Conference Tracks

There are four conference tracks:  

• Teachers as Leaders
• Teaching the Millennial Student with Technology
• Knowledge Economy and University-Industry Research Collaborations
• Distance Education

Listed below is a brief description of each track.

Track I: Teachers as Leaders 

The faculty leadership track invites proposals that explore the range of leadership roles and responsibilities that faculty members hold at various stages of their careers.  For example, faculty members often hold administrative responsibilities such as program coordinator, department chair, faculty senate member or elected senate officer.  Beyond these specific roles, faculty members demonstrate leadership through service on curriculum committees, by engaging in innovative and entrepreneurial initiatives to enhance distance education opportunities, and by participating in learning outcomes assessment and accreditation activities. What processes are in place to cultivate and promote leadership among faculty members?  This track welcomes conceptual frameworks to guide discussion and practical examples of ways different institutions engage faculty leaders on their campus. 

Track I: Teachers as Leaders Potential Topics

• Faculty mentoring
• Peer faculty activities
• Administrative leadership
• Content leadership
• Faculty development
• New faculty training
• Academic affairs leadership
• Student affairs leadership
• Shared governance

Track II: Teaching the Millennial Student with Technology

This track addresses integration of instructional technologies as teaching and learning tools at the university level in face-to-face or on-campus environment. The ever changing face of technology in education, the steep learning curves of new technologies, the complexities of teaching with technology and engaging students in the learning process, and the need for faculty to keep up with technology are important issues faculty deal with as they plan for and implement technology in their courses. This track also focuses on professional development of faculty utilizing various technologies in face-to-face instructions and/or to support the efforts of faculty to integrate technology in their teaching. The track aims to explore all possibilities and practicalities surrounding the creation of exemplary environments for technology integration within the university setting to help millennial students, faculty and administrators adjust to innovative forms of teaching and learning with technology. Other relevant activities include integrating different software and hardware technologies in undergraduate and graduate programs, in-service programs offered to faculty, and initiatives, which facilitate organizational changes associated with technology. The Conference invites proposals from introductory through advanced levels on all topics related to teaching the millennial students with technology.

 Track II: Teaching the Millennial Students with Technology Potential Topics

• Teaching with Technology: Engaging Students through 21st Century Learning
• Digital Storytelling/Video/Multimedia
• Technology and Professional Development for Faculty
• Games and Simulations
• Special Education and Assistive Technology
• TPACK: Technological, Pedagogical and Content Knowledge
• Technology Leadership
• Technology and STEM
• Technology, Arts and Interdisciplinary Education   

Track III: Knowledge Economy and University-Industry Research Collaborations  

In simplest terms, knowledge economy incorporates various intangibles, such as ideas, scientific discoveries, knowledge, and technology that help stimulate economic growth. While all economies are arguably knowledge-based, in a knowledge economy, information is created and supported as a productive asset and treated as a business, educational or intellectual product that can be disseminated for a higher-value return.  Obviously, any and all disciplines — engineering sciences, life sciences, natural sciences, medical and social sciences — are equally appropriate for university-industry research cooperation. Surveys show that STEM disciplines lead this activity worldwide.

This track addresses issues associated with knowledge economy and university-industry research collaborations.  Research at institutions of higher education plays a vital role in industrial innovation.  In fact,  the reputation of universities is measured in large part by the impact of their graduates and the contributions to knowledge made by their faculty.  Research relationships between universities and industry are mutually beneficial, because they enable both entities to sustain growth. Companies count on academic researchers for product innovations, and faculty gain prestige through increased external research funds competition. Creating an efficient innovation system warrants collaborations among universities, businesses, think tanks, government, science and research centers and others to help tap and contribute to the growing stock of global knowledge, adapt it to local needs, and use it to create new products, services and ways of doing business. Universities worldwide are increasingly working with external organizations to ensure that their research and teaching is relevant to the outside world.  Emerging research universities in particular are putting dedicated support effort into this area for resource planning.  

Track III:  Knowledge Economy Track: Potential Topics

• What is knowledge economy?
• Knowledge economy collaborations and HBCUs
• The importance of engaging with communities and regions
• The importance of engaging with industry
• University case study perspectives on external relations policy, planning and practice
• Approaches and tools to capture information
• Seeking sustainable partnerships within and with other universities: rewards and challenges
• Developing innovative partnering from a company perspective
• Product R&D and knowledge management (intellectual property management protocols)
• Partnering with not-for-profits: exploring the opportunities
• Collaborative knowledge management: developing open relationships within and across universities
• Role of partnerships with external organizations and discussion of best-practice case studies

Track IV: Distance Education 

This track addresses the integration of electronic, mobile, and distance education delivery modes and tools at the university level. This track also focuses on professional development of faculty using online and mobile technologies to facilitate delivery and/or to support the efforts of faculty to integrate E-learning and M-learning (mobile learning) technologies in online courses. M-learning in particular is an area of technology that is moving at a fast pace. The track aims to explore all possibilities and practicalities surrounding the creation of exemplary environments for mobile learning within the university setting to help millennial students, faculty and administrators adjust to this new form of teaching and learning. Other relevant activities include gaming and simulations, accessibility issues for special-needs students and faculty, creating multimedia products to support online teaching, courseware development, and initiatives that facilitate organizational changes associated with online technologies. The Conference invites proposals from the introductory through advanced level on all topics related to E-learning and M-learning.

Track IV: Distance Education Potential Topics

• Mobile Learning
• Blended Learning
• Professional Development for Faculty for online teaching
• TPACK and E-Learning: Technological, Pedagogical, And Content Knowledge
• Asynchronous and Synchronous Learning
• Authoring Tools
• Developing, Integrating and Delivering E-learning Solutions
• Electronic Publishing Tools for E-learning
• Evaluation/Performance Measurement and Assessment
• Good Practice Concepts and Examples
• Learning and Content Management Systems
• Simulations
• Societal Issues, Including Legal, Standards and International Issues