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National Distance Learning Week is in its final two days!
Today from 1-2pm EST:
Data Justice, Data Rights and AI Ethics with Farah Bennani, Ph.D., and Kae Novak, Assistant Director, Learning Design at Front Range Community College
Today at 3-4 pm EST:
AI—The Impact on Higher Education
with Dr. Robbie Melton, Interim Provost/VP of Academic Affairs and VP of Technology Innovations for the SMART Global Technology Innovation Center and tenured professor at Tennessee State University
Tomorrow — Friday, November 10 from 1-2 pm EST: GenAI Holds Great Promise for Distance Learning, But There Are Concerns with John Agnew, Ph.D. Program Coordinator for the Ph.D. Psychology Program at Walden University
From 3-4 pm EST: How can you demonstrate that your distance learning programs meet the highest standards of excellence in the industry? Learn all about it from SDLA President Chuck Sengstock and USDLA Board Member Dr. William Ryan
Please scroll down to learn more about these presentations. Click here to register for NDLW 2023. And don’t forget our special bonus: If you aren’t already a USDLA member and attend NDLW, you will receive a code for 50% off a first-time individual membership. All attendees can also request a certificate celebrating their participation in the NDLW event. Be sure to take advantage of this amazing offer! |
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Thursday, November 9
1-2pm EST
Data Justice, Data Rights and AI Ethics
Presenters: Farah Bennani, Ph.D., and Kae Novak, Assistant Director, Learning Design at Front Range Community College
About the session: Data Justice is an emergent area of digital rights and activism that has its roots in technology is not neutral. We need to question learners’ and workers’ rights in the age of big data, surveillance capitalism, algorithmic bias, and ubiquitous AI.
About the presenters:
Farah Bennani, Ph.D., (pictured left) has more than two decades of combined leadership, instructional experience, and innovation in the STEM field. She served as vice president of the Colorado Distance Learning Association and, in 2018, won the eLearning Advocate of the Year Award from the eLearning Consortium of Colorado. championed and served as the Allied Health Curriculum Expert at the North American Network of Science Labs Online (NANSLO), developing remote-web-based science labs (RWSLB), where she designed virtual online labs curricula that allowed students to control lab activities remotely. Her leadership in STEM and online learning has resulted in her teams being the recipients of multiple grants that focus on student engagement, multiculturalism, and immersive learning in the STEM field. She presents and publishes nationally and internationally on emerging technology, augmented and virtual realities, adaptive learning, and game-based learning.
Kae Novak (pictured right) has 15 years of experience in online learning and is the Assistant Director of Learning Design at Front Range Community College. She teaches multimedia, computer information systems, and marketing courses in the Colorado Community College Systems. She is the Co-Chair of the eLearning Consortium of Colorado and has led the organization in its annual virtual and hybrid conferences for the past three years. She is currently doing research on online learning, immersive learning experiences, and social justice. Her most recent publication is co-authoring a chapter titled Constructivism for Active, Authentic Learning.
Register here: usdla.org/2023-ndlw |
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Thursday, November 9
3-4 pm EST
AI: The Impact on Higher Education
Presenter: Dr. Robbie Melton, Interim Provost/VP of Academic Affairs and VP of Technology Innovations for the SMART Global Technology Innovation Center and tenured professor at Tennessee State University
About the session: Dr. Robbie Melton will highlight and showcase how artificial intelligence will impact various areas of higher education. She will:
- Demonstrate AI’s power to advance research through modeling and data analytics while discussing chatbots and their benefits for student support.
- Share innovations in AI music and the arts that are transforming creative fields.
- Emphasize the need to develop these technologies with diversity and cultural perspectives in mind while outlining AI’s vast potential.
- Stress that to realize AI’s benefits its applications must be inclusive and accommodate varied cultural learning needs and styles.
- Address the importance of promoting diversity among AI researchers and developers to help guard against unconscious bias.
- Describe the transformations AI may bring, from improving teaching to pioneering new research frontiers.
- Highlight that responsible, people-centered development is key to ensuring AI transforms in higher education for the betterment of students and society.
About the presenter: As Interim Provost/VP of Academic Affairs and VP of Technology Innovations for the SMART Global Technology Innovation Center and tenured professor at Tennessee State University, Dr. Melton serves as a global researcher and international consultant for Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Education and Emerging IOE (“The Internet of Everything”) Smart Mobile Technology of mobile devices, smart phone-tablets, wearables, smart gadgets and tools, and mixed reality of VR and AR. She formerly served as the Associate Vice Chancellor for Emerging Technologies for the Tennessee Board of Regents and the primary developer and chief administrator for the system-wide Regents Online Degree Programs. Her tributes include The 2023 Top 50 Women Leaders in Education, the 2019 USDLA Hall of Fame, the 2018 Distinguished Women of Legend, the 2017 OLC Leadership, the 2016 WCET Lifetime Achievement, the 2014 Top 30 Technologists, the 2013 Apple Distinguished Educator, 2012 Top Fifty Technology Innovator; and 2012 WOW EdTechnology Awards.
Register here: usdla.org/2023-ndlw |
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Friday, November 10
1-2 pm EST
GenAI Holds Great Promise for Distance Learning, But There Are Concerns
Presenter: John Agnew, Ph.D. Program Coordinator for the Ph.D. Psychology Program at Walden University
About the session: Generative AI has emerged rapidly into public awareness in the past year, and much has been written about the cataclysmic threats and vast possibilities of this new technology. Working in distance learning, we know that our students have many needs (editors and statistics tutors are just two examples) that GenAI could meet. But we also have fears that our students may use this technology to avoid the hard work of critical thinking rather than using it to allow more time for such deeper learning. In this presentation, Dr. Agnew will share his observations about the assignments that are easier or harder for GenAI to complete, talk about the concerns with AI detectors and why they will likely never be successful, and discuss some of the ethical concerns of using GenAI and Large Language Models with student information that is protected by FERPA and research-participant data that is covered by human subjects protection guidelines.
About the presenter: John Agnew has been teaching in higher education for the past 20 years, both in-person and online. In 2019, he became the Program Coordinator at Walden University and has been teaching exclusively online since then. His background is in cognitive neuroscience, and over the past year, he has been exploring the possibilities of generative AI in the classroom. At Walden University, he serves on the AI Innovation Taskforce and has studied the effectiveness of AI detection tools. He has also been involved in developing policies and best practices for the use of AI by faculty and students.
Register here: usdla.org/2023-ndlw |
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Friday, November 10
3-4 pm EST
How can you demonstrate that your distance learning programs meet the highest standards of excellence in the industry?
Presenters: USDLA President Chuck Sengstock and longtime USDLA Board Member Dr. William Ryan
About the session: How can you benefit from a rigorous and systematic process of self-evaluation and peer review? How can you join a network of distinguished institutions that have achieved Quality Certification from USDLA? In this webinar, Dr. Bill Ryan and Dr. Chuck Sengstock will share their insights and experiences on how USDLA’s Quality Certification can help you enhance your reputation, performance, and outcomes in distance learning.
About the presenters:
USDLA President Chuck Sengstock is well respected throughout the state of Iowa for his expertise in distance learning. Distance learning programs Chuck has helped develop and manage have received state and international awards for excellence. Currently, Chuck is the Director of Continuing Education and Professional Development within the School of Education at Drake University. In this position, he oversees the development and marketing of all online and video correspondence graduate courses. He also develops departmental policies, procedures, and initiatives. During his 25-year career, Chuck has worked at four different colleges and universities in Iowa. He has developed training and support initiatives for both online and video conferencing instructors as well as managed a multimedia production facility where he worked with instructors to create digital objects for their online, blended, and face-to-face courses. Chuck is also skilled at live event production and has organized and managed events for various colleges and universities as well as corporations such as Warner Brothers Records and Ingram Entertainment. He has a Bachelor’s Degree from Iowa Wesleyan College, a Master’s Degree from the University of Northern Iowa, and a Specialist in Education from Drake.
USDLA Board Member Dr. William Ryan consults with organizations on learning and performance needs. His expertise is in distance learning and competency-based programs. He was the Executive Director of the Learn on Demand online competency program at the Kentucky Community & Technical College System (KCTCS), a VP of Education for a regional home health company and has held positions as National Leader for Curriculum and Technology Solutions with Humana Inc., serving a global learning community focused on performance improvement. He has been a VP for Technology/CIO at Lakeland Community College and worked for Westinghouse and IBM in learning technology roles. Learn more: www.williamjryan.com
Register here: usdla.org/2023-ndlw |
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| Thank You to Our National Sponsors
D2L, Instructure, JDL Horizons, Poly, Google, Verizon, Edu Alliance Group, Harmonize, FDLA, IAP, IPX, Nearpod, ViewSonic, Wolfvision, Anatomage, Arizona Telemedicine Program and Southwest Telehealth Resource Center, GoReact, Huddly, BocaVox, Softchalk, NC Sara, Simple Syllabus, VDO360, VirtualCare, Waldorf University, Merlot, IntelliBoard, Flo-ops, Upswing, Questionmark, Perlego, Padlet |
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| Thank you for supporting USDLA, our Sponsors, and our State Chapters.
Chuck Sengstock, President
Valary Oleinik, President-elect
About United States Distance Learning Association (USDLA)
The USDLA, a 501(c) 3 non-profit association formed in 1987, reaches 20,000 people globally with sponsors and members operating in and influencing 46% of the $913 billion. U.S. education and training market. USDLA promotes the development and application of distance learning for education and training and serves the needs of the distance learning community by providing advocacy, information, networking, and opportunity. Distance learning and training constituencies served include pre-K-12 education, home schooling, higher education, and continuing education, as well as business, corporate, military, government, and telehealth markets. Visit USDLA.org |
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