Tracks

The Sloan-C International Symposium on Emerging Technology Applications for Online Learning brings together people who are interested in the ways emerging technologies are transforming education by addressing challenges in learning, affordability, accessibility and faculty and student satisfaction.*

Experts, intermediate users and novices are welcome to participate in Symposium activities including both face-to-face and virtual components. Symposium tracks call for demonstrations of research and practice related to pedagogy, immersive learning, innovation, community and scale.

Tracks include:

Pedagogy and new learning environments

How do new technologies improve teaching and learning? How do emerging technologies effect instructional design? How do we support faculty in learning new tools? How do emerging technologies support assessment of all types−from the explicit (acquisition, display, understanding) to the implicit (built-in, hidden, or ubiquitous)? What is the instructional value of new technologies and how can this value be demonstrated to aid selection?

This track is specifically for sharing of proven successful practices, strategies, and pilot used of pedagogical applications in teaching and learning environments.

Examples of topics: Open educational resources, collaborative efforts, STEM education, design paradigms, and affordable and sustainable delivery models are areas of interest.



Track Chairs:

Kaye Shelton, Dallas Baptist University

Michelle Pacansky-Brock, Sierra College

Inventive uses of media and tools

Which emerging technologies make sense for use in everyday instruction? What is the evidence that inventive uses of media and tools improve outcomes in these areas: learning, accessibility, affordability, faculty satisfaction, and student satisfaction?  

This track is especially for practitioners to share information about using media and tools for specific learning objectives, explain results of media studies, and describe inventive approaches.

Examples of topics: podcasting, visualization, simple games, lecture capture, inexpensive digital video

Note: virtual learning environment proposals (including Second Life, Wonderland, Croquet, etc.) should be submitted to the Immersive Learning and Virtual Environments track.



Track Chairs:

Cinda Holsomback-Ebner, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

Bethany Bovard, New Mexico State University

John Thompson, Buffalo State College

Immersive Learning and Virtual Environments

What are replicable or shareable examples of immersive and virtual, environments that improve outcomes in these areas:  learning, accessibility, affordability, faculty satisfaction, and student satisfaction?  How do simulations−virtual worlds, gaming, virtual science or engineering labs, and simulations−succeed in experiential and service learning, collaboration, practice for critical skills and training? What models support investment in researching and developing immersive learning tools, which sometime have higher costs in development, faculty training or staff time?

This track welcomes submissions that support theory with evidence of effectiveness. Submissions should identify practices as high- or low-threshold to help audiences select sessions.

Examples of topics: 3-d worlds, remote labs, avatars, mobile technologies, haptic devises, simulations



Track Chairs:

Jeremey Kemp, San Jose State University

Sharon Taylor, Colorado Community College Online

Shari McCurdy, University of Illinois at Springfield

The New Learning Communities

How are new social networking applications transforming online and hybrid educational environments? These applications (include innovations such as blogs, wikis, CRM, and other applications) How do these affect student learning and satisfaction; the roles of faculty, administration, and staff; access to educational opportunities; and the formation of non-traditional networking? What new learning communities are forming to bridge disciplines, institutions, regions, and nations? What evidence measures the effectiveness of these communities?  What principles guide their development?

This track seeks papers that demonstrate significant learning, satisfaction, access, and affordability improvements through online social connectivity. 

Examples of topics: establishing social networks, engaging communities of learning, community software, personal learning environments, mentoring, learning architecture



Track Chairs:

Alice Cooper, Maricopa Community College

Patricia McGee, University of Texas at San Antonio

Emerging Technologies for Administration, Infrastructure, and support services

How have the myriad new applications and technologies affected support systems and models? What are creative and cost effective applications of technology for staff and faculty development and training, library, academic and student support services?  What are effective approaches to technology selection, open source utilization and partnerships, peer learning, and self-learning paradigms? How do institutions use technologies to scale for capacity enrollment while improving quality?

This track focuses on new paradigms for learning and information technology infrastructure, emphasizing infrastructure support for online and hybrid environments, including open educational resources and academic continuity.

Examples of topics: social networking tools, student information systems, retention and technology, ePortfolios



Track Chair:

Karen Vignare, Michigan State University

Doug Cremer, California Community Colleges System

John Whitmer, California Virtual Campus

* The Sloan-C quality pillars are principles for measuring success in online education: scale (cost effectiveness and institutional commitment), student satisfaction, faculty satisfaction, learning effectiveness, and access.