| For Release: IMMEDIATE | Contact: Public Affairs |
| Date: March 8, 2005 |
Distance Learning Alliance Conference to showcase innovative strategies
RALEIGH: Last year distance learning enrollment within the North Carolina Community College System increased 42% over the previous year. The largest growth was in web-based course enrollment. Comprehensive course development of the Virtual Learning Community and the dedicated instructors and staff providing distance learning services have led to that exponential growth. The Distance Learning Alliance Conference provides instructors and others an opportunity to enhance their skills by learning the latest techniques, sharing best practices, and networking. That Distance Learning Alliance Conference will be held on the campus of Fayetteville Technical Community College on March 9-11.
The Distance Learning Alliance Conference is organized by and established for K-12, community college, and university teachers, instructors, faculty, administrators, support staff, and participants from a variety of North Carolina agencies and organizations that engage in distance learning training. The conference has been providing staff development opportunities for distance learning professionals in North Carolina and the Southeast United States for nine years.
The conference, which begins with a recorded greeting from Lt. Governor Beverly Perdue, has the theme "Mainstreaming Distance Learning." A focus is on offering methods to increase utilization and develop a more cohesive relationship with other agencies utilizing distance learning, particularly the University of North Carolina.
According to Dr. Bill Randall, NCCCS Associate VP Learning Technology Systems and conference committee chair, distance learning is a "second foundation" for instruction and learning across the state from K-12 to community colleges to universities and distance learning technology is growing into traditional course as very necessary supplemental resources. "In order for the process to succeed, distance learning practitioners in all levels can and should interact, network, and share resources," says Randall.
In addition to presenting the traditional face-to-face conference sessions, "blended technology delivery" will also be available, including online, videoconferencing, or a combination of delivery methods.
The topics to be presented during the conference reflect the scope of services provided for students at community colleges, universities and in the public schools.
- Two sessions will focus on "Searching for Common Ground" between
the NCCCS and the UNC System. One session provides an update on delivery
services at UNC and the other is an issues forum, the first ever involving
UNC, NCCCS and DPI.
- Public television plays a large role in providing telecourses for students. One session will focus on the use of blended technologies to create student-centered and instructor-friendly classes that benefit students.
- One session will present proposed advances in distance education methods for biotechnology, including advanced communication technology and methodologies to improve the ability to educate and train students in widely separated locations.
- Math is a difficult subject to teach online. One session will provide tips for creating effective courses and a discussion about methods for screening potential online math students.
- One session will show how North Carolina community colleges are using distance learning, web-based and the Internet, to "close the gap" of the Hispanic/Latino adult learner and provide viable alternatives for education and training to a segment of the population that is limited-English proficient.
- Though the majority of today’s online courses are offered for college credits to students seeking an academic credential, community colleges typically have a much greater number of adult learners seeking non-credit courses through continuing education. One session will address the planning, development, and implementation of non-credit online courses and offer ways to transform existing online credit courses into continuing education offerings.
- Retention in distance learning courses is often a problem. One presentation will address the five factors of communication that can help students stay involved in courses until completion.
- Panelists in one session will discuss the positive and negative situations created when an entire curriculum is delivered via videoconference.
- The Trilogy Project is a model for using communication technologies to connect students in a collaborative literary experience. Students from several middle schools in North Carolina and two high schools, one near Raleigh and one in Germany, have read Lois Lowry's Trilogy (The Giver, Gathering Blue, and Messenger) and engaged in online writing to explore its themes and issues. This session provides participants a chance to view the exchange between writer and readers.
For more information about the conference, contact Dr. Bill Randall, Chair, DL Alliance Conference Committee, (704) 677-4010.
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