussion: Effective Practices for Online Instruction Track: TLT Pedagogy Presenters: Laura Rogers	Capital Ballroom A&B
This session will provide an overview of developing, delivering and assessing effective online instruction with examples that include learning management systems, immersive virtual environments, and selected Web 2.0 applications. Information will be provided on how participants may also contribute to this discussion via associated blog and wiki sites.

Demonstration:
Generative Art: Teaching in a Post-Digital Environment
Track: TLT Pedagogy
Presenters: Bob King, Dean Wilcox

Dogwood

Post-digital is a term that refers to artistic processes that do not focus on digital tools themselves, but ask what possibilities these tools open up or generate artistically. In turn, our presentation invites participants to explore with us the pedagogical possibilities that result when generative tools and practices are released in educational environments. We will proceed by: • Introducing the creative potentials of digital media by briefly reviewing the key principles identified by Lev Manovich in his book The Language of New Media • Sharing the example of artist Brian Eno’s generative multimedia work 77 Million Paintings • Referring to videotaped interview segments with students who have engaged in generative artistic and educational practices themselves • Gathering audience comments and feedback electronically as we proceed through the session • Providing access to a presenters-wiki that includes an array of resources on our topic and a fairly complete record of our own creative process and range of spin-off products Otherwise and in keeping with our theme of generativity we are committed to not over-determining what will actually happen in our session.

Formal presentation: Online Assessment Tools—Do They Provide a Valid Assessment of Learning for Students with a Disability? Track: TLT Tools Presenters: Lisa Fiedor, Saroj Primlani Related Material: Assessment Accessibility presentation slides	Grand Ballroom 2
Curriculum, instruction, and pedagogy, when linked with good assessment strategies, provide excellent measures of teaching and learning effectiveness. Technology enables the use of universal design principles addressing different learning styles, rates, and methods of expression. Important accessible design concepts of assessment tools and instruments will be discussed.

Formal presentation, sponsored by Blackboard:
Using Blackboard's Learning System to Drive Student Achievement
Track: TLT Tools
Presenters: John Dennett

Sandalwood

By leveraging technology most campuses already own, the Blackboard Learning System, you can take advantage of new features in Release 8 which enables institutions to increase student engagement, collaborate in a secure fashion, and improve ways to assess student achievement. Learn how the new Self and Peer Assessments, can encourage faculty adoption and improve student collaboration. Also, the new Grade Center, in Release 8 provides dynamic tools to monitor student performance and provide student feedback. Come learn how these and other new tools can help faculty monitor performance and make students more accountable.

Formal presentation:
Virtual Computing Environment
Track: TLT Tools
Presenters: Henry Schaffer, Darryl McGraw, Samuel Averitt

Capital Ballroom D

NC State University's Virtual Computing Environment (VCE), in which racks of servers can provide any software application to any online client ("thin client"), will be demonstrated. NCCCS and UNC programs are now piloting use of VCE resources. The second half of this presentation will be a roundtable discussion with the audience on how VCE can be utilized in teaching, research, and service activities.

Formal presentation:
3-D Virtual World Learning Environments (i.e. Second Life) in Blended and Online Education
Track: Other
Presenters: Victoria Walker

Grand Ballroom 1

The presenter will discuss the process and pedagogical lessons learned from using the 3D virtual-world environment Second Life in online courses in a blended graduate degree program in counseling. The presenter is involved in developing the virtual-world learning environment, integrating its use in counseling courses in a blended master’s program, and is currently completing research on using virtual environments in higher education. The objective is to present a study of using a 3D virtual-world learning environment in online courses with a cohort of students in a blended graduate degree program. Using the results of student weekly reflections, surveys, course evaluations, and interviews, the presenter will discuss the implications, and offer practical suggestions for using virtual-world learning environments in blended and online courses.

Friday, 11:10 am to 12:00 pm

Formal presentation:
Multimedia Competencies for Instructional Technologists
Track: Research
Presenters: Florence Martin, Matthew Gayford, Ian Jones, Kara Lee, Whitney McSwain, Jessica Shartle, Bethanne Winzeler

Grand Ballroom 1

This study focused on identifying multimedia competencies for instructional technologists. As graduate students enrolled in a multimedia design and development course, we researched on the multimedia knowledge-based, skill-based, and tool-based competencies required for instructional technologists who design and develop multimedia products. As part of the study we a) identified competencies, b) constructed an online survey, c) collected data from professionals in the field, d) analyzed the data, and e) will be reporting the findings. The results of this survey will give us insight of the different topics, skill set, and tools that we have to be competent in in order to be successful when we graduate. The findings will also help the instructors who teach multimedia courses to stay current and help the students master the tools and skill set needed.

Panel discussion:
The Joint 2+2 Initiative: Developing Shareable Online Courses for the UNC System
Track: Distance Education
Presenters: Gail Burchfiel, Bobby Hobgood, Alisa Chapman, Gregory Rhoads, Nancy Ruppert, Sloan Despeaux

Related Material: The Joint 2+2 Initiative Powerpoint

Boxwood

UNC GA has partnered with LEARN NC to develop online programs in science and math as part of the Joint 2+2 Initiative, a collaborative effort between the NC Community College System and the University of North Carolina. The long term goal: increase the number of teachers in the critical areas of science, math, and special education. A panel comprised of the UNC general administration project manager, the course development project manager, the instructional designer, and course developers will discuss issues relating to program management and course development, including developing state-wide institutional cooperation, accessibility, quality standards, and faculty training and support. The panel will offer its unique perspectives from the planning phase through the initial pilot offerings of the courses. Discussion will center around program challenges, solutions, and essential design considerations for development of university-level courses.

Demonstration:
The Podcasting Research Group at East Carolina University: Adding Voice and Video to Distance Education
Track: Distance Education
Presenters: Abbie Brown, William Sugar, David Vinciguerra, Larry White, Kenneth Luterbach, Patrick Valentine, Heidi Blair, Barbara Marson, Jami Jones, Bethann Fine, Kevin Cherry, Carol Brown

Judicial

Twelve faculty members in the Department of Library Science and Instructional Technology are collaborating to experiment with incorporating podcasts into their online courses. The group is using podcasting to share both new content and provide instructor feedback on students’ efforts. The group is also experimenting with a variety of different delivery methods. Students are remarking positively on the use of podcasting. The group’s goals include improvement of course content and end-user experience; increasing the sense of instructor “presence” that students feel; and providing alternative presentations that appeal to audio/visual learners. The group is concurrently studying the challenges involved in developing, producing and delivering podcasts in online learning environments. This session will provide illustrations of our various podcasting efforts; commentary on production, delivery, and student reception; and commentary on our methods of self-evaluation and reflection within the group.

Formal presentation:
Creating an Image Database
Track: TLT Pedagogy
Presenters: Stephen Robison

Capital Ballroom C

This lecture will address a variety of methods to engage students outside the classroom by using online image databases for review of course content and as an area for research in the discipline. I will show one major site for setting up one’s own personal database that has architecture that allows for intuitive tagging and a search engine that students can use to find specific images. Art as a discipline has mass quantities of images for research and one major issue that will be addressed will be copyright infringement and how to obtain permissions to use imagery and how to get around these issues by password protecting the site so it is not public. Although art is one discipline this lecture will be directed at it will also address issues other disciplines can adopt.

Panel discussion:
Triumphs and Tribulations of Teaching in a Virtual World: Voices of Experience
Track: TLT Pedagogy
Presenters: Anthony Curtis, Lynda Aiman-Smith, Claudia Kimbrough, Arthur Taylor, Lorraine Stanton, Cris Crissman

Capital Ballroom A&B

In this panel, faculty from wildly different disciplines—marketing, journalism, story-telling, foreign languages, human resource management, information science, and creativity—share perspectives about teaching and learning in a virtual world. Panelists will discuss different approaches and activities they have used to engage and teach within multi-user virtual environments. Participants in this panel will discuss the expected—and unexpected—learning that stems from being in a virtual world; discuss environments within that world; and consider educational issues in such environments. We will honestly share our triumphs, and tribulations, about teaching and learning in this new technological environment, and encourage attendee participation. Attendees will take away tips, techniques, and example learning activities based on our diversity of experience. This panel is proposed as a follow up to a more formal presentation session, "Second Life: Real Teaching and Learning in a Virtual World”.

Demonstration:
Where in the World is…. 3-D Foreign Language Instruction with Google Earth
Track: TLT Pedagogy
Presenters: Heather McCullough, Dale Pike, Rosalba Scott, Anabel Aliaga-Buchenau

Dogwood

This panel session will demonstrate how foreign language, literature, and culture courses can use the 3-D satellite imaging technology of Google Earth. We will discuss specific activities that use Google Earth in elementary through advanced level language courses. Students can annotate maps on Google Earth with vocabulary terms, historical facts, literary information, or write sentences in the target language describing virtual visits to foreign cities. We will also demonstrate and discuss how Google Earth can be used with other programs such as Google Maps and Flickr. We will give practical examples of activities using both faculty- and student-generated content in Google Earth and discuss how these tools can be used in study abroad programs, too. The demonstration will be of interest to foreign language instructors, ESL instructors, distance educators, and instructional technologists looking for ways enrich language teaching. Web links and a PowerPoint slide show will be provided to attendees.

Formal presentation, sponsored by HP:
Re-Imagining the Classroom: How Faculty are Winning Grants and Increasing Student Success
Track: TLT Tools
Presenters: Jim Vanides, John Gryskiewicz

Related Material: Re-Imagining the Classroom PDF

Sandalwood

Through philanthropic grants from HP, faculty from more than 280 campuses in 36 countries are exploring innovative ways to enhance teaching and learning. We will share examples of successful grant-supported projects and discuss how the HP Technology for Teaching philanthropy initiative is helping faculty transform teaching and learning. Examples of how faculty are using tablet PCs, key success factors, and samples of the resulting impact on student academic success will be presented. Jim Vanides, HP Global Philanthropy Program Manager, will also share his personal tips on writing a winning grant proposal.

Formal presentation: The Campus Toolkit: Open-Source CMS Evaluation Resources Track: TLT Tools Presenters: Faith Dabney, Lori Mathis	Capital Ballroom D
Blackboard, Sakai and Moodle, Oh my! Come and hear about the CMS evaluations being conducted by the UNC TLTC, the progress we've made, where we're heading and what resources we'll soon be making available to the campuses!

Formal presentation:
Partnerships for a Revolution
Track: Other
Presenters: Elizabeth Evans

Related Material: PowerPoint Slides, Pre-Presentation Automated Slides

Grand Ballroom 2

How do you get seventeen departments, schools, and organizations on one campus to pull together under one umbrella? How do you get faculty to sign up and show up for an event? How do you incite enthusiasm and participation on a campus tired of budget cuts and doing more with less? Suggest a revolution in teaching and learning! Games4Learning has drawn units and individuals together from all over campus to begin to work together in ways never before experienced. This session will describe the genesis of what might well turn out to be a curriculum revolution at UNC-Chapel Hill. When you leave, you will be better able to stage your own revolution with campus-wide participation by learning techniques used to draw people together.

Friday, 12:10 pm to 12:40 pm

Formal presentation: Closing Session Track: Other Presenters: Frank Prochaska	Capital Ballroom E, F, G
Frank Prochaska, executive director of the UNC TLT Collaborative, will summarize the highlights of the conference program, with assistance from other UNC representatives. Participants who attend the closing session will be able to participate in a raffle for donated gift certificates and other prizes.