Conference Information

20th Annual Online Learning Consortium International Conference 2014 – Reserve your virtual conference seat!

Conference Dates: October 29th – October 31st

Conference Overview:

The 2014 Annual Online Learning Consortium International Conference (formerly known as Sloan-C) is one of the premier forums for online learning. This year’s conference program will offer a full complement of presentations that reflect the implications for the field of specific e-learning experience and practices. As online learning continues to expand and play a strategic role in innovation and improvement of higher education, participation in this conference also provides the opportunity for all who are concerned with the future of online learning to come together, collaborate and share experiences.

To see a list of online sessions that will be available to virtual attendees please go to: http://onlinelearningconsortium.org/conference/2014/aln/streamed_sessions

UTHSC has a limited number of logins available for virtual attendee session access for sessions that will be streamed live from the conference taking place in Orlando, Florida. Please contact Kristy Conger (kconger@uthsc.edu / 901-448-2253) to request login information for your college/program/department.

Primarily Education-Focused Sessions and Resources

Writing Better Multiple-Choice Questions (Magna Online Seminar)

Date: November 4, 2014
Time: 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
Location: GEB A204

Overview:

Join us for Writing Better Multiple-Choice Questions, a new Magna Online Seminar developed and presented by Jim Sibley, director of the Centre for Instructional Support at the Faculty of Applied Science at University of British Columbia. The presenter will guide you through the common question-writing pitfalls and instruct you in item analysis so you can examine the performance of your questions and determine how to refine them.

More specifically, you will learn how to:

•    Write better, more effective multiple-choice questions
•    Identify, analyze, and avoid common multiple-choice question pitfalls
•    Use Bloom’s taxonomy to more accurately target the cognitive level of multiple-choice questions
•    Apply item analysis to measure the effectiveness of multiple-choice questions

Read Jim Sibley’s article in Faculty Focus – 7 Mistakes to Avoid When Writing Multiple-Choice Questions

To register to attend this session go to: http://tinyurl.com/uthsccalendar

Magna 20 Minute Mentor – Where Can I Find Flippable Moments in My Classes?

Overview:

Spend 20 minutes on Where Can I Find Flippable Moments in My Classes? and you’ll discover flipping insights and strategies you can employ in any lesson in any course. Barbie Honeycutt and Sarah Warren ensure that after participating in this program, every participant can:

•    Define the flip using Bloom’s Taxonomy
•    Recognize a flippable moment in any class
•    Identify three places to look for a flippable moment in any course
•    Know when to flip and when to skip

To help you decide when to flip and when to skip, the presenters will share their own experiences of what they’ve tried, what worked, and what didn’t. These tales from the trenches will help you see the parallels to your own courses so that you can integrate flipping for greater success.

Information related to accessing the recording and materials for this session is located in the Professional Development course within Blackboard. Enrollment instructions for the Professional Development course can be found at: http://tinyurl.com/profdevenroll

Professional Sessions

Toastmasters Brain Builders UTHSC Chapter

Date: Every Tuesday
Time: 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
Location: The Urban Child Institute, 600 Jefferson Avenue, 1st Floor, Conference Room 4

If you would like to become an engaging public speaker, improve your skills as a teacher, seminar speaker or when presenting professionally to your colleagues, joining a Toastmasters club will allow you to reach your goals fast in a professional environment. A Toastmasters meeting is a learn-by-doing workshop in which participants hone their speaking and leadership skills in a no-pressure atmosphere. Free parking is available and everyone is welcome!

For more information about Toastmasters contact Detlef Heck (dheck@uthsc.edu) or Bill Howell (atenra@comcast.net).

Additional Resources

2014: The Year of Active Learning at UTHSC
To access a variety of active learning resources visit https://academic.uthsc.edu/faculty/2014.php

UTHSC’s Faculty Resource Center
View schedule of professional development opportunities and read out latest blog post at https://uthsctlc.wordpress.com/