EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative Announced

EDUCAUSE President Brian L. Hawkins today announced that the association’s leading edge teaching and learning program, the National Learning Infrastructure Initiative (NLII), has a new focus and a new name: the EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative (ELI). Under the leadership of Vice President Diana G. Oblinger, a strategic planning team and current NLII members framed the ELI mission of advancing learning through IT innovation. For this community, "IT" means "instructional" as well as "information" technology.

According to Oblinger, "ELI is focused on learners and successful learning—a unique emphasis for teaching and learning with technology programs. ELI is moving from a concentration on inputs (IT) to outcomes (successful learning). The EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative will concentrate its efforts in three areas: learners, learning principles and practices, and learning technologies. We believe this will help institutions improve learning."

Joel Hartman, CIO at the University of Central Florida and chair of the ELI strategic planning team, elaborated by saying, "Understanding learners and how people learn is the first step to using IT to improve student success. By understanding learners, learning principles, and successful ways to apply information technologies, institutions can measurably improve student learning outcomes. These ideas will play a major role in defining the ongoing ELI agenda."

The ELI program brings distinct value to institutional members. Gardner Campbell, assistant vice president for teaching and learning technologies at the University of Mary Washington, said, "Our colleagues at ELI raise awareness of learning issues at all levels of the organization. They enable us to take the next steps through their professional development programs. And some of the newest program elements make it possible for us to integrate what we learn from ELI directly into our campus activities."  

Programs and services include extensive online resources; member-only Web seminars; a series on "7 Things You Should Know About…" (see the first, on social bookmarking); learning-and-technology-focused professional development; and, most importantly, engagement with the ELI community of IT leaders, academic administrators, faculty, and instructional technologists.

"Teaching and learning has never been so exciting," Hawkins said. "We know ELI will bring tremendous value to members and the overall higher education community."

More information about ELI program themes, activities, and membership is available at www.educause.edu/eli/.

About EDUCAUSE

EDUCAUSE is a nonprofit association whose mission is to advance higher education by promoting the intelligent use of information technology. The current membership comprises more than 2,200 colleges, universities, and educational organizations, including 250 corporations, with 17,000 active members. Learn more about EDUCAUSE at www.educause.edu.

About The EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative (ELI)

The EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative (ELI) helps institutions advance learning through IT innovation. ELI is a community that works together to stay on the leading edge of teaching and learning with technology through a focus on learners, interaction and engagement, and learning technologies. ELI brings value to members through exploration, awareness, and enablement. Learn more about ELI at www.educause.edu/eli.