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What will the future of learning look like? I bet Robbie knows!

Blog written by Dr. Reggie Smith III, USDLA Executive Director

When I think back to the numerous people, I have met over my 28 years in the field of distance / online learning, Dr. Robbie Melton tops the list. Yes, I am older than you think but younger in the mind than you could imagine. I would dare to say the same for Robbie. Every time we chat or meet somewhere, she gives off a warm vibe with a truckload of energy and excitement about our field.

Dr. Melton is a tenured full professor at Tennessee State University. She formally served for twenty years as the chief administrator for the Tennessee Board of Regents’ (6th largest system for higher education in USA, 2016) for overseeing the vision, mission, and initiatives for the Strategic Planning for Emerging Mobile Smart “The Internet of Everything” (IOE) Technologies for Global Education”. 

She is a renowned international presenter, researcher, and technology evaluator regarding the transformation of smart mobile devices, wearable technologies, and mixed reality technologies of virtual (VR), augmented (AR), and holograms (HR) technologies for immersive learning. Melton has acquired a new distinction as an “App-ologist” due to her study of the pedagogy teaching with mobile apps, and her curation of mobile apps for all spectrums of education. http://www.appapedia.org

These are exciting times and distance / online learning is transforming the way we work. We live in a globally connected 24 X 7 world that can provide unprecedented opportunities for everyone to take advantage of now. Yes, distance learning has existed in the United States for more than 120 years. Not surprisingly, though, many still consider it a new phenomenon due largely to the emergence of the Internet. The explosion in online / Internet learning has been quickly embraced throughout the education and training communities encompassing K-12, higher education, corporate and government sectors.

Distance learning is about using available technologies and technology infrastructures to make more effective learning opportunities accessible to all learners, whatever their age, location, or reason for learning from anywhere, at any time, and at any pace, in accordance with the individual needs of each student.

Robbie along with Dr. Arletha McSwain and others have done so much work in our field and more specifically, leveraging Open Educational Resources (OERs) for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). HBCUs have been the cornerstone of education for the African-American community for more than 150 years. These institutions have prepared graduates to compete with the best and brightest minds globally. Recently, I had the honor of joining her prior to the HBCU Affordable Learning Summit during the OLC Innovate Conference with Dr. McSwain, Hubert Grimes, Esq., President, Bethune–Cookman University and Dr. Gerry Hanley, Assistant Vice Chancellor of Academic Technology Services, California State University Office of the Chancellor and Executive Director of MERLOT. This was where Bethune-Cookman received the MERLOT/Online Learning Consortium Service Award for their work in the OER space.

Photo: Dr. Gerry Hanley, Dr. Arletha McSwain, Mr. Hubert Grimes, Esq.
Dr. Gerry Hanley, Dr. Arletha McSwain, Mr. Hubert Grimes, Esq.
Photo: Dr. Reggie Smith III, Mr. Hubert Grimes, Esq., Dr. Robbie Melton
Dr. Reggie Smith III, Mr. Hubert Grimes, Esq., Dr. Robbie Melton

Dr. Hanley noted that, “Bethune-Cookman University is not only leading the HBCU Affordable Learning Solutions (AL$) initiative, but is a national model for how an institution of higher education can be innovative and agile in adopting Open Education Resources as a powerful student success program. Interim President Grimes, his staff, and his faculty presented their exemplary practices and proven outcomes on the positive impact of their AL$ program for their students. We are so grateful for his leadership and encouragement ‘not to compete but complete’ each other’s mission to improve student success in engaging, innovative and affordable ways.”

Robbie and Arletha have done groundbreaking work with OERs/online/digital learning and they are leading the way for not only HBCUs but for the rest of the industry. This is what makes Robbie so special. She is not only an amazing person but she empowers and challenges all of us to step our game up across a wide-range of technologies. I am looking forward to hearing her keynote during our USDLA 2019 National Conference on Wednesday, May 22. The title of her keynote is “How Smart Are Your Shoes? Future IOE Innovations of Emerging Smart A.I. (Artificial Intelligence) and Mixed Realities Technologies for Distance Teaching and Learning” and will highlight the latest emerging educational and workforce IOE (Internet of Everything) smart A.I. and mixed realities technologies (VR/AR/Holograms/Wearables) innovations and OER transforming teaching, learning, and training, at a distance. In addition, she will do an addition session on May 23rd covering OER Access and Universal Design Strategies.

You do not want to miss her presentations. Join us today in Nashville to hear Robbie and the rest of our amazing speakers. Almost forgot…since you are reading this blog….I will let you know that Dr. Robbie Melton has been elected to the USDLA Board of Directors and will be inducted into the 2019 USDLA Hall of Fame!  Congratulate her as you see her traveling around the world doing amazing things for society!

For more information about USDLA:

USDLA Conference Registration: https://usdla.org/2019-registration/
USDLA Virtual Conference: https://usdla.org/2019-virtual-conference/
Join USDLA Today: https://usdla.org/membership/levels/
Sponsor USDLA Today: https://usdla.org/membership/sponsorship/

USDLA and Me:

Joining has been one of the best decisions of my entrepreneurial career

Blog written by Hope Katz Gibbs (USDLA Member & Guest Blogger) president and Founder
www.InkandescentLearning.com

When I first came up with the idea in the fall of 2017 to create ww.InkandescentLearning.com — a high-quality K-12 distance learning clearinghouse that connects master teachers with homeschool and public / private school families — I went searching for guidance.

As a journalist, owner of the PR and publishing firm www.InkandescentPR.com, and a serial entrepreneur with a masters degree in educational leadership, I knew I could make this idea work — if I could find the right people to help me understand the distance learning industry.

The first hit that popped up when I searched Google for distance learning was USDLA.org. After a quick look through the website, I put a call into the main office to learn more. Kimberly Airasian answered the phone, and during a friendly and informative 15-minute conversation, she provided answers to my many questions: Should I attend the upcoming conference? Should I join? Who were the other members? Was this a good investment for an entrepreneur looking to learn more about distance learning?

Kim likened the organization to a family of like-minded professionals looking to bring distance learning to as many people as possible. She thought I’d fit right in, and convinced me that attending the 2018 National Conference https://usdla.org/2018-national-conference/, which included a year of membership, was worth the investment.

When I arrived on April 29 at the Hilton in Indianapolis, I knew I had made the right decision. Not only did I meet a group of very friendly, high-educated professionals at a cocktail party that first evening — I was optimistic that I was about to learn something essential for the growth of my business.

But here’s the rub: While I found several of the keynote speakers and workshops interesting (who doesn’t love to learn about the future of education), I discovered that my area of interest — entrepreneurship, and K-12 distance learning — wasn’t the focus of any of the presentations.

When I asked the conference organizers for guidance, they did their best to match me with the presenters who might offer assistance. I never did find a direct hit at any of the workshops. But I knew that while my big business idea might be an outlier — this was a group worth continuing to explore.

So I volunteered to join the marketing committee for the 2019 national conference, and also signed up to attend the organization’s International Forum for Women in E-Learning (IFWE) the following November. I am so glad that I did.

IFWE was perhaps the best women’s conference I’ve ever been to. Full of fascinating, highly educated women, everyone I met was eager to share their knowledge and experience (personal, as well as professional). The schedule of events flowed seamlessly, the keynotes were inspirational, and the Hotel Contessa where we stayed along San Antonio’s charming Riverwalk, provided a luxurious backdrop. I bunked with two new USLDA friends, Rhonda Blackburn and Georgiana Laws, which made the trip truly pleasurable.

Perhaps best of all — at this conference I attended several workshops that provided essential information for my project. Special thanks to Kristin Deprospero of Solutionz, Inc. for her talk about finding funding and grants.

Also helpful was that I was accepted to present two posters about my project — the K-12 academic platform, www.InkandescentLearning.com, and the magazine for kids, by kids, about kids that we’ll be launching this spring to teach students to think like reporters: www.InkandescentKids.com.

Dozens of fellow-attendees stopped by my section of the table to explore more — and that was a win that inspired me to craft a proposal to create a workshop about my project for the 2019 conference in Nashville.

Plus, I have been invited to share my experience as a Kundalini yoga instructor and teach a movement class that will focus on expanding your creativity on Tuesday morning, May 21 (6-7am). What fun!

As I continue to explore the many opportunities that working with USDLA provides, what impresses me most is the kindness, professional caliber, and intellectual curiosity of my fellow members and the leadership team. While I do hope USDLA expands its outreach to include more entrepreneurs and K-12 educators, I know that I have found an organization that shares my values and interests. Kim was right. I am very happy to be part of the USDLA family.

USDLA 2019 Keynote: Jonathan Linkous

Blog written by Janet Major
USDLA Board Member, President Elect

Associate Director Facilities
Arizona Telemedicine Program
Arizona Health Sciences Center
Tucson, AZ

Many of you know him as the man who helped build and served as the founding CEO for the American Telemedicine Association for over 20 years.  Or the man who is the CEO of an organization that is transforming healthcare.  www.pathhealth.com His current goal? To do for AI and related technologies in healthcare what was achieved for telemedicine.

The first time I met Jon Linkous it was at THE conference of the year for anyone in the videoconferencing or telemedicine industry: Telecon in 1997.  (See photo) As the conference grew it became Telecon West and Telecon East – and at the heart of that organization was OUR organization: The United States Distance Learning Association where we produced an annual conference for twenty years in partnership with TELECON and TeleMed, the organization which then later became ATA: the American Telemedicine Association. www.americantelemed.org

This conference is where I also met John Flores, who went on to be the CEO for USDLA for over 20 years.  USDLA has now been the leader in distance learning for over thirty years. www.usdla.org

AI was founded as an academic discipline in 1956 and it has gained more popularity in recent years as computers and data have advanced along with theoretical understanding of the concept.  According to Mr Linkous, unknown to many consumers, their lives are already dependent on the use of AI and the fact is that the current state of our industry – and really any business – is now focused on the integration of AI or Artificial Intelligence.  21st Century technology is finally making headway and is transforming traditional approaches to a truly whole new world of innovation. The challenge before us is to successfully integrate AI with telehealth, robotics and other technologies.  

Join us to hear more about what is and what will be in the world of AI as we celebrate our USDLA 2019 Conference, “In tune with The Future of Digital & Distance Learning”! We will be in Music City, Nashville, May 20 – 23 with a great kick-off keynote by Jon Linkous titled, “”21st Century Technology and Artificial Intelligence for Healthcare & Education: the Future is NOW!”
https://usdla.org/2019-national-conference/

More about Jonathan Linkous – Jonathan D. Linkous, MPA, FATA

CEO – PATH, the Partnership for Artificial Intelligence, Automation and Robotics in Healthcare www.pathhealth.com Editor-in-Chief  – Healthcare Transformation Journal http://home.liebertpub.com/ht/ CEO – Linkous Health www.linkoushealth.com

Mr. Linkous holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from Franklin University in Columbus, Ohio and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the School of Government and Public Affairs at the American University in Washington, D.C with additional postgraduate work at the LBJ School of Public Affairs, Public Executive Institute at the University of Texas in Austin, Texas.

Janet is the immediate past Chair for the Health, Technology & Distance Learning Special Interest Group of the American Telemedicine Association and she is an Associate Board Member of ATIC: the Arizona Telecommunications and Information Council.  For the past several years she has also served on the board of the United States Distance Learning Association representing the telehealth constituency and is currently its President-elect. 

DL Networking Harmony in Nashville: Join us for the 2019 USDLA National Conference

Blog Written by Pat Cassella, President, U.S. Distance Learning Association

This will be the 32nd year of the United States Distance Learning Association and our first conference ever in Music City.

Much like Digital and Distance Learning has been the fabric of our Association, music has long been the common thread in Nashville, connecting people to both the life and soul of the city in cultural, business and social capacity.

I recently visited the Hilton Airport Nashville, the site of our 2019 conference, to get a first hand look at the layout, meet the staff and best understand how to leverage the location for four days in May.

Upon meeting Keith Glad, Hilton Manager, I immediately felt at home and a strong connection. Keith waked me through each of the 6 rooms where we will hold our concurrent sessions, introduced me to supporting staff, explained the history of the hotel (it was an old Holiday Inn just a couple of years ago) and showed me the ballroom where we will have our keynotes and Awards dinner. Once business was finished, we continued the bonding over a great meal at the on-site restaurant, complete with a glass (or two) of wine.  

As I reflect upon the visit, it’s this type of connection that many attendees over the years have told me they felt with their peers upon attending their first (or tenth) USDLA conference. In fact, when we poll attendees after the conference, they indicate that networking is one of the primary reasons for attending and that the intimate, family environment is hard to find in other conferences they attend in the DL space.   

This year we are committed to continuing this trend of quality networking along with some new and exciting topics within the AI (Artificial Intelligence) space and how this is currently (and will continue to) impact the world of digital and distance learning. The three keynote speakers we have signed on will bring significant experience to the conference, yet are all very approachable for small group and personal conversations regarding AI, Mixed Reality, IoT (Internet of Things) and other 21st century learning topics.

To keep your mind and body in balance, we also have a variety of events planned! We kick off Monday night with a nice opening reception, complete with a local musician. Tuesday morning, we will keep you in shape with a Yoga class, courtesy of Hope Gibbs, a very talented Kundalini yoga instructor and entrepreneur while the evening round table dinners will allow you to network with your peers on Broadway with courtesy (free) roundtrip transportation. Wednesday morning, we will meet in the lobby at 6AM for a nice walk/jog/run to celebrate the life of Bill Jackson, past USDLA President and friend who left us all too early followed by an incredible evening of Award presentations to those who have made significant achievements within DL community.

I hope you share my excitement and I’d be honored to have you at the conference this May 21st-24th in Nashville. Visit https://usdla.org/2019-national-conference/ to learn more.

Blackboard’s Accessibility Solution Ally receives Innovation Award from USDLA

 

 

Blog written by:

Randy McDonald

USDLA Board Member

 

Each year the United States Distance Learning Association (USDLA) recognizes the preeminent distance learning practitioners from around the world. The annual awards program not only salutes some often unsung but hardworking professionals but also showcases the “best of the best” so that others may admire and emulate their excellence and innovation.

The Innovation Award is given for innovative approaches to the delivery of distance learning and nominations for the awared are judged on innovation, originality, significance, and measurable impact.  A recipient of USDLA’s 2018 Innovation Award was the Blackboard Ally Accessibility Solution.  The nomination was submitted by Sally Ewalt and the award was presented at the 2018 USDLA annual conference in Indianapolis. Blackboard Ally, a Learning Management System (LMS) agnostic technology, is the first solution that integrates accessibility so closely and seamlessly into already existing systems and workflows.  Ally provides guidance to faculty about how to improve the quality of their content for everyone; provides students of all abilities with immediate access to content in formats that may be more suited to their specific needs, and helps institutions understand the accessibility of all their digital course content.

Ally does this by automatically scanning course materials uploaded in the LMS and alerting faculty if the materials are not accessible.  Ally checks for a wide variety of issues and alerts may include things such as contrast issues; seizure-inducing graphics; and missing headings, tags, and descriptions. This immediate feedback gives faculty the information they need to make course materials more accessible. In addition to the report, Ally also automatically creates alternative formats of the original document including Semantic HTML, audio, ePub, and electronic braille.  Ally also provides an institution-wide accessibility report so administrators can better understand their institution’s accessibility needs and challenges and prioritize resources effectively.

By providing institutions and faculty with easy to use, integrated workflows, Ally can help hundreds of thousands of students access the course materials that are best formatted for their needs. This is a type of personalization unlike any other that we have seen on a wide scale and has the potential to alter who can access and succeed in higher education.  By raising awareness about the importance of accessible content to student success, Ally can also help institutions move towards a more inclusive environment for everyone.

More information about Ally is available at the Blackboard Ally website.  https://www.blackboard.com/accessibility/blackboard-ally.html

 

 

 

 

 

The USDLA thanks our 2018 International Awards program sponsor, Lifesize.

Save the Dates

November 5th – 9th, 2018 – National Distance Learning Week (NDLW) 

November 28th – 30th, 2018 – International Forum for Women in E-learning (IFWE) – San Antonio, Texas

Learn more about the USDLA and how you too can be a member. The association supports all core markets including Enterprise, Government, Telemedicine, Education and others.

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