2024 The Maryland Distance Learning Association (MDLA) Conference
The Maryland Distance Learning Association (MDLA) 2024 Conference
Linthicum, MD| April 5Conference Digest | Abstracts
Richard Smith
Executive Board Member, MDLA
Instructional Designer
Harford Community College
rsmith@harford.edu
The Maryland Distance Learning Association (MDLA) is an association of learning professionals who advocate and promote the coordination and use of distance education in Maryland and throughout the region. MDLA members represent more than two dozen organizations, including education institutions and corporate partners. Our focus is to provide professional development, networking, and collaborative opportunities for educators in K-12, higher education, and business settings.
MDLA has held its annual spring conference since 2002, but has its roots in earlier events coordinated through the former College of the Air Distance Education Consortium (COADEC). The 2024 conference was held at the Maritime Conference Center located close to Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport and on the beautiful, green campus of the Maritime Institute of Technology and Graduate Studies (MITAGS).
As the marriage between learning and technology continues, the frenetic pace of each of these activities continues to need to be examined. The ideal situation is to find a place where one can catch up with both technology and learning, and the synergy between them. This conference is just that place. The annual conference affords participants an opportunity to explore the latest and the greatest tools and methods of learning technologies, and the best practices used to implement them. Nationally recognized keynote speakers, usable technology, and an array of presenters from all segments of distance learning will provide the inspiration. Networking among peers remains a favorite activity at this annual conference.
Generative Artificial Intelligence was the focus of one of the keynote sessions and was a constant theme throughout the 2024 conference.
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Abstracts
Friday, April 5, 2024
Thriving Together with Generative AI: Student-Centered Virtual Learning
Patricia Westerman, Ph.D.
Assistant Provost, Faculty Academic Center of Excellence at Towson (FACET)
Towson University
pwesterman@towson.edu
Mary L. Slade, Ph.D.
Professor of Early Childhood Education
Towson University
mslade@towson.edu
Alissa Harrington
Instructional Designer & Technologist, FACET
Towson University
aharrington@towson.edu
This keynote presentation provided information about leadership efforts regarding generative artificial intelligence (AI) at an institution of higher education. After setting this context, presenters explored how to use generative AI and other technological tools to enhance engagement, scaffold implementation, and communicate rules of use in student-centered digital learning environments. Numerous diverse examples were offered in order to support and inspire attendees in contemplating new approaches to their own teaching. Attendees were invited to stay in touch with FACET at Towson University to continue the conversation as they consider applying practical strategies to integrate generative AI with effective pedagogy.
Enhancing Digital Learning through Human-Centered Design
Paul D. Miller, EdD
Professional Development Director
Montgomery College
paul.miller@montgomerycollege.edu
This session delved into enhancing digital learning through human-centered design, emphasizing the vital roles of user experience (UX) and user interface (UI) in advancing educational platforms. It tackled the deficiencies of traditional digital education models by advocating for more inclusive and empathetic approaches tailored to diverse learner needs. Discussions highlighted the necessity of user research for understanding learner demographics, preferences, and challenges, and pointed out how iterative design processes like prototyping and testing refine digital tools to enhance accessibility and personalization. Additionally, the session explored the impact of empathy in educational content design and showcased the community of inquiry (COI) framework's effectiveness in promoting collaboration and reflective learning, concluding that a human-centered approach significantly boosts engagement, satisfaction, and the overall effectiveness of education.
How I used Open Educational Resources in Introduction to Philosophy
Amy Cedrone
Assistant Professor of Philosophy and Religion
Harford Community College
acedrone@harford.edu
I wanted to use Open Educational Resources for my Introduction to Philosophy course, to make materials more affordable and improve student outcomes by providing greater access to materials. I found most philosophy textbooks from sources such as OpenStax, were awful. Instead, I looked for reading materials from online sources which were free and legal, and linked them within the course.
Faculty Preparation to Teach Asynchronous Online: Planning, Development, and Delivery of a Training Program
Hannah Katzen-Cramer
Instructional Technologist
Mount St. Mary’s University
h.r.katzen@msmary.edu
Laura Corbin Frazier
Associate Professor and Director, Center for Instructional Design and Delivery
Mount St. Mary’s University
frazier@msmary.edu
This presentation shared how one university developed an extensive faculty training program including in-person day-long training, online course completion with associated design consultations, and course development, approval, and delivery. The training program was launched to meet a growing need for faculty training to teach asynchronously online. The program is about to launch its fourth cohort.
Math Anxiety in Teachers
Rajendra Bista
Research Assistant in Math Education
Morgan State University
Rabis2@morgan.edu
This session talked about math anxiety and its effects on teachers and outcomes and interventions for math anxiety. Math anxiety, a prevalent issue affecting educators and learners, significantly impacts teaching practices and student outcomes. Despite their expertise in their subject matter, many teachers experience math anxiety, leading to avoidance behaviors and less effective instructional methods. Negative experiences during their schooling and a lack of confidence in their mathematical abilities contribute to this phenomenon. Additionally, the pressure to meet high standards in student achievement exacerbates teachers' anxiety when faced with challenges in teaching mathematics. To address this issue, various interventions have been proposed. Professional development workshops focusing on understanding and managing math anxiety can provide valuable support to teachers. Additionally, mindfulness training has emerged as a promising approach to help educators cope with stress and anxiety. By incorporating mindfulness practices into their routines, teachers can cultivate a more positive classroom environment conducive to learning. Ongoing support can help teachers overcome challenges related to math anxiety and develop more effective teaching strategies. Moreover, it is essential to continue researching and identifying effective interventions to support teachers in managing math anxiety and fostering positive attitudes toward mathematics instruction.
The Heart of Blended Course Design
Tom Cantu
Instructional Designer
Montgomery College
tom.cantu@montgomerycollege.edu
This session presented three key decisions for designing a blended course. First, decide how often to meet: once per week, once every other week, or once per month. By meeting once per week instead of twice, blended courses can enable a department to double the use of existing classrooms. Second, decide how to "blend" by bringing students to class prepared for the in-class activities, or teaching key topics in-person with practice continuing online, or both. Third, plan before, during, and after each class meeting. When class time is reduced by 50% or more, lecturing to a cold audience is inefficient. Dissect each chapter to identify sections students can learn on their own and sections you prefer to teach in class. Then decide which content-related teaching and learning activities to conduct in person and which to place online. Finally, create two schedules. Write the first schedule as your detailed planning tool to identify the assignments and activities students will complete before each class, during each class meeting, and after each class. Then pare the schedule down to a student version with a concise list of all requirements and deadlines. By guiding professors through this thinking within one week, they see how the elements of a blended course can synergize to create an engaging and effective learning experience and they can easily plan the entire course.
Crafting Virtual Escape Rooms with Microsoft Forms
Alissa Harrington
Instructional Designer and Technologist
Towson University
aharrington@towson.edu
Delve into the world of crafting virtual escape rooms using Microsoft Forms, a widely available tool in many educational institutions through a Microsoft 365 subscription. Throughout this session, we explored the application of virtual escape rooms as an engaging tool for formative assessments and professional development. Participants gained insights into designing captivating experiences, utilizing Form’s quiz-based structure, and seamlessly integrating multimedia elements, clues, and challenge questions. Collaborative activities and discussions revealed the potential of leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) tools to streamline the development process, including generating narrative and custom images. Attendees departed equipped with the skills to create immersive escape room experiences, enhancing their online learning and engagement endeavors.
Online Challenges, “Everything but AI”: A Conversation with Online Leaders (Members of COOL)
Carla Zeigler
Coordinator of Distance Learning & Instructional Design
Garrett College
carla.zeigler@garrettcollege.edu
Stephen Kabrhel
Dean of Online Learning
Community College of Baltimore County
SKabrhel@ccbcmd.edu
Shinta Hernandez
Dean of the Virtual Campus
Montgomery College
shinta.hernandez@montgomerycollege.edu
In this keynote panel session members of the Chief Officers of Online Learning (COOL) Council discussed current and upcoming challenges for online learning. They also answered audience questions. The COOL Council’s mission is to be the state-wide affinity group for university and college chief online learning officers that works together in a community of practice to examine, share, and promote best practices in online learning in higher education institutions in Maryland. The COOL Council is committed to being a collaborative thought leader to share and advocate for innovative best practices that create high quality, holistic online learning experiences for students across all types of institutions in the Maryland higher education ecosystem.
Generative AI: A New Frontier for Community College Pedagogy
Shawn Crosby
Senior Instructional Designer, CCBC Online
Community College of Baltimore County
carla.zeigler@garrettcollege.edu
Eileen Hardin
Senior Instructional Designer, CCBC Online
Community College of Baltimore County
ehardin@ccbcmd.edu
Generative AI is a rapidly developing field with the potential to revolutionize education. Higher Education faculty are in a unique position to lead the way in adopting Generative AI to support student learning and success across different course modalities. This session helped attendees discover Generative AI tools to help students develop AI literacy skills.
Digital Accessibility: We Know it’s Important but How Do We Make it Happen?
Deborah Dorsey
Assistant Professor of Health
Harford Community College
ddorsey@harford.edu
While educators recognize the importance of creating accessible electronic information, they often struggle with how to meet accessible content. This session reviewed the Web Accessible Content Guidelines (WCAG) Perceivability Principle. All learners can recognize and act on perceivable digital content. The session provided tools for creating accessible content, including the use of Image Alt Text Viewer for Chrome and the Just Press Record app to create meaningful alternative text. The presenter also offered strategies to correct common anchor text mistakes, such as “click here” and the use of words or phrases that do not clearly convey purpose or context.
Humanizing Your Course and Quality Assurance: Can They Co-Exist?
Richard Smith
Executive Board Member, MDLA
Instructional Designer
Harford Community College
rsmith@harford.edu
Humanizing your course is a practical teaching strategy for instruction that cultivates an inclusive online course climate. Does it work alongside efforts to have courses meet quality assurance standards? In this session we discussed how to balance meeting the needs of students with ensuring courses meet standards.
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