Hello Integrating Technology and Program Management Colleagues,
On Tuesday, April 23rd, join one of three LINCS groups -- Professional Development, Integrating Technology or Program Management -- beginning mid-morning (Eastern Time) for a stimulating one-day asynchronous interview with Dr. Jen Vanek, the Director of Digital Learning and Research and Director of the IDEAL Consortium at the EdTech Center at World Education, Inc. Jen is a lead author of the IDEAL Consortium Distance Education and Blended Learning Handbook, among numerous papers and reports focused on adult basic skills education. She is also an Integrating Technology and Professional Development group member.
With contributions from LINCS moderator Kathy Tracey and me, and perhaps other moderators who may join us, Jen will unpack New Models for Distance Classes in Adult Education and introduce the IDEAL Distance Education and Blended Learning Handbook. Distance and blended learning are teaching and learning strategies that employ online learning for engaging students in flexible online learning. Specific strategies that will be discussed focus on effective use of technology to facilitate successful recruitment, orientation, placement, assessment, and retention in a distance and/or blended learning environment.
In her role as Director of the IDEAL Consortium, Jen supports member states with growth or refinement of their distance or blended learning programming by connecting administrators and instructors across the country as they share expertise and make the best use of relevant research.
After the asynchronous interview, the conversation will continue in a discussion thread in the three LINCS Community groups.
This activity will be especially useful for professional development providers, instructors, and program managers. Participants will have a chance to reflect on their own programs and gain a better understanding of current research to integrate learnings into their own classroom practices. Examples of best practices to be showcased both during the activity and in the follow up discussion include specific strategies for proper assessment and placement of students within a curriculum /online learning options and how proper placement leads to student retention and goal achievement. Samples of orientation practices for online learners will be discussed. These orientations, when delivered well, can improve student retention.
Please post your questions or comments for Jen prior to, or at any time on April 23rd. During and following the activity on April 23rd, Kathy Tracey and I will support and facilitate discussion around the topic and invite participants to share how they are applying the models and strategies.
Please share this announcement with your colleagues! Those who are interested are asked to join the Evidence-based Professional Development Group, Program Management Group, and/or the Integrating Technology Group in the LINCS Community.
David J. Rosen, Moderator
LINCS CoP Integrating Technology and Program Management groups
Comments
Colleagues,
If you want to send questions to Jen Vanek now or sometime before April 23rd, you can post them as replies to this comment. That will give Jen a chance to think about them before the 23rd, when she can answer them in the LINCS Integrating Technology, Program Management and Professional development groups. On the 23rd, Kathy Tracey, the moderator of the LINCS Professional Development group, who organized this interview, will post a message to all three groups indicating the Interview has begun; from that point, all questions should be posted in -- and will be answered in -- that discussion thread.
To see the interview and ask Jen questions yourself on the 23rd, log in to this group. The questions and answers will be posted in it and the other two groups throughout the day, and discussion may continue beyond the 23rd. Everything is archived in the discussion thread so if you can't log in that day, or for only part of the day, you can view the discussion later. However, if you want to dialogue with Jen, do log in that day. Also, you only need to join the discussion in one of the three groups.
If you have other questions about how this works, please post them as replies to this comment and I'll try to answer them.
David J. Rosen, Moderator
LINCS CoP Integrating Technology and Program Management groups
I'm really looking forward to this discussion. Here's a link to the IDEAL Distance and Blended Learning Handbook, one of the two resources I'll be responding about. The other is New Models for Distance Classes in Adult Education, a paper on which I collaborated with Dr. Jere Johnston, Sheryl Hart and Destiny (Long) Simpson. Enjoy some weekend reading!
Jen