Conference survey results are in, and the verdict is thumbs up. More than 91 percent of attendees expressed satisfaction with the conference overall. And more than 88 percent stated they’d recommend the conference to colleagues. The majority agreed that the conference expanded their understanding of IU Online and provided a welcome opportunity to network with colleagues.
Keynote speakers received high marks for being informative and engaging. Of the keynote by Executive Vice President for University Academic Affairs John Applegate, an attendee commented, “It's always great to hear about the strides IU has made and where we're planning to go. I work in administration, but we use the tools that are available to faculty, so it's important to stay informed.” Keynote speaker and open education pioneer Alec Couros discussed how faculty can use online courses to build authentic relationships with—and among—students.
The conference attracted a record number of attendees. Of faculty attendees, more than 46 percent had taught fully online courses, as compared with some 28 percent of 2017 attendees. The numbers of student support staff, including academic advisors and career counselors, nearly doubled over 2017. Instructional designers, consultants, and technologists were up by a couple of percentage points.
The figures reflect heightened interest in the broader discussion of online education and its application. You can learn more about what faculty are doing in their online classrooms in the “Continue the Conversation” webinar series. Hosted by Learning and Design Technology Faculty Fellow Gina Londino-Smolar, the series gives presenters from several campuses and disciplines the opportunity to share their experiences as online instructors. Topics include pedagogy, student engagement, transitioning to online teaching, and student success. The webinars are conducted over Zoom. For details, see IU Online Events.
Interested in presenting a webinar? Contact Gina Londino-Smolar at glondino@iupui.edu.