NLII Spring Focus Session

Emerging Practices and Learning Technologies
March 8-9, 2005
Cohosted with Rice University

The proceedings from the focus session are now available and include a link to the podcast reports developed throughout the session. Additional session materials may be found under "Premeeting Resources."

Description

Unsure how blogs fit into your institutional strategy? Should you allow instant messaging in your classrooms? Is there any educational value to playing computer games? This session on emerging practices and learning technologies will explore new technologies on campus and the students driving these changes. Using learner-centered principles as a guide, we will evaluate emerging learning practices enabled by new technologies as well as alternative pedagogies. Join us and explore the opportunities and risks introduced by new technologies.

Questions that will be addressed as part of the focus session include:

• What are the new emerging practices and technologies, and how do we find them?
• How do we accommodate emerging practices associated with new learning technologies within our institutions?
• How do we evaluate new practices and technologies with respect to deeper learning principles?
• What do our students think about these technologies? What do they think about the higher education interpretation of these technologies?
• How can you survey your own campus? How can you use this information to create a strategy that aligns with existing campus learning technology initiatives?

The work products to result from the session include:

• A survey tool to help institutions understand student expectations
• A profile tool to assess student change using new practices and technologies
• A checklist for ensuring that a technology supports learner-centered principles
• A collection of best practices
• Guidelines to help institutions assess the impact of implementing a learning technology

Intended Audience

The intended audience for this session includes those involved in planning, designing, and/or supporting teaching with technology. The session will also be of interest to those charged with evaluating the planning, implementation, and/or use of technology in teaching. Relevant fields include:

• Information technology
• Instructional support
• Learners and faculty
• Librarians
• Directors of learning centers

Attend as a Team

Institutions that send a team to the NLII focus sessions appear to derive the greatest value from the meeting. The small size and a common background often provides an institutional team with rich collaboration opportunities that continue after the session.