Institute on Innovation in Training and Teaching

Drexel University, a leader in technology-infused education, sponsored a two-day Institute on Innovation in Training and Teaching on its University City campus in Philadelphia on September 11 and 12, 2008.

Sponsored by The Office of Information Resources and Technology (IRT), the Institute provided courses for trainers and educators interested in moving their instruction online. Classes met the needs of those just beginning to move to online content delivery as well as experienced teachers and trainers who sought instruction in advanced media integration.

Session Presentations

The Institute offered eight three-hour courses on topics of interest to the corporate training sector and K-20 education and lifelong learning professionals. Courses highlighted a wide variety of tools available for producing creative, quality online materials. Click on the titles below to view a specific session presentation.

• Moving Your Course or Training Program to Hybrid Format or Online–How to Get Started

  Presenters: Kristen Betts, Krystle Adkins, and Mike Scheuermann

  View Presentation (.ppt)
  This course will outline a step-by-step framework for transitioning from face-to-face to hybrid or online course instruction. Topics will include: online statistics, accreditation, converting materials to electronic format, best practices in course design, effective use of Learning Management System tools and structures, student engagement, retention strategies, evaluation, and pedagogical considerations in the online environment.

• Converting, Distributing, and Integrating Rich Media in Course Development

  Presenters: John Morris and Chad Kealey

  View Presentation (.ppt)
  What is rich media? What is encoding? How can rich media be integrated into your course to enhance instruction? This course will introduce a variety of concepts in rich media, including file formats, file sizes, quality, lossiness, platform considerations, equipment, and frame rates, and discuss how rich media can be used to create a more engaging learning environment.

• Pedagogical Uses of Rich Media to Effectively Enhance Learning

  Presenter: John Morris

  View Presentation (.ppt)
  How can audio and video be used to enhance the online or hybrid classroom? This course will focus on using rich media more effectively to deliver lecture material, provide feedback on student work, and build online community through LMS collaboration tools. Best practices will also be considered, including file types, equipment, and playback mechanisms. A unit on learning styles and accessibility, especially as they apply to web-based instruction, will conclude the course.

• Assessment and Evaluation Utilizing Online Elements and Technologies

  Presenters: Stephen Chestnut, Rich Varenas, Julie Allmayer, and Amy Lynch

  View Presentation (.ppt)
  What is assessment, why is it important, and how can the application of technology to assessment-related activities be useful? There are a number of tools that exist within the CMS/LMS and as stand-alone technologies for creating tests/quizzes, surveys, polls, portfolios, and other types of assessments. This course will cover general concepts relating to assessment as well as specific tools and technologies that are available to instructors and trainers.

• Building Community in Hybrid and Online Courses

  Presenters: Kristen Betts and Mike Scheuermann

  View Presentation (.ppt)
  Community-building is a crucial part of any successful online course. This course will address the use of LMS collaboration tools, such as discussion, chat, and group assignments, to foster student-student and student-faculty relationships. The pros and cons of each tool will be discussed from a technical as well as a pedagogical perspective.

• Social Networking as a Component of the Instructional Enterprise

  Presenters: Abigail Maley, Scott Beadenkopf, Brett Cohen, and Paul Evangelista

  View Presentation - A.Maley (.ppt)
  View Presentation - S.Beadenkopf (.ppt)
  View Presentation - B. Cohen (.ppt)
  View Presentation - P. Evangelista (.ppt)
  Web 2.0 technologies are changing how we use the web, profoundly affecting how we interact with each other and share information. How can an enterprise adapt these technologies to complement current instructional methodologies? Examples of how universities are incorporating social networking into their curricula will be presented. A number of platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, and Pronto will be highlighted.

• Evaluating CMS/LMSs for Instructional Delivery and Community Building

  Presenters: Alan Hecht, Rich Varenas, Stephen Chestnut,
  and Jeffrey Berman

  View Presentation (.ppt)
  Although Blackboard Vista (formerly WebCT) and Blackboard are the predominant learning management systems used at Drexel, Drexel IRT has recently investigated alternatives to these products. This course will offer a discussion on the process of selecting a Learning Management System, tools to help with this process, as well as a comparison of some major LMSs available today (Blackboard Vista, Blackboard, Angel, Moodle and Sakai).

• Ensuring Access For All -- Creating Online Content for Users with Special Needs

  Presenter: Dan Allen

  View Presentation
  The advent of the World Wide Web brought with it the potential to revolutionize the lives of people with disabilities. Imagine the person confined to a wheel chair being able to shop for groceries without leaving the house. Imagine the blind or deaf student being able to complete a college degree online. But these possibilities can only be realized if the Web is made accessible to people with disabilities. In the first part of this course we will review the types of disabilities users might have, and the challenges they face when accessing the Web. The second part of the course will be devoted to discussing various solutions and demonstrating specific strategies and techniques for ensuring accessibility.