UNC System Digital Learning Webinar
October 25, 2019
(11:00 AM – 12:00 PM)
11:00 AM – 11:10 AM
Welcome
James Garner Ptaszynski, Ph.D., Vice President, Digital Learning, UNC System Office
Jim will provide recent Digital Learning Initiative (DLI) updates and an overview of today’s topics.
11:10 AM – 11:30 AM
Guest Speaker
Karen Vignare, Ph.D., M.B.A., Executive Director, Personalized Learning Consortium, Association of Public and Land-grant Universities
Personalizing Education in a Digital World
Session Summary
Adaptive learning technologies have the potential to transform the learning experiences of students. Increasing adoption of these technologies by faculty across the country have helped to enhance the collective understanding of how to support successful transformation through their effective implementation. Drawing from her experience with a network of institutions with expertise in implementing and supporting adaptive courseware for personalized learning, Karen will share what the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) has learned and how it might be applied at UNC institutions.
Karen’s Bio
Karen Vignare, Ph.D., M.B.A, is a strategic innovator leveraging emerging technologies to improve access, success and flexibility within higher education. As Executive Director for the Personalized Learning Consortium at the APLU, Karen manages a network of universities committed to student success through personalization. She also oversees several adaptive courseware grants providing leadership and support to multiple public four-year universities. She has been leading a scaling initiative with eight pioneering universities since 2016, many of which are seeing improved student success rates and higher retention.
Karen previously served as a Vice Provost, at University of Maryland University College, the largest online public open access institution where she led innovations in adaptive learning, student success and analytics. Previous to that work, she served as Director of Project Planning and Implementation for MSUGlobal at Michigan State University where she helped multiple units leverage emerging technologies in extension, non-credit programs, corporate settings, and research projects. She has published extensively on online learning, analytics, and open educational resources. She has a Ph.D. from Nova Southeastern University and an M.B.A from University of Rochester, William Simon Business School.
11:30 AM – 11:40 AM
Learning Technology
Partner Session
Holistic Course Design and Development
Holistic Course Design and DevelopmentMaria Andersen, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, Coursetune
Session Summary
Online course and curriculum design is a very complex process that requires the alignment of learning objectives at the institutional, academic program and course level while also addressing workforce needs. Maria’s presentation will demonstrate how Coursetune supports a holistic and team approach to quality instructional design through the use of learning blueprints and features such as curriculum visualization and mapping. She will also discuss how Coursetune can be used to facilitate continuous course and curriculum improvement leveraging built-in instructional design metrics and reports that enable curriculum analysis from the learner’s perspective.
Maria’s Bio
Maria Andersen, Ph.D., has been teaching mathematics and chemistry at the college level since 1998, as well as writing curriculum for mathematics, and developing digital products for learning. She built iPad games to teach algebra, launched the Canvas Network MOOC platform, and created adaptive learning platforms used by McGraw Hill. Maria also worked as the Director of Learning Design for Western Governors University. While a professor at Muskegon Community College (MCC), she directed the week-long MCC Math & Technology workshop for five years, helping faculty to prepare to teach online (or enhance their skills). Maria teaches at Westminster College, is an author, a speaker, a learning futurist, and the CEO of Coursetune. She holds degrees in Math, Chemistry, Biology, Business Administration, and Higher Education Leadership.
11:40 AM – 11:50 AM
DLI Initiatives Segment
Quality Matters Across the UNC System
John J. Falchi, M.S., Director of Special Projects, UNC System Office
Session Summary
Nearly 35% of UNC System undergraduate students completed online courses in Spring 2019. As the UNC System online presence continues to grow, along with student expectations for online education, how can UNC universities ensure the quality of online course design and implementation? One resource that is being utilized across the System is the Quality Matters (QM) program. This presentation will provide a basic understanding of QM, how it can be leveraged at your university and the value it brings to improving online learning across the System.
