Better Together: Students. Instructors. Learning. - ARBUG 2010 Conference

This year, ArBUG will focus on the theme “Better Together. Students. Teachers. Learning.” Presenters will share their expertise with improving the learning experience and leveraging related technology and concepts for both themselves and their students in the Blackboard learning environment.

Ray Henderson, President of Blackboard Learn, will be the keynote speaker at the event, which hosts educators and administrators from across the state to present on the use of Blackboard and related technology in the online classroom.

Henderson brings his years of experience with content management at Angel, the learning management system recently acquired by Blackboard, as well as with book publisher Pearson’s eCollege, an early learning management system pioneer.

Extreme Course Makeover Workshop

Wednesday, March 10th offers ARBUG members a workshop with the highly recognized leader in online course development. Dr. David Graf (see his biography below) will join us for a two part workshop on improving online courses. During the first part of this hands-on workshop, Dr. Graf will provide an overview of the Exemplary Courses Program (or ECP) rubric and show examples and best practice ideas from selected courses that have been designated as exemplary. The second part of the morning workshop will involve the use of the ECP rubric to review an online course.

At the end of the morning workshop, participants will be given a set of worksheets that will provide a blueprint for afternoon discussions with colleagues and the presenter. Participants will be directed to complete the worksheets and spend some time discussing issues, concerns, problems, or other dilemmas associated with one of their online courses. Participants will then have an opportunity to spend some one-on-one time with the presenter to further discuss options for improving their online course and have the opportunity to work with ECP reviewers to guide them in the ways to implement the ECP rubric.