USDLA

You are here: Home / Archives for General News

Cleveland Clinic Has an “Awesome” Connected Learning Experience for Middle School Students

 

This blog written by:
Janine Lim

USDLA Board Member
Associate Dean, Online Higher Education Andrews University
Department of Digital Learning and Instructional Technology

To say that the Adventures in Health Science and Medicine program® is “awesome” is an understatement.  The Cleveland Clinic Civic Education Department’s connected learning experience, which plays on its acronym’s phonetic pronunciation, is truly “AHweSoMe”…

An Award-Winning Experience

Adventures in Health Science and Medicine (AHSM) was awarded with this year’s USDLA Innovation Award in the K-12 space, and this connected learning experience designed for middle school students is exactly as billed:  it’s an experience.  AHSM is not a class, it is not a lecture, and it is not a presentation. It is an immersive and multifaceted learning experience which leverages the best practices of instruction and learning in a distance learning/webinar environment.  The experience includes real healthcare professionals facilitating the sessions, an AHSM kit full of experiments, and a video case study, which catapults AHSM into a whole different instructional realm that most students have never experienced.  It is real, it is tangible, it is kinesthetic, and it is all happening in their classroom.

Real Engagement With Healthcare Professionals

Eight middle school classes engage in seven, hour-long interactive sessions that are offered via interactive webinars, blending virtual facilitation by real healthcare professionals and interactive, hands-on activities that the students perform as they work through a case study. With guidance from the healthcare professionals, students conduct experiments and peer-to-peer discussions to discover and diagnose a disease using the knowledge they gain from each of the connected learning sessions. The engagement with real healthcare professionals, paired with the AHSM case study, gives students an inside look into a variety of allied health processes, from having a blood workup in the medical laboratory to a bronchoprovocation test in a respiratory therapy lab.  Over the course of the eight-week experience, students will learn about 15 different allied health professions and see those professionals in action, in their work environments.

Hands-On Experiments

The hands-on experiments are the cornerstone of the AHSM experience.  Each session includes two experiments, one provides context to the underlying science behind a medical procedure and the other is the application of that scientific principle in the diagnosis of an illness. In the second session, for example, the students explore the concept of density by layering a variety of liquids (including molasses, dish soap, and vegetable oil) in a plastic cup and then shining a penlight through the liquids to observe how light travels through each layer. This activity helps the students understand the underlying principles of how an X-Ray machine works. The students then analyze real X-Rays with the Radiology Technician leading the session to make a diagnosis.

Real-Time Judging

AHSM also capitalizes on the capabilities that webinar technology provides for students to interact with their peers from different schools.  The culminating capstone session, called the IDEA$ Challenge, has students presenting an innovation that they have developed based on a real-world health problem.  All eight classes present their innovations using videos, slide decks, CAD drawings, and even prototypes printed on 3-D printers.  While each class presents, the other classes are the judges, using a rubric to score the presentation and an online polling tool to generate real-time results for their peers.  The two classes with the highest rubric scores are declared the “AHSM Innovators of the Year” and are awarded AHSM Innovator sunglasses.

Warrenville Heights Middle School AHSM Innovators 2017

 The AHSM program actively promotes learning about health sciences and career opportunities in healthcare while engaging and inspiring students along the way. The program unites caregivers, students, and teachers to provide a unique learning experience that builds on students’ foundation of scientific principles and fosters creative and critical thinking. By merging distance learning technologies with active learning, the AHSM program is a truly innovative approach to health science education.

It’s also important to note that the Adventures in Health Science and Medicine connected learning experience is provided free of charge to Northeast Ohio schools by the Cleveland Clinic Civic Education Department.  Tower Health in Reading Pennsylvania is also providing the AHSM connected learning experience to their local schools. 

For more information about Adventures in Health Science and Medicine, visit the Cleveland Clinic Civic Education Department’s website.  


 

 

 

 

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.

USDLA Membership

 

USDLA Represented at European Distance and E-Learning and Network

USDLA Represented at European Distance and E-Learning and Network – Genova, Italy

Blog written by USDLA Member:
Michael L. Mathews,
Oral Roberts University
2018 CIO 100 Winner and 2017 Top 30 Education Innovators

The United States Distance Learning Associate (USDLA) continued the strong relationship with the European Distance and E-Learning Network (EDEN) on June 17-20, 2018. The USDLA was represented by Oral Roberts University who was the 2017 USDLA Innovation of the Year Winner.  Michael delivered a presentation called ‘The Flipped University’ which was a perfect fit for the conference theme: Exploring the Micro, Meso, and Macro — navigating between dimensions in the digital learning landscape.  I was privileged to be accompanied by the video overview of USDLA by President Pat Castella.

The conference was well attended and represented people from all European countries and many from Brazil, South Africa, and Asia who believe that the European Network has much to offer in innovative methods in distance and E-learning. Being an attendee of both USDLA and EDEN was a perfect chance to see the various presentations and formats for both  organizations.  Both organizations operate at high impact, and desire to bring out the best in information, case studies, and collaboration. The EDEN conference was clearly focused on innovative methods between micro, meso, and macro delivery models.

The conference also included many sessions on Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain, and other emerging technologies. The attendees were eager to learn which technologies may power the next big trend in distance learning. From my perspective, the last 10 years has produce so many options and possibilities that people are both fatigued and skeptical of solutions. It is clear that no one college, university, or corporate training can invest in so many technologies, at least in their fullest measure. Many leading universities have concluded that they will need to become extremely intelligent at choosing the crème de la crème of all technologies within a smart ecosystem. This approach would be a hybrid of Micro, Meso, and Macro learning in an innovative method. This method is known as micro-Innovating, and it integrates these diverse approaches for the benefit of all learners.

The EDEN presentation by the USDLA and Oral Roberts University was extremely well received and demonstrated how Augmented and Virtual Reality (AVR) has impacted students from 101 countries through ORU’s Global Learning Center, which operates in the micro, meso, and macro levels. The live demonstration of AVR was a huge success. In addition, the unveiling of the first AVR repository called the Virtual Reality Education System that integrates into any LMS gave hope to every attendee that AVR can be implemented at an affordable and micro-level that truly showcases what micro-innovation is all about.  The design diagram below illustrates how a VRES system integrates with all systems, all AVR devices, and the future of Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain. In essence, the VRES is a design at all levels, micro, meso, and macro.

Summary: The plethora of possibilities to innovate and improve online and e-learning demand that campus technology designers micro-innovate ecosystems that span across micro, meso, and macro levels of delivery. This design mythology will allow sustainable and affordable solutions. These innovations will allow a repeatable deliverable like ORU has — which brings retention levels to 96%, placement to 97%, and expand from 85 countries to 101 countries with four years of consecutive growth in online learning.

It was a true blessing, honor and privilege to represent the USDLA and ORU at the EDEN conference. For information in another conference featuring emerging technologies through micro-innovations at Wheaton College with CIO Wendy Woodward, viist https://www.emergingtech-education.com/

The new micro-innovation of a Virtual Reality Education System

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.

USDLA Membership

Save the date:

IFWE

Interested in shaping the future of USDLA?

Please take a few minutes to fill out our survey 

USDLA 2018 National Conference Keynote Speakers

 

The 2018 USDLA National Conference will take place April 29 – May 2, 2018 at the Hilton Indianapolis Hotel and Suites in Indianapolis, IN.  In attendance will be university presidents and provosts, K-12 and higher education faculty, college deans, chief information officers, chief knowledge officers, corporate and government trainers, instructional systems designers, K-12 and higher education administrators, and others.

Ms. Carol Vallone

The opening keynote – focusing on the evolution of online learning and assessment of market opportunities for workforce-aligned degrees – will take place the morning of Monday, April 30, and the opening keynote speaker will be Ms. Carol Vallone.

For many years Carole Vallone was the driving force behind Meteor Learning, the leading company enabling higher education institutions to launch online, competency-based education degree programs that build job-ready skills and enhance career advancement.  She is a seasoned technology executive with over 30 years’ experience in market-leading companies.  Previously, she served as board chair, president and CEO of Wimba Corporation, the global leader in virtual collaboration software for higher education. Vallone led and grew the company through sale in 2006.  She also launched WebCT, Inc. in 1999, the company that defined and delivered the premier e-learning solution for education.  As board chair, president and CEO, she built a higher education global customer base of almost 2,000 post-secondary institutions in 70 countries and 14 languages.  She led the company from start-up through sale in 2006.

Prior to her pioneering efforts in education, Vallone held several executive level positions with companies breaking ground in the corporate technology sector.  For over 10 years, she served on the board of trustees of the Massachusetts Technology Leadership Council and chaired the Massachusetts Education Foundation where she spearheaded an effort to re-write the Massachusetts Department of Education’s Instructional Technology Standards with a focus on integrating technology into the curriculum. She annually recognized K-12 instructors whose teaching practices served as models for engaging technology use in STEM disciplines.

A frequent spokesperson on educational technology, Vallone has appeared globally in education industry print publications, nationally on CNN Headline News, and on Boston-based television news and radio programs.  She often guest lectures at noteworthy business schools on how to start and grow a technology company and provides mentoring to technology CEOs.

Doug Lederman

The closing keynote will take place the morning of Wednesday, May 2, and the closing keynote speaker will be Mr. Doug Lederman.

Doug Lederman is co-editor and one of three founders of Inside Higher Ed.  He co-leads the site’s editorial operations, overseeing news content, opinion pieces, career advice, blogs and other features.

Lederman speaks widely about higher education, including on C-Span and National Public Radio and at meetings around the country, and his work has appeared in The New York Times and USA Today, among other publications.  Lederman was managing editor of The Chronicle of Higher Education from 1999 to 2003. Before that, he worked at The Chronicle since 1986 in a variety of roles, first as an athletics reporter and editor.

Lederman has won three National Awards for Education Reporting from the Education Writers Association, including one in 2009 for a series of Inside Higher Ed articles he co-wrote on college rankings.

Things to note:

Registration is now open for the 2018 USDLA Conference

Please join us for our two Pre-Conference Water Cooler Discussions

10 Great Reasons Why You Should Attend 2018 USDLA Conference

 

 

 

 

 

 

10 Great Reasons Why You Should Attend 2018 USDLA Conference

 

This blog post written by:
Elaine Shuck
USDLA Chair of the Board

 

#1 Location, location, location.
This year’s event will take place in Indianapolis, Indiana, a city known as the “Crossroads of America” more Interstate highways bisect this city than any other city in the country, making it an exciting and easy to access destination.  So come and discover Indianapolis with your distance learning friends!

#2 Unmatched value.
I don’t know about you, but I go to a lot of conferences touching on education and training.  Well, this conference is different.  We’re the U.S. Distance Learning Association and here you have the entire spectrum of DL professionals learning from and sharing with each other.  Amazing things happen when you can learn from a community that is broader than your own.  You won’t find an event that offers this much content: stellar keynotes,

2017 USDLA Award Winners

first-rate presenters, an amazing array of distance learning exhibitors and the best of the best, the winners of the prestigious USDLA Awards.

Take a look at the 2017 WINNERS!

 

#3 Network and connect.
At our conference, you’ll have the opportunity to engage with professionals spread across the country and around the world.  We are a passionate community of interest focused on distance learning in all of its forms.  We work in K-20 education, corporate and government training and telemedicine.  You’ll return home equipped with new plans, tips and tools to make a difference in your organization.

#4 Thirtysome years in distance learning.
One of the things that makes USDLA helpful and attractive to me is perspective.  Regardless of the constituency I’m engaged with and the media I use, I find I learn amazing lessons from those in other distance learning fields.

#5 Value for the money.
With a 4-day intensive conference schedule you will access strategic knowledge and expertise that’s worth its weight in gold from an impressive array of recognized professionals.

#6 Be a part of the movement.
Don’t miss out on this opportunity to join professionals that have the vision, knowledge and experience to help us pave our way into the future of distance learning. Join us at the USDLA 2018 National Conference, April 29th  – May 2rd in Indianapolis. Learn more and register today.

#7 Virtual attendance.

Can’t join us in Indianapolis?  Register for our virtual conference being held April 30 – May 1, 2018. Registration will give you live access to our opening Keynote Speaker,  8 concurrent sessions and our prestigious Awards Banquet.  Registration opens soon!

#8 Pre-Conference Workshops.
Join us for one Pre-Conference Workshop on Sunday.  Learn more and register today!!

#9 USDLA membership opportunities.
Remember our invitation: “Come learn from a community that is broader than your own. Whatever your learning specialty, welcome home!” Join USDLA today!!

#10 Have FUN!
We understand the importance of social events.  That’s why we planned several to engage in some friendly conversations.  Whether attending the evening events, the annual memorial run/walk, or participating in the walk challenge, there will be plenty of opportunities to have a lot of fun.

Innovative Learning in Nebraska!

This blog post written by:

Greg Zorbas

USDLA Board Member
Kenai Center High School, Teacher

 

Dr. Julia Cronin-Gilmore is the Program Director of the Master of Science in Marketing program and an associate professor in the College of Business at Bellevue University in Bellevue, Nebraska. Dr. Cronin-Gilmore was an awardee in the category of Excellence in Teaching/Training. Bellevue University and Dr. Cronin-Gilmore are developing programs and courses designed so that instructional strategies and techniques can be measured and changed to assist students in mastering the coursework.

Dr. Cronin-Gilmore is committed to supporting the needs of learners interested in excelling in the fast moving and constantly changing career of marketing. Her work demonstrates the use of current marketing research, pedagogical strategies and assessment strategies that align with current trends.

Bellevue University’s online learning platform and professional support for online pedagogy make it possible to offer students a variety of learning methods and gives teachers the ability to engage in a variety of instructional strategies and techniques.

Technologically, Dr. Cronin-Gilmore and the University are making sure all content is available via multiple devices (home computer, tablet, and phone) enabling students and instructors to interact in various ways. New practices for sharing information such as Slideshare, YouTube, Movie Maker, and more were used in the program design and also by students when creating assignments. Innovative design allows students to choose what technology best fits their projects and abilities.

A key component of the master’s program is a Marketing Ethics course, created by Dr. Cronin-Gilmore in response to industry feedback, and one of a very few in the nation. Existing textbooks give little attention to marketing ethics and/or they leave out highly relevant ethical issues which have come to the fore only in the last ten years. Dr. Cronin-Gilmore recognized the need for a case analysis approach – a critical pedagogy for effectively mastering ethical decision-making in a changing industry. Students use self-determined learning plus show important ownership of course content and learning. The results have been gratifying. Students are so much more engaged in the learning because they helped create it. This also engages discussion of various approaches to decision-making and values clarification — two key professional skills that students will use every day. The student-led discussion is typically the top question discussed each week because it is so important to them.

An early look at the data suggests that students in Dr. Cronin-Gilmore’s program are learning and progressing by being taught with innovating, engaging, and interactive methodologies.

The 2018 USDLA Conference is just around the corner.  Register for the 2018 USDLA Conference today!!!

Take a look at last years  2017 USDLA Winners.

You won’t want to miss seeing who the 2018 USDLA Award winners will be!! Register for the 2018 USDLA Conference today!!!