Let’s face it: most “academic” video games are just lame. But there are important lessons to be learned from the video gaming industry to engage students in learning. PracticeZone.org is putting some of these concepts to work to teach General Chemistry online. Read the rest of this entry »

One of the challenges of teaching an online course is to get students involved with the content beyond simply reading and discussing it. When students are separated from the instructor and each other by distance and time, how can they be effectively guided in arranging, participating in, and completing service-learning experiences? The presenter will share instructional strategies he has utilized to rise above such challenges. Read the rest of this entry »

Student engagement is critical for retention and success, especially in distance learning settings, where students have little or no face-to-face contact with their classmates and instructors. In this presentation, we will explore student retention theory and how it can inform distance learning practices to promote student engagement and success. Participants will share favorite tools for promoting engagement with one another as part of the session. Read the rest of this entry »

Course materials can be very hard to maintain in a dynamic field such as computer science where technologies make major changes in time periods as small as a few months. This session teaches attendees how they can employ Wiki technology and engage students to not only keep documents up to date but to also adapt them to learning styles and changing demographics. Read the rest of this entry »

Utilizing Web 2.0+ and collaborative practices, this session will provide K-16 educators and trainers with the means to engage and motivate their “alternative” students – touching on all learning styles while remaining within curriculum guidelines. Read the rest of this entry »