Meeting the Challenge:
Guiding the Next Decade of Digital Learners

MDLA Spring Conference - March 4, 2010
Sheppard Pratt Conference Center, Baltimore MD

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Call for Proposals

Conference proposals in the following tracks are due no later than December 4, 2009.

<< Click here to submit a proposal >>

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Call for Award Nominations

Distance Educator of the Year, Higher Education

Distance Learning Course of the Year

Distance Educator of the Year, K-12

Distance Learning Program of the Year

Distance Learning Administrator of the Year

Instructional Designer of the Year

Award descriptions and nomination forms available now.

<< Click here to view nomination forms >>

Award nominations should be emailed to jmrunyon@aacc.edu no later than January 25, 2010.

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Conference Registration

Registration Fee:

Early Bird - $100
Regular - $125

Conference Registration Opens in December 2009
 

The Maryland Distance Learning Association Presents:

Social Mania:  Connections 2009

Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Anne Arundel Community College
@ Arundel  Mills
7009 Arundel Mills Circle, Hanover, MD 21076

8:30 a.m. -12:30 p.m. (Plenary and Presentations)
1:00 p.m. -2:00 p.m. (Optional Workshops)

Tentative Schedule

Social networking is all about making connections: Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn (and more) are tools that can be used not only to facilitate communications and collaborations in the e-learning environment, but also to deepen the ideas and themes in your online courses. 

You are invited to our fall event on November 3, 2009 to explore best practices and unique insights into social networking applications --and, above all, to connect with your colleagues.   As E.M. Forster would say, Always connect! 

MDLA does not charge for attendance at this event.

Social Mania: Connections 2009 is designed for both novices and experts in the educational use of social networking tools.  For both groups, at the end of the day’s activities, you will be ready to improve your online and hybrid courses by using these tools in original and academic rigorous ways.

Our keynote speaker will be Cole. W. Camplese, Director, Education Technology Services, The Pennsylvania State University. His address will be entitled: "If that's scholarship, then...!" and will investigate key trends impacting educators in their overall design of learning. Focusing on the emergence of user-created content, social spaces, and the emergence of the one button web, we will take an integrated look at how we can better utilize technology within these areas to meet the needs of our students.

For additional information, contact Richard Schumaker rschumaker@umuc.edu  or Jean Runyon jmrunyon@aacc.edu
 

MDLA Annual Spring Conference
Virtual Worlds: Real Teaching and Learning
March 5, 2009

Keynote: Putting Quality First: The Real Challenge of Virtual Learning
Susan C. Aldridge, President, University of Maryland University College

Track 1: Student Success & Retention

Helping Students Find Their Seat in the Digital Classroom: Tips and tricks to get your online class going from day ONE
Mary Beth Graham, Mount St. Mary's University

Building a Foundation: The Evolution of a Core Learning Program in Face-to-Face and Distance Learning
Elizabeth Mulherrin, Joseph Chiappa & Samuel Barnett, UMUC

Comparison of Student Performance in Online Conferencing Using Two Models of Posting
Patti Wolf, Shippensburg University

Rules of Engagement: Interactive Assignments that Enhance Online Neurobiology Instruction
Robin Searles-Adenegan & Debra McLaughlin, UMUC

Major Barriers to Access Online Tutoring
Chikao Tsubaki, Baltimore City Community College

Meaning and Motivation in Online Learning: Reflections on the Use of Audio
Richard Schumaker, UMUC

Track 2: Assessment

Creating Cross Discipline, Authentic, High Level Thinking Assignments with Multi-Media
Diana Zilberman, Baltimore City Community College

Authentic Assessment Online
Malathi Radhakrishnan & Veena Radhakrishnan, Baltimore City Community College

Track 3: Faculty Development

A State-Wide Online Teaching Certificate? – Research Results
Bobbi Dubins, Allegany College of Maryland, Julie Shattuck, Frederick Community College & Karen Rubinstein, Morgan State University 

Instructor Training for Online and Blended Classes: Finding the Right Model
Susan Ko, UMUC

Expanding Online Course Opportunities for K-12 Teachers
Sheila LoCastro, MD Virtual Learning Opportunities Program, MD State Department of Education

Building a “One-Stop Shopping” Resource for Faculty Sharing and Learning
Susan Abrams Pollack, Linda Smelser, Laddie Odom & Deborah Schroeder, UMUC

Track 4: Design & Best Practices

Teaching across Cultures: Factors for Consideration in Online Instruction
David Robinson & William Sadera, Towson University

Teaching Text as a Historical Model: The Audacity of Hope, an American Story
Lisa Beth Hill, UMUC

“Okay, everyone stand up, form a circle, and join hands”: The Challenges of Transforming Interactions from Face-to-Face to Online
Sal Corbin & Darlene Smucny, UMUC

The Virtual Continuum: Taking F2F Classes Online, and Taking Online Classes F2F
Elizabeth Mulherrin, UMUC & Brandy Whitlock, Anne Arundel Community College

Copyright Compliance for Distance Learning Programs
William S. Galkin, Law Office of William S. Galkin

Creating Media-Rich Learning Environments for Your Students
Valerie Cavazos, Dallas TeleLearning

Track 5: Emerging Technologies

Tales from the Web 2.0 Front … the Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Laddie Odom & Linda Smelser, UMUC

Application of Web 2.0 Technologies to Support Reflective Learning Journals
Les Pang, UMUC

Content Development Tools for Interactive eLearning
Patrick Thompson & Richard Jolles, Montgomery County Public Schools

Twitter, Laconi.ca, and Tumblelogs
Richard W. Smith & Gregory Priebe, Harford Community College

Roundtable Discussion of How to Use Microblogs and Tumblelogs in Education
Adam Fantom, Harford Community College

Creating 3D Virtual Presentations Using TVnima
David Johnson, UMUC