UC to Host 150 Academic and University Leaders for Active Learning Conference

The University of Cincinnati will host the Active Learning Conference Thursday, Aug. 4, which will bring to campus 150 leaders from universities and academic institutions in and outside the nation to discuss and share innovations in academic technology. The event, organized by Echo360, will outline how active learning solutions can forge new paths in

transforming the educational experience for faculty and students

.

“As students today bring an average of five mobile devices to college, it is important that more than 90 percent of UC’s courses utilize some form of enterprise technology,” said UC Interim Provost Peter Landgren. “Through Canopy, our eLearning ecosystem, we connect faculty and students to a suite of tools and resources to enhance learning where it happens—in the classroom, online or both.”

Landgren will be joining the centerpiece event, a “Fireside Chat” with Carl Straumsheim, technology correspondent for Inside Higher Ed, to highlight how institutions like UC are successfully implementing initiatives across campus, leading to increased student engagement and, ultimately, better learning experiences. Joseph Gallagher, assistant professor of physics at UC Blue Ash College, will also join in the discussion on the role technology plays in teaching and learning.

The conference allows attending representatives to plan for student and faculty success through new active learning experiences, discuss the evolution of the classroom and the incorporation of technology, and share active learning strategies.

Other speakers from UC include Chris Edwards, assistant vice president of eLearning, and Tina Meagher, senior video strategist, who will showcase how recent, behind-the-scenes efforts in active learning have allowed it to better leverage innovative technologies and excel in eLearning.

Representatives from Purdue University will also be in attendance at the conference, and are expected to discuss how their use of technology transformed their foundation and STEM courses. And, Colin Montpetit, assistant professor, University of Ottawa, will share how he leverages the Echo360 Active Learning Platform to transform a large enrollment lecture classroom into an active learning zone.

The conference begins at 9 a.m.in UC’s Russell C. Myers Alumni Center. Registration begins at 8:15 a.m. Echo360 is an organization that pulls together classroom content, lectures, social learning tools and resources into a digital environment that provides students new ways to learn. The Active Learning Platform is an important component of Canopy, UC’s eLearning ecosystem.