By C. Brandon Chapman, College of Education
PULLMAN, Wash. – The College of Education will hold its first conference specifically related to technology in the higher-education classroom on Sept. 25-26 at Washington State University. Find registration and other information at http://education.wsu.edu/TECHed.html.
With an emphasis on collaboration and networking, the gathering will feature invited panelists and presentations; participants will have the opportunity to join experts in discussion.
“We welcome scholars from diverse disciplines to join the conference and learn from colleagues who are on the cutting-edge of research in educational technology, educational psychology, instructional design and many other important and fascinating areas of expertise,” said Tim Church, conference chair and COE’s associate dean of research.
COE will team with the provost’s office and the WSU Teaching Academy to host the multidisciplinary conference, which will focus on understanding and using technology in teaching and learning.
Topics on tap
Among conference topics will be the flipped classroom, which emphasizes engagement rather than lecture. In the last few years, research has confirmed the effectiveness of this teaching model and professors across WSU have begun using it.
Rather than material being first presented in a traditional classroom and studied afterward by students outside class, the material is first studied outside – through videos online or narrated slides or assignments. Then the classroom is used for discussion or related in-depth activities.
Other conference topics will include technology in STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) education, Serious Educational Gaming (SEG) and the Massive Open Online Course (MOOC).
The experts
The gathering will draw expert panelists from across the country. One example is Leonard Waks, professor emeritus of educational leadership at Temple University.
His MOOC research is well-published and he hosts an active blog specific to all things MOOC. His work considers such aspects as the future of university credits for MOOC certificates, the impact of MOOC on college costs and continuous quality improvement within this teaching model.
“The opportunity for participants to interact with experts in both scheduled sessions and informal roundtable discussions will be invaluable,” Church said.
Poster session
The conference will include a poster session, which will encourage informal discussion with other participants while the exhibits are on display. Posters will display research, teaching tips, curriculum development ideas and other areas of interest.
“We anticipate stimulating and critical discussions on current pedagogy and new approaches to learning with contemporary technologies,” said Church. “We invite all members of the higher education community to participate.”
The call for posters, as well as other information, can be found at http://www.education.wsu.edu/TECHed.html. Other inquiries may be sent to Krenny Hammer at khammer@wsu.edu or 509-335-6393.